I was surprised by how refined everything sounded. In addition to 8 tracks of audio accessible via the Spire App, the unit also offers several basic effects and amp emulations. You can have a maximum of two inputs active at any given time-connecting a mic or instrument to Input 1 will disable the unit’s built-in mic.
Occasionally, I recorded with two mics at once, either with two of my own mics or the unit’s built-in mic plus one of my own. I threw a lot of different instruments at it, including vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, shakers, tambourine, and a ukulele. The unit’s recording quality exceeded my expectations. Generally speaking, I tend to be a little more conservative with my gain staging, but I will admit that it’s nice to press one button and let the device take the reins. The device’s Soundcheck feature instantly stood out to me it’s a wonderful way of setting your recording levels. After turning on Spire Studio and downloading the app, I was able to record my acoustic guitar within seconds. The device and app’s simplicity of use is worth commemorating right away. Overall, you can comfortably record six hours of audio. By default, the app will keep your phone awake while in a project and show data usage warnings if necessary. When you’ve finished a project, you can send the session through text or email, publish your song directly to social media and SoundCloud, and export your entire song-or just the individual tracks. If you’re not connected to the hardware unit, you can choose to record with your phone mic or headphone mic. Projects allow you to set up a metronome (by tapping or inputing the BPM) with a few different time signature options, record with or without effects, edit your takes, and mix your tracks via an intuitively-designed visual mixer. Inside, you’ll find the option to add, import, or delete projects. The Spire Studio App can easily be downloaded through the Apple Store. The app will actually let you know (with a hard-to-miss red banner) when your unit’s battery is running low. Spire Studio’s rechargeable lithium-ion battery lasts around 4 to 6 hours. The hardware is equipped with a built-in omnidirectional condenser mic, two XLR-1/4″ combo jacks with Grace Design preamps, phantom power, front and rear 3.5mm headphone inputs, and a touch-sensitive display. Also included are large Record and Play buttons, as well as buttons for starting a fresh project (New Song), automatically adjusting gain (Soundcheck), and regulating your output level (Volume).
The base unit actually pairs with a free iOS app via Wi-fi, expanding its potential capability far further than its simple and minimalist design suggests.
It’s important to realize that Spire Studio is not just a portable multi-track recording device. Its goal: Making the recording of any impromptu jam, late-night songwriting collaboration, or multi-instrumental production nearly hassle-free. IZotope has positioned their new product, Spire Studio, to minimize these hurdles, filling a niche once occupied by simple and portable 4-track cassette recorders, while adding much in the way of features and sound quality.
Even when they do, there are often numerous steps to take before they can record anything usable.
Whenever inspiration hits, it’s crucial that artists can capture their ideas as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, home recordists and musicians who frequently find themselves on the road don’t always have the luxury of keeping their equipment within arms’ reach at a moment’s notice. Too many musicians have invested some of their hard earned cash into state-of-the-art digital audio workstations, only to later find themselves too intimidated or too overburdened by the intricacies of the technology to actually spend any time with it. With Spire Studio, iZotope aims to provide songwriters with an easy-to-use, yet robust solution for capturing ideas on the go.