The iRig Pre has been a staple of my rig for a few months now. It’s time to let you know what I actually think of it!
Background
I got the iRig Pre around the same time as the BandLab Link Analog. They share the same background: trying to downsize my rig.
Because of this, I would be repeating what I wrote in the review of that. So you should just head over there for a gander, if you want.
IK Multimedia have a longstanding reputation as leaders in mobile recording. But, a lot of their products are iPhone-centric, which is a little off-putting. However, the internet said the iRig Pre would work on Android and PC. So, I hoped that as it worked on PC, that meant it worked with non-mobile devices, like my Chromebook.
Now, the regular price in the US is US$39.99, but I found one on eBay for $30! However, the catch for saving that $10 was that I had to wait a month for it to ship from Hong Kong.
IK Multimedia iRig Pre specs
| Input | One XLR input |
| Output | 1/8″ headphone output |
| Power | 9V battery |
| Controls | On/off/phantom power switch; gain dial |
| Dimensions | 1.26″ (32mm) x 1.38″ (35mm) x 3.27″ (83mm) |
In use
When I opened it, my first impression of the iRig Pre was that it felt very light and flimsy.
So that didn’t inspire immediate confidence.
Be that as it may, I immediately plugged it into my Samsung Galaxy S9. Additionally, I plugged a microphone into the XLR input. As I have noted before, I focus on having one mic to do everything. Said mic is a large diaphragm condenser mic, and they need phantom power to operate, so I switched the power switch to that.
Next, I opened the BandLab app, and did some tapping and chatting on the mic. It seemed to pick up everything fine. Yay! Then, I opened Audio Evolution, did the same checks, and it also seemed to pick up everything fine. Double yay!
Next, I check it with my Chromebook. However, there was no yay. The Chromebook didn’t pick up the iRig Pre. Not even a little bit. So that was disappointing.
Additionally – and this is a shortcoming on my own part – the iRig Pre doesn’t have a jack plug. So, as I DI my bass recordings, that’s a little awkward. Obviously, I could probably pick up an adaptor of some sort for US$10 or less, but I didn’t want to go down that route. Remember: we’re trying to minimize gear here!
However, that issue is entirely on me for not thinking about bass when I was shopping.
At the same time, if you have an actual bass amp with an XLR DI out, this is a complete non-issue. But, personally, this isn’t a direction I can go right now.
IK Multimedia iRig Pre: conclusion
To conclude…
| Price: US$40 – or $30 if you can wait a month – is pretty much a bargain | Chromebook: it doesn’t work with mine |
| Phantom power: so it works fine with large diaphragm condenser mics | Jack plug input: it doesn’t have one |
| Power: it needs a battery – in this day and age, I do think everything should be rechargeable | |
| Gain control: it’s just up or down – there’s no measurement points to go back to previous settings |
As can be seen, the iRig Pre essentially picks up on some of the shortcomings of the Link Analog.
But, while they complimented each other, in light audio recording, we’re trying to keep the amount of gear to a minimum. Therefore, this scenario isn’t quite what we want. Surely there’s one audio interface to rule them all?
Obviously, I’ve been using the iRig Pre extensively for recording drums. And it’s been significantly easier than lugging the old Studio GTs around!
In summary, it’s not perfect, but it’s certainly affordable, compact, and usable.
If you found this helpful, subscribe on the right hand side of this page. You’ll be notified of new posts on Thursdays, inspiring you going into the weekend.
Share your own light audio recording thoughts and experiences! There’s a Facebook group, a Subreddit, Twitter and Instagram.
Also, feel free to shoot me a coffee!