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iPhone Studio killed by Lightning Jack Headphones
I built a studio in my phone, and used a Tascam stereo microphone to record/monitor my soprano saxophone mixed with several auto-accompaniment apps (iReal Pro) and effects. I listened to monitor and playback through headphones. Then Apple removed the headphone jack, and did not provide support for multiple data devices through the lightning port. I've played around with various attempts to fix this, but to no avail. I held on to my iPhone 6 for as long as I could, but eventually had to convert to an iPhone 7 without a 3.5 mm audio jack for other reasons. And, best I can tell, my phone studio is dead. The latency on blue tooth ear buds is too high, in my experience, to work with my app arrangement through audiobus. This is a last ditch effort to find a solution before I give up entirely.
Does anyone out there use bluetooth or any other headphone capability with audiobus and other assorted apps such that I could continue to use an external microphone with my phone and monitor with headphones?
I hate to think that all the time and money I put into developing my phone studio is now obsolete/wasted but that appears to be the case.
Thoughts?
Comments
Man, I am in the same position.
I am about to get an iPhone 7 this week, and am not looking forward to the stupid lack of a HP Jack.
I asked if anybody tried one of these, but got no replies.
I will probably take a chance myself on it.
I really hope it works.
https://www.amazon.com/Charging-Compatible-headphone-Keyboard-Ethernet/dp/B07Z61HMCG/ref=sr_1_22?dchild=1&keywords=Apple+CCK&qid=1593277486&sr=8-22
@kokomodo @CracklePot
Wouldn't one of these adapters work?
It provides a lightning port and a headphone connection.
I'm looking to upgrade soon myself and
I don't want to be carrying around my iPad all the time.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Headphone-Adapter-Charger-Accessory-Compatible/dp/B084L8S5D8/ref=asc_df_B084L8S5D8/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=427946836496&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7791055191492528903&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045878&hvtargid=pla-887683664618&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=99265830163&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=427946836496&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7791055191492528903&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045878&hvtargid=pla-887683664618
None of the devices that have lightning ports plus another port like headphone support data, it’s all charging only.
Probably the best option is to get microphones that support USB, or microphones that are lightning but have their own headphone out. I have a Share MV5 it’s not the best, but it does have a headphone out and plugs in with lightning, or USB if needed.
You can also get the Lightning to USB 3/USB adapter and just plug in a hub and either get a hub with a headphone jack built in (I have one) or connect an interface to it and in all these circumstance you need USB microphones not lightning, etc. Good luck, hopefully your Tascam isn’t lightning only, or you’ll need something different.
iPad Pro 10.5 lives another year. What a bargain!
That would work for most cases. My problem is I have a USB mic, but it has no monitoring function. If I plug it in to CCK, I have no HP option other than BT.
A couple of reviews sort of state that you can’t use all 3 ports at the same time.
I think this, plus what you have stated about the regular charge/HP adapter, is making lose hope for that adapter I was looking at.
The conversion to USB is a good lead. Especially a USB mic with a headphone out. Good tip. Thank you, I'll look into that. The Tascam is, believe it or not, 30 pin - predating the lightning. I use a 30 pin to lightning adapter. However, I do not have much invested in the Tascam as the 30 pin was already obsolete when I bought it. Hmmm....I wonder if there is a lighting jack to 30 pin dock that has a headphone jack in it? I'll look into that as well. Maybe there is hope....
And if a multithreaded, uhh multicore magic host daw thing comes out in a few years, whoot, back from the grave!
I use the iRig Mic Field when I want a compact setup. It’s stereo, orientable, and you can use only one mic (mono) in AUM for example. Sound quality is very decent, and it has a Jack port for your headphones!!
https://www.google.fr/amp/s/www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/irig-mic-field-hands-on/?amp
https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/irigmicfield/#top
As it seems it’s discontinued, there is this new version but it’s not stereo:
https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/irigmiccasthd/
Lightning to jack adapter version:
https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/irigmiccast2/?pkey=irigmiccast2
Always use them in airplane mode for best quality.
Zoom iQ range are stereo microphones for lightning with 1/8” headphone out, might be worth checking
One more vote for the iRig Mic Field. The only thing one needs to be aware of is that the lightning connector might be too short of using a phone case.
Some audio interfaces have loopback. I use an Evo 4 which has it and two xlr jacks and a high impedance jack and headphone out and monitor out. The monitor out does mute though when you plug in headphones, some people hate that but it doesn’t bother me. I don’t use a mic with it but I do use it to play guitar and monitor it on my iPhone 11 while jamming along with like funk drummer and a bass line with ifretless bass or something.
Airplane mode for best quality?
Avoid audio noises because of cellular, that mic is very sensitive to this.
