What is it?
The iRig Micro Amp is a tiny but surprisingly powerful guitar amplifier that can either be operated from six AA batteries or the optional DC power adaptor. Using the power supply, the amp provides a full 15W output but the battery option provides a reduced, but still useable, output of 7.5W. I only tested the iRig Micro Amp using batteries, but still found that it had plenty of volume – and if you use high-quality rechargeable batteries, running costs are minimal! The amp is so compact that you can easily store it in a backpack or a small case, so you really can take it wherever you travel.
The Micro Amp has a four-inch speaker, which copes very well with the sound output but there is also the option of attaching a larger external speaker that might be useful if you were using the amp at louder volumes. However, I suspect most users will choose the battery power option.
In the box, there is the usual user manual and registration card, as well as an initial set of batteries, the amp itself, a lightning to micro USB cable (for connecting the amp to an iPhone or iPad), a USB to micro USB cable (for connecting the amp to computers) and an adaptor for mounting on a microphone stand. I found that the supplied cables are a little on the short side so you might need to invest in some that are longer for more convenient usage. While the amp is very light and portable, I feel that it would have benefitted greatly from a carry handle on the top and, although the unit seems well made, the casing is plastic. Though I didn't do a drop test, I wasn't confident that it would do well if it was dropped onto a hard surface.
Portable practice amp
The iRig Micro Amp has a gain control for preamp level, EQ controls for bass, mid and treble adjustment and a master volume control. There are three channel switches for clean, drive and lead to change the amount of distortion, plus a quarter-inch jack input for your guitar. As a nice bonus, there is a mini-jack socket for connecting an mp3 player or phone/iPad for playing along with favourite songs or backing tracks and a socket for headphones that switches off the internal speaker. Naturally, with headphones attached you can practice silently while also hearing the sounds coming into the aux input so you can play-along without disturbing anybody. As a straightforward practice amp with supreme portability, the iRig Micro Amp is great but the device also has more enticing features.
Linking to iOS devices or computers
For me, this is where the Micro Amp really shines and its full potential is revealed. If you attach your amp to an iOS device through the Amplitube CS app, you can radically adjust the sound of the amp using the included ten amp models and 26 stomp-box pedals. Similarly, you can connect the amp to Mac or PC computers with Amplitube 4. With this option, you have access to nine amp models and ten stomp-box pedals.
The Amplitube app visually and physically recreates the sound of classic amps like Fender or Marshall with great accuracy, as well as effects pedals like delay, wah and distortion. The included amps and pedals are a generous feature but you can also buy more to add to your collection. I found that these were quite reasonably priced. The app is also excellent as an educational tool because you can test out different amp and pedal combinations and really hear how the guitar sound is affected as you adjust the controls and witness the accurate modelling of the sounds.
The app includes a guitar tuner and metronome as well as a song player and a looper. This is great for recording some chords and then building up a song in layers as the looper plays through. Micro Amp connects directly with apps such as GarageBand so you can record on the connected device complete with all your guitar sound modifications.
In conclusion
The iRig Micro Amp is an extremely versatile product. It can simply be used as a go anywhere portable amp, as a device for silent practice with headphones, or for playing along to backing tracks. It can also be connected to iOS devices for sophisticated sound modelling through Amplitube. It even serves as an audio interface for direct recording for DAWs with both Mac and PC operating systems. The iRig Micro Amp is great fun to use because it's so compact you really can take your amp and studio effects anywhere you want.
This small amp provides up to 15W of amplification
Price: £159
