As I head out the door to a job, it’s comforting to know when I grab my gig bag I can tackle most problems that come my way with its contents.

With tools and testing devices constantly being condensed into sleeker, more compact all-in-one devices, it was only a matter of time until I could walk out the door with little more than what I could carry in my pockets.

Thanks to the iPhone and subsequent developments, that time is now.

Currently in its third generation, the iPhone and its iTunes App Store make an ever-growing cadre of audio tools available at an affordable price.

By far one of the most compelling offerings is AudioTools by Studio Six Digital.

It provides a host of useful functions, such as SPL and RTA, and can be expanded to include FFT, ETC, and much more. This allows the purchase of additional modules as needed, so you can grow your testing platform in concert with your needs.

Even more notable is Studio Six Digital’s first of its kind iPhone/iPod Touch accessory, the soon-to-be-released iAudioInterface, designed as the hardware complement to AudioTools.

The iAudioInterface (click to enlarge)

The iAudioInterface is housed in a compact aluminum chassis outfitted with a mono balanced line input with three gain ranges, a stereo unbalanced line input that can be switched into an unbalanced line input, an output that runs in stereo mode and is configurable to be a true balanced output, a level control that can easily be bypassed, and a USB pass-through port to get power to iAudioInterface. It also comes with a measurement microphone.

And the picture just keeps getting better, with a Rational Acoustics Smaart Mobile app module slated to join AudioTools a bit later this year.