iRig USB vs iRig HD X - Everything You Need To Know!

[@ejomo11]

Finally!! Someone who is giving us all the much needed details of these devices. You are my hero.... Well, for the next 10 minutes, anyway. Haha. Seriously though, thank you so much for this video!

[@JamieMallender]

My pleasure! I’m just glad the video was helpful. Thank you for taking time to leave such a nice comment. :) ✌️

[@GaryHubbs]

Haha I love the humour in your editing Jamie, very entertaining. 🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@JamieMallender]

Glad you liked it Gary. Thank you so much for taking time to leave such a nice comment. Have an excellent weekend duuuuuuuuuuude!!!! ✌️✌️

[@EdBMetal]

Very thorough and informative video Jamie, good to know the differences. Haha and your cool and entertaining video editing style had me crack up several times too. Great content duuuude. These are very nice devices 🤘😎👍

[@JamieMallender]

Thank you for watching Ed!!!! Glad you enjoyed it my friend. Have an awesome weekend ✌️✌️✌️✌️

[@comment.highlighted]

The effort and information from this review is much appreciated! Subscribed 🙂

[@JamieMallender]

I’m just so pleased to hear that the video is helpful. Thank you for taking time to leave such a nice comment. ✌️✌️

[@BlackuLaLa]

Holy shit! This is the most straightforward, useful, informative thing on irig anywhere on the internet. Thank you so much!

[@JamieMallender]

Thank you very much for taking the time to leave such a nice message. I really appreciate that. Have an awesome day! ✌️✌️

[@lbcsrw]

Thanks for the Shout Out, Jamie!

[@JamieMallender]

Hey dude!

[@lbcsrw]

​@@JamieMallender When you made mention of "The Big Knob," I just assumed that you were referring to me!

[@JamieMallender]

@lbcsrw haha! That’s funny! I do like to include some silly, immature humour here and there. We can take ourselves too seriously I feel :)

[@tobyhoward4979]

Thanks a lot Jamie, that was a very helpfu vid. Cheers!

[@JamieMallender]

My pleasure my friend.✌️

[@Alex_Martz]

Hi, I had the iRig HD2 and sold it recently, I see these new interfaces have the same rubber mate plastic as the HD2 and that plastic tends to spoil and become gooey, it's also important that the connectors are soldered directly to the PCB board and any hit or bump on a connected cable can break the solder points, I think for most people the iRig USB is enough and only for people who need the loopback function the X is better, but I see the specs for sample rate, latency and such are the same as the old iRig HD2 so for people already using the HD2 I don't consider them an upgrade, I sold mine and got an iConnectivity Audio4c which is awesome, great quality and essential for me is that I can use 2 devices with it at the same time, I use my Windows laptop and iPad for different things and now I'm able to mix audio between them with no issues, process the inputs, ext outs with any device or both, great routing capabilities with its included software for different routing for recording, streaming, etc, Have you tried that interface Jamie?, it's not "cheap" but for its price offers a lot

[@JamieMallender]

Like I said in the video though, audio quality is about more than the specs written on the box. You have to use them to really know and these do sound great. There are a lot of interfaces out there with the same specs as each other but they don’t sound the same. I haven’t tried the iConnectivity Audio 4c but I’ve read up on it and would love to try it. It sounds superb. It’s not comparable with these iRigs though I mean, it’s a different price bracket and totally different use case. These are really intended for that, light, throw in a bag mobile thing and they excel at that.

[@Alex_Martz]

@@JamieMallender Yes, I agree!, I sold mine because I wasn't using it anymore but that's the most portable option, just that small interface and a phone or iPad and that's all, cheers!

[@JamieMallender]

Yeah I’m totally sorted for the small mobile devices and mid price interfaces and streaming stuff but… my dilemma is now I could really use something with a lot of inputs that would work on pc or iOS. I’m looking at a Tascam US16x08. I want to leave hardware plugged in all the time - be able to get it in my DAW quickly but… It’ll probably have to wait till after Christmas

[@3stig]

Great info 😊well done Jamie

[@JamieMallender]

Thank you for watching my friend. I figured a lot of people might wonder which is best to buy. Hope all is good with you dude, have an awesome weekend. ✌️✌️

[@patgiff101055]

Hi Jamie, I just bought the iRig HD X and your video convinced me that it was the right choice! Love your V100 in the video too 🤘 Greetings from Munich!

