Spire: Music Recorder & Studio Reviews

This is absolutely hands-down one of the best apps I’ve ever used on my phone it’s incredibly powerful for an iPhone app or anything really. Spire itself and this app have made an unreal amount of progress over the past few months, it seems like every time I open it they’ve added some new tweak, improvement or update and it continues to get better. I’ve been pro since the beginning and well worth the subscription price and more... really good developer team.

Couple super nit-picky wishes / ideas:

-in same way you can import a base sound I wish you could import just like a short (ten second) clip into a channel... like for example a producer tag or a sound effect.

-I like the the ‘inspire me’ effects; but I wish you could either (a) delete and/or hide the ones you don’t want or (b) favorite the ones you do so you can find them more easily, they are very cool but so many to sort through that I forget the name or want to compare fewer against each other to find the best one.

- Canyou not do the effects and inspire me together on the same track? Seems like right now if I add one it removes the other effect (which is fine just curious)

Thanks you guys for all that you do, fantastic job and always improving! Rating 10 / 10.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

It is so surprising to me that this has been out for so long and they still haven't improved basic obvious things. Like, for example, who could think that it's a good idea to have the this app completely disconnect every time you change apps? And then when it reconnects, it opens a new project instead of going back to the one you were on? And how you can't change effects after recording, or change the volume of certain sections? And how the "crop" function is extremely tedious and limited in its usage? I know the goal is for this program to be super simple, but there's no reason not to also include extra tools that you can use (or not use). If iPhone Garageband could easily connect to the this app as an interface, I would always use that app instead and would never open this one again. I'm surprised that iZotope, a great company, hasn't improved Spire. Also, I hate that they want you to pay for this app premium. I already paid a ton of money for the this app, don't ask me to then pay a monthly fee to have your frustrating app be slightly less frustrating. Ridiculous.

I do best when recording solo. Spire has allowed me to do so with exceptional quality and it’s so user friendly. The things I would love to see in the future would be: basic effects. I would love to be able to add some basic reverb or chorus effects to eliminate the need to take up precious track space with multiple vocals. Maybe like 3 effects? That’s all you really need. Also, I’ve seen in other recording software a “solo” option meaning I can isolate one track to listen to to find that one later I want to delete without having to individually muting a bunch of tracks to find the one I want to delete. I see you’ve put the option to add an icon to tracks to help distinguish what instrument is featured on each track but that’s not enough when it comes to layering vocals etc. soloing a track would be much quicker. Anyways, great app and great quality! Thanks!

Really love this device and what it can do. However there are two main things i would like to see on Spire side of things. 1st is the ability to mix tracks down to a single track like you could do on the old 4/8 tracks and then have another 7 tracks to keep adding with. 2nd is some level of post production, I understand the device is aimed at musicians who want to cut thru all the hang ups of traditional recording etc but you guys really have something here that could be much more than that. Im not saying to go crazy but maybe a 4 band eq for starters and then add some basic easy stuff that others have mentioned. Again not looking for pro tools just some tools to tweak and shape the sound a little more. Add it as an upgrade pack in app purchase or whatever i would definitely be interested in something like that keep up the good work and looking forward to some future updates

this app is a game changer!

Years ago I had written a bunch of songs on my guitar, and recorded them on my tape recorder (remember those?). And there they sat. If you’ve ever written a song, they’re (almost) like children to you, even if they’re bad. I felt like I had abandoned them. But I never forgot them, continually wondering how I could take them to the next level. I tried buying recording software, but it was way beyond my technical ability.

Then I discovered this app. I was blown away by it’s capabilities and ease of use. It’s pretty much idiot proof. I pulled out my folder containing the lyrics and chords of my old songs, and started playing around in Spire . First recorded the guitar, then added vocals. Pleased with the results, I got the little round this app box, and started using effects. I went out and bought a used bass guitar and keyboard, and got my electronic drum kit out of the closet. I added all the instruments to the mix by myself!

I’m about to record my 35th song. The pandemic has afforded me more time to devote to it than I otherwise would have had. I’ve rediscovered my passion for songwriting, I’m learning how to play the bass and the keyboard, and with each song, I’m becoming a more proficient producer. It’s amazing what this app can do with a poorly written song!

