iPhone + guitar in, headphone out device?

**Woody Sound** · 01-04-2018, 10:23 AM

I am looking for a small interface device that I can plug my iPhone and guitar into, and listen with headphones. I'd like it to have an AC cord or adapter. Optional battery power is not that important, but would be a plus. I have a 6S+ with a sound out jack. Any suggestions? Tnx.

**omphalopsychos** · 01-04-2018, 11:09 AM

iRig HD 2. I take it with me when I need to practice in a hotel room. It uses usb for power, so you can power from your phone. Low latency, works great. The base software is free with add ons. I haven't purchased any add ons and I'm perfectly content. You can also plug it into your laptop.

IK Multimedia iRig HD 2 | Sweetwater

**lawson-stone** · 01-04-2018, 11:16 AM

A lot of the basic effects processors allow an aux. input and headphones, many are pretty compact and simple to use.

For no-frills, I often use one of the USB interfaces, like the very basic Focusrite or ProSonus products. Powered via the USB port and a phone charger, playing my backing track into one channel (plug adaptor needed) and the guitar into the other, monitoring on the headphones. It also allows me to record to my computer.

Really basic: I have a "Joyo" product that plugs into the guitar, MP3 player or Phone plugs into an input, and headphones out allow me to play with tracks on a pretty basic level.

**lawson-stone** · 01-04-2018, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by omphalopsychos

iRig HD 2. I take it with me when I need to practice in a hotel room. It uses usb for power, so you can power from your phone. Low latency, works great. The base software is free with add ons. I haven't purchased any add ons and I'm perfectly content. You can also plug it into your laptop.

IK Multimedia iRig HD 2 | Sweetwater

Does this allow an aux. input, like an MP3 player or headphone out from a phone?

**Woody Sound** · 01-04-2018, 11:22 AM

Thanks I appreciate it, but these are all much more than I need. I just want a box that I can plug my iPhone sound out into, plug my guitar into,and listen to the combined signal. Basically I just want to play along with iReal tunes and listen through the headphones. Don't need any computer capability.

**lawson-stone** · 01-04-2018, 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by Woody Sound

Thanks I appreciate it, but these are all much more than I need. I just want a box that I can plug my iPhone sound out into, plug my guitar into,and listen to the combined signal. Basically I just want to play along with iReal tunes and listen through the headphones. Don't need any computer capability.

This will do it. $12 from Amazon. I use it all the time. Plug in your phone sound output (or any standard headphone type output), plug the thing into your guitar, plug in the headphones, you're good. 9 Volt batter or an AC adaptor (not included). It also has a little speaker. The whole thing will fit in your guitar case.

Amazon.com: Joyo JA-01 Mini Amplifier Guitar Amplifier with big sound: Musical Instruments

**Woody Sound** · 01-04-2018, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

This will do it. $12 from Amazon. I use it all the time. Plug in your phone sound output (or any standard headphone type output), plug the thing into your guitar, plug in the headphones, you're good. 9 Volt batter or an AC adaptor (not included). It also has a little speaker. The whole thing will fit in your guitar case.

Amazon.com: Joyo JA-01 Mini Amplifier Guitar Amplifier with big sound: Musical Instruments

Thanks Lawson, looks cool. When you plug in headphones does it turn off the speaker?

**lawson-stone** · 01-04-2018, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by Woody Sound

Thanks Lawson, looks cool. When you plug in headphones does it turn off the speaker?

Yes it does. In fact, I'm doing anything I can today to avoid doing any work, and so I made you a demo. This is my iPad playing the backing track into the "MP3" input on the Joyo JA-01. The Headphone out goes to my recording interface, and thence to my iPhone 6s. Playing a few Jimmy Raney phrases over "Out of Nowhere" and I forgot even to check if the guitar (Epiphone Zephyr Regent Re-Issue) was even in tune... it wasn't quite.

Should give you an idea of the general sound quality. You have to control the levels from the guitar itself. the "Clean" choice on the switch is what I use, but without turning down the guitar it will over-drive some. But rolling off the guitar volume about a quarter turn works fine. You have to use your tone knob, no EQ on the Joyo unit.

I've found this to be $12 very well spent! I take it on trips so I can play with my tracks (which I know to some is heresy!) and keep up my practice.

So here's the clip.

**Woody Sound** · 01-04-2018, 12:40 PM

Perfect, thanks. I would have liked one for this evening, called the local GC, they don't carry them. (What good are ya?) Will have to order one.

**Steve Z** · 01-04-2018, 01:21 PM

I use the Apogee Jam to plug my guitar into my iPhone, iPad and MacBook Pro. I use several apps from Positive Grid... all great. the iPhone apps of choice are either Jamup Pro or Bias FX... more toward Bias FX, but both good and vert affordable. For my MacBook Pro I use Bias FX Desktop.

Great sale right now for Positive Grid apps... Bias FX mobile is $9.99 (reg. $29.99)
Positive Grid Promotions

Amazon.com: Apogee JAM 96k Guitar Interface Input for iPad, iPhone and Mac: Apogee: Musical Instruments

**lawson-stone** · 01-04-2018, 01:30 PM

Originally Posted by Steve Z

I use the Apogee Jam to plug my guitar into my iPhone, iPad and MacBook Pro. I use several apps from Positive Grid... all great. the iPhone apps of choice are either Jamup Pro or Bias FX... more toward Bias FX, but both good and vert affordable. For my MacBook Pro I use Bias FX Desktop.