[@JamieMallender]

Hello! I’m so glad to hear that my video was helpful. The V100 is the AFD model and I absolutely love it. This is an incredible guitar. We call it, “The Gibson Killer.” Have an awesome day my friend.

[@northshorenick]

Hi all I have a new iPad, new iPhone, IRIG HDX, and tonex. I can get guitar in my headphones but it’s only a clean signal, not processed. Any suggestions?

[@JamieMallender]

It’s explained in the video, the chapter HDX Direcr Or Processed Headphone Monitoring. If I remember correctly, it’s the 3rd light along, turn the big knob left or right to switch between clean and processed.

[@ej3342]

"Jim, this video was awesome. It changed my life."

[@JamieMallender]

Thank you very much, the fiver is in the post. 😂

[@carpediemearth]

Thanks, this was very helpful

[@JamieMallender]

I’m pleased to hear that. Thank you for taking time to leave a comment. ✌️

[@JamieMallender]

I’m pleased to hear that. Thank you for taking time to leave a comment. ✌️

[@SěmtêxČØŴv2.0]

Rock on dude, I’ll catch the video later.

[@JamieMallender]

Thank you very much for your support my friend. ✌️

[@matprokowski]

Thank you Jamie!

[@JamieMallender]

Always a pleasure duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude!!!!!!

[@tommypete9499]

I just subscribed , pretty good casting Jamie. Me, myself being from generation X like your style , some of my friends and fellow musicians are Hippies .Any how I've been owning the HDX now for a month and I still don't know what I'm doing with it, after watching your cast I'm feeling a bit more confident about it starting to come together,so I'm gonna plug i't in right na!

[@tommypete9499]

oh one more thing .if you haven't already why not show us step by step how to actually record with it and use the software well enough to record a complete song , and that my new Hippie friend would be Smooooth .. . . . .

[@JamieMallender]

Thank you for subscribing my friend. Glad the video was helpful. What device are you recording on and what software are you using?

[@BIGTREESJOE]

Thank you!

[@JamieMallender]

My pleasure! Thank you for watching. :)

[@7ndrsbtn]

Thank you for the great video, I obviously subscribed! I'm considering buying the iRig HD X but I'm still confused. Hope you don't mind if I ask a few questions. What if I wanted to record/stream with loopback not only the guitar but also a mic on iPad? What was the app you showed before switching to the camera and recording yourself?

[@JamieMallender]

Thank you for subscribing. The app I was using was AUM. It’s like a virtual mixing desk. You add as many channels as you need and it hosts apps - both fx and instruments. You could for instance add a channel for a drum machine, have a bass loop running and if your interface has 2 inputs you would add a channel for guitar and one for microphone. Then add whatever fx apps and amps sims you want and in loopback mode the HDX would capture all of that.

[@7ndrsbtn]

@@JamieMallender wait, really? That’s amazing. So I only need that app and the HDX to share my guitar sound (with effects) and mic over facetime or zoom calls then? Thank you for the quick reply btw!

[@7ndrsbtn]

Now that I think about it I realise that I wouldn’t know where to input my mic. I have a focusrite 2i2 so I have enough channels but where does the HDX fit in then!? Sorry for my many questions but it really seems you could help me figure it out.

[@JamieMallender]

@7ndrsbtn Sorry, that was a super confusing answer. The HDX can only take one input. AUM though can recognise as many inputs as your interface has so with a bigger interface like the Scarlett 212 you can input mic and guitar. So the loopback on the HDX would record whatever you have playing on your device. But you can’t use more than one interface with iOS at the moment. Hmmmm…. I should’ve thought out my answer more carefully. Unless you used a mixer to get 2 inputs into the HDX. But if it’s the loopback feature that really interests you, look at the iRig streams on IK multimedias website.

[@7ndrsbtn]

@@JamieMallender got it. Thanks again!

[@aldepi]

Thank you! What's an easier alternative to OBS by this point of view, in your opinion? Do you recommend an external cam, or the internal cam of a PC/Mac is ok?

[@JamieMallender]

I use mostly iOS but on the desktop I use OBS. I don’t use any other software like that. I don’t have a webcam, so I use old iPhones and old androids as my webcams for videos and livestreams. It depends how good a webcam you have really :) ✌️✌️

[@robertperalta]

Thank you for the review! I'm undecided between iRig HD X and Spark Go (by Positive Grid), which one do you recommend?