I own a the this app recording device and have Spire installed. I use an external mic plugged into the isotope this app and record into this app and mix onto another daw on my phone. Now I like the this app, don’t get me wrong. However I also have an audio interface that works with any daw I plug it into and I can get straight to mixing without having to import files. Now I love what the this app can do, the quality that the vocals can display are great but because I can only record into the this app daw with my this app device I find myself not using it anymore. Now if I could use the izotope this app in any daw, that would be amazing... maybe even making this app and the this app device have audio unit extension capabilities. There are updates that should and probably could happen... but auv3 this app through cubasis? That would most definitely be the best! Hopefully something like that happens and I can use my izotope this app again.

I absolutely love Spire, I’ve recorded multiple songs that I fell in love with again after using this mobile studio... that being said I only wish it had one thing, some effects for the tracks. When you buy the this app hardware (the desk top mic with all the bells and whistles) for around $500 then you get cool editing and stuff like that, but would it hurt to put some filters on the mobile app? Like reverb, echo, gain, maybe normalize? Or even a white noise suppressor? I’m not asking for every upgrade that comes with the hardware but at least some small things. If the developer could get back to me on this it would be awesome! Like I said, amazing app, amazing software, and awesome recordings come from Spire, talent not included, in case you were wondering, lol

I am a blind user. I purchased the this app Studio on a recommendation. After the initial trouble of syncing the recorder with Spire without being able to see the blinking lights to perform the operation, I have finally been able to use it. The sound I get with my guitar is amazing. Spire could use some fine tuning for accessibility... not all parts are clearly labeled, and I am able to mix different tracks, sort of. But still trying to figure it out. Apparently there’s no manual. If a little more work were to be put in to make Spire more blind user friendly, and some instructions to go with it, that would be wonderful and I would revise my 4 to a 5. If you are blind or V.I., be ready to put in some time with trial and error, and don’t use any important files until you have a grasp on the platform, or if you have backups.

The this app hardware + iOS app is a pioneering combination of hardware and software, but it has some frustrating limitations.

Bulk transfer of projects from the this app Studio -> iOS device is sorely missing, so backing up projects is a chore that involves tapping each one and waiting for it to transfer before moving on to the next. And if you are hoping to use your recorded audio files in a DAW, there is no way to access your files directly via the native iOS Files app (which is also integrated with MacOS) — instead you need to open each project individually within the this app app and export the raw audio files from there. I currently have over 100 this app projects and the audio feels “locked in” because exporting the audio from each project is so cumbersome. It would take me hours just to get the raw audio files onto my laptop.

Also, the amps/effects for guitar are underwhelming and generally sound thin. A $40 AmPlug 2 from Vox sounds much better.

Still: this is a unique and compelling device that does some things, like quickly tracking vocals and raw guitar takes, very well. It is great being able to start recording on the this app Studio within ~30 seconds (including soundcheck) without having to look at a screen. I hope iZotope continues to invest in it.

The convenience of Spire is great, but the big limitation for me is a lack of a copy/paste or looping function. For instance: if I want to create a 4-bar drum beat, I have to play it through the entire length of the proverbial song instead of being able to play just one 4-bar segment, and then copy/paste or loop it to build a base for my track. I should be able to play as many or few beats as I want and then build it out to create, let’s say, a 16-bar verse section. Then put in a chorus section, and then go back and copy/paste the verse section again for 16 more bars of a second verse, etc. Yeah, I know I can export into a DAW and do this, but if I’m gonna go to that trouble, why bother with Spire at all? Am I missing something? Seems like a basic addition to a music creation app like this. I can’t be expected to play perfectly in time for a whole 4 minute song, can I? ;)

It blows my mind that without the actual expensive studio set, you cannot plug in an external mic or even headset mic to record. I can only record through my crappy iPhone microphone itself, which is garbage sound quality and basically renders Spire relatively useless for recording music, as the quality is poor and everything sounds muddied no matter what I do. this app, why don’t you have the option to do this? Literally every other recording app I’ve tried (probably 10-15), when you plug in an external mic or headphones that have a mic, it records via that. Is this to make people buy the studio? If so that’s a low blow. I appreciate many other things about Spire and would prefer to use it above the others, but having my iPhone mic be the only option, I can’t use Spire for music recording. Am I missing something here? Would love a response from this app.

