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Using my iPhone as a field recorder ?
My field recorder died and I want to start using my iPhone instead. I'd like to get feedback on this for those of you who are doing the same. What mic, what app, any tips etc.
I have an iPhone X with lightning port but plan on updating soon so I guess it will likely have a USB-C port.
The mics that seem to be mentioned most are a Shure MV88 and Rode VideoMic Me-L. Not sure if I would have more success with a regular omni-direcitonal mic or a shotgun mic. I mostly record outdoor sounds like birds and nature sounds etc.
Comments
For recording outdoor ambiences the Sennheiser AMBEO headsets are incredibly good. And an absolute steal because they are discontinued so are being sold off at silly prices ( like less than £40 ukp). I’ve had great result with them and Voice Record Pro.
No experience of the other mics you mention. I’d rather stick with a dedicated recorder for working with omnis or shotguns. But for outdoor binaural ambience the quality of the AMBEO recordings I’ve made have amazed me.
A short example. Needs headphones for full effect
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CaZF6keA1Rk
2nd vote for the Ambeo if you can still find one
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anker-USB-C-Lightning-Audio-Adapter/dp/B07R6MKJZH/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3FDB8YNEIGT97&keywords=anker+usb-c+to+lightning+audio+adapter&qid=1649420324&sprefix=$24.99+No+Import+Fees+Deposit+&+$5.80+Shipping+to+United+Kingdom+Details+Sales+taxes+may+apply+at+checkout+Delivery+Tuesday,+April+19+Or+fastest+delivery+Tuesday,+April+12.+Order+within+4+hrs+57+mins+Deliver+to+United+Kingdom+In+Stock.+Qty:+Qty:1+Add+to+Cart+Buy+Now+Secure+transaction+Ships+from+Amazon+Sold+by+AnkerDirect+Ships+from+Amazon+Sold+by+AnkerDirect+Return+policy:+Eligible+for+Return,+Refund+or+Replacement+within+30+days+of+receipt+Support:+Free+Amazon+product+support+included+Add+a+gift+receipt+for+easy+returns+Add+to+List+New+&+Used+,aps,14202&sr=8-3
Will let them work with usb c
Ambeos work if you're OK with wearing headphones that double as microphones.
For stereo microphones attached directly to the Lightning port I can recommend the Zoom iQ7.
Get a fur too for outdoor recordings, in case you don't have one already.
Thanks a ton! Just ordered some from Amazon for $50 with free returns and I appreciate the adapter link. Good to know I can use them with USB-C too!
Brusfri will come in handy.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/brusfri/id1289165912
Should just add that the example I posted above was the raw audio as recorded. No noise reduction, eq or anything else applied. So it gives an accurate impression of the noise floor you can expect from these mics.
The Ambeos are outstanding, and very quiet, they have an Apogee preamp.
Definitely.
Don’t have but hear good things… on sale in us Amazon store like 18%off at $149.99
Shure MV88 Portable iOS Microphone for iPhone/iPad/iPod via Lightning Connector, Professional-Quality Sound, Digital Stereo Condenser Mic for Vloggers, Filmmakers, Music Makers and Journalists
Some mics connect directly to iPhone through lightning, some connect through auidio Jack or cable to add audio Jack, some are Bluetooth. Definitely check to see if you need extra power (phantom power)
I realized a few months ago that all the newer devices still have the female lightning port into the device. The usb-c is the other end coming out, and into a charger or whatever. Maybe it was just me but for awhile I thought they switched to usb-c on the actual device. Oops.
Therefore mics that have the built in lightning male to connect directly to a device should work too.
Speaking of outdoor field recording, how do you guys deal with wind noise? I have some stereo recording headphones (don't remember the brand, Roland CS-10EM I think) and it's more difficult to avoid wind noise than with a noise shield over the integrated microphones of my Olympus LS-P4. My headphones come with foam wind shield but they don't stick well and will probably fall off in no time.
They also tend to pick up the noise of the headphone cable when it scratches my clothes.
Thanks!
Mostly by picking the right day and time, so only attempting to record on headset mics when conditions are reasonably still.
You can get dead cat style earmuffs for headset recording. The branded ones are quite expensive but I know people who’ve got good diy results using cheap, fluffy earmuffs from Amazon or similar. But they do make your ears hot and it helps if you don’t care about looking silly.
The problem of being your own mic stand is real though. It’s not just the cables you need to manage. The Ambeos are very sensitive omnis and can easily pick up your breathing and every gut rumble. So when I’m recording with them there is a kind of self imposed mindfulness going on. Which is rather nice sometimes.
For integrated mics it’s worth getting a dead cat wind shield. There are plenty of options available so you don’t have to spend a lot. And any of them will be better than foam outdoors. For shotguns outdoors, a blimp is a must have.
Coming at this from a different direction it’s worth pointing out that the little Zoom ‘H’ audio recorders also make for really useful iPhone/iPad audio interfaces.
The H1N for example is tiny and gives you stereo in and out via stereo mini jacks and let’s you use the built in stereo microphones or aux in as the audio source. They work well with the CCK for iPhones and lightning port iPads and even better via usb-c for the iPad airs and pros.
They also let you mount the SD card and access the built in recordings in the files app.
The H1N is a surprisingly capable little 2 in 2 out audio interface for the iPhone.
So probably not exactly what’s asked for but the versatility of being able to have a standalone audio recorder that is also a card reader, external microphone and class compliant usb audio interface might come in handy for some people :-)
I have one too and it's got decent audio quality, much better than, say, a Behringer UCA222 interface.