Yep, got the iQ7 and I'm really happy doing live recordings with it.
👍
Yes, I had iq6 and it did pick up the characteristic cellular noise.
It’s incredible how many bad reviews it had on amazon because of that. Ridiculous.
The mic was great but I sold it on as I already have two field recorders.
IQ7 here too, for the price, the quality is very good, good SNR, use it as a record/sample-anything wherever I am, rotating heads and different stereo setups make it versatile.
I had a similar problem with my Apogee Jam v1. It too is 30pin.
As far as I’m concerned there are three options, neither of which is cheap unfortunately.
Use the Jam with an iPad Mini with headphone jack.
Buy a different audio interface (and mic if it doesn’t have a jack) for the iPhone.
Buy a different iPhone mic.
1 is the best option if you already have an iPad or want one anyway.
2 is the best option for most cases and is the most device agnostic so should work with any iOS device, Mac or pc or android.
3 is probably the best if compactness is a requirement. But it would rapidly result in the same problem you have today.
I’d go for 2. Buy a small battery powered audio interface with mic input and a nice mic to go with it. The price of decent quality microphones has plummeted. And if you have a “proper” mic you can plug it into anything that can record audio.
I went for option 1 and 2 to replace my Jam. I already had an iPad so just use the jam with the iPad. And for the iPhone I use a Zoom U24.
Platform agnostic is my preference. I like synths with proper MIDI, microphones with XLR or jack leads depending on their size. Standard USB interfaces.
The only gizmos I’ve had to replace to keep things working since having an audio And midi interface for my iPhone is the lightning to USB adaptor.
I peronally am reluctant to buy any accessories that require lightning. I wouldn’t be surprised if the lightning Jack is deprecated. Having said that I wouldn’t be surprise if Apple remove it without replacing it at all! Then we are all stuffed.
My audio interface of choice is iRig Pro IO, very good sound quality and very compact, pretty affordable:
https://m.thomann.de/fr/ik_multimedia_irig_pro_i_o.htm
T-Bone SC400 is a surprisingly good quality compact condenser mic for the price:
https://m.thomann.de/fr/the_tbone_sc400_grossmembranmikro.htm
This combo works quite well with a saxophone, if you don’t really need something as compact as an iPhone specific mic like IRig Mic Field, this is a better solution for quality recordings IMO. I used that combo on my tenor here for example:
The Sonic Port VX has a built in mic, along with several inputs and outputs. I have the non VX version and it’s great. Portable, iPhone-powered, sounds good.
The VX also has a regular usb cable (in addition to the lightning one), so you can use it on a computer, or with the Apple Camera Connection Kit adapter that lets you power the iPhone at the same time as plugging something in.
Thank you for the great discussion. The rig I am working to "fix" was my phone, the Tascam 30 pin mic, and simple wired ear buds with no microphone. This allowed me to plug in the tascam microphone and ear buds, mix my horn sound with auto-accompaniment, and practice in my truck where I wouldn't bother anyone. I used a large flex tie wrapped around the steering wheel to hold the mic. So, although I'm aware that I could go with a new audio interface, simple is best, and if I can get away with just the mic and earbuds, that would be perfect.
Question, for those who are recommending (or, suggesting) microphones with a headphone jack included, will that output play only the microphone input, or will it serve as an output for AB, allowing me to hear my own sound mixed with whatever else is going through AudioBus?
Does it have the same connector on the end that plugs into the sonicport vx? I had a sonicport and that gave out, new lightning cable was more than I paid for the sonicport. To be fair I got it on clearance for $30, but it was new when I got it. That connector is the weak spot if it’s still the same.
@mrufino1 Yes, same connector afaik. It’s possible to rewire the spare 30-pin wire to use a regular USB plug. I did that, and it now works with an iPad Pro.
@kokomodo How about one of those little Zoom iQ mics that plugs into the lightning port, they have a headphone jack on the side for monitoring. It might also let you listen to your backing tracks.
Mine was open box and only came with the one cable. The sonicport is now sitting unused in a drawer. I wound up getting the focusrite itrack pocket, which works fine for me. Once my 6s is no longer able to run, i guess I’ll have to get something with a headphone jack. I mainly use the guitar input to learn songs at a gig or something like that.
@kokomodo
I also have that tascam mic and it comes in handy sometimes.
My zoom h6 works great with my iOS devices as well, that might be something to consider. As far as I know all of the zoom recorders function as an interface, so you could get an h1n and be able to monitor I think. Then you also have a standalone recorder. The h6 functions as a full multichannel interface, which I use on occasion, although I use it a s a standalone recorder more often.
The zoom h6 is an excellent choice. Specially since with batteries inside you don't need to worry about power issues.