When the original iRig hit the scene, it revolutionized guitar tone possibilities. It enabled guitar players to use their mobile devices as music production platforms, effects units, and even as live performance tools.

The iRig HD 2 is the successor to this legacy with an upgraded 96kHz sampling rate and a 1/4" output jack for connecting your virtual rig to a real amp or P.A. system.

When you want to use your iPad just to practice guitar, the iRig is a lot more convenient than setting up a regular interface. But it's not limited only to practice duties, it has a pretty good sound recording to the iPad as well.

Even though it only comes with the cut-down version of AmpliTube, you can still spend hours enjoying different effects through your headphones. As a bonus, it also works as a plugin for your DAW.

The combination of the iRig with AmpliTube means you can use your iPad as a versatile guitar headphone amp with more sounds than you typically get from regular ones.

Although I haven't tried this myself, I've even heard good reports about using it live with the iPad acting as an effects unit.

If I had a complaint it would be that it's a one-trick pony, you can use it for guitar but nothing else so it's a piece of gear that's more of a guitar accessory than an iPad device.

The IK Multimedia iRig HD 2 is a great audio interface for guitar-specific uses. With AmpliTube bundled in, the combination gives a lot of freedom for tonal exploration for the tone-chasing guitar player.

Tech Specs

• A/D Resolution: 24-bit/96kHz
• Connectors: 1 x USB Micro-B (also includes lightning cable)
• Simultaneous Channels: 1 x 1
• Inputs: 1 x 1/4" (instrument)
• Outputs: 1 x 1/4" (amp processed/amp thru)
• Features: High-quality, instrument-level 1/4" Hi-Z input jack, Adjustable input gain, 24-bit A/D conversion.
• Power: Bus Powered
• Phantom Power: None
• Bundled Software: AmpliTube SE

The Volt series is UA's way of kicking the notch up in quality for interfaces at this price point. It features a preamp section based on their 610 tube preamp/consoles. This circuit is famous for records like "Harvest" by Neil Young, "LA Woman" by The Doors and quite a few mention "Van Halen 1" by Van Halen was recorded on one. With this catalog of hits, it's impossible not to have high expectations.

The UA Volt 2 impressed me from the unboxing; an inconsequential thing for most but the presentation felt like it was a lot more expensive. The chassis is a combination of a powder coated black lower half and a textured, matte silver upper bout. This combo adds to the premium feel of the unit.

The knobs felt smooth and had the right resistance for finer adjustments. The buttons for phantom power, monitoring and engaging the vintage mode of the preamps are clear buttons with a raised plastic surround. The buttons themselves illuminate when activated and have a very high quality, tactile feel that inspires confidence in the long term durability of the unit.

The XLR combo plugs are made by Amphenol and are also of high quality. The knobs are accompanied by 2 LED lights each to indicate signal and clipping.

While the monitor host/direct switch has an indicator for which routing is activated. At the back, the two monitor out jacks are secured with a nut and washer.

Compared to Focusrite, this feels more solid and again, it inspires confidence in the long term durability of the interface. The Midi I/O jacks are standard fare.

I want to note the use of a big power switch on the back for such a small interface. All these high quality parts come together to a whole that I reiterate to be a solidly built interface.

One odd thing that struck me is that to connect the interface, Universal Audio supplies you with two USB cables. One for the data going into your PC or mobile device, and another for power from another USB port. I usually get a power supply that plugs into a wall socket along with a USB cable. My guess is that the preamp circuitry needs additional power to operate at a higher current.

It might be a bit early to address a personal con that would be a non-issue for most. In order to access the software controller for the interface, you need to make an account and log into it. Other interfaces are plug and play and the drivers don't require the input of any personal information. Again, this is more of a personal thing but it did get in the way of my excitement to try the interface.

But how does it sound? As is, without the vintage mode on, the interface sounded very neutral. It's comparable to the XMAX Preamps on my Presonus ioStation 24c ith a little bit more extended high-frequencies. It's subtle but I can definitely hear it while recording. Down the line this makes a good starting point for raw tracks that are going to be processed heavily.

With the vintage mode on however, additional harmonics are added at the upper mid and high-frequencies. It's not an EQ by the way. Additional harmonics are a byproduct of circuit design and adds a bit more density/smoothness compared to just boosting it with EQ.

So having the option of engaging upper frequency harmonics is a great option. Especially for warmer sounding microphones like theRode NT1.

I found that the Vintage Mode paired with a bright mic like the Lewitt LCT 440 Pure to be a bit too strident on the high frequencies. But this is an error of redundancy. It's a good thing that Universal Audio made the vintage mode a toggle because the Lewitt sounded better with it off. Having it only have the vintage mode on all the would have been a dealbreaker.

Latency was a bit slower than my Presonus ioStation 24c. But that is an unfair comparison given that my interface and DAW (Studio One) were designed around and optimized for each other. It's still fast compared to cheaper interfaces out there in terms of round trip time. I had no problem monitoring myself with a few plugins in the chain. 1 to 2 milliseconds of difference is negligible for monitoring.

The headphone output had no problems driving my headphones. I use 250 Ohm Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pros and DT 990 Pros in my studio. I was able to get them up to a good level with minimal distortion from the headphone amp. One thing to note is that it has a direct monitor switch, that allows for stereo or mono (the button can be pressed multiple times).

Compared to the Focusrite Scarlett Solo, Independent speaker and headphone controls are a welcome addition.

One thing to note is the bundled software. It has a great amount of plugins from developers like Brainworx, Celemony (yes, it's bundled with Melodyne Essential!) and more. With Melodyne becoming more and more a requirement for any mix engineer, seeing it bundled with the interface along with virtual instruments and carefully curated plugins brings the value up a few notches.

The Universal Audio Volt 2 is a great entry into a market that's already crowded. It's a great audio interface for iPad thanks to the compatibility. While it does so without adding too much novelty into the mix, the build quality, bundled software and the preamp design makes it a great value. The richness that the preamp provides adds a lot of tonal nuance to those that know what to look for. Get it if you're looking to get that 610 preamp magic into your mixes without breaking the bank.