Ipad Guitar Connector Garageband
In order to take advantage of the great guitar-processing apps available for the iPad and iPhone, you need a way to get the signal from your guitar or bass into your iOS device. For that, you’ll need a dedicated guitar interface or a more fully featured audio interface that can handle not only guitar and bass connections but also microphones and sometimes even MIDI as well.
The Alchemy synth is available on iPhone 6 or later, iPad Pro, iPad (5th generation), iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 4. Multitrack recording requires a compatible third‑party audio interface. Sharing to Facebook and YouTube requires iMovie. Requires an Apple Music Connect account. GarageBand is available on the App Store. IOS 11 required.
- These interfaces connect through your device’s headphone jack, using a kind of connector called TRRS, which is a special type of mini-plug that allows audio to travel both in and out of your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. This is important because not only do you want your guitar signal.
- There are also MIDI connectors such as the iRig MIDI, which hook up MIDI keyboards, drum machines, drum pads, pedal boards and more to an iOS device. Connect your guitar to your iOS device (we’re using an iRig), get your headphones on and turn up the volume on your headphones and guitar. Open GarageBand.
Two different types of guitar/bass interfaces are available on the market:
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Digital interfaces, which connect through the dock port on your device
Analog interfaces, which connect through the headphone jack on your device
Going digital
Initially you could only find analog guitar interfaces for iOS, but the last couple of years have brought forth plenty of digital models. These offer better sound quality than the analog ones, because they convert your instrument signal into digital audio and keep it in the digital domain as it goes into your device. Conversely, analog interfaces bring the signal in through the analog headphone jack, and it doesn’t get digitized until it gets into your device.
These digital interfaces offer 24-bit audio resolution, which is the same resolution used in most professional computer recording software. The result is that your guitar or bass will sound the same going into an app as it does coming out of your guitar, and no noise will be added.
Some of the best-known interfaces of this type include:
Apogee Jam
Apogee Jam 96K
Griffin Guitar Connect Pro
IK Multimedia iRig HD
Line 6 Mobile In
Peavey AmpKit Link HD
Positive Grid’s JamUP Plug HD
Sonoma Wireworks GuitarJack Model 2
The only disadvantage to digital interfaces is their cost, which is typically in the $90 to $120 range, depending on the product.
Connecting one of these interfaces to your device is easy: Just plug it in to the dock connector, plug your guitar or bass into its 1/4” input jack, and you’re ready to rock.
Note that some interfaces feature the older-style 30-pin connectors, which means if you have one of the newer generation of Lightning-equipped iOS devices, you’ll need one of Apple’s Lightning-to-30-pin adapters in order to connect it to your device. This adapter will set you back about $30, so figure that into your budget, or choose an interface such as IK Multimedia’s iRig HD, or Griffin’s Guitar Connect Pro, which supports both formats out of the box.
If you plan on using both MIDI and audio in your live rig, make sure you buy an interface that supports both. You only have one data connector, after all— don’t make your devices fight for space!
The analog alternative
Analog instrument interfaces offer an inexpensive alternative to the digital products. Although analog audio isn’t as clean and pristine as digital audio, for a lot of applications, the difference won’t be particularly noticeable. Analog guitar interfaces tend to sell in the $20 range, for the most part, so if you’re willing to live with a signal that might be slightly noisy at times, you can save quite a bit.
These interfaces connect through your device’s headphone jack, using a kind of connector called TRRS, which is a special type of mini-plug that allows audio to travel both in and out of your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. This is important because not only do you want your guitar signal to go into your iOS device, you want to be able to hear it and any background tracks or other music you’re playing with it at the same time.
If you’re wondering where you’ll be able to plug your headphones into, since the interface is connected to your headphone jack, there’s a simple answer. All of these analog interfaces have their own built-in headphone output jack, so you can listen to the audio coming out of your device at the same time as your guitar’s signal goes in through the iOS device’s headphone jack.
Because they’re 30-pin devices (a format that Apple has replaced), analog interfaces may not remain on the market all that much longer. But currently, these three were still available, all at reduced prices (under $30):
IK Multimedia iRig
Positive Grid JamUp Plug
Griffin Guitar Connect Pro
In this feature I ditch the recording studio and take a look at the best portable interfaces for GarageBand musicians who want the freedom to record anytime, anywhere.
The beauty of an app like GarageBand for iOS is that you no longer need to spend ludicrous amounts of money renting studio time or wait until your ‘big break’ to write, record and release your own music.
If you want your DIY music to sound its best however, you’ll need to ditch that inbuilt mic on your iOS device and invest in an audio interface of some kind.
There’s tons of choice out there and it can be hard to work out what interface is right for you. I’ve brought together 3 of the best portable recording interfaces on the planet to help you narrow down your options.
Let’s take a look.
£74.99/$99.99
Compact, portable, and easy to use, the Roland GO:MIXER makes it simple to record high-quality audio with your iDevice.
