Guides and tutorials on iPhone multi-track recording, USB audio interfaces and portable music production.
See how Reel compares to other recorders, apps and hardware, feature by feature.
Getting recordings off a Teenage Engineering TP-7 has always meant a computer. It does not any more. TP-7 MTP file transfer straight to an iPhone, multitrack takes staying multitrack, six-track takes included, and takes going back to the device. Coming soon to Reel.
MTP on iOS was supposed to be impossible. It is not. Move recordings between an iPhone and an OP-1 Field, an OP-XY or a TP-7 with no computer in the middle. Tapes come across as separate tracks, single tracks lift into other songs and everything can be sent back to the device. Coming to Reel.
Reel sends its four stereo tracks plus its master to a TX-6 over one USB cable, and each lands on its own fader. The setup, the channel mapping, what the TX-6 gives you per channel and the honest limits.
The OP-XY sends a stereo master, not stems. Why that myth exists, the exact levels and settings that matter, and the multi-out trick that gets you two submixes at once.
Which recorder should you pair with an OP-1 Field? An honest look at the TP-7, handheld recorders and iPhone multitrack, and the one thing most recommendations miss.
A veteran-level guide to the TX-6, TP-7, OP-1 Field, OP-XY and CM-15: what each is really for, how the OP-1 Field and OP-XY complement each other, whether you need the CM-15, and how to finish a track.
The Teenage Engineering TX-6 is $1,199 and the EP-136 K.O. Sidekick is $179. An honest comparison of channels, effects, build and value for an iPhone or iPad setup.
Why iOS only takes one audio interface, how to hub and sum multiple devices into an iPad or iPhone, TX-6 vs K.O. Sidekick, plus sync and cables explained plainly.
A plain-English guide to the 4-track recorder: what it is, where the name comes from, how you record more than four parts, and why the format is back on the iPhone.
The CM-15 is a studio condenser with its own interface built in, so on a USB-C iPhone it records over a single cable. The specs, the honest quality, and the setup.
A mixer blends signals, an interface gets audio into a device. What each does, when you need which, and the gear that does both, for iPhone recording.
What phantom power is, which microphones need it, which can be damaged by it, and how it works when you record into an iPhone through an interface.
Record a Zoom LiveTrak L6 into an iPhone over USB in 32-bit float. The USB mode to set, why there is no input gain, and how to level-match in Reel.
You don't need a computer to record music. The three ways to do it with a phone, a standalone recorder or hardware that records itself, and how to pick.
How recording gear connects to a USB-C iPhone versus a Lightning iPhone, why USB-C is simpler, and the camera adapter you need for older phones.
WAV, AIFF and M4A explained simply. Which to use for recording, mixing and sharing, the quality and file-size trade-offs, and which is most compatible.
Dawless means making music without a computer DAW, using hardware instead. What counts, why people do it, and where a phone fits in a dawless setup.
Class-compliant USB audio explained: what it means, why it matters for iPhone and iPad recording, and how to tell if your interface or instrument has it.
44.1, 48 or 96kHz? A plain guide to what sample rate means, which to pick for music, video and podcasts, and why higher is not always better.
16, 24 or 32-bit float? What bit depth means, how much dynamic range each gives, and which to choose so you never have to worry about clipping.
Yes, you can record multitrack on an iPhone. What you need, how many tracks and simultaneous inputs are possible, and where the real limits are.
Record your Elektron Syntakt into an iPhone over USB. The one setting to switch first, the Overbridge trap to avoid, the right cable and the gotchas.
Song ideas vanish fast. A simple iPhone workflow for catching the melody, hook or riff the moment it arrives, and actually finding it again later.
Record your Akai MPC into an iPhone. Why you need an audio interface, not just a USB cable, the exact setup, and the one MPC that connects direct.
The case for the four-track limit. Why constraint finishes more songs than unlimited tracks, from Sgt. Pepper to Nebraska to the reel in your pocket.
An honest look at hardware 4-track recorders like the Zoom R4 and Tascam versus recording on your iPhone, and which one is actually right for you.
The story of the Tascam Portastudio, the cassette 4-track that put a studio in the bedroom, and where its idea lives on your iPhone today.
What 32-bit float recording really does on an iPhone, what it does not, and when it actually matters. The honest version, no hype.
Record your Teenage Engineering EP-133 K.O. II into an iPhone over USB. The firmware you need first, the right cable and how to avoid noise.
When you need a USB audio interface for iPhone recording and when you don't, what class-compliant means, and how to connect one to USB-C or Lightning.
Record your Elektron Digitone II into an iPhone over USB. The one setting to switch first, the right cable for USB-C and Lightning and the gotchas.
Record an electric guitar into your iPhone the right way. Why you can't just plug into the jack, the interface or amp modeler you need, and how to get a tone.
Capture ambiences, nature and found sounds on your iPhone. How to field record in clean 32-bit float, with tips on mics, levels and wind.
How to record a drum machine into your iPhone, whether it has class-compliant USB audio or only line outs, the connection, and keeping punchy levels.
Digitize your vinyl on your iPhone. The signal chain from turntable to phone, why you need a phono preamp and how to capture clean 32-bit float transfers.
How to record vocals on an iPhone, from a quick take with the built-in mic to a proper mic through an interface, plus tips for a clean, usable vocal.
Record a two-mic podcast on your iPhone with a small USB interface. Each voice on its own track, in clean 32-bit float, in the studio or the field.
How to record a keyboard or digital piano into your iPhone, the key difference between a sound-making keyboard and a MIDI controller, and the gear you need.
Record your Elektron Digitakt II into an iPhone over USB. The one setting to switch first, the right cable for USB-C and Lightning and the gotchas.
How to record a hardware synth into your iPhone, whether it has USB audio or only line outputs, the cable and interface you need, and the levels to watch.
Record a singer-songwriter demo at home on your iPhone. Capture voice and guitar in clean 32-bit float, overdub parts and keep the feel of a live take.
Record your Roland SP-404 MK2 straight into an iPhone over USB. The exact cable, power and settings for USB-C and Lightning, plus the gotchas.
The best iOS apps for a dawless setup in 2026. Honest picks to route, record, loop, sample and mix your hardware on iPhone with no computer.
Capture a band demo without a studio. How to record rehearsals and live takes on your iPhone in clean 32-bit float, using the built-in mic or a USB interface.
An honest guide to the best iPhone music-making apps in 2026, grouped by what you want to make: full songs, beats, synths, sketches, loops and clean recordings.
An honest look at the multitrack recording apps for iPhone in 2026. What each one is actually like, where each falls down, and which is worth your money.
Record dawless jams and live sets into your iPhone over USB. A practical guide with device compatibility for Roland, Elektron and Teenage Engineering gear.
Choice paralysis, plugin overload and endless options can stall a track. The case for hardware-style limits and getting those benefits in software.
Tape-style and DAW recording are two different philosophies. Here is how they compare and when a tape workflow beats a DAW for capturing ideas.
A guide to the best class-compliant USB audio interfaces for recording multi-track audio on iPhone with apps like Reel.
Complete guide to recording the Teenage Engineering OP-1 Field into your iPhone using Reel. Setup, 8ch mode and multi-track workflow.
Turn your iPhone into a portable 4-track recorder. Capture ideas, overdub layers and mix tracks with a hardware-inspired workflow.