New IMN Podcast and the iRig Review

The new IMN podcast is up - download it or listen at the site or on WFYI HD2, Thursdays at 4pm and 10pm.

Bassists are used to relying on big boxes to get their sound - at least when it comes to amplifiers. Therefore, I wasn't really expecting much when I purchased the iRig. It was just a lark to test out what's available in the software and see what I could do. At the very least, I'd have something to connect the bass to my iPhone or iPad for the tuner apps I have.

The iRig connection wasn't hard at all - plug in the bass and the headphones to the iRig, plug the iRig into the iDevice, and you're good to go. The tuner programs work just fine with it, so mission accomplished there. I went ahead and purchased the full version of Amplitube, even though it only has the one bass amp model. Which, by the way, works perfectly adequately for an Ampeg-style emulator. The effects interact with the bass acceptably as well, although the overdrive and distortion effects sometimes caused large amounts of feedback. A few quick volume adjustments in the setup section of the program as well as the iPad solved the problem. It probably won't replace the Line 6 software integration I use with Record, and I'll stick with my DI boxes and amps for recording and live performances. But for sketchpad playing or silent practice, it's a tool well worth the purchase. And you will have to purchase - the free version doesn't include the bass amp, and you'd have to purchase the software separately for each device if you own both an iPhone and an iPad.

The real revelation was using the bass with the Moog Filterator. You can mix in a sample and a VCO signal from the Moog synth emulator with a line signal, and the available effects make radical signal manipulation quite easy. I went from near-NIN tones to ambient explorations with a few tweaks, and Moog's sound holds up to the name's reputation. This is where the iRig and software shines - making new things that wouldn't ordinarily be possible using physical tools. The X-Y pads Moog makes available lets you affect sound and effects with a quick touch, and you'd need a ton of programmable effects to accomplish this otherwise. Not bad for a $40 equipment purchase and a $5 app.