I made a tutorial about making an audio "line in" system over at Blip forums. The total cost is about $30. Ashley, I can revamp the tutorial if you want to post it up here.
GuitarJack is more than a guitar adapter. If you only want to plug your guitar into the phone via the headphone jack, then yes there are less expensive products that do just that, including DIY projects. However, there is a lot of crosstalk through the headphone input (we weren't happy with that), and the only way to have access to communicate with software is via the dock connector, so we chose the quieter and software-controllable dock connector route. Because GuitarJack can communicate with software, stereo recording, simultaneous instrument and voice recording, level control, and input monitoring for guitars and mics is now possible! Other iPhone guitar adapter products connect via the headphone jack, with no ability to communicate with software, so those features are not possible. The engineering, circuitry and high quality materials involved in making this possible cranked the price up to $199. Dock connecting devices must go through Apple and FCC testing, headphone line-ins do not - GuitarJack has been rigorously tested and works great! We are proud of the results and users love it. GuitarJack info, comparison chart, videos, upgrade offer: http://www.sonomawireworks.com/guitarjack
I think I would rather spend $150 on an Alesis Protrack interface. Dual 1/4" inputs, dual phantom powered XLR, 2 cardiod mics, extended battery usage, stereo out. Also I don't have to worry about breaking some dock connector accessory off while I'm sampling.
I have RCA in and RCA out. I can also monitor incoming audio. It's not pretty, but it's not $200. Also having this cable I can use it for Video Out too!
We hoped the Protrack would work with FourTrack (and other multitrack recorders), but because Protrack uses an older iPod authentication chip, the iOS doesn't let it do simultaneous record and playback, which is required for multitrack recording.
Does the GuitarJack work with iphone4? As for making a cable yourself this is certainly possible but not quite as easy as having all the wires connected to the correct endpoints. I've noticed a definite difference between my iphone4 and my ipodtouch 2G - the iphone4 is much more sensitive and will not accept some input sounds without modifying the cable - connect a variable resistor - 200k - between the live and earth wires and adjust it until the iphone accepts the input signal. I've also seen it recommended that you connect a capacitor to the live wire but I haven't worked out if this is quite necessary (the reason given is so that it maintains the tone of the signal which is frequently altered in home made cables.)
@ Sigmund, to activate the homemade audio in cable you just need to have it plugged into an audio source. A resister would also do the same thing I suppose, but I haven't needed to do that.
formal, how many different inputs have you been using? I tend to do a bit of circuit bending (mostly repair of old electronic instruments) and find that while some work fine through a homemade cable, others do not and do require modification of the cable signal before the iphone4 will accept the signal. My electric guitar, on the other hand, has no problem and works without any alteration in the lead.
12 comments:
its a great product but i think its a huge rip off... $200 for a litte guitar adapter? thats ridiculous.
I made a tutorial about making an audio "line in" system over at Blip forums. The total cost is about $30. Ashley, I can revamp the tutorial if you want to post it up here.
http://forums.blipinteractive.co.uk/node/1105
GuitarJack is more than a guitar adapter. If you only want to plug your guitar into the phone via the headphone jack, then yes there are less expensive products that do just that, including DIY projects. However, there is a lot of crosstalk through the headphone input (we weren't happy with that), and the only way to have access to communicate with software is via the dock connector, so we chose the quieter and software-controllable dock connector route. Because GuitarJack can communicate with software, stereo recording, simultaneous instrument and voice recording, level control, and input monitoring for guitars and mics is now possible! Other iPhone guitar adapter products connect via the headphone jack, with no ability to communicate with software, so those features are not possible. The engineering, circuitry and high quality materials involved in making this possible cranked the price up to $199. Dock connecting devices must go through Apple and FCC testing, headphone line-ins do not - GuitarJack has been rigorously tested and works great! We are proud of the results and users love it. GuitarJack info, comparison chart, videos, upgrade offer: http://www.sonomawireworks.com/guitarjack
I think I would rather spend $150 on an Alesis Protrack interface. Dual 1/4" inputs, dual phantom powered XLR, 2 cardiod mics, extended battery usage, stereo out. Also I don't have to worry about breaking some dock connector accessory off while I'm sampling.
http://www.amazon.com/Alesis-ProTrack-Handheld-Stereo-Recorder/dp/B001GVIXGU
Incase anybody is interested in the home made route.
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/9636/1000554o.jpg
http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/6637/1000557z.jpg
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/5418/1000563y.jpg
I have RCA in and RCA out. I can also monitor incoming audio. It's not pretty, but it's not $200. Also having this cable I can use it for Video Out too!
Happy sampling!
We hoped the Protrack would work with FourTrack (and other multitrack recorders), but because Protrack uses an older iPod authentication chip, the iOS doesn't let it do simultaneous record and playback, which is required for multitrack recording.
Michelle, thanks for the heads up!
If you wanna donate a Guitar Jack interface to an eager musician I know just the right person ;)
Does the GuitarJack work with iphone4?
As for making a cable yourself this is certainly possible but not quite as easy as having all the wires connected to the correct endpoints. I've noticed a definite difference between my iphone4 and my ipodtouch 2G - the iphone4 is much more sensitive and will not accept some input sounds without modifying the cable - connect a variable resistor - 200k - between the live and earth wires and adjust it until the iphone accepts the input signal.
I've also seen it recommended that you connect a capacitor to the live wire but I haven't worked out if this is quite necessary (the reason given is so that it maintains the tone of the signal which is frequently altered in home made cables.)
Guitar Jack -> non iPad & non iPhone 4.
Non-starter.
For iPhone 4 and iPad, you can get a camera connection kit and USB audio device and get pure digital audio. And it will only cost about $50.
Nuff-said.
@ Sigmund, to activate the homemade audio in cable you just need to have it plugged into an audio source. A resister would also do the same thing I suppose, but I haven't needed to do that.
It's fun to hear Sonoma try to defend their poor marketing choices....
formal, how many different inputs have you been using?
I tend to do a bit of circuit bending (mostly repair of old electronic instruments) and find that while some work fine through a homemade cable, others do not and do require modification of the cable signal before the iphone4 will accept the signal. My electric guitar, on the other hand, has no problem and works without any alteration in the lead.
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