Recording with the iPad Pro ＆ auditor iD14!

Sound quality-oriented audio interface

I was searching for an audio interface to record vocals and instruments with good sound quality, even with compact home recording equipment using an iPad Pro and "CUBASIS", and I found the auditor iD14, which was probably released about 5 years ago.

Although it is not the latest audio interface, this product still gets hits when searching on the Internet, focusing on "high sound quality audio interfaces". It is not from a really well-known brand, but rather a product you can only find if you’re searching for it specifically.

I compared various products from the R, M, and S companies, but I could not make a final decision with any of these brands. Just to be clear, I don't think there are any problems with any of the products. However, for me, who tends to be an "equipment geek", I wanted to buy a product that I was satisfied with as much as possible. Under such circumstances, the final decision reached was the iD14.

Although it may be inferior to the latest products in terms of specifications, it has a reputation for good sound. I mainly play the acoustic guitar, so the sound quality of the live instrument when recorded is very important. Well, let’s see how it sounds like.

I was impressed by the sound quality as soon as I heard it

I started home recording in my early twenties using the Roland VS-880 digital hard disk recorder, and then started using DAW software after I experienced MTRs. I was using audio interfaces from the R, T, and M companies. I had never used really expensive products, but I did not have any complaints about each company’s products, but I felt that each product had a negative characteristic of depending on the brand name. I had used various interfaces and mic preamps, but when I heard the recorded sound of the iD14, I honestly thought, "Oh, this is good". It is hard to express what is actually good, as how you feel about sound differs depending on the person, but I say the sound was "warm and solid". The sound is not too muffled or too crispy, and of course noise was less than the other products. It's not loud, but I felt it had a strong sound. It was definitely the best sound I'd ever heard.

iPad Pro + iD14

When I connected the iD14 and my iPad Pro via the USB-C terminal, I was able to use it without any problems. You can adjust the headphone volume and speaker volume with the input gain adjustment knobs and encoder (main dial). If you have a computer to use the mixer software, it is even more convenient to use.

AUDIENT / iD14

Up to that time, I was using a desktop computer, a good mic preamp, outboard comps and EQs. But if something went wrong, it took time to resolve the problem, which was troublesome. I sometimes go tired and lost motivation. From such experiences, what is important for me to make music is minimized stress. This iD14 allows for simple settings. You can record your vocals and instruments using two microphones.

I really want a mic preamp. However, the iD14's mic preamp itself is good enough, and sometimes I feel I don’t need a new one.

If you net-surf, you will see various product reviews. How you hear the sound differs greatly depending on the person, so you won't know how it actually sounds until you actually use it, but when it comes to the iD14, it went beyond my expectations! When I recorded my vocals and instruments, they sounded really good… But after listening to it, I was rather saddened by the immaturity of my playing technique.