A Mic Preamp for Your iPhone or iPad – IK Multimedia Does it Again

Meet the new iRig PRE from IK Multimedia, a microphone preamplifier (preamp) that works with the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.  This thing is, as usual from IK Multimedia, awesome.  

It allows you to plug any microphone (I’ll say that again in case it didn’t sink in…”any microphone”) into your iOS device.

So how is this different from the iRig Mic (see our review of that product here: Review of iRig Mic)?  the big difference is, in case you missed it above, that whereas the iRig Mic is a special microphone you get from IK Multimedia that can plug into your iOS device, the iRig PRE is a piece of hardware that allows you to plug any microphone into your iOS device.  

See the picture to the left above.  The iRig PRE is the thing in the middle, the little box that has an XLR (standard 3-pin mic connector) female receptacle on one side, and the cord that fits into your iOS device on the other.  There is also (and this is ever so cool) a gain control knob/wheel on the iRig PRE.

It uses a 9-volt battery, which also serves as phantom power to condenser mics.  The battery life is 40 hours with dynamic mics and 15 hours with condensers.

You can use it with the two free apps iRig Recorder and VocaLive by IK Multimedia.  But you should also be able to use it with any app that accepts audio input.

Perhaps the best thing about the iRig Pre is its cost, which is only $119.99.  To find out more, or to order your own, Click Here.