REVIEW – iRig’s new Micro Amp looks to pack a lot of power into a small package without many sacrifices. Guitar amps can be very subjective. Can this one fit your sound and portability needs all in one small package? Read on…

What is it?

iRig’s Micro Amp is a 7.5-15w battery-powered guitar amplifier with and iOS/USB interface.

What’s in the box?

• iRig Micro Amp
• Lightning to Micro-USB cable
• USB-A to Micro-USB cable
• 6 AA batteries (not shown)
• 3/8″-16 male to 5/8″-27 female mic stand thread adapter
• Instruction and catalog pamphlets and a registration card

Hardware specs

• Conversion: 24-bit A/D and D/A
• Sampling Rate: 44.1, 48kHz, 88.2 and 96kHz rates
• Operating Power: Battery-powered (6AA for ~ 15 hours use) or DC in 9V-15V (-)+
• Device Connection: Micro-USB
• Inputs: 1/4″ instrument and 1/8″ auxiliary
• Outputs: 1/8″ headphone and 1/4″ speaker output (4-16 Ohm cabinet out connects to larger speakers)
• Output Power: 15w (7.5w when powered by batteries)
• Dimension/Weight: 210 x 155 x 125mm / 1.26kg
• Speaker Size: 1×4″ full range
• Channels: Clean, Drive and Lead with low, mid and high EQ and gain controls
• Connectivity: Connects to iPhone, iPad and Mac/PC with all cables included, no adapters needed
• Included Software: Amplitube for powerful tone and features

Design and features

Out of the gate, the Micro Amp looks like a miniature amp which feels familiar and makes it super easy to jump in and use immediately. The entire thing is only slightly thicker than an old school lunchbox and is just over 3lbs with batteries installed, so really easy to throw in a backpack to take with you. The construction is rugged plastic with heavy-duty bumpers to protect against drops. All of the controls are recessed so they won’t get knocked in a tumble either.

The back of the unit is where you’ll find the battery compartment (iRig has included the 6AAs for you) as well as a DC in port and a 1/4″ output for connecting another cabinet… wait… What?! You read that correctly, you can connect this little guy to a larger speaker cabinet. Crazy cool.

On the bottom is serial and certification info as well as a threaded receiver for attaching the amp to a stand.

They also included an adapter for use with the larger mic stand threads.

On the top panel are your main controls. Power button, 1/4″ instrument input, 1/8″ aux input, 1/8″ headphone out and Micro USB port for connecting your phone or Mac/PC. The Bass, Mid, Treble knobs are flanked by Gain on the left and Volume on the right. Your channel controls are front and center; Clean, Drive and Lead, each light with their own color when active for clear communication to the player in darker environments.

Setup

If you’ve used any kind of battery powered guitar amp before then you’ll have no issues here. Pop open the back and install the 6AAs iRig included (maybe switch to some rechargeable AAs after that), plug in your guitar, turn it on and start exploring.

If you want to connect it to a bigger cabinet, you’ll need a 1/4″ cable to connect the two and a power supply for the Micro Amp. iRig doesn’t include one in the box, but almost any standard stomp-box power adapter will work (just make sure it’s negative center on the barrel).

You’ll want to use one of the two included cables to connect the amp to your iOS device or a Mac/PC to use IK’s apps.

Performance

The Micro Amp is super convenient, really easy and fun to use. On battery power alone, the volume gets loud enough that halfway up is more than good for bedroom practice. On the clean channel, the sound is indeed clean and smooth. Drive and Lead increase the fuzz and the presence respectively. On first listen, this does not sound like a microamp. It’s got presence, there’s no hum in the background and lets you focus on your guitar. Easily bests the Yamaha THR5 at half the cost if you like clean sounds without a lot of overdrive.

Both my son and are able to pick up and carry the amp with a single hand, but it does feel like it’s missing a dedicated handle. Anyone with smaller hands or just carrying multiple things might have trouble. Similarly, the mic adapter should have a home in the battery compartment or somewhere so it doesn’t get lost.

So what if you’re not into clean guitar and want crunch, or blistering metal or want to find a sound all your own? Any sounds that you may feel are missing are likely available by connecting your phone or computer and downloading the Amplitube app. It’s funny, but downloading the app I realized that it’s been around a while. I actually originally installed it on an iPad back in November of 2012 and it’s improved a lot since then.

26 of 32 of their own effects pedals are included with the app as you fill out a virtual pedal board. You can choose from pedals like delays, Chorus, Wah, Flangers, Overdrive and more as well as different head units that are sure to have what you’re looking for.

Connecting to Amplitube does override your channel settings so everything other than the physical knobs is now controlled by the app.

An additional 6 of their premium pedals and lots of effects pedals from brands like Fender, Orange and others are available to purchase as are amps and mics. The in-app purchasing feels a little bit like death by 1,000 paper cuts, but it is significantly cheaper than buying physical pedals outright by a long shot. Tip: look at the different bundles as they may save you some money over individual purchases.

Considering that Amplitube lets you add drum tracks, vocals, amps and then record your session, there’s a lot to like. For a new guitarist, there’s a lot of value and just as much for someone wanting to experiment with different pedals before buying real ones.

As I’m typing, Satchel is lost in a riff playing with the Octave pedal bouncing between something he’s laying down on the spot and the Mario underground theme song. Pretty sure he’d sit there for the full estimated 16 hour battery life if we left him alone.

Here’s a quick vid of the riff he shot with my iPhone.

View this post on Instagram

octaves dogtaves

A post shared by Satchel Birch (@satchriffs) on May 4, 2019 at 11:37am PDT

Maybe the coolest feature for me is that you can connect an external cabinet with its 1/4″ output connection. We have a 4×12 Marshall cabinet without a head unit that’s been collecting dust for a while. The Micro Amp plugged right in and was able to drive this 16 Ohm cabinet well enough that we were both smiling and nodding our heads. It’s worth noting that the output doubles from 7.5w to 15w when you use the DC port on the back of the Micro Amp instead of batteries. It’s not going to out-power a real system, but our cabinet will now see some use.

What I like

• Size and weight is awesome
• Sound is great with good controls
• Amplitube app is fantastic sound exploration, and practice sessions in a box
• Able to output and drive an external cabinet

What needs to be improved

• It could use a handle or strap
• Storage spot for mic adapter

Final thoughts

There’s not much to complain about here and the value outshines all of it. Satch is heading off to college this fall and this is the perfect size for the dorm room without sacrificing sound. It’s got me itching to pick up the guitar again myself.

Price: $149.00
Where to buy: IK Multimedia and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by IK Multimedia.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Music Gear, Musical instruments

IK Multimedia iRig Micro Amp review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 10, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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REVIEW – Mobile phones have put so much at our fingertips and have changed the way we interact with the world around us. All kinds of content is created every day directly on phones. When it comes to audio, sometimes you’re looking to capture more than just the concept or idea, you want a high quality recording that you can directly use. Roland’s R-07 is built for that purpose whether you are capturing music, general sounds or conversation.

What is it?

The R-07 is a high quality, pocketable stereo recorder with a bunch of great features.

Hardware specs

Tracks: 2 (stereo), 4 (stereo x2) * WAV x 2 recording mode only
Signal Processing: AD/DA conversion -24bits 44.1/48/88.2/96 kHz

Data Type:
[For Recording] *Stereo only
WAVE: Sampling Rate: 44.1/48/88.2/96 kHz • Bit Depth: 16/24 bits
MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3): Sampling Rate: 44.1/48 kHz • Bit Rates: 64/96/128/160/192/224/320 kbps
WAVE + MP3: Sampling Rate: 44.1/48 kHz • Bit Depth: 16 bits • Bit Rates: 128 kbps
WAVE x 2: Sampling Rate: 44.1/48 kHz • Bit Depth: 16/24 bits

[For Playback]
WAVE: Sampling Rate: 32/44.1/48/88.2/96 kHz • Bit Depth: 16/24 bits
MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3):Sampling Rate: 32/44.1/48 kHz • Bit Rates: 32–320 kbps or VBR (Variable Bit Rate)

Memory Card  Compatibility: microSD Card • SDHC format compatible

Inputs/Outputs:
Audio Inputs: Internal stereo microphone, MIC/AUX IN 3.5mm plug-in powered mic (cancels internal stereo mic)
Audio Outputs: Internal speaker (monaural playback), 3.5mm plug-in jack (cancels internal speaker)
Nominal Input Level (Variable): MIC/AUX IN: -31 dBu (Default input level) • * 0 dBu = 0.775 Vrms
Input Impedance: MIC/AUX IN: 4.5 k ohms
Output Level: 3 mW + 3 mW (In case 16 ohms load)
Recommended Load Impedance: 16 ohms or greater
Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 40 kHz (+-3 dB)
USB Interface: USB port: USB Micro-B type • support USB 2.0/1.1 mass storage device class

Bluetooth:
R-07 Remote: Bluetooth technology: Bluetooth Ver 4.0
Audio transmission: Bluetooth technology: Bluetooth Ver 3.0
Transmitting Power: Specification Power Class 2 (Line of sight range 10 m (30 ft))
Profile Support: A2DP, AVRCP
CODEC Support: SBC, Qualcomm aptX Qualcomm aptX low latency

Effects: Playback only. Excludes playback in 88.2 kHz or 96 kHz. Reverb and Speed Change can’t be used at the same time.
Reverb: 4 types (Hall1, Hall2, Room, Plate)
Speed Change: 50 – 150 % of playback speed

Other:
Display: Graphic LCD 128 x 64 dots (white backlit)
Power Supply: Alkaline AA battery x 2 (included), or Rechargeable AA Ni-MH battery x 2, or computer via USB
Current Draw: 350 mA (MAX)
Playback Duration: (Alkaline AAs) Playback: Approximately 15 hours • Recording: Approximately 15 hours

Dimensions: 61 x 103 x 26mm and 150g (including batteries)

What’s in the box?