Using a trs to trs cable, it's also a nice loopback device to record from Youtube etc.
For anyone who has a small handheld recorder, such as the Zoom H1 (basically anything with a 3.5mm headphone jack), I' recommend looking into adding something like the ClippyEM272. These exponentially raise the quality of recodings!
Still can't afford my own, but some day soon
]https://micbooster.com/clippy-and-pluggy-microphones/98-clippy-stereo-em272-microphone.html
These are also all Clippy 272 recordings:
https://soundcloud.com/search?q=clippy em272
Wow, this is really interesting! Considering the quality, I'll probably feel like getting them one day. Kinda surprised they can sound that good and still be so tiny. How can it be? Thanks for the reply.
I can vouch for the EM272 capsules. I have one mounted on a parabolic reflector and the quality is stunning. Plus they are so quiet.
They need phantom power and I’m not sure if the H1 can provide that. I use mine with a Zoom H5 which does provide phantom power at a range of voltages.
Yeah! A whole new level of detail, against a backdrop of greatly-reduced self-noise. Not bank-breakingly expensive, either
I'm pretty sure they're compatible with The H2N that I have. not sure there's much difference in spec. Will see if I can find some more info, and perhaps a compatibility list.
I'm quite sure they'll work. They only need a unipolar 3V phantom supply which is common in these compact electret capsules.
Thanks for the EM272 hint, now you've put me on a rail... finally gotta hack my H1n
I have got some pretty good results using røde smartlav+
https://www.thomann.de/dk/rode_smartlav_345457.htm?glp=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw3cSSBhBGEiwAVII0Z7LzuICYvtQURsgvh2yS5c3d_LcovXsiZj5S5672zQOK-hRf5fxlahoCzJgQAvD_BwE
And a RØDE SC6 Dual TRRS Breakout Box
https://www.thomann.de/dk/rode_sc6.htm?glp=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw3cSSBhBGEiwAVII0ZywGhy6xAOt9GVB-ZDIbrMwzjDGqlc_1dOjQQqz9rm8xX1EUxuJnnBoCelYQAvD_BwE
Then i can connect a mic and seperate headphones to monitor the audio input.
Of course an apple mini jack dongle is needed.
I normally record in AUM with Gauss or Koala sampler
And as mentioned Brusfri is a must.
The pros is that I find this solution quite cheap and will give desent results. The most important thing for me is that it is extremely light and portable so you can bring it where ever you go.
The cons is that it takes e few moments to prepare. But an AUM template will speed up this process. Also the RØDE Smartlav+ is omni directional so if you need another polar pattern you need to look else where.
Hmmm, I wonder if it would work with my iRig Pre amp.
https://www.amazon.com/IK-Multimedia-Digital-Microphone-Interface/dp/B076T15QLW/ref=dp_prsubs_2?pd_rd_i=B076T15QLW&psc=1
Should do.
If you want stereo, the Rode AI Micro pairs well with them too.
https://rode.com/en/interfaces-and-mixers/ai-series/ai-micro
Fieldscaper
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fieldscaper/id1006624104
48V phantom voltage for a capsule that's designed to take 3V?
Read this before you try to blow it up:
http://levysounddesign.blogspot.com/2010/09/electret-condenser-microphones.html
I spent the last two months relooking at my field recording options after starting to get unhappy with my H4n Pro. Decent unit that's easy to use, but super slow to boot up and pretty big and bulky. In the past I had been a big fan of the Rode iXY-L microphone for iOS devices, but after Rode dropped support for the Recorder app I sort of phased it out. Decided to try it again with Audioshare as a recording app, and compare it to the Shure MV88 as well since I had seen that getting mentioned a lot.
I'd say both the Rode and the Shure were fairly comparable in terms of sound quality, though the Rode had slightly better imaging than the Shure. MV88 with the dedicated Shure recording app was loads better than using Audioshare for this, if for no other reason than you always need to use Audioshare upside down since newer iPhones don't let apps rotate the screen 180° (thanks to peeps here for helping me troubleshoot this btw). And the Rode mic always works at 48k without the Rode app, though that's less of a concern.
In the end I actually ended up going with a Sony PCM-A10 for my field recording. Sound quality is on par with the Zoom and Rode mic; but it boots instantly, has a 15 hour battery, built-in memory, and a built-in USB jack. Oh, and it's absolutely tiny too, so easy to pocket. Being able to change the angle of the mic capsules is handy too.
None of these options is going to get you the kind of recordings you'd need for capturing very quiet sounds (ie, night time, nature, etc) with out a bit of self noise, at least compared to the electret options out there. But for day to day walking around and grabbing cool sounds I don't really need that I find. And having to find a way to mount and hold smaller electret mics can be an issue too, depending on which ones you get.
Anyway, long way of saying the Sony A10 is a pretty sweet little unit for the price, and easily competes or bests the cheaper Zoom options like the H1N and H2.
(btw I'm selling the Rode iXY-L if anyone in the US is interested. Make me an offer via PMs.)
@Tarekith Does the PCM-A10 work as a class compliant USB audio interface?
No, unfortunately that's one of the few things it does not do.
Great information sharing on this thread and advices, thanks! Mindfulness and gently holding my recorder is also what I try to achieve!!
I got my Ambeos and trying to figure out what a good recorder app would be? Free is good. Seems like the iRig app is pretty good. What is y'all's preference? I do own AUM and Gauss and Koala so I may start there but would be cool to find an app that's easy to use and can record in high quality multiple formats including PCM.