Recording on Android, especially music production related tasks, has never been quite as deep and supported as Apple’s mobile platform. However, there are a fair share of great Android audio interfaces out there along with a series of dedicated companion apps on the software side of things. Companies like IK Multimedia already have a slew of multi-platform solutions out there, but today we are turning towards the new Android Spire Studio system.
Spire Studio comes by way of well-known music production company iZotope. The hardware/software combination system is looking to make recording on Android easier and more streamlined than ever before. It is described as a “one-touch, professional-quality, portable recording studio” with true zero-latency recording. Something iZotope says is a common frustration among musicians multitracking on mobile.
Spire Studio Hardware Specs
First, let’s take a look at the hardware. Spire Studio comes with a built-in “studio-quality” microphone as well as a pair of combo jacks for connecting a wealth of instruments. The internal omni directional condenser mic can certainly come in handy for quick sketches or round table podcast-style discussions. But iZotope has also included +48v phantom power so you can use better (more expensive) microphones as well, should the need arise. The system supports 48 kHz/24-bit recording resolutions and you’ll also find a pair of 1/8” headphone jacks.
When it comes to mobile recording, portability is usually a factor. While I tend to do most of my recordings at home, a solid mobile solution can be invaluable for capturing moment-to-moment ideas or jam session recordings and interviews. It features “Dynamic storage” which has enough room to carry up to 6 hours of your brilliant songs along with 4+ hours of wireless operation on a single charge.
One Stop Shop for Recording on Android
The Spire app provides users with an 8-track DAW (digital audio workstation) and a series of audio effects including reverbs, delays, amps and much more. It has also implemented something known as “Soundcheck”. It is essentially a one touch feature that will automatically set recording levels for instruments and microphones in order to avoid distortion and overdriven signals.
iZotope has been delivering fantastic professional mix/mastering/recording software for years on the Mac, so if anyone is going to nail the virtual recording engineer feature, it’s probably them.
Recording on Android can be a little trickier than iOS sometimes, but it looks like iZotope has done a decent job here with compatibility. You’ll need to be running Android 7 or 8 and one of the following devices for full support: Samsung Galaxy S6, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, Samsung Galaxy S7, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, Samsung Galaxy S8, Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S9, Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus.
Spire Studio is available now at $349. The iOS companion app has been out for a little bit now, but you’ll be recording on Android in no time with new Spire Music Recorder on Google Play.
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