Tried something new with an old iPhone 6
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I've been using BIAS FX 2 on my iPad, but I had an old iPhone 6 lying around and decided to try something new.
I decided to try to set up the iPhone 6 as a "dedicated" BIAS FX 2 device to run effects in the effects loop of my amp.
So I have the iPhone 6 applications stripped down to running just BIAS FX2, using the reverb and delay effects through an interface and in the loop.
How did it work? Surprisingly well.
The positives:- Inexpensive. I already owned all of the pieces.
- Flexible. This is a good way to try different effects.
- Compact.
- Sounds good. Giggable? yes. (When using BIAS FX with an IOS device, do yourself a favor and turn off IOS notifications. Yeah, the beeps can come through.)
The negatives: - Battery life. The battery in the old iPhone 6 doesn't have much left in it. I have a "Y" cable through that lets me plug both the interface and power into the iPhone. I initially plugged power into a USB hub connected to my computer, but that introduced noise. Then I plugged power into an AC receptacle with an Apple power adapter, and this worked very well - the noise is gone.
- Screen size. Yes, the iPhone 6 screen size is too small. Not good for trying to adjust effects, but set-and-forget, or simply turning effects on and off works well.
- Upgrade risk. The iPhone 6 no longer gets IOS updates. "Someday" BIAS FX 2 won't work on it either. But for now, all is good.
Have any of the rest of you tried this? How has it worked out?
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@redroc-k It's good to hear that that works.
I've been thinking about buying an iPod Touch to run BIAS FX 2, but wasn't sure how that would go. Your iPhone 6, with an A8 chip and 1 GB of RAM, scores 307 on geekbench. The iPod Touch, with an A10 and 2 GB of RAM, scores 555. So if your iPhone 6 can run BIAS FX 2, then I think the iPod Touch can run it.
Did you hit any limits--too many effects, amps, duel routes, etc?
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@holmberg2066 I haven't seen any limits yet, but I'm not pushing it at all. No amp or cab, just a reverb, a delay, and a compressor. I think the CPU usage was showing between 10 and 15 per cent. I would think the iPod Touch would be fine. But, if you are going to spend real money, think about whether that small screen will be workable for you.
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@redroc-k Yes, good point about the screen. I think I would only use the iPod Touch when I leave the house (to go to jam sessions, practices, lessons, etc). So I would only use the touch screen to select a preset.
I would build the preset at home using my iPad.
I've also got a MIDI desktop controller (a Korg nanoKONTROL2) working with my iPad and BIAS FX 2. This has knobs (not just switches), so I can twist those to adjust things instead of using the touch screen. I'm going to assume that if it works with my iPad, it would work with the iPod Touch.