• R-07 Recorder
• 8GB microSD Card (installed in R-07)
• AA Batteries (2)
• Owner’s Manual
• “Using the unit safely” Leaflet

Design and features

The Roland R-07 is remarkably small.

Barely bigger than a deck of playing cards, it really is possible to have it in your daily carry kit and on hand when you need it.

Visually, it hits the technical checkboxes as well as providing some style as it’s available in three different colors.

All the controls (other than the power switch) are on the top surface and very clearly labeled. On the back is the battery door, a 1/4 20 threaded insert for use with a stand and the door for accessing the Micro SD Card where you’ll find an 8gb one that  Roland graciously included.

The right side has the power switch and micro-USB port. The top end has the two onboard mics and a jack for connecting an external mic or auxiliary source. The left side has a jack for connecting wired headphones.

Setup

Out of the gate, Roland nailed this because the setup is as simple as installing the two AA batteries and powering the unit on. The power switch is a slider, that you need to hold for about 3 seconds to turn on. This is a great feature preventing accidental powering on for a device you’re likely to pocket frequently. Follow the same steps to power off.

At this point, you can literally start recording right away, or read the instructions and learn about the many functions and different things you can do.

You’ll need to supply a micro-USB cable if you want to connect to a computer to transfer files or update the firmware.

To connect a mobile phone as a remote, you’ll need to download the R-07 Remote app first. To connect the R-07, you’ll want to power it up, choose Menu / 5) Bluetooth / 5) Remote Control. In that settings menu change the Remote: setting to ON. Make sure your phone is close and launch the app. You may need to hit the (Search) pop up button or hit the R-07(—) in the lower right corner and select Roland R-07 MIDI from the device list. You’ll now be able to control R-07 directly from your phone.

To connect Bluetooth headphones or speaker for wireless listening, put them in pairing mode and on the R-07, choose Menu / 5) Bluetooth / 2) Pairing Audio and after a few seconds you’ll have a new connection.

The R-07 remembers the last paired device so you may need to go into the menu to disconnect if you switch things up regularly.

Performance

The best way to describe the R-07 is that you may not realize how much you needed this device until it’s in your hands. My son had it in his pack the first weekend and ended up recording some ocean sounds while out at the beach. Satch is always humming or drumming around but he hadn’t really captured environmental sounds before to my knowledge. That night he sat on the deck for an hour and recorded the acoustic guitar with the R-07 as well and then dragged the audio files to his mac and finished this up.

While the controls are all well marked, there’s a lot to learn about how to use the device. Depending on your own experience with recording devices and your needs, there may well be features on the R-07 that you never use.

The rehearsal button isn’t one of those. A single press of this button and R-07 listens to your environment for 60 seconds and automatically adjusts the levels to optimize recording. The result is that you can get right to recording and know that what you capture is going to sound good.

The remote function is super cool as it let’s you optimally position the R-07 while being able to start/stop and make some adjustments without needing it right at your fingertips. Here’s what the app looks like on iOS.

Even cooler is the Apple Watch app.

Here’s a shot where you can see how easy it can fit into your session.

There’s a couple of key things you’ll want to know. Playback through the internal speaker is over-ridden if you plug headphones into the phones jack. Similarly, the onboard stereo mic is canceled out if you plug an external mic into the mic/aux jack.

As for the right way to use it, there’s really no wrong way so experiment. The Scene button sets recording modes for Music Hi Res, Music CD, Music Long, Loud Live, Loud Practice, Instrument, Vocal, Voice Memo, Field or off. Roland has a Practical Guide that is likely to cover most of your recording scenarios and offers numerous tips to get the best recording results.

What I like

• Pocketable size
• High quality recording without additional mics
• Auto level settings with Rehearsal button
• Remote control function with phone or Apple Watch
• MicroSD card (8gb) included (some bundles available with larger cards)

What needs to be improved

• Practical Guide (website) should front and center in the included material as it provides much-needed starting points

Final thoughts

The R-07 is one of those products where there’s always more to uncover. It feels a little complicated at first glance, but Roland’s website has a lot of help and it really is easy to use once you’re familiar with the controls and navigation. The audio quality is stellar and I can’t imagine something this feature rich being much smaller.

Price: $229.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Roland.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Music Gear, Musical instruments

Roland R-07 High Resolution Audio Recorder review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 19, 2019 at 9:05 am.

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