GarageBand noob

joelhume

Hello! What do you guys all use to connect your guitar to your iOS device to play through GarageBand? I've just got an iPad and want to use it to practice/record. Was hoping I could just plug my guitar into the headphone jack but apparently not... Would like a not too expensive solution. I've seen the iRig HD, what else is there? Thanks

ecc83

joelhume said:

Hello! What do you guys all use to connect your guitar to your iOS device to play through GarageBand? I've just got an iPad and want to use it to practice/record. Was hoping I could just plug my guitar into the headphone jack but apparently not... Would like a not too expensive solution. I've seen the iRig HD, what else is there? Thanks

Ooo! You are way off Joel!

Ideally you need an Audio Interface. These can be found new starting at £50 or but a good and versatile unit is going to be £100ish. You could look second hand and get something good for 50-60quid. 

However, if you are really strapped, do you have any kind of guitar pedal? If so you can feed that into the LINE INPUT of the mac(I assume?) using a 1/8th stereo jack to mono 1/4" jack lead.

Results will be far from amazing but will get you started. I suggest you flit over to Home Recording forum (but don't desert us here!) and read their stickies in the nooob section.

Dave.

joelhume

Hello Dave, thanks for your quick response. I tried the output at the end of my effects chain but that didn't work... The audio input on my mac works but I'm trying to use GarageBand on my iPad! What audio interfaces can you suggest? Any thoughts on the iRig??

ftumch

Hi, there are a few iPad interfaces you can use at various price points. I've got a line 6 sonic port which is £69 it does the job well enough without any issues. I had an apogee jam before that but that was a little more picky about which bits if software it would work with.

Jalapeno

Apogee Jam http://apogeedigital.com/products/jam.php

Works on Macs too

daveww

+1 for the apogee jam.  I've got the apogee mic' as well which work nice if you want to use a real amp or mic an acoustic.  I probably use my mic more than the jam tbh but it's more expensive.  You can do the same thing through the jam though if you've got a suitable mic using an xlr converter

ecc83

joelhume said:

Hello Dave, thanks for your quick response. I tried the output at the end of my effects chain but that didn't work... The audio input on my mac works but I'm trying to use GarageBand on my iPad! What audio interfaces can you suggest? Any thoughts on the iRig??

I am outa here! Don't have a mac and I don't have an "i" anything! Unless you count BBC iPlayer!

Best Of,#

Dave.

chrisj1602

If you want a cheap option, the original iRig does the trick.  That's what I use for my iPhone and Macbook. I think it cost £23 new.  If I used it more, I'd probably get something better, like the Apogee Jam, but like I said, it does the trick, for getting ideas down, playing along to tracks from your iTunes library etc.

koneguitarist

Peavey does one for about £25-30 works fine with my Ipad

joelhume

Thanks for your responses. I'm leaning towards the iRig HD, apparently it's a big improvement on the original iRig. Having said that I've just noticed the Apogee Jam 96k, wonder if it's an iRig HD beater?!

paulk

I use the iRig HD and it works perfectly.

Col_Decker

I pulled the trigger on one of these last night from Amazon

 

At £99 it proves how dangerous it is to have wifi in pubs. Tried getting one 2nd hand from ebay but had had no luck.