With multiple inputs available, you can connect a mic, musical instruments, and media players and mix them all together at the same time.
The unit features the ability to combine five sources at once via inputs for a ¼” jack vocal mic (no XLR input or +48 V Phantom Power here), guitar, stereo keyboard, and two stereo line-level devices (such as music players, drum machines, etc.).
The quality is great, assuming you don’t clip/peak the audio. There is a dial for each main instrument input as well as a master volume dial to adjust as appropriate. The GO:MIXER also has a peaking LED which is useful to have.
All in all this little box is incredibly versatile, though the lack of XLR input or 48v Phantom Power would definitely prove limiting for some.
Tech Specs
- Inputs: 8 channels
- Outputs 2 channels
- Connectors INSTRUMENT (L/MONO, R) jacks: 1/4-inch phone type
- LINE IN 1 jack: Stereo miniature phone type
- LINE IN 2 jack: Stereo miniature phone type
- MIC jack: 1/4-inch phone type (no plug-in power)
- GUITAR/BASS jack: 1/4-inch phone type (high impedance)
- MONITOR OUT jack: Stereo miniature phone type
- USB port: USB Micro-B type USB Bus PowerCurrent Draw40 mA
- Accessories: Lightning to USB Micro-B type cable (50 cm, 1 ft 7 inches)
- USB OTG Micro-B type to USB Micro-B type cable (50 cm, 1 ft 7 inches)
£81.99/$119.99
Focusrite has a great track record for producing extraordinarily high quality USB and Thunderbolt audio interfaces for Mac and PC. With the iTrack Solo Lightning, they’ve packed most all of the killer features from their range into this little box.
While it is smaller and lacking a few of the features of some of Focusrite’s more expensive units , the iTrack Solo packs enough of a sonic punch to hold its own against most other interfaces at this price range.
The mic preamp used here series are nothing short of phenomenal, giving you clean and clear recordings every time. There’s also +48 V Phantom Power available, so you can use a studio quality condenser microphone to really push the quality of your recordings to the next level.
Super-low latency brings confidence to your performance, letting you record and monitor with software effects in real time.
New gain controls and a sleek metal chassis underscore its industrial design – this thing can take one hell of a beating!
Tech Specs
- 1 microphone input – XLR, 1 Instrument input ¼’ unbalanced, 2 Gain knobs,
- 48V Phantom power switch, Direct monitor switch
- 2 unbalanced monitor outputs – RCA Phone, DEVICE LINK port (to connect iTrack Solo to iPad)
- USB 2.0 Port, Kensington Lock slot
- Supported sample rates 44.1 KHz, 48 KHz, 88.2 KHz, 96 KHz – Mac and PC 44.1 KHz, 48 KHz – iPad
- In the box: iTrack Solo, 1.2m USB cable, 1.2m “DEVICE LINK” cable (to connect to a Lightning iPad), Getting started guide, Registration card, USB power supply (US only)
- Compatible with: iTrack Solo Lightning: Any iPad with Lightning connector, Standard iTrack Solo: iPad (1st gen), iPad (2nd gen) and iPad (3rd gen)
£127.99/$149.99
iRig Pro I/O is a pocket-sized full-featured audio and MIDI interface that gives you 24-bit/96kHz recording studio quality sound everywhere you go with a few additional essential features for mobile recording.
Its designed to be “plug and play” and easy to use with all of your gear — studio mics, vocal performance mics, guitars, basses, keyboards — whatever it is, iRig Pro I/O can probably handle it.
Ipad Guitar Connector Garageband Free
It features a new 1/8″ stereo headphone out with preamp and level control, making it compatible with even the most recent iOS devices. Plus, when used with the optional DC power supply, the unit will charge your iPhone or iPad while in use for unlimited playing and recording time – super handy!
The Pro I/O also features a new MIDI Out jack that gives you even more flexibility and control over your outboard MIDI gear.
Despite it’s small size the iRig Pro I/O has it where it counts, packing the features you’d expect from a full scale audio interface into it’s sleek form factor.
Tech Specs
- High definition 24-bit/96kHz audio plus MIDI interface for iPhone, iPad, Mac, PC and Android devices
- Connects to everything, yet easily fits in your laptop bag, gig bag or pocket
- Neutrik™ combo input for guitar, microphone or other instruments with a professional quality preamp, phantom power and gain control
- iPhone 7 ready with integrated headphone output with volume control
- Powered via USB bus, two AA batteries or the optional iRig PSU 3A (PSU simultaneously charges iOS device)
- Detachable Lightning and USB cables included for connection to iPhone, iPad, Mac and PC (MFi certified)
- Comes with a Velcro strip to secure iRig Pro I/O to a mic stand
- Comes with over $/€550 worth of full version Software & Apps
There you have it, that’s my top 3 favourite portable audio interfaces for use with GarageBand for iOS.
Ipad Garageband Guitar
Is your favourite on the list? What did I miss out? Leave a comment and let me know, or come and join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.