I’ve used this app Studio for close to 2 years to do professional recordings that have been used in radio advertisements, tv commercials, and a few industry releases. It has a great built-in Mic with a dope Soundcheck feature to give your recordings great volume without clipping. New vocal effects are amazing. Plus several other effects available. One of the best tools is the Mixing window. It is simple enough for beginners to use, but can deliver the same quality and results the pros put out. Export to other this app users to collab, export to email, or even upload directly to SoundCloud without any extra work. By far the best Studio app I own. Use it on a daily basis. Get this app Studio, you won’t be disappointed.

I have fallen in love with Spire and it has taken my music soaring to new heights. As a singer/songwriter it is amazing to write a song and then record it right from my phone and then share that with all my devices. You can’t sing one chorus perfect and then cut and paste it through out the song so you have to know your material and you can’t enhance edit and filter each individual track so you have to learn to produce the sound your looking for yourself but I like that. I think the newest update introduced some new features so sorry if I’m selling you guys short this app but all I want people to take away from this is “best recording app paid for or not”

After searching for software to record playing my sax playing with background piano I stumbled onto this. Spire is amazing in its simplicity for recording multiple tracks and then sharing the file (project) or tracks. I have been using it on my iPad just with built in microphone. I can simply import a piano score previously saved in my music then play my sax on a separate track along with it. My mind is churning with the possibilities this will make. While the quick short videos may do it for someone who knows the system it doesn’t for someone trying to learn it.
I am sold and just ordered the this app Studio saving tons of money to achieve my goal of a simple studio. Keep it up.
You guys Rock in my book!

I’ve used Spire for about a month now for recording myself play guitar, but there is one thing that constantly always bothers me. You CANNOT set the starting point in editing/trimming. So, let’s say there’s 10 seconds of unneeded audio in the beginning of the recording; getting your instrument or whatever setup and the music sheet ready, and then you start playing. Well, there is absolutely no way to get rid of that starting 10 seconds of junk. You can’t do it in the trim, because all it does is delete the audio inside that timeframe, so you’ll have 10 starting seconds of silence without any way to get rid of it. Imagine with every movie you watch, each scene starts includes “Alright, everybody ready? Remember your lines? Okay, now action!” That would be a very annoying movie. Just use Voice Memos.

I upgraded to the this app Studio v2 and I’m still using Spire to start all my tracks. Having used Zen Beats, Cubasis, and GarageBand; I feel that this app (with the this app Studio) is the best mobile recording app around. I don’t need all the VSTs and instruments of the competition. I just want high quality takes of my instruments that, and this app does that.
I wish there were more icons. I have a few synths and basically I have to use the Keys icon for all of them. Being able to change the color at least would make sorting and mixing go more smoothly. Otherwise I’m always muting or soloing and figure out which is which.

Spire was amazing. I was thinking this might be another bum app that I wouldn’t be able to figure out how to use but it wasn’t. It was clear as day to me. I used this to make a song for my girlfriend and I have to admit even I cried when I realized how well it came out. All my emotions were caught in it and I was able to add some extra things to it to make it sound better. I’m glad Spire was made. You don’t know how much this means to me. If u don’t get enough downloads then these people don’t know what real stuff is. I have u guys to thank for this opportunity to make music for myself and loved ones

I just tried to record vocals and couldn’t figure out why the mic was picking up so much feedback. I went through the sound check, the direct sound effects( hurt my ear with a high pitch), and even tried to cover the this app to see why but it didn’t go away. So after trying and giving up I realized that the feedback is only heard when I’m charging the this app. So how am I supposed to use this device to record out of the blue of when I need to charge it I get feedback... I’ve had so many issues trying to record because I’m just now realizing that I can’t charge it while I record.. No wonder I can’t get inspired because I’m working with a device that has bugs,.. and in the end I still transfer my recorded song to garage band because Spire can’t do what garage band can.. 2Stars because I’m nice like that.

This is an okay app, but it has a lot of things I wish were different about it. It isn’t compatible with my microphone, which I plug into my phone for louder sound. Another problem I had with it is the sound-checking system doesn’t work very well. The recordings didn’t really sound any different. It would be nice if there was some way for you to edit the recordings yourself through Spire , because digital recordings sound so tinny, and sometimes need more than an automatic sound-check. I do love that you can mix recordings and change the volume on them, but any app with a recording option can do that. I will say it’s definitely better than iMovie and Garage Band, and it is cool that it tries to sound-check specifically for your instrument or vocal type.

