Review: IK Multimedia iRig BlueTurn

Haven’t you ever wished you could turn the pages on an iPad or an Android simply by blinking? How nice that would be. All right, we may not be there yet, but the next best thing, a wireless Bluetooth page turner, has hit the market.

The iRig BlueTurn is developed by IK Multimedia, a company that exclusively designs tech gadgets for the music industry. The iRig BlueTurn is specifically created to make it easier to turn pages of sheet music on devices like the iPad, but other artists who have their hands busy can also benefit in my opinion.

First, let’s get down to the details. The iRig BlueTurn is a compact Bluetooth-enabled page turner with backlit footpads. The gadget is currently compatible with iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac and Android devices. The design of the BlueTurn is kept simple and lightweight. It’s graciously black with the two footpads in the middle that light up a bright ocean blue in the dark. There are clear arrow markings on the footpads to indicate which way the page will turn. The right pad will turn the pages right or scroll up, and the left pad will do the opposite.

I was surprised by the small size and weightlessness of the iRig BlueTurn. Clearly, it was designed to be road ready. It won’t fit in a jeans pocket, but certainly will inside a small handbag or a carrier like a guitar case. Being easy to move is always a sign of a great gadget.

So, how does it work? The iRig BlueTurn sends wireless signals to the mobile device. If you are a musician like me, you will probably have the sheet music about a foot from eye level and the iRig BlueTurn will be right at your feet. So there’s only little distance to cover, and the signal travels without a hitch. I did try moving the footpad away from my iPhone for about six feet and the iRig BlueTurn still worked fine (except, of course, I couldn’t read the screen from that far).

Software wise, it’s unlikely that the iRig BlueTurn can be used on Android devices with operating systems below 4.3. Other than that, it’s amazingly compatible with iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Mac as advertised. I tested the device on my iPhone, iPad and a Mac laptop. It worked wonderfully with the sheet music software I had. I prefer to use it either with an iPad or a laptop because the screen is bigger and it’s much easier to read the sheet music from afar.

Unsurprisingly, the iRig BlueTurn works best with the iKlip stage music organizing software also developed by IK Multimedia. For obvious reasons, I couldn’t test it on all the apps out there, but as far as I know, iRig BlueTurn works without any major problems with all the top ranking sheet music reading apps and software.

The only downside to the iRig BlueTurn is that it requires 2 AAA batteries to run. I always worry about batteries running out in the middle of a performance because I always forget to pack extra. I wish they would have made the iRig BlueTurn chargeable. Also, it’s a bit too early to say how long the footpads would last with regular use. I think it’s better not to press down too hard if you want it to last for a long time. Other than that, I think it’s a neat gadget that will soon be a must-have for any serious musician.