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Why have a separate MIDI controller and audio interface when you can have both in some sexy package? Hollin Jones puts the iRig Keys IO through its paces.
Aug 24, 2017 iRig Keys I/O makes your iPad a mini music studio. It’ll work both with your iPhone and iPad, or with a Mac or PC. GarageBand, and Ableton Live on PC and Mac; you’ll get 24-bit, 96 kHz. Nov 23, 2017 I have just discovered that my irig hd no longer works in garageband for ipad 2. In fact it no longer works in Amplitube! I get the message not supported. Irig have suggested I locate my receipt, which suggests they might ask me to return it, but the thing is. Get the guaranteed best price on MIDI Keyboard Controllers like the IK Multimedia iRig Keys I/O 49 at Musician's Friend. Get a low price and free shipping on thousands of items. The iRig Keys I/O offers a one-cable keyboard controller solution for computer- and iPad-based musicians. IK Multimedia are probably best known to music tech veterans as a software developer, with well-established products like T-Racks, AmpliTube and SampleTank. But in recent years they’ve made.
It was only a matter of time before IK took the development it has been doing on iOS accessories, MIDI controllers and portable audio input devices and combined them into a single product. As a product category it’s not unique, exactly, though the few other portable, combined audio interface / MIDI controller keyboards around are mostly pretty long in the tooth. (I still love my Novation Xiosynth but it’s been gigged almost to death).
Mega Mobile
Since iPads and iPhones have become much more serious music-making platforms - and also gone down to a single Lightning port for I/O - the need for a device that can do everything down a single cable has arguably never been greater. In truth, this is the kind of product that I have been waiting for. Much of what I do involves fairly simple MIDI input and audio recording with a laptop or iPad, and I’m tired of carrying several devices to work on the move. So will the iRig Keys I/O do the job?
As noted above, this device feels like a culmination of many of the things IK has figured out while designing products that do just one or two of the things that the I/O can do. Coming in 25 or 49-key versions, it’s a lightweight but well-built device (I’d invest in a gig bag if transporting any MIDI gear very often) that powers either using batteries, or over the supplied Lightning or regular USB cables, connected to your iOS device or Mac / PC respectively. It also sends MIDI and audio back and forth across the cable, meaning minimum fuss. It’s worth noting it has to be battery powered when used with iOS to avoid draining the device, or powered via the optional PSU which when connected will also charge your iOS device.
Play It Again
Remarkably the units use full sized keys - IK says they are the smallest devices on the market to do so - and feature an improved keybed that is responsive to use. They are velocity sensitive and feature synth action - you’ll be familiar with the type from other similar kinds of device. The top surface features a range of realtime controls to help you take better control of your instruments and DAW. There’s slider strips for pitch and modulation that are user programmable, octave, program change and transport controls, 5 programmable touch sensitive knobs and 8 velocity-sensitive multi-colored assignable pads. The controls are capacitive, meaning that simply touching one (without having to move it) will call up its current value onto the LED screen.
The controls on both models are the same, but on the larger model they are more spaced out lengthwise. There's a handy mobile device stand included too for propping up your iPad - a thoughtful inclusion.
For The Record
And so to arguably the most interesting feature, a built-in audio interface that features a single channel combo input with phantom power, stereo line outs for monitoring plus a headphone out. In an ideal world the headphone port could be on the front instead of the back, but this isn’t a deal breaker. You can connect your XLR or instrument input and record a single channel of audio. It is capable of 24-bit / 96kHz operation and performed well in my tests, capturing a decent level from a studio condenser mic with low noise and negligible latency. It’s worth noting that there is also an IK-branded gooseneck mic available for preorder - the iRig Keys I/O Mic - that is designed for voice recording without the need for a stand: another potential space and time saver.
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As is often the case, IK calls on its impressive software lineup to bundle some free goodies with the hardware, and the selection is very solid, differing slightly depending on which model you buy. Izotope rx 4 mac. For the desktop there’s the full version of Sampletank 3, T-RackS 4 Deluxe, Syntronik Pro-V synth and Miroslav Philharmonik 2 CE. For iOS there’s equivalent mobile versions of those apps. IK reckons the value of the bundles is $550 / $750 respectively so it’s a generous giveaway and should get you up and running on either platform - just add a DAW like Apple’s GarageBand.
Like many of IK’s other iOS products, this one is Apple certified as MFi - Made for iOS devices - which isn’t the easiest certification to get. This means it’s guaranteed to work out of the box with iOS devices, plus of course it’s class compliant on Windows and Mac so there’s no real setup to speak of. There is a gap in the market for a truly portable all-in-one box that works with the latest devices, and IK would seem to have come up with one. Yes, there’s only a single channel of recording at once but then the units are hugely portable, and for many people that’s a compromise that’s not a big issue as they may only be recording one voice or guitar at a time.
