What’s that? iRig MIDI is a compact standard CoreMIDI interface for iOS that connects any MIDI compatible device to the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.
This, along with CoreMIDI interfaces from Yamaha and Line 6, means that there’s now competition in the world of MIDI interfaces for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and that can only lead to good things in the future. (right?)
iRig MIDI gives you the possibility to connect MIDI keyboards, drum machines, drum pads, pedal boards and more to an iOS device to control not only the included SampleTank Free, but also a world of MIDI-compatible apps such as GarageBand. Basically, if something has MIDI support, you can plug it in!
You can also use iOS apps to control external MIDI equipment such as sound modules, DAWs or lighting systems right from the mobile device.
The included SampleTank for iOS also offers a mobile alternative to traditional software and hardware sound modules. According to IK Multimedia – SampleTank has been designed ‘from the ground up to work as a live performance instrument’, where it can access as a vast 1GB library of over 500 ready-to-use sounds.
IK Multimedia iRig MIDI is ‘coming soon’ and will sell for US $69.99.
SampleTank for iOS is the mobile version of IK’s SampleTank for Mac and PC. It is a 4-part multi-timbral instrument with a sound set of over 1 GB of samples for over 500 acoustic, electric and electronic instruments (including a selection of the best workstation sounds from SampleTank, orchestral sounds from Miroslav Philharmonik and synths sounds from SampleMoog) plus a selection of over 1,000 melodic and rhythmic patterns that span every musical genre.
SampleTank for iOS includes 20 studio quality insert effects that can be applied to each individual instrument (up to 4 insert effects per part). These effects continue in the IK tradition started by T-RackS and AmpliTube by providing the best models of classic and modern analog and digital outboard gear: AM Modulation, Auto Pan, Channel Strip, Chorus, Compressor, Crusher, Filter, Flanger, FM Modulation, Guitar Amp, Lo-Fi, Multi Chorus, Overdrive, Parametric EQ, Phaser, Phonograph, Rotary Speaker, Slicer, Tremolo and Wah Wah. SampleTank also includes a master send effect for applying reverb or delay (or both!) to all of your instruments. Choose from Delay, Reverb, Reverb Delay and Spring Reverb.
For more advanced users, SampleTank provides an edit mode with all the synthesizer parameters you expect from a professional grade instrument including a highly flexible resonant multimode filter with slopes of 6 – 24 dB per octave, two LFOs, two envelopes and flexible modulation matrix. For live performance controls, SampleTank provides three different windows: 4 Faders, 2 ribbons and an X-Y pad in addition to a pitch and mod wheel.
SampleTank for iOS is compatible with iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPod touch 4th and 3rg generation, and iOS 4.2 and newer. An iPad version is currently being developed.