[@JamieMallender]

I recommend the iRig HD X. I don’t have SPARK GO but I’ve used it and it has many cool features. I just think that the HDX is a bit more of a pro tool and has quality features but is less gimmicky. It’s just much more to my taste. Also, a friend of mine dropped mine down a flight of wooden stairs and it didn’t break. Not a mark on it.

[@robertperalta]

Thanks Jamie! One more question. If I plug-in the iRig HD X to my Mac mini (via USB-C), which is connected to a monitor with speakers, can the sound come out through the monitor speakers? Or do I need to plug-in a headset into the 3.5m jack on the iRig HD X? I don't have a guitar amp right now.

[@JamieMallender]

@@robertperalta that’s a very specific use case that I can’t pretend to have tested but I’m sure it would be possible to do that.

[@faarao44]

Could i plug this into Mac but hear the sound from bluetooth headphones, not using the headphone jack of the audio interface?

[@JamieMallender]

I don’t have a Mac so I can’t test that and confirm for definite. But I understand that the Mac can allow more than one audio out so I can’t see why not. However, if you’re using it for playing guitar or some other instrument Bluetooth headphones are useless. There is inherent latency with Bluetooth headphones that makes them suitable for listening only. Every note you played would be heard after the fact.

[@faarao44]

Ah yeah, good point about the delay

[@JamieMallender]

@faarao44 it’s a shame but Bluetooth is just not up to that job yet. Maybe one day.

[@LucThebeau]

I got a IRig USB. Works great on acoustic drums from EAD 10 module right into Android. When I plug it into an Alesis Strata Prime from the XLR outputs on the back either both or just mono or from the headphone output. It all sounds kind of choppy like it's having a hard time to get all the sounds like it sounds in the headphones. No matter what i do it sounds choppy even with the clip knob set right so I'm not coming in hot.

[@sonomandj]

Nice review. Thanks ! I have a question: Can I connect IRIG HD X to my iPad Pro and use the loop back function and play some backings tracks on KZbin maybe or another music app and record on a video together, processed guitar and KZbin backing track? I don't know if I explained it well

[@JamieMallender]

@@sonomandj thank you for the nice comment. What would you be using to process the guitar? Do you have KZbin Premium? I’m just thinking, KZbin doesn’t play in background unless you do.

[@sonomandj]

@@JamieMallender yes I have premium 🙌

[@JamieMallender]

Although you didn’t answer my question about what you would be using to process the guitar, I have just done an experiment for you to double check the facts. When loopback is engaged, whatever sound the iPad is producing will be recorded in your video. But KZbin premium will not play whilst you are recording video. But if you can find something else to play your backing tracks this will work. Bear in mind you’ll need to find something that has a volume control like, importing a WAV into AUM or something. Otherwise it will be hard to balance instrument against music. ✌️✌️

[@sonomandj]

@@JamieMallender nice thanks you for your time making experiments for answer me, In fact, I also did some tests and I realized that the problem with KZbin (premium) was that I couldn't play music and record at the same time. Proven fact. I did another experiment with AnyTune Pro and voila! There was the backing track audio and my processed guitar. Your video was very useful. Thanks again bro.

[@aldepi]

@@JamieMallender Extremely useful video!!! So, if I understand well, working with a PC/Mac, suppose I have in a DAW an audio backing track, and I record on a different audio track of the DAW my guitar live...both backing track AND my guitar live, using HDX loopback function, will be recorded in a video of myself playng live on that backing track, using for instance OBS...right? Many congrats again, and thanks! Just subscribed, of course!

[@j.c.lawntreesnow6272]

Hi will this work on my Samsung galaxy a14 ? At the beginning of the video you said it would work on android i believe then a little bit later you said it would not work

[@JamieMallender]

@@j.c.lawntreesnow6272 which interface are you asking me about? The iRig USB or the HDX?

[@j.c.lawntreesnow6272]

@JamieMallender hi thanks for the reply hdx

[@JamieMallender]

⁠@@j.c.lawntreesnow6272The HDX is compatible with Android, the cheaper USB is not. ✌️✌️✌️✌️

[@j.c.lawntreesnow6272]

@JamieMallender hi thank you for all your help I'm subscribing to your channel right now

[@JamieMallender]

@j.c.lawntreesnow6272 no worries my friend, that’s what I’m here for. ✌️✌️

[@Cacau165]

Using irig USB on the iPad with amplitube/biasfx/tonex, can I minimize the amplitube/biasfx/tonex and open a pdf with sheet music/notes and the amplitube will continue to work normally?

