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iRig Pro Quattro I/O: a flexible interface and mixer in a compact package

IK Multimedia has  just released the iRig Pro Quattro I/O. It’s a compact audio interface and mixer with almost every connection you’d ever want or need.

We’re sick of big and we’re sick of hard to use, that’s why products like the Teenage Engineering TX-6 and this iRig Pro Quattro I/O are well thought out for the modern user. Think of heading into the wild to collect found sounds, moving between recording studios, setting up in various spaces, and performing live with a collection of instruments. The iRig Pro Quattro I/O has you covered.

IK Multimedia is a company that’s hard to miss, from their huge collection of plugins like amp simulations bundles to their UNO synth series they cover such a wide world in the music production and live performance world. The latest release from their iRig series, the iRig Pro Quattro I/O, gives users all options of connections and flexibility inside a very small package. We opened up the package in the studio and gave it a good test.

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The iRig Pro Quattro I/O is a few things. It’s an audio interface for Mac, PC, iPhone and Andriod, it’s a standalone mixer and — camera operators listen up — it can connect to a camera to feed the audio in. It has 4 combo inputs (mic and instrument), a built-in microphone, and headphone output all powered via either 9v DC, USB (micro), or 4 x AA batteries.

All of this had me thinking — why should bring a full recording rig to the next live performance video shoot!?!

After all the experimentation and realising how flexible this unit is, I wondered if the next release might include some kind of SD card slot or internal memory as you cannot use this as a standalone recorder. If IK Multimedia did this, I would guarantee they would take Zoom for a run for their money.

Moving onto the other features, there’s a super simple LED display with battery percentage, 48v lights for inputs 1-2 and 3-4, meter levels for all 4 inputs and left and right outputs. There’s 4 knobs for the inputs, Mic on/off switch for the internal mic, Multi (for multitrack recording), Stereo, and Mono Mode switch, a headphone level knob, a line out knob, and Direct, Loopback and Limiter off/on switches.

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As mentioned before the 4 inputs are balanced combo inputs, and inputs 3-4 can also be . Inputs 1-2 are on the top and inputs 3-4 are on the right side along with optional line inputs of 3-4 via RCA connections or 6.5mm jack. 48v (phantom power) works in banks, with 1 switch for 1-2 and another switch for 3-4. As a fond user of ribbon microphones I found this slightly annoying.

On the left side of the unit there’s Midi in and out — accessed via IK Multimedia’s 2.5mm-to-MIDI cables, a headphone output, a main stereo output, and two main line level left and right XLR outputs.

On the bottom of the unit there’s a 9v DC power input, a 3 way power switch between USB, battery or off, USB power and USB host inputs.

I plugged in an electric guitar, a synth and a stereo piano microphone setup and mixed these then sent them to Ableton as a stereo mix. The result was great and I thought the preamps were nice and clean. It really hit the mark for me in that application. Further to this, I could have changed the mode and recorded this trio of instruments separately. Huge benefits there, with lots of flexibility.

I do really wish it could record as a standalone device, but maybe I’m asking too much for a unit of this price. It comes in at 449USD.

All and all this is a very affordable and flexible device. From being an audio interface to it’s use as a studio hub or live performance mixer, I can see this used in many different applications.

Head over to IK Multimedia’s website for more details.