AmpliTube Acoustic for Android

The headline says it all.

I use this app live with a Taylor guitar and, until recently, it worked very well. However, with the last update, I discovered the FX section of two of the amps is malfunctioning, stuck on delay no matter how you set it. I was using the chorus setting to fatten up my guitar and add some nice lush. Now all I get is delay slap back and it’s pretty annoying. I let IK know about this a few months back and they said they were aware of it and would fix it in an update “soon”. I’m thinking if customers have shelled out cash for my product and it is malfunctioning, I get on it and fix it pronto but, alas, IK does not think like that and is content to let their customers be unhappy with a broken product until they’re ready for some future update. I’m on stage 3-5 nights a week and it’s so frustrating not to be able to have your rig performing @ 100%. So, 3 stars for the slow response to a known problem affecting end users. Very nice app when it isn’t malfunctioning.

Despite the fact that tons of people are complaining about the same issues for many months (update: years), IK Multimedia has not fixed the bug problems. So, my suggestion is, until they fix it, don't buy it. Update: Almost 3 years later!: They finally issued an update. I was hopeful. Here’s what it broke: the ability to be an interapp. Example: Insert an audio track in an app like Cubasis and choose this app as the “Interap” and it no longer works. All we get is silence. Tried it on a few devices with the same results. This was one feature that actually worked most of the time. Now it doesn’t work at all. It was broke before, now it’s even more broken. Also; the app and chosen patches appear to play “through” the multitrack recorder even when you don’t want to look at the multitrack recorder. So, if there is a multitrack session in the background, whatever settings you have on the chosen track, that’s what you are stuck listening to. IE; pan, verb, EQ, Level... The only way around this is to create a new multitrack session and leave the session and choose your amps and stomps. Your still playing through the multi-track but at least the settings are flat. Still... how frustrating?! As you can see, from the developer’s response, they don’t take ownership of issues by advising that the user is reporting a rare case... or, as they have told me directly “you are the only one complaining about this issue.” They always tell the user to keep it off the forums and to “continue working with your service rep.” Well... that does nothing. They never resolve the problem and automatically close the case as if it’s been resolved. (No... not resolved,guys. You simply didn’t take ownership and closed the case over and over.) They never take ownership and never update as promised. My previous review remains: As of this review date, it's been almost 2 years since they offered an update to this app and since I, personally, provided a truck load of data to prove the app is buggy. The customer service responds but always with the same, cut and paste replies and never once acknowledges that the problem could be due to their app. They never take ownership of the problem. Support conversations just die and they make you feel like you're bothering them if you check in and bring it to their attention that no resolution has been offered. Also; Bringing up their pale service on their forum site for discussion is a big no-no as well because they will LOCK the conversation so you can't post your service experience on a forum level. I found this to be the nastiest example of neglect and denial on the part of IK That being said, some of the app works but the bugs get in the way. Example: don't buy the multitrack pack. Just don't do it. The looper: go beyond four measure and it hiccups and skips a beat. Stinks. What’s the point? Arm a second track... it crashes. (Update: I've been able to determine it's the TUBE amp that crashes the multi tracker, they have admitted they KNOW this, but IK has not stepped up to the Plate and fixed it with an an app update.) They are really good at contacting users about keeping this experience "off the forums" or review page (like this one) and urge you to contact "your service contact" but despite several dozen contacts, they fail to admit the problems or fix the bugs. There's more than one bug. Here's another Example: plug in the iRig pickup... you may not hear anything! Why? No idea. If you tell IK this or provide several examples they always say "this is the first time we've heard of this. You're the only one who has mentioned it. Did you run set-up? Etc..." I found unplugging it and plugging it back in might work. But why would I have to do that? Also, launching the app doesn't allow for monitoring the guitar (kind of the whole point of the app, right?) but it will often work if I minimize the app and bring it back up to the screen. Then, suddenly, monitoring of live guitar might work. Bottom line; It just crashes too often (on several different iOS devices... not just one; all of them!) and the customer a service appears to have no ability to take ownership of any reported issue or resolve the issues that are proven to be APP related. Again; Don't buy it unless they fix it. (And don't post any negative experience on their forum or the men in black will shut you down!)

Although the DAW looks identical to the paid version on AmpliTube, for some stupid and undefined reason, AmpliTube Acoustic does not support simultaneous multi track recording us iRig Pro duo. AmpliTube Acoustic only supports single track recording, very inexcusable. On a separate issue, IK Multimedia is way behind the times on file management. With the recent release of ITunes 12.7, managing recorded music is now a huge problem. I could but do not use SoundCloud as it does not suit me. I could email myself but this is a clumsy process. I have tried to get ITunes 12.6.3 working (not very well). The latest release of GarageBand supports the IOS 11 file management process and this seems reasonable. By the way, I am an acoustic guitar player and the amps and stomps etc is very impressive, my acoustic recording of voice and guitar are all that I really need. I have never had any issues with any IK Multimedia products as they have always worked as advertised. Thank you.

Concurrently I procured the paid version of iRig Amplitube Acoustic & JamUp Pro with Bias. I also examined each 8-track recorder. I had two iRig Acoustic pickups for my pupless axes (particularly world instruments), one for ios & one included in my Stage rig. For five months I ascertained through playing & recording which I preferred, them bought a second ios pickup. I contrived a simple converter cable to conform the headphone output to a guitar amp input (a major forum topic). In addition, I procured the iRig2 for pup-equipped instruments. My iRig priority is not set in stone, & I can easily meander through all systems to create my sick style of music. After months of fine tuning, I surmised that iRig ios is conducive to my current intentions, & bought the in-app 8-track recorder. I won't itemize the attributes which lead me to an iRig ios preference (sidetracking Stage), & shall spare details about the iRig multitrack recorder ($4x more than JamUp's). Nevertheless, the app's acoustic emphasis, presets, & functionality of the recorder (eg timeline & wav files), at the moment seem to put me in a creative Aura anywhere, anytime, & can tweak the tunes in Reason when I return to Earth.