[@JamieMallender]

Yes, as long as you have your software set to “work in background” which is a selectable option in the settings of most iOS music apps. Which interface you use doesn’t make any difference to this functionality. :) ✌️

[@Cacau165]

thanks! No video on the internet talks about this function

[@JamieMallender]

@@Cacau165 to be fair, that’s probably because it’s not a feature of the interface but of iOS itself. Since you pointed it out though it has made me aware that it is something that I should mention in certain videos :)

[@LucThebeau]

Ive got the Irig USB and it sound great recording acoustic drums from a Yamaha EAD 10. But as soon as i plug and play with An Alesis Strata Prime from any output. I get a washy choppy slightly inconsistent from the headphone sound. Still comes through but sounds inconsistent. Even with the hot knob set correct so im not running hot. Any tips ?

[@JamieMallender]

Thinking about your problem logically, I can’t see how the issue is the iRig at fault. Presumably the Strata puts out line level so the input will probably want to be very low… what kind of cable are you connecting with?

[@LucThebeau]

@JamieMallender I'm connecting with XLRs directly to the XLR outputs and I also tried the headphone output but both sound the same. I just got a Roland Go mixer pro X and that seem to work alot better with more levels to play with. Also it's seems that different devices capture different sound quality. The Google pixel 8 pro. Not so great. The Samsung S8 tablet. Way better. Really strange. The strata prime is very finicky too what almost to much settings lol I've been having better sond with the Roland Go pro X tho.

[@psalmsbyharvz81]

Nice video! Just wondering, I dunno if I missed something, but can I use this iRig usb to plug to my mac then use it on bandlab then send the output (with effects) back to the irig usb (headphone)? Thanks in Advance

[@JamieMallender]

That is correct ✌️✌️✌️✌️

[@Berk-tm5zx]

how about latency?

[@JamieMallender]

That will depend on what you’re plugging into. What do yo7 want to plug into?

[@Berk-tm5zx]

@ to iphone 14 with hd x

[@JamieMallender]

@ latency is not an issue on iOS. I have that phone at the moment

[@Berk-tm5zx]

@ Thank you for your valuable comment. I just bought it.

[@JamieMallender]

@Berk-tm5zx cool! if you have any questions do let me know ✌️✌️

[@godned74]

Im using i guess would be the older i rig via usb, and reason 11 with asio pro and the amp sim Gojira. when I play my guitar and listen in the headphones it sounds great but soon as i record and play it back it sounds muddy . Its strange cause all my digital vsts or midi sounds will record perfect but my guitar sounds like crap. do you think its the crappy usb? its not even usb3. I knew I should have bought a scarlet instead.

[@JamieMallender]

So that I can help you, please tell me exactly which iRig you are using? And what device are you recording on)

[@arekay4929]

Has anyone actually connected the irig USB to an older iPhone/ipad with the lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter? IK Multimedia states on their website that it’s compatible. The KZbin videos that I’ve watched all states it but they don’t show it or say they’ve tested it ( like this one) Mine just arrived but I can’t get it to work. It just lights up. I’m using an up to date IPad Air 3 with the original Apple adapter. Any suggestions?

[@JamieMallender]

Before making this video I tried to substantiate whether that had been tested and whether it was wise to advise it seeing as I didn’t have the exact correct dongle to test it with. I did test with various other possibilities, none of which worked. I therefore decided it best to advise in this video that for a lightning device, you need the HDX. Every method I tried to get the iRig USB to work with a lightning device resulted in it just lighting up but not working. Im really sorry to say that my advice would be that you have the wrong interface for your device.

[@arekay4929]

@@JamieMallenderthanks for the quick reply. I was hoping I was setting it up wrong or something but I think you’re right,I’ve got the wrong one.

[@JamieMallender]

@@arekay4929 I know that’s a real nightmare and I’m so sorry I can’t just say, yeah you just need to do this….. but yeah - you need the other one.

[@arekay4929]

@@JamieMallender I managed it get it working. Someone mentioned to download their app, Amplitude. With that on the iPad, it seems to then work with the apps that I wanted to use, like GarageBand. Result.

[@CloudyNoodling]

Hey! Some of USB C to USB A cables are charging only, without possibility to transfer data