Hi all,
I am Amplitube 3 and most of the custom shop stuff for use with Sonar. I love it. :) I just ordered an iPad and was thinking of getting it for the iOS platform. From what I can tell, this is an entirely different product. I'm a bit bummed that I have to repurchase everything, but at least the pricing isn't crushing.
 
1. Is there a way to use Jam Points to purchase iOS IK apps like Amplitube and additional custom shop items?
2. Any of you have experience with iRig or iRig HD? I'm thinking iRig HD is the way to go.
3. It appears that the iRigs come with Amplitube FREE, but I don't understand the difference between Amplitube and Amplitube FREE. Will I need to also purchase Amplitube with the iRig HD to get additional items.
 
I find all of the product lines and apps a bit confusing, and appreciate any help or comments you may have.
 
Please note, I never mentioned the product Sierra-Tango-Three, so let's keep this thread on target shall we? :)

iRig HD is wonderfull.  Does exactly what it says on the tin with no bother or hassle.  It comes with both types of iPhone/iPad plugs AND a usb plug so you can use it for anything.
 
Amplitube 3 is a paid for app/plug which includes loads of amps, cabs, FX, etc..
Amplitube FREE is the base app/plug with a very small choice of amps, cabs, etc..  You add to it with in app purchases.  It is the same as Amplitube 3 other than the included equipment.
 

Karyn pretty much nailed it.  I don't have the iRig, instead I have a Griffen that I got free with the purchase of something else...it's OK.  I would assume that the iRig HD is a pretty nice unit.  I have found the Amplitube 3, App to be a pretty descent little personal practice unit.  The prices are really reasonable....so much so that I am saving my Jam Point's for T-Racks purchases in the future.
 
IKM always takes a lot of digs here on these forums for their iOS stuff; I don't really understand why...the Apps are pretty descent products for what they are intended to do.  Hey, it blows my Tom Schulz Rockman from the 80's away.  It may even compete with the Line 6 Pod stuff I have owned.  It certainly is convienent. 

Just to answer some of your questions.
 
1) I don't know about the JamPoints. I was absentminded and ended up with separate accounts for my iOS IKM stuff and the VST stuff that I use in Sonar. I would imagine they are transferrable but, an e-mail to IK would probably answer that for sure.
 
2) I haven't used the iRig or the iRig HD. I have the Alesis IO dock and briefly tried the Apogee One with the iPad. Whatever you buy, make sure it isn't the version that goes in the headphone jack as those have problems with feedback between the input and output channels and general noise.
 
I did a lot of research and the Apogee Jam and iRig HD seem to get a lot of positive feedback. I chose the IO dock because it had mic preamps with phantom power. At the time I thought it would be nice to have the ipad for demos and sketches. I would not recommend it. The iRig HD wasn't available back then but it can be used as a mic pre amp, as well. Check out the Apogee Jam too, however you will need a Mac to upgrade firmware. Can't be done on a PC.
 
Also, I don't know if you're aware but you can connect core audio compliant USB audio interfaces to an iPad using the USB camera connection kit. Your Focusrite 2i4 should work. Try that first. Most of the iOS DAW apps (MultiTrack DAW, Auria, Cubasis, etc.) have lists of supported interfaces. The camera connection kit is much cheaper than the iRig HD and can be used for other purposes. The only catch is that your audio interface cannot be powered by the ipad, it will require its power supply plugged in.
 
3) Amplitube FREE just has less gear but, you can still buy all of the same extras (Fender, Jimi Hendrix, etc.) from the custom shop individually. When you pay for the full version you get 4 amps and a handfull of pedals. I wasn't a huge fan of the Amplitube full version amps. The high gain versions had way too much amp hum/noise for my tastes. I did get Amplitube Fender and I enjoy using those to practise and come up with ideas.
 
Amplitube can be a bit of a black hole in terms of in-app purchases. You can buy an 8-track recorder, a sequencer, a bunch of drum loops to jam along to and effects for mixing. If you think you are going to use any of those features, post back and I can provide some other suggestions.
 
