IK Multimedia
iRig Acoustic
PROS: Great audio quality, non-permanent, non-intrusive, inexpensive.
CONS: None.
PRICE:
Smartphones and tablets have become very useful in recording, especially for electric instruments, but for acoustics, a microphone was pretty much the only way to go. IK Multimedia now has a solution with their iRig Acoustic pickup.
Size-wise, it’s not much bigger than a standard guitar pick. Simply slide it onto the edge of the guitar’s sound hole, and connect it to a smartphone/tablet’s headphone jack. There is a small section of the cable that allows connection of a 1/8” headphone jack for monitoring. Recording can be done via a variety of standard and stock (already installed) apps, but IK has a free version of their iRig recorder that works great with it. With a few adapters (1/8” to 1/4” TRS), it could also be used as a live mic/pickup just as easily.
The sound quality is excellent, and it doesn’t pick up a lot of extraneous or unwanted noise. In a room with a TV set on about 12 feet away, the only sound it captured was the guitar’s. With its small size it truly doesn’t get in the way of picking or fingers. It can also grab any percussive sounds from slapping or tapping on an acoustic body. It works great on a variety of guitars, and even ukes. With a street price of $49, it a can take a guitar that doesn’t have a piezo option and give it a non-permanent, totally reversible option to record or amplify its sound.
FEATURES
Ultra-compact clip-on mic for acoustic guitar
Connects directly to iPhone, iPad, Android and Mac
Extended frequency response (15 Hz – 20 kHz)
Fits nearly any acoustic instrument
Integrated headphone output