For anyone who’s ever tried to record a demo just using an iPhone (so anyone who plays guitar born in the last 30 years), you’ll know that using voice memos just doesn’t cut it. Luckily for all you aspiring Bob Dylans out there, IK Multimedia’s iRig Mic HD allows you to record high quality vocals, direct to your iDevice. Maestro, please…
As soon as I unwrapped the compact mic, I put it straight to work; now, I don’t have the voice of an angel, but on the right day, with a good wind and a couple of beers down me, I can hold a tune for a while, so I started humming melodies into the mic as it connected to my iPad. Using VocaLive app is pretty fun for getting an exact recording of your voice, but what I really liked about the synergy between the mic and my app is the sheer amount of effects that you can add.
With a choir effect, a little reverb and a lot of pitch control, I managed to get through a few versions of my favourite karaoke numbers, even adding some harmonising to my, uh, Bonnie Tyler cover (anyone who says they haven’t practiced Total Eclipse Of The Heart in the mirror at least one time in their life is a goddamn liar).
With 24-bit audiophile-grade A/D converter, a 44.1/48 kHz sampling rate and a low-noise/high-definition pre-amp, this is a tech lover’s microphone. you can hear the sheer quality in the speakers as you croon/warble away. I love that you can mount it on a standard mic stand, so if you wanted to bring it to a jam session, you can add in a five-piece soul choir harmonising just for the hell of it.
Syncing up with all of IK Multimedia’s apps (try and put it through the Hendrix fuzz pedal on the late, great guitarist’s app! Amazing!), the iMic HD is great for bedroom amateurs and professionals on-the-go alike. Now, all together, “Turn around (every now and then I get a little bit terrified)…”
