Sonoma Wire Works GJ2 GuitarJack Model 2

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $199.00
Sale Price: $129.00
Today's Bonus: 35% Off

• 1/4-Inch (6.5 mm) instrument input - nickel-plated solid brass Switchcraft (10,000 MTBF) jack
• 1/8-Inch (3.5 mm) stereo mic/line input (no phantom power is provided)
• 1/8-Inch (3.5 mm) stereo headphone/line output with increased drive for headphones
• Dock connector designed for use without removing most cases
• Sleek and rugged aluminum shell

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There are only two products on the market (that I know of) that provide a STEREO line input for the iPad: The Line 6 Mobile In audio interface, and Sonoma's GuitarJack audio interface. I've owned both, so allow me to compare the two...

The Line6 Mobile In is cheaply constructed in a plastic shell. Even the parts that look like metal in the picture, are just grey plastic. The Mobile In provides two 1/8'' inputs, one for a guitar (it includes an adapter cable) and another for stereo line-in. Only one input will function at a time, I believe (I purchased this purely for the stereo line-in, as I am not a guitar player at all).

The Mobile In DOES NOT WORK for stereo line-in on a new iPad using Garageband or any other audio app I wanted to use it with. Their company claims it's supposed-to, but it doesn't. The stereo input is treated as mono, defeating the entire purpose of why I bought it. Ended up returning the product since I had no faith that their company would be able to resolve the problem in a timely fashion. As I understand it, they still haven't fixed that issue.

IN CONTRAST...

The GuitarJack has solid construction and a sleek metal body. You can immediately tell it's a quality device. Its stereo input worked perfectly on the new iPad, whether it was in GarageBand or the other apps I had used. Note, you may have to configure it in one of their recommended apps first, but that's quick and easy to do. From what I understand, you can use both its 1/4'' guitar input and 1/8'' stereo input at the same time, but I haven't bothered to try that yet.

You can use the GuitarJack directly with the iPad, however you may need to remove whatever case you have your iPad in (as I did with my INVELLOP case). When using the GuitarJack this way, you will need to lay the iPad COMPLETELY flat (as in, not tilted, even a little). The other option is to use an extension cable, which you WILL want to get; even if the iPad and GuitarJack are on a perfectly flat surface, it's still too easy to accidentally disconnect the two. Sonoma markets their own extension cable for the GuitarJack, but it's pricey ($25+). Instead, I purchased a cheap, no-name iPad dock extension cable that is over a foot longer than Sonoma's, one-fifth the price, and works just fine with the GuitarJack.

One annoying thing I found was that when the GuitarJack is connected, the iPad's built-in speaker and headphone jack become disabled, and you need to use the GuitarJack's headphone output to hear *anything*. I understand the input jacks taking precedence over the iPad's built-in mic (and I understand that the iPad's built-in headphone jack can also be used to connect mics) but I really wish it didn't auto-disable the speaker, and acted more as an auxiliary headphone output instead. I wanted to be able to mic monitor without NEEDING headphones, but I usually keep headphones with me anyway, so it isn't thaaaat big of a deal.

Minus one star for making an extension cable a basic necessity (and additional purchase, where they *attempt* to rip you off) as well as the disabled speaker/headphone thing. This is an expensive iPad accessory (it costs about twice as much as the Mobile In), but it's constructed well, looks dope, and, most importantly of all, IT ACTUALLY WORKS!!!

Buy Sonoma Wire Works GJ2 GuitarJack Model 2 Now

Very solidly built unit, and I'm using the new ipad (ipad 3) with it. Works very well, and the sound is the best that I have heard. I also have an amp kit interface and there is simply no comparison in sound quality to the Guitarjack 2. The amp kit amplifiers and pedals sound awesome though. Sonoma, Four track and Studio track work well for recording with the Guitarjack 2.

My headphones seem to work perfectly using the iPad headphone jack, but have found the Guitarjack 2 headphone output noisy sometimes. Would really like to be able to use Bluetooth headphones, so perhaps this something that could be added as a new feature someday.

Finally, I recommend you also purchase the dock extender, as it offers more flexibility than plugging directly into the iPad.

No regrets on purchasing this unit. It's a keeper!

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GuitarJack2 turns my iPhone and iPad2 into a excellent digital recording platform. I can connect a powered mic using one of the 1/8" inputs, a guitar in the 1/4" input, and a headset for monitoring into the second 1/8" input. The device itself is solidly built and the integration software is well designed and easy to use. It's not the cheapest input device (I own one of those, too) but it is the BEST and well worth the money if you're serious about using an iPhone or, particularly, the iPad for recording. Tip: make sure the iPhone/iPad and GuitarJack2 are on a flat surface to ensure a solid connection.

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I've really enjoyed the guitarjack model 2. It's rugged and compact enough that I carry it around in my pocket a great deal of the time. I get startling good tones from both my electric guitars and the acoustic/electric ones.

I have an iphone 3gs and have to shut down all the background programs, turn on airplane mode and reboot the phone to keep the sound from crackling, but it's worth this extra step to have such a powerful creative tool. I'm sure this isn't a problem with newer hardware. It's great fun to flip through the amp and pedal combinations and find just the sound you're looking for.

I've been reviewing any audio input device I could get my hands on for iOS since the original iPhone was released, and since the 3G, 3GS and 4/4S, the world of audio input for iPhones, iPads and iPod Touches has become much more complex, but way better!

Use for Audio Recording

The GuitarJack Model 2 seems the perfect fit for almost any kind of audio-only recording in iOS. It works in perfect unison with FourTrack, a very nice multitrack audio recording app for the iPhone (made for this product), and works well with most other audio recorders (I prefer FiRe 2). Stereo or mono, line or mic level, 1/8" or 1/4" (or both at the same time), it's extremely flexible, and the sound levels are great (and adjustable).

The signal quality is great, with no noticable noise, and sounds much better than using analog inputs through the iPhone's headphone jack, and a little better than competing dock interfaces like the Fostex AR-4i.

Use for Video

However, it falls short when you want to use it along with the built-in Camera app, or other video recording apps... this wouldn't be an issue for many people, but a lot of people I know are looking for an awesome dock input that also works perfectly with video recording. It seems that the input sometimes switches from internal mic to the GuitarJack, but not always, when using Camera or some other video recorders. If the GuitarJack worked better with video, I'd give it five stars.

Build Quality

The build quality of this device is excellent; it looks sharp (gun metal finish with a beautiful shine!), feels extremely solid, and doesn't come unplugged unless you give a good pull. For an even more secure fit, put a line of blue or gaffer's tape along the top and bottom to affix it to your iPhone. This is the smallest, but most flexible, and best-looking iOS dock connector audio interface yet.

My Recommendation

If you want to record audio-only, this is the best option. If you want to record video with the GuitarJack, you're in for a world of hurt; look elsewhere.

You can find even more details, pictures, and a video review on my website: