Focusrite iTrack Pocket iPhone Interface and Microphone

Now that Apple has firmly established itself as the titan of mobile technology, the number of iOS-compatible devices for making music are only getting better and better. Perhaps thought of as a fad not too long ago, high-quality, mobile A/V recording is very much here to stay and is getting better with every technological advance that brings more power to the iPhone. Case in point is the new iTrack Pocket from Focusrite. Roughly the size and shape of a harmonica, this Lightning-equipped interface truly lives up to its name, offering musicians and video creators the ability to meld the iPhone 5*’s HD video recording with audio captured from its stereo microphones and instrument input, then easily share it via YouTube, all through Focusrite’s easy and powerful Impact app.

Totally Tube-ular

For musicians, YouTube has been a boon in several ways. Bands use it to promote themselves. Entertainers use it to make a living. Players use it to share their ideas with others. Instructors use it as a tool to teach with. In some cases, people simply use it to show off their chops. With all the uses musicians have for YouTube, it makes sense to have a dedicated interface like the iTrack Pocket for capturing and uploading your creations.

Like the iPhone 5, using the iTrack Pocket couldn’t be easier. There’s a slot that holds your iPhone in the landscape position, with a small grille covering the stereo microphones. On one end is a ¼” input for your guitar; on the other is a Level control. There’s a small connection on the back of the iTrack Pocket for the included Lightning cable. Once connected, install the Impact app and you’re ready to start recording and sharing.

Maximum Impact

The iTrack Pocket gives you different modes to work with depending on what you’re recording. You can use the onboard stereo room mics, the guitar input, or the mics in mono mode with your guitar plugged in. There’s built-in amp modeling with Twin, Brit and V-AC virtual amps at your disposal. Each model has gain and reverb settings, giving you a wide variety of tones to work with. Using the iPhone 5’s headphone jack, you can easily monitor your sound with virtually no latency and get your sound dialed in prior to recording. The Impact app is as intuitive as the iPhone itself, meaning there are no complicated menus or functions that remove you from your creative space. A few taps and swipes and everything is ready to go.

Impact also has a few post-production options for getting your videos just right. You can edit the start/stop points, and optimize the audio with effects organized by recording type: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, guitar and vocal, female vocal and male vocal. Once you select a preset, you can adjust the Enhance, Reverb and Compress settings to further fine-tune your recording. It’s impressive how much you can do with these few settings; Focusrite made them all powerful and versatile to suit a variety of performance types.

Premium sound

The iTrack Pocket’s stereo room mics are great for recording voice and acoustic instruments. I was fortunate to have the iTrack Pocket around when I purchased a mid-‘70s Alvarez 12-string acoustic, and wanted to share with some friends my new acquisition. It was as easy as setting my iPhone on the iTrack Pocket, pulling up Impact, tapping record and playing. The room mics captured the harmonic details of the guitar that made me want to buy it in the first place, which I thought was really cool for such a compact device. Vocals also came through quite well, with warmth and presence that I wasn’t expecting. When using the mics together with the guitar input, everything blended together nicely, without one overpowering the other. Best of all, because the iTrack Pocket captures audio so well up front, it really cuts down on having to do multiple takes to get things sounding right.

Capture, edit, share, repeat

With the iTrack Pocket, Focusrite has created a way for iPhone 5 users to set up and record HD video and audio for countless types of content, be it a podcast; instructional video; performance piece or even a short, sweet lullaby to your little ones while you’re traveling. It’s also a great companion for capturing those ideas that always seem to arrive at the most inopportune times. The iTrack Pocket is a mobile music-making companion for whenever inspiration strikes. It’s a seamless merging of compact design and fantastic sound quality that iPhone 5 users should definitely add to their holiday wish list.

*Officially supports iPhone 5, iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S.

Resources

Learn more about the iTrack Pocket at focusrite.com

Pricing and purchase information on the iTrack Pocket at musiciansfriend.com