Now Apple have decided in favour of the new Lightning connector, an this poses some issues for 30 pin accessories!

Thankfully Apple saw fit to create a 30 pin to Lightning adapter, but what implications will it have for our favourite iOS audio interfaces?

My particular interest is in the Line 6 Midi Mobilizer II and Mobile In!
It would seem they are currently being tested for compatibility and here is some official confirmation of this: createdigitalmusic.com

Every January in Las Vegas, well over 100,000 people fill the Las Vegas Convention Center for CES – the Consumer Electronics Show. This year, Line 6 has brought their own special flavor to the show, with live music using Mobile In™ + Mobile POD®, and the just-announced Mobile Keys tri-platform keyboard controllers.

I have had the pleasure of being part of all this. Each day, all day, we have been performing live music in our booth, with one musician playing Mobile Keys 49 connected to an iPad® running GarageBand®, another musician playing guitar through Mobile In connected to an iPhone® running Mobile POD, and a third musician playing bass parts on a Mobile Keys 25 connected to a MacBook® (and triggering drumbeats on the MacBook). I have been switching off between the guitar and keyboard bass roles.

It’s been cool watching how people respond. Every keyboardist who tries Mobile Keys is impressed with the professional feel and low latency, and the great Mobile POD tones have been attracting a lot of attention as well.

A high point of the show came when Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater) surprised us all by visiting our booth and playing THE HELL out of Mobile Keys 49, his fingers a blur and a huge crowd gathering round. And it got even better as Line 6 co-founder Marcus Ryle joined in playing bass on Mobile Keys 25! It was a great impromptu jam that drew wild applause from the sea of people who had assembled to hear the keyboard pyrotechnics. The jam also really revealed the quality of Mobile Keys, as it responded beautifully to all Jordan’s most amazing, fast, and delicate techniques. And it certainly looked (and sounded) like Jordan was having a lot of fun! You can see a little bit of that jam here.

Today is the last day of CES. It’s been fun. Next stop: Winter NAMM 2012!

iPhone, iPad, MacBook and GarageBand are trademarks of Apple Inc, registered in the U.S. and other countries. Apple is not responsible for the operation of this device or its compliance with safety and regulatory standards.

The Mobile In from Line 6 has three things going for it. First, it works with Line 6′s POD effects and guitar amp modeling, which is already popular with guitarists. Second, the app that it works with the audio interface is free. No paid app, no add-on fee for presets – you buy the hardware and get all of the software for free. [read] [Line 6 Mobile In]

Just connect your Apple device to your guitar via the Mobile In Digital Input Adapter, download the free Mobile POD App and you are set up with world famous POD guitar tone. The free app comes equipped with outstanding models of some of the most sought after tones in rock history, including 64 guitar amps, stompboxes, rack effects and speaker cabinets.

Line 6 Mobile IN™ Portable Audio Interface

Incredibly cool graphical displays allow you to dial in, edit and save your favorite sounds. Share your sounds with the world and download tones dialed in by other users. Use your iTunes library as your personal backup band. Stay locked in with the on board tuner. The list of features here is incredible for a pocket sized unit and so are the sounds.

Classic Fender amp models from the 50’s and 60’s shine with dead-on accuracy for out of this world clean and blues tones. British style crunch is available in abundance via modeled Plexi and JTM-45 amps. For more modern flavors of overdrive and distortion the Mobile POD App includes Rectifier and Mark series models as well as Line 6’s own Insane metal tones. Smokin’ cool, yes?

As guitarists, we know how important a speaker cabinet can be to our tone. Line 6 did not neglect this critical ingredient of the recipe. Cabinets from all of the classic combo amp and stack configurations are included, 16 different varieties in all. From the open, airy sound of an AC15 combo to the tight, focused punch of a Vintage 30 loaded 4×12, all are present and accounted for.

As for effects, all of the usual suspects are in the lineup. Typical of all the POD sounds, the verbs and other time based effects sound stellar as do the compressor and tremolo. In addition to using the effects individually, the delay can be paired up with most of the modulation effects making for some nice combinations.

And lets’ not forget the sheer number of sounds that are available here. More than 10,000 presets are accessible from within the POD app, written by artists, Line 6 and other guitarists. And they’re all free!

As if all of the above weren’t enough, Mobile In is compatible with GarageBand and other CoreAudio apps for iPad. More than just a recording notepad, you can lay down “keeper” tracks with a system that fits in the palm of your hand.

Mobile IN™ Docked With Phone

One other notable feature that I should mention here is that the Mobile In connects to your device via the 30-pin digital connector and not the headphone jack. This keeps your signal sounding rich and full-bodied at all times.

I want to buy one of these things. You are going to want to buy one of these things. Are you familiar with the phrase “the greatest thing since sliced bread”?

Apple, iPhone, iPad, iTunes and GarageBand are trademarks of Apple, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Apple is not responsible for the operation of this device or its compliance with safety and regulatory standards.