Conclusion
The ability to power and send audio and MIDI over a single cable (or use batteries when iOS is involved), to play and control MIDI, control the transport, monitor and record using such a compact device is great, especially for anyone working on the move or with limited space. The 25 key model is especially bijou. The bundled software is a nice addition too, giving you some tools to work with to get you up and running. As an all-in-one solution for mobile MIDI triggering, monitoring and simple audio recording, iRig Keys I/O is a handy and well thought-out solution that saves you carrying several devices around. For working with iOS devices it gets around the issue of the single Lightning port admirably, even if this does mean adding batteries or the optional PSU. Considering the functionality on offer, that’s a small compromise to have to make. Overall, a great concept, and well executed.
Price: 25 key 199.99 EUR (Ex. VAT) / 49 key 299.99 EUR (Ex.VAT)
Pros: Supremely portable. Does almost everything down a single cable. Really no setup on Mac, PC or iOS. Good quality audio recording. Full size keys. Battery power option. Generous software bundle. Carry one device instead of 2 or 3. Mobile stand included.
Cons: Doesn't power independently from an iOS device. Only 1 channel of audio input, if that bothers you.
Web: http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/irigkeysio/
Learn more about mobile music-making in the Ask.Audio Academy here.
Synthesis 101
By Malcolm Owen
Thursday, November 16, 2017, 08:44 pm PT (11:44 pm ET)
Thursday, November 16, 2017, 08:44 pm PT (11:44 pm ET)
Feb 02, 2016 I currently plan on using the Mac mini almost exclusively for Garage band and to a lesser extent iMovie. I have used and am used to using garage band on the iPad mini and I wanted to find out if the performance on the Mac Mini 1.4ghz model is comparable to that. Question: Q: Mac Mini 1.4ghz version for Garageband More Less. Apple Footer. Apr 27, 2017 #2 Should be more than adequate for Garageband. #3 With only a 1tb platter-based hard drive, that Mini is going to be slow. If you're getting the midrange Mini, get it with the 1tb fusion drive. This has a 128gb SSD portion and a 1tb HDD portion. Bundle includes Apple Mac Mini, 21.5” monitor, Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 audio interface, AKG P120 studio microphone, AKG K52 headphones, and more! So check out the Complete Desktop Recording Studio and free your musical imagination today. GarageBand includes Alchemy, one of the world’s most advanced synthesizers. Explore hundreds of Apple‑designed Patches, perfect for EDM, Hip Hop, Indie, Rock, and Pop music. Use the expressive Transform Pad to morph between sounds in real time, or just have fun using the simple Chord Strips that help anyone play like an expert.
K Multimedia has added another device to its audio interface line, introducing the iRig Keys I/O as pair of MFi-certified MIDI controllers that can be used to create music on an iPhone or iPad, using its included keyboard or via another instrument or microphone using the device as a preamp. Two varieties of the iRig Keys I/O are being offered by IK Multimedia, with the 25 and 49 variants including 25 and 49 full-sized keys for each of their respective keyboards. Despite the size and number of keys, the two interfaces are almost identical, with the larger model offering a few more interactive elements above the keyboard.
In the space on the top above the keys are a row of touch-sensitive knobs, touch-sensitive programmable sliders used for pitch and modulation changes, a numerical display, and multicolored velocity-sensitive pads to the right.
At the same time as acting as a MIDI controller, the iRig Keys I/O also includes a number of extra input options that allow it to record other instruments and microphones, recording 24-bit audio at a sampling rate of up to 96kHz. At the back is a combination XLR input which can be used with microphones and cabled instruments like an electric guitar, complete with 48V phantom power, a headphone jack, stereo outputs for a PA system, a socket for a pedal, and a multi-purpose port used to connect the USB and Lightning cables.
The XLR port at the back can also be used with the iRig Keys I/O Mic, sold separately, which is a gooseneck condenser microphone that can stand up on its own without a stand, held in position using the port itself. The microphone offers a frequency response from 100Hz to 15kHz, and is capable of capturing audio at up to 130 decibels.
The Made for iPhone and iPad controller will work with iOS devices straight out of the packaging, with it compatible with most popular digital audio workstations, including GarageBand, Logic Pro, and Ableton Live. Over 5,000 sounds, 43 gigabytes of samples, and a selection of software is also provided with each keyboard, including Ableton Live 9 Lite, SampleTank 3, TrackS 4 Deluxe, and in the case of the 49-key version, the Miroslav Philharmonik 2 CE orchestral workstation,
IK Multimedia claims the iRig Keys I/O useful for mobile musicians, with both said to be 25 percent lighter than the lightest competitor, and with the 49-key model taking 50 percent less space than the smallest competitor with a similar number of keys, or for the 25-key version, 30 percent. Also included in the box is a mobile device stand, for holding an iPhone or iPad up in front of the user, with a travel bag also available separately to make it easier to transport the device.
Aside from using the separate power adapter, the iRig Keys I/O is also able to use the power drawn from a USB connection, though there is also the option of using AA batteries, making it a highly portable system usable in remote locations.
The iRig Keys I/O is available now, priced at $199.99 for the 25-key model and $299.99 for the 49-key version. The optional iRig Keys I/O Mic is available to pre-order, priced at $69.99.