I hoped some of that helped with your questions. I have wasted way too much money on music apps for the iPad so feel free to ask me any more questions. One option you may want to consider is the iPad DAW by the name of Auria. You can get a version Overloud's amp sim as an in app purchase. It is, by far, my favorite iOS ampsim and Auria will give you a lot more flexibility for ideas and coming up with arrangements, etc.
 
For simple practise and sketching don't overlook the GarageBand for iOS. The amp sims are actually pretty good and the app is only $5. It is a little weird as a sequencer but, very good value.

Thanks for the great feedback guys! I have ordered the iRig HD and will go from there. I will probably get the full Amplitube and perhaps the Fender. My goal is to use this for ideas when in the bedroom or travelling and it's not feasible to plug into a real amp or Amplibute on the PC.
 
A bit of sequencing with some drum loops would be very helpful...

Thank you everybody for picking up on this and giving such great information.  I think you'll really enjoy iRig HD and you will also get exclusive gear in AmpliTube iOS too which is a nice bonus that I may have missed but don't think is mentioned above :)

Mantofini,
 
I am interested in the 8-track, sequencer, and drum loops. Any info you can provide on those?
 

smallstonefan,
 
Before I comment on the iK stuff, I would suggest you research the Audiobus app, Inter-app audio and audio copy/paste for the ipad. Those are the main ways you can get various apps to communicate with one another and may open up your mind to other options. Just be careful not to fall down the rabbit hole like I did...
 
I can't comment on the sequencer as I have not purchased it. By the time it was released, I had already purchased several other iOS DAWs (sales made them too cheap to refuse) and couldn't justify what would be a redundant tool. Similarly, I did not purchase the additional drum loops. You get a free set with Amplitube. They sounded fairly good if you didn't deviate the tempo significantly from the original tempo for the loops. When slowed, not so good. If you're just aimlessly jamming, they're not a bad thing to have in the background instead of a click. I have a drum sequencer called DM-1 that I prefer because I can quickly program beats in a step sequencer and paste the patterns into an iOS DAW of my choosing.
 
The 8-track recorder, I can comment on. It's basically a digital tape machine. You can't sequence or loop parts or anything like that. Also, last time I checked you can only apply amp sims in real time to one track at a time. If you don't print the effects you will only hear the DI'd sound of the tracks that aren't armed. Generally, I didn't find it very useful. At the time, there was no Audiobus or Inter-app audio so I wanted it as a way of transferring parts between apps. I would record a part and then copy paste to another app for sequencing/looping/building a track. I would have preferred the sequencer. I see more utility there. IMO, your money is better spent on the models/pedals rather than the 8-track recorder.
 
Nowadays, Inter-app audio and audiobus make life great on iOS. You can record the output of Amplitube into any app of your choosing. You may prefer the sequencer in Amplitube so that you don't have to switch environments and, if so, enjoy your purchase. However, I would look at Auria (my favorite. FYI, FabFilter's effects are available for in app purchase among many other items such as Overloud's amp sim, convolution reverbs, etc.), Multitrack DAW (very affordable and operates as a good bare bones sequencer without effects), Cubasis and Meteor (which I don't actually recommend) to name a few.
 
Don't get me wrong. I do like Amplitube for practising. It's a good app. I just prefer recording into other apps.
 
 

Wow, thanks so much for the detailed response - I'm very grateful! I will look into those apps when my iPad Air shows up Friday...

And even though I work for IK, Audiobus and Inter-App Audio make my workflow heavenly since my main DAW on desktop is Cubase (I know, wrong place for that but it is important to the next part!) so bringing AmpliTube tone into Cubasis is amazing for me.  Especially since I can then port that over to the desktop version of Cubase and go from there without really missing a beat.  Bottom line is that Mantofini is correct and all these tools can now really work together (or independently) as you wish and you have a lot of power at your command.  These are awesome times to be a musician - and that's the same thing I said as I was studying recording during a transition period where analog/tape and digital recording + MIDI/electronic sound generation all overlapped and made quite a "stew" of exciting creative outlets.