by Mike Connelly
Plex’s latest iOS and tvOS apps replace Apple’s native AVPlayer with an engine built on the open source MPV player, expanding codec support beyond AVPlayer’s stream-focused limitations. At issue: what changed, why AVPlayer’s codec coverage was constrained by Apple TV’s design priorities, and which formats the MPV-based engine now handles. Continue reading Plex’s New Video Player for iOS and tvOS
The Epiphone Les Paul Ultra-III has a USB output built directly into the guitar body, eliminating the need for a separate audio interface. I describe the exact cables and GarageBand settings required to connect it to an iPhone or iPad for your mobile studio. What makes the setup work is a specific two-cable chain that sidesteps a gap in the adapter market no single off-the-shelf cable currently fills. Continue reading How To: Playing a USB-connected Guitar in GarageBand for Your Mobile Studio
Line 6’s Amplifi 150 strips out the physical knobs and replaces them with an iPad app that controls over 70 amp models, 100 effects, and 20 speaker cabinets via Bluetooth. Here, we examine the remote app workflow and the hardware limitations discovered during testing. The amplifier performs differently in home practice versus live contexts, and the app-dependent control scheme is the reason why. Continue reading Line 6 Amplifi 150 Guitar Amplifier Review