The iRig HD was a significant improvement over the original iRig. It offered a serious upgrade in sound quality and a better set of features and flexibility. IK Multimedia have now released the iRig HD 2 which brings in a range of much-needed features and flexibility.

Features
– 96kHz Digital Audio with 24-bit A/D conversion
– Input level LED indicator
– 1/4″ output for amp with FX/THRU switch
– 1/8″ output for headphones with dedicated preamp and volume control dial
– Compatible with iOS devices with included lightning cable
– Compatible with PC/Mac with included USB cable
– Input gain control dial
– Microphone stand mounting clip and velcro strap
– Includes full version of AmpliTube 4 for PC/Mac and full version of AmpliTube for iOS

Many of these features were sorely needed from earlier versions of the iRig (as well as other products).
In many ways, the iRig HD 2 is far more future proof than other similar devices. For example, you’re no longer forced to use your device’s headphone jack which means iPhone 7 users will be able to use the iRig HD 2 but won’t be able to use earlier models.

As technology continues to change, the iRig HD 2 is in a good position to stay on top thanks to using micro-B USB and including separate headphone and amp outputs. Find out more about micro-B USB and other types in this Guide on Audio and Data Cables.

A big part in what you get when buying the iRig HD 2 is software. Upon registering your iRig, you receive a serial number for the full version of AmpliTube 4 (read my review of AmpliTube 4 here). If you have an iOS device, you can also unlock the full version of AmpliTube for iOS.

Many of these features were sorely needed from earlier versions of the iRig (as well as other products).

The reason I feel this flexibility is important is that it allows you to use it in many different situations.

For example, when I’m jamming or practicing, I prefer to have the iRig send the processed signal to my guitar amp. When I’m recording, I prefer to send the signal to my studio monitors instead. If I wanted to use AmpliTube live, I could either send the signal directly to the mixer, or send it to my amp.

The point is that the previous version (and other similar devices) don’t offer this flexibility so it limits what you can do.

The other feature I feel is worth mentioning is the LED input indicators. It might not sound like a big deal, but quite often it’s difficult to set the right input level on audio interfaces. There’s either no indicator at all, or only one LED for when the signal is too high.

With the iRig HD 2, the LED changes color from blue (low signal) to green (good signal), orange (high signal) and finally red when the signal is clipping. So if you’re constantly seeing orange and red, you know the signal is too high. Alternatively, if you’re constantly seeing blue you know to turn the gain dial up.

It’s such a basic feature to have, yet so many devices don’t have it. It makes life so much easier when you can quickly dial in the perfect input level before you hit record.

The first iRig HD was quite a step up in sound quality compared to the original iRig. With a firmware update, it provided a 96kHz sample rate and 24-bit A/D conversion. The iRig HD 2 offers the same professional studio quality audio out of the box.

If you’re new to recording gear, 96kHz is basically overkill in terms of recording quality. You will see high-grade professional gear at 192kHz, but the general consensus is that there’s no benefit to going that high. 96kHz is perfect for excellent quality recording.

In other words, the sound quality of the iRig HD 2 is exactly what you want it to be. It allows you to record with excellent clarity or jam away without affecting your tone negatively. Also, the latency is so low that it’s no longer an issue compared to audio interfaces in the past. I spent time with the iRig both on PC and iPad and both felt perfectly responsive.

The intuitive input level LED means that you can easily adjust the gain to get the perfect level. I mentioned this earlier, but getting the right input level plays a big role in perceived audio quality.

The iRig HD 2 is a nice solid build. It is quite light, which means it can get tugged around by your guitar cable. Although the casing does have a rubbery feel to it which gripped nicely to my desk. It’s a unit designed to be portable, so the downside of having such a small device is that it will slide around more compared to larger audio interfaces.

I found the included microphone clip and velcro strap a handy way to mount the iRig in one spot while recording. If you have a music stand, you can sit your iOS device on the stand and use the supplied clip to keep it in place.

From a software point of view, it’s been a breeze to use so far. Windows 10 took about 20 seconds to install drivers when I first connected the iRig HD 2 so it’s good to know I can simply plug it in to any PC and be up and running in a matter of seconds. There haven’t been any issues or hiccups so far.

I’ve only had the unit for a very short time so I’ll report back if there are any issues down the track. But so far I’m pretty happy with the quality of the unit.