When I first got started making music at home & at my studio in 2002, I had nothing but an HP computer, Bass guitar, Cakewalk software & a dream. A dream that was usually broken within minutes by constant crashing, lack of inputs, and poor sound quality.. Which usually ends up with all the disappointment of horrible sounding recordings and low-quality tracking. The only way to avoid any of these pitfalls would be to pony up for a ProTools rig which to say the least back in 2002 was not the polished ProTools experience we've come to know of today (and at the same high price). The birth of the project studio was not without its growing pains.
But even with the hope and foresight of a better day in audio production, never did I think I would be able to make decent music on a device I already keep in my pocket everyday. Companies on the forefront of the Audio industry have stepped up their game and developed mobile apps producers and musicians of all types can easily utilize. With all the processing power of an iPhone or iPad, I knew it would only be a matter of time until software (and hardware) was released to truly harness our revolutionary cell phone tech turning these devices into pocket-based project studios. The results of my research may astound even the most shrewd of audiophiles.
Alesis stepped their game up recently, dropping the IO Dock for the iPad. This device essentially turns your tablet into a professional quality Audio interface which can be used with the AppStore's extensive selection of Audio production Apps (such as NanoStudio, which I detail below) The IO Dock includes two inputs for Mic & Line signal, Phono output w/ independent volume control for headphone monitoring, balanced outputs (L/R), midi in/outs, even a video output to allow you to work on your TV or another monitor instead of your tablet display. For those of you that have an iPad and have not dived in to the magic of the Garage Band app, the Alesis IO Dock should make you reconsider. Pair this device with the Garage Band software and you've got yourself a fully functioning portable studio with capabilities rivaling that MacBook you have collecting dust.
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