What's the best way to play guitar through my phone?

March 19, 2019 4:19 AM

I'm seeking recommendations for a hardware interface that'll make it easy to play guitar through headphones (and maybe also an amp) using my smartphone (a Galaxy S9+) to provide effects, amp simulation, etc.

The go-to recommendation/product seems to be iRig, but they have a confusing number of different interfaces plus a shockingly low rating on the Google Play store for their Amplitube app. If anyone has first hand experience of a good gadget/interface/app to do this, with a minimum of wiring (!), then I'm all ears. Thank you.

posted by srednivashtar to Computers & Internet (2 answers total)

I think it depends on how serious you are about it, things like how many hours/month you want to play that way, do you ever play with a band or play live etc. Also are you an audiophile sound snob or just want it to sound basically right and have easier access to recording and portability? Because heavy use with high expectations will require a high end interface.

However, I have a $9 iRig knockoff from Amazon, the simplest one with 1/4" in and 1/8" out and nothing else. It's fine, the main issue being that I have to be careful not to jostle it too much, or I'll hear crackles in the connection. Anyway, that's not much to risk if you want to try out how much you like the idea, possibly spending a bit more later once you're sure you're into it.
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:18 AM on March 19, 2019

Response by poster: This would be purely for practice and fun, with the occasionally bit of (low, low fidelity) DI'd recording. Portability and convenience matters a lot but so does minimal latency. It wouldn't be used live.
posted by srednivashtar at 7:21 AM on March 19, 2019