We had a chance to go hands-on with a pre-release version of IK Multimedia’s AmpliTube iRig, a small interface for your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch that allows you to plug a guitar or other instrument directly in to your mobile device. Combined with the AmpliTube app, the iRig turns your iPhone or iPad into a portable stompbox and jam studio with the ability to select from a number of different amp types and audio effects.

The iRig dongle itself also works with other recording or tuning apps, and can simply function as a line-in for your guitar or other line level instrument. However, the device really comes alive when used with the AmpliTube app, making it possible to dial in an insane number of customized amp and effects sounds using intuitive controls.

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iRig Hardware and Setup

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The iRig device itself is simple to understand at a glance and quite straightforward to set up. Its male 1/8-inch mini-jack connector plugs into your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch, and a 1/4-inch input on the opposite side lets you plug a guitar or other line-level instrument in to the device. A 1/8-inch headphone jack then handles the overall audio output, allowing you to listen through headphones for a solo jam session or connect up to an external mixer or PA system for practice, performance or recording.

The iRig itself is sturdy and well-made, and you shouldn’t have to worry about it being too fragile to carry around with other cables, adapters or equipment. You just have to remember to turn down the volume on your iPad or iPhone/iPod touch before putting your headphones on or turning on your PA system to make sure you don’t generate feedback or blow out either your eardrums or your equipment with a too-hot audio signal — but performers and audiophiles will pretty much be trained to do this already when setting up their gear.

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AmpliTube Software

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You’ll actually have your choice of three options in terms of the software: the full version of AmpliTube includes 11 stompboxes, 5 amps and cabinets plus two microphones for a cost of $19.99. The AmpliTube LE version includes 5 stompboxes, 1 amp and cabinet and two microphones for $2.99. There’s also a totally free versionthat comes with 3 stompboxes, 1 amp and cabinet and two microphones.

We were able to test out the full range of sounds, amps, cabinets and effects for our review. Amps included clean, crunch, lead, metal and bass and each featured the complementary range of controls you’d find on the actual hardware: volume, bass, treble, tone and reverb depending on the amp model. The stompboxes included flanger, phazer, octave, noise filter, chorus, distortion, envelope filter, wah, overdrive, fuzz and delay — with the ability to apply up to three independent effects at the same time.

All of the effects have easy bypass modes accessible via an interface button, and some offer unique control mechanisms. The wah pedal for example can be operated simply by touching to depress the pedal further, or you can switch to tilt mode to use the accelerometer of the iPad, iPhone or iPod touch to adjust the level as you tilt the device itself. Also handy is the ability to store up to 12 presets, so once you’ve worked up a combination of amps, settings and stompboxes you like it’s easy to store and retrieve again later.

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How Does it Sound?

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IK Multimedia is a known leader in the software sound modeling arena and the AmpliTube plus iRig combination does not disappoint. You will easily forget that the sounds you hear are actually coming from a phone.

The amps are based on well-known classic tones from the likes of Marshall and Fender and sound accordingly full. They’re also easy to tweak thanks to the cabinet and microphone options plus on-board controls, and the entire interface is very intuitive and easy to use.

Add to that the range of effects with their own sets of controls, and the ability to layer up to three stompboxes at a time, and you’ve got yourself a very impressive and highly portable collection of sound modifiers all set up and waiting to go on your iPhone or iPad. I didn’t encounter any latency issues during any of my testing, but here too AmpliTube is looking out for those who demand high performance with low and ultra low latency options available in the Setup menu.

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Song Mode and Other Goodies

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Yet another cool feature of the AmpliTube app is the ability to import songs or backing tracks over a wireless network so as to play along or practice alongside an accompaniment. It doesn’t hook directly into your iTunes library, which would be a nice touch, but nevertheless it’s still a great feature.

Other goodies include a built-in metronome and chromatic tuner. You can also sync up your AmpliTube app with your IK Multimedia account, netting you the ability to eventually purchase additional stompboxes from the online store to further expand your sound modulating arsenal.

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Overall Impressions

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Ultimately we came away quite impressed with the iRig plus AmpliTube combo. The sounds are solid, the interface is intuitive, the featureset is robust and the price is reasonable — especially considering the range of software options and pricing available. Musicians of all stripes from hobbyist to professional could glean a lot of utility from having an on-the-go practice or composition toolbox available right in their iPhone or iPad.

All three flavors of AmpliTube are already available in the App Store now, with a set of pre-recorded guitar loops built in so you can audition the sounds before deciding whether or not to pick up the iRig hardware. The device itself will ship July 1, and is available for pre-order now for a cost of $39.99.