Great sale right now for Positive Grid apps... Bias FX mobile is $9.99 (reg. $29.99)
Positive Grid Promotions

Amazon.com: Apogee JAM 96k Guitar Interface Input for iPad, iPhone and Mac: Apogee: Musical Instruments

For people like the OP (and me) things like this are both too much and too little. For just a guitar/tracks headphone solution, it's too much. But these iOS device+App combos are also too little. You can't do your tracks and your guitar in and record on the device. It's crazy. Also, the apps are often too wonky and only work if the stars align correctly. I've tried a couple of them and never liked the results that much, considering the trouble I had to go to.

I'd personally love a small device about the size of one of these guitar interfaces that I could plug my guitar, my iPad (for tracks) headphone out, and run a cable to the Lightning port of the iPhone to record video clips using the phone's camera app, no need for some intervening amp simulator or whatever.

That seems to be the one device I can't find!

**icr** · 01-04-2018, 02:04 PM

I use the original iRig. I have seen them for $5.

**lawson-stone** · 01-04-2018, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by icr

I use the original iRig. I have seen them for $5.

It doesn't do what the OP and I both were talking about, handle the guitar and tracks input simultaneously, outputting to headphones (OP) and also to USB out (me).

I think I had the original iRig and it didn't have that very simple feature set.

**Woody Sound** · 01-04-2018, 03:00 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

It doesn't do what the OP and I both were talking about, handle the guitar and tracks input simultaneously, outputting to headphones (OP) and also to USB out (me).

I think I had the original iRig and it didn't have that very simple feature set.

What I like about the Joyo is that I should be able to keep the phone plugged into ac while using it.

**lawson-stone** · 01-04-2018, 03:10 PM

Originally Posted by Woody Sound

What I like about the Joyo is that I should be able to keep the phone plugged into ac while using it.

Yes, it's just the right balance. And no superfluous features, no app to install on the phone. It does all I need to provide a quiet practice tool.

**Woody Sound** · 01-04-2018, 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by coolvinny

Phil Jones Big Head. And it's built like a tank.

I should hope so for $250.

**Jabberwocky** · 01-04-2018, 04:00 PM

I have the Vox Amphone Twin and see that it has been discontinued. Pretty all right for an all-in-one solution. I paid $75 for it. You plug your iphone into its 3.5mm Aux input. That leaves a silly long thin cable dangling by the side of your head. You plug the headphones into your guitar. Switch it on. And jam away.

The tonal quality is...passable for practice. Better than nothing. A lot depends on the charge of the batteries. I use Eneloops. I have sets of Eneloops in four of the Amplugs that I have not used in more than a year. I just switched them all on. The LEDs glow a healthy bright red/green/red-green.

**TedBPhx** · 01-04-2018, 04:39 PM

I also like the iRig HD 2. Along with headphone play its mono 1/4” out makes it ideal for plugging an idevice into an amps effects loop.

**lawson-stone** · 01-04-2018, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by TedBPhx

I also like the iRig HD 2. Along with headphone play its mono 1/4” out makes it ideal for plugging an idevice into an amps effects loop.

Am I right, though, that you can't plug a second audio source in and play along, with that combined signal going to all outputs?

**coolvinny** · 01-04-2018, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by Woody Sound

I should hope so for $250.

Oh, the price is plenty fair for the quality of build, sound and ease of use. It's the kind of gear one would easily keep for a decade or longer. It's essentially a Mambo/Henriksen-like headphone amp that can run on battery power (USB chargeable) for 8 hours and is virtually indestructible.

**lawson-stone** · 01-04-2018, 05:25 PM

Originally Posted by coolvinny

Oh, the price is plenty fair for the quality of build, sound and ease of use. It's the kind of gear one would easily keep for a decade or longer. It's essentially a Mambo/Henriksen-like headphone amp that can run on battery power (USB chargeable) for 8 hours and is virtually indestructible.

Do the instrument and aux. inputs work simultaneously? That is, you can play and use a backing track, monitor on the headphones, and send that combined out put over the USB port?

**icr** · 01-04-2018, 05:54 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

It doesn't do what the OP and I both were talking about, handle the guitar and tracks input simultaneously, outputting to headphones (OP) and also to USB out (me).

I think I had the original iRig and it didn't have that very simple feature set.

I may be missing something in this thread. I have recorded extensively with my iRig. In fact now I'm plugged in to my iRig and just recorded 3 tracks. When I play a new track, I can hear any the of the other tracks just as if I were using my expensive iPad interface. You have to click "Monitor" to hear the new guitar part as you play it. Maybe iPhone software is different? What am I missing here? Or what will I gain with the version 2?

**TedBPhx** · 01-04-2018, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

Am I right, though, that you can't plug a second audio source in and play along, with that combined signal going to all outputs?

I use it on an iPad where I can play through the BIAS amp simulator and mix it with drum machines or play along with YouTube or any other backing track I can get into the iPad. It only has one mono input but it has mono, stereo, and USB outs.

**woollyhair** · 01-04-2018, 06:04 PM

Hi woody,

I use use the apogee duet for iOS/iPad to do just that. (it also serves a number of other purposes also) The two inputs + two mics are probably a bit overkill at this stage but future proofing you know... you could also try the apogee one which is a single input + 1 mic.

**Woody Sound** · 01-04-2018, 06:28 PM

I don't need to record, play through an amp or simulator, multitrack, long battery life, send to usb, send to stereo, or process anything with extra apps. Just listen and play.

Once a week as a DH I drive my wife a half hour to a symphony rehearsal. There I have 2.5 hours to kill in a private room. So I JUST want to play along with tunes on my iPhone and listen on headphones. That's it. I have electricity, so I prefer to plug in the iPhone rather than burn through its battery. Seems like the Joya is the best simple solution, and just happens to be economical too.