At the 2012 NAMM Show, IK Multimedia introduced the iRig PRE – a new option for connecting any XLR microphone to any iPhone, iPhone touch or iPad.
The microphone plugs directly into the standard XLR connector of iRig PRE with no need for extra cables or adapters.
The onboard 9V battery provides the necessary voltage for phantom-powered studio condenser microphones. They say it offers at least 15 hours of continuous use.
A 3.5mm (1/8”) stereo headphone output allows monitoring while recording.
The housing sports a cable for iOS device connection and also includes a Velcro strip slot for mounting on a mic stand or other stage locations.
Features
- 40 cm (15.75″) TRRS cable to connect to any iOS device headset jack
- XLR input connector for microphones
- Gain control
- +48 V phantom power
- Headphone output
- On/Off switch
- Power/Phantom Power provided by 9V battery
- Battery life is approximately 40 hours with dynamic microphones and 15 hours with phantom powered condenser studio microphones.
iRig PRE is priced at US $39.99 and is expected to be available in Q2, 2012.
Not really good enough for professional use as it uses the headphone jack which means the filter in the “i”device will substantially reduce the performance of the microphone.
The 1/8″ is for monitoring and is on the irig device itself. It uses apple’s proprietary connector for recording into the apple device. I think this is an excellent idea, especially in instances where you can’t lug along a preamp and a recording interface. Come to think of it, this is the only device I know of that lets you supply phantom power without a power outlet.
Tried to embed this image, showing it is, like their other products, going through the headphone jack —
http://www.ikmultimedia.com/irigpre/picts/features/features2.jpg
The headset jack in the iPhone isn’t “propietary”, this device should work with ANY headset jack on any smartphone.
Nope- it uses the headphone jack, not the dock
I’ve seen cables and other products like this before but one thing confuses me….Would a solution like this allow you to attach an XLR microphone for use while making PHONE calls? I think most of these solutions are designed to use your iphone as a recorder but what I want to do is make a phone call and have the audio from the XLR mic be audible to the person I am calling on the phone.