Apogee’s Jam+ gives iPhone owners the headphone output they’ve been missing

The premise of Apogee’s Jam interfaces has always been simple: to give guitarists and other instrumentalists an easy way of recording at high quality into their Mac or iOS device. Following the releases of the original Jam and Jam 96k, the Jam+ promises to set a new standard for the range.

As with previous versions, the Jam+ is a compact device, but this time it comes in an all-metal chassis. Audio quality is said to have been improved thanks to the inclusion of PureDIGITAL circuitry, and a headphone output has been added to the mix, too. This will be of particular use to owners of newer iPhones, which don’t have one of their own.

On the recording side, there’s now a Drive Mode, which is designed to add a “rich, warm overdrive” to your tone. Obviously, this has been implemented with guitarists in mind, but there’s nothing to stop keyboard players from using it, too.

There’s also a Blend button that enables zero-latency monitoring. Give it a push and the headphone mix is half app and half direct input; turn it off and you’ll hear 100 percent app. The input gain can be adjusted with the twist of a knob.

Jam+ ships with a copy of the Bias FX LE guitar amp and effect sim software and costs $159. The Jam and Jam 96k remain on sale priced at $99 and $129 respectively. Find out more on the Apogee website.

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