We'll just go ahead and get this out of the way early: the Guitar Jack Model 2 is quite the dapper peripheral. The adapter is housed in a polished metal shell that pairs nicely with the latest iPhone when the two are connected. Look closely and you'll see the side plates housing the input / output jacks are located are fashioned out of a lighter shade of aluminum. The kit also has a bit of weight to it, which bolsters its durability factor when coupled with that all-metal exterior. We won't recommend you go tossing the thing off your balcony to test its strength, but from the outside, it would appear to hold up much better than plastic adapters we've gotten our mitts on. There's only one tiny issue with the high-gloss aluminum coating: it loves to collect fingerprints. We found ourselves constantly wiping the adapter down to keep things somewhat presentable.
The top and bottom of the adapter only feature logos and text; the action really happens on the sides of the device. On the right-hand edge, you'll encounter a 1/4-inch guitar or instrument input and a 1/8-inch headphone jack. Moving around to the top, there's the built-in iOS dock connector that allows for recording sans cables. Heading over to the left side, you'll discover a single 1/8-inch microphone input. The way all the jacks are set up, cables will extend out from the sides of the unit, allowing you to lay the entire thing flat while capturing your next power ballad. There are also diminutive rubber pads on the bottom to keep the kit's chiseled frame from scratching whatever surface it might rest on.
Software
If you don't install an app that plays nice with the adapter beforehand, your iOS device will prompt you to do so the first time you connect the two. Sonoma Wire Works, the company behind GuitarJack, offers a few options in the app department when it comes to getting your adapter in the game. We'll tackle the free ones first. GuitarTone allows you to rock out (via headphones, of course) on your iPhone while having the freedom to switch amps, cabs, mics and set up an effects loop to test out new riffs on-the-go. As with most free guitar apps, in order to expand your rig you'll have to dish out $9.99 per 12-pack. While the GuitarJack is connected, though, access to AmpPack 1 is granted and lends 12 amplifiers to your mobile axe arsenal.
If acoustic guitars are more your style, the outfit has developed the TaylorEQ app for those looking to channel The Civil Wars. This application boosts the sound of Taylor acoustics when used with the aforementioned adapter through a set of EQ presets specifically designed for industry legend's signature guitar shapes. You'll also be able to create your own custom tone and jam along with The Boss should you be so inclined. To put the GuitarJack version 2.0 through the wringer, we used FourTrack as our application of choice. Capturing guitar licks was pretty straightforward and we used a set of noise-canceling headphones to monitor our face-melting tones right off the side of the adapter. Once we were through capturing our riffs, we were able to check our progress via the iPhone's speaker after unplugging the kit. We plucked the strings of both a Washburn acoustic electric and a Parker Nitefly M. Each time we had to pause our session to take a call or answer an email, the software remembered settings and we were able to pick up right where we left off. The WiFi sync feature worked well, as we snagged freshly recorded tracks from our desktop in a few relatively painless steps.
With that said, the $50-plus premium you'll pay for this over the Apogee Jam is a sound investment only if you're going to be recording both vocals and an instrument simultaneously on the regular. If you're a guitar player without a decent set of pipes (think Angus Young), you may want to consider a less expensive offering that focuses more on your axe's tone. Even if you chose to spend your money here, you can expect above-average audio recording, along with a kit that's easy on the eyes as well.
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