The Register gave the new iRig 2 a thorough workout: "As a way of making music, I spent hours in the garden with headphones on, barely making a noise that anyone could hear – immersed in the possibilities."

The Register's Bob Dormon sat himself down in the sunshine and gave the new iRig 2 and the latest AmpliTube 3 app a thorough workout.

Here are some of his key comments:

"The iRig has a new bypass (FX/THRU) function, and a separate 1/4-inch jack output, so you can hook it up to a guitar amp. Having the separate input level should mean that if you’re switching between both clean and app-effected signals, then you shouldn’t need to fiddle too much with the guitar’s output level when doing so."

"It's harmonically rich, very responsive and the controls including that Marshall Presence function are all present and correct."

"Although both amps feature reverb, the Fender has a vibrato function for anyone after a makeshift 'How Soon is Now?' sound. Having both Marshall and Fender style kit should keep you happy."

"You get a free tuner, and you can play along with music from a variety of sources including your own iTunes music library. The tunes are initially imported into the app and then you can loop around that tricky chorus you need to practice and even change the speed without altering the pitch. The 'No Voice' option does its best to knock out vocals and, if they’re not soaked in reverb, it works extremely well."

Bob's final conclusion is:

"As a way of making music, I spent hours in the garden with headphones on, barely making a noise that anyone could hear – immersed in the possibilities and working with the limitations – yet still making some rather pleasing noises. For £30, what’s not to like?"

Read the full Register review here
Learn more about iRig 2 here
Learn more about AmpliTube 3 for iPhone/iPad here