IK Multimedia, a company staffed with talented musicians that was first known for their Abbey Road console, presents an awesome little device at CES 2014 that will allow you to connect your professional microphone to your iOS devices for a nice digital connection.
First off, the iRig PRO—a digital interface of iOS devices and Mac that has three inputs; one for 1/4″, MIDI, and XLR so essentially, if you are a podcaster, you plug in your microphone and go directly into your iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad or your Mac and be able to record with it. IK has a different recording applications that you can use that will go well with iRig PRO one — the iRig Recorder, a digital audio support that comes in Free and Paid app, and VocalLive, which features 12 real-time professional voice effects. As long as your iOS device is running, all you have to do is plug your microphone into your device, run it through the iRig PRO, and do your podcast. You don't even need to plug it in anywhere, and you can simply put your iOS device in your pocket and let the iRig PRO and the apps take its course.
If you want to use your Mac instead of your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, you can connect your iRig PRO through your Mac through its USB port. Essentially, all you need is plug in your XLR for your microphone, turn on the phantom power and start using it on your device. With the iRig PRO, you can connect using the three different connectors available, depending on what your device is. In addition, iRig PRO also has a monitoring system that allows you to monitor to headphones or a live system such as the iLive. Plus, you don't have to worry about having latency issues when using iRig PRO.
If you are using an older iOS device with a 30-pin connector or an Android device that needs an analog connection instead of the digital, however, IK Multimedia offers the iRig PRE, which is an analog connection. What it does is take the output of your iOS or Android device and turn it into an Input-Ouput. The iRig PRE also has a monitoring, which allows you to go live out with its 8″ connection. On the top is the On/Off switch for your Phantom Power, which runs using a 9V battery. iRig PRE also comes with a handy Velcro piece so you can secure it to either your microphone, a microphone stand or any flat surface.
Are you interested in these awesome little devices? You can get them at just $39 for iRig PRE for iOS and Android Devices, and $149 for iRig PRO. Learn more about iRig PRE and iRig PRO from IK Multimedia.