I have been a musician for 33 years, and I checked on a whim one day to see if a mobile, multi-tracking app even existed and this app appeared. I’m so grateful for Spire and how quickly I am able to “save” musical ideas and hit record within seconds so that fleeting ideas are not lost forever. I’m writing the best music of my entire life, and this app is a tremendous reason for that!

*If I could improve anything, I would make folders available to group instruments, songs or ideas together to stay more organized and if I go listen to an old recording, I wish it would not take me back to the very top every time.

I’ve had Spire for a ling time and haven't used it much until I started exploring it but it has been helping with getting the best audio and a lot of high quality sound for my tracks that I've been making (I’m a musician that plays many instruments. However, the thing I enjoy most is beatboxing and thats what I do most). My interest in Spire is exponential and I use Spire just about every time I'm making a new routine for beatboxing or other things as well now. Thank you for making this amazing app! It has helped me grow as a musician and not just as a beatboxer.

-Ty “AdventBBX” Allen

I love the this app Studio! It has helped me develop songs in ways I haven’t been able to before. Having the ability to multi track a song within minutes with virtually zero setup and have it sound studio quality is priceless.

I was even able to take demos I created on the this app Studio and bring them to the recording studio and continue to build the tracks from there. I even did over dubs using the this app. Saved me a lot of time and money on my last album. I can’t recommend this device enough.

I actually like this device for a number of reasons. Easy to use & designed & manufactured in my area.

Latest update must have done something to yield less than desirable results. I had 15 minutes to capture an idea & lost it due to some unknown malfunction. Had everything ready to go & the device connected to iPhone X. Performed sound check & attempted to record but no monitoring or recording took place. Multiple restarts & troubleshooting yield no success. Opted to go with my go to which is iPhone voice memos. Frustrated & disappointed that I lost critical time.

I have used voice memos for years & it’s the only thing that does not let me down when I need to capture ideas on the fly. Maybe that’s all I need if this app can’t deliver on the simplest of tasks.

So disappointed in what ever this app did with my expensive idea recorder.

Overall it’s super simple to use. So far it seems to lack anyway to punch in and out to pull two pieces of a track together which make it difficult. You either have to get a track perfect in one take or try to punch in on the same track to continue the recording which is tough to do. Maybe I just can’t figure out how to do it yet but everything else is really simple so it seems it’s just not an option. For just recording a vocal track, and individual instrument tracks and layering them it’s great, but anything more doesn’t seem doable.

This is an amazing and intuitive app, nearly perfect. I can’t seem to find any way to edit my audio! The “trim” feature is very well-designed, but too limited! For example, if i am recording backup vocals but decide i don’t want to use all the vocals i record, there is no way in Spire to delete only the sections I don’t want; you can only delete ALL the audio before or after a trim point. I would gladly pay for a version of Spire with more robust editing features and audio effects

Spire is pretty amazing. It gave me a way to record songs on my iPhone when I get ideas. I import beats and instrumental tracks into Spire and record my vocals. The features like effects and reverb stuff will only be available if you get the this app device. I need to buy the this app Studio device because from what I see online, it really does deliver quality like no other. Thanks for an amazing app.

Still the best app for this!!! None like it!

I’ve had a love hate relationship with 8 track portable recording studios for 20 years. I was blown away by both the sound quality and ease of use. The sound check feature that sets recording levels automatically is genius. I rarely leave reviews but this product is amazing. Right out of the box it made sense, and within minutes I was up and running. Sound quality is gorgeous. Get one!!!

I have been waiting decades for the likes of this device. I can sing my tracking vocal, play guitar, have friend do lead, slap on a harmony or two and maybe even a rhythm track without fussing about levels and gains and whatever else. If you write songs and really want to explore your music in a frustration free environment, order now. I was so impressed I bought one for a friend of mine because I could just not imagine her without it.

The sound quality is fantastic. The software is pretty good, but limited. As others have mentioned, there is no way to go back after you record to apply effects. You have to know what sound you want ahead of time for each track which makes it less fun to experiment. The trim feature is also limited in that you can’t trim away a middle portion of a track. Nor can you fade in/out. The effects are also limited. So all in all it’s fun and I’ll keep it, but I will also look into other apps or pc tools.