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Old 08-07-2016, 10:33 PM
jeastman jeastman is offline
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Default iphone mics

Alright, so I just moved back to the US and had to leave quite a bit of my non-essential music gear back where I came from. I had a nice little setup for recording, nothing fancy, but it worked well. However, after going through the time and expense of getting it setup, I realized I really didn't use it as often as I'd though. When I really wanted to record was when I was playing out...rehearsals, small gigs, in church... and there was no way I was going to drag several mics, etc.

Now I'm starting to look at some of these mics I can plug into my iphone, Shure's mv88, Zoom iq, etc. Now I'm not looking to debate whether these will produce the absolute best results, I know I'm giving up something for the convenience and that's what I'm after.

So do you all have any experience with these things? For around $100 a piece I may just have to get a couple that look good and test them out because I can't find a ton of info on many. But if you've got one you love, I'd love to hear it. Thanks in advance!
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Old 08-08-2016, 07:23 AM
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dcn dcn is offline
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I'd recommend the Apogee MiC, which is what I've used for recording to date (check sig for soundclips). It's priced at $230, but I'd argue it's better than 2x $100 iPhone mics.
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Old 08-08-2016, 07:29 AM
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I'm not familiar with the devices for the iPhone. I got my portable Zoom recorder (H4) way before I had an iPhone. I guess it depends on what works best for your needs, but I'd rather have a dedicated little recorder instead of an attachment to my phone. Zoom makes quite a variety of handhelds from the H1 through the H6.
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Old 08-08-2016, 08:52 AM
RustyAxe RustyAxe is offline
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I agree with Chuck ... and I have a Zoom H2n. They can be had for under $150 used, are simple to use, the internal mics are quite good, and the recording features are great.
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Old 08-08-2016, 09:45 AM
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Hi j-man

I seriously considered getting a Shure MV88, and know a guy who uses one for his podcasts, he records copy for radio stations for commercials when he's on the road in hotel rooms with it (he has a tremendous broadcast voice), and uses it for just fun recordings.

I think of the mics I've seen the Shure M88 is the most flexible, and with their software most versatile. All the preset modes make it compelling. My only hesitancy was waiting to see if Apple is going to stick with the lightning connector or go to USB-C like so much of the Smartphone world.

Then last I needed to record audio and video simultaneously for someone for a 2 minute spot, and pulled out my Zoom H2n, and dang if it isn't still one of the most flexible of field recorders around. And I needed to use my iPhone 6s for the video at the same time.

I mounted the H2n on a tripod and put it just out of frame from the video camera and the audio (which I can adjust levels of with a real knob) is so stellar, I abandoned the iPhone mic idea. The primary reason is I was using the iPhone for video and the H2n for audio, and I could not have gotten the same results with just plugging into the iPhone and recording the video/audio together (it would have been twice as far away from the person who I was recording).

The MV88 has dual cartridges, and will do several recording patterns, nearly identical to the Zoom H2n, including mid/side and stereo. And it's housed in metal (very solid feel). If you feel you are going that direction, of all you listed it would be the one I'd add to my arsenal. I've seen it in action, and the only thing I have not seen done is simultaneous video/audio.



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Old 08-08-2016, 10:06 PM
jeastman jeastman is offline
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Thank you all for the great responses. I'll definitely look into the Apogee as well as the Zoom H# products. I asked at the Apple store today, which carries both the MV88 and the Apogee and the guy actually told me I could buy and bring it back within 2 weeks for any reason. I'm playing a wedding at the end of this month and he suggested I pick up both and record then return one or both. The only thing I noticed was that with something that plugs into the lightning connector (and good point about that not being there indefinitely, larry) is that I had to take the case off.

Anyhow, long rambling response, but that you guys for pointing me in a couple good directions. Hopefully I'll be able to start contributing some sound bits to this forum ... it'll keep me practicing and humble!
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Old 08-09-2016, 07:16 AM
crikey crikey is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dcn View Post
I'd recommend the Apogee MiC, which is what I've used for recording to date (check sig for soundclips). It's priced at $230, but I'd argue it's better than 2x $100 iPhone mics.
I have the Mic 96k and it works with my iPad and iPhone as well as with my Mac. I haven't recorded myself with it yet, but I've iPad/Garage Band-recorded others, and I really like the sound quality and ease of use. So I agree about the price point. And I just had a pretty good experience with Apogee's customer support. I had trouble with the lightening cable, contacted support via chat, he/she troubleshot with me, and the result is they're sending me a $30 cable for free, and I've been off warranty for over a year. Hey, that could be 30 bucks towards a Duet for the main rig.
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Old 08-09-2016, 07:30 AM
crikey crikey is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jeastman View Post
The only thing I noticed was that with something that plugs into the lightning connector (and good point about that not being there indefinitely, larry) is that I had to take the case off.
True about the case. I use Otterboxes and find them fairly easy to pop off and on, something I've gotten used to. As far as the lightning connection, the Mic 96k came with 3 cables, including an Apple legacy connector, so I think for Apogee's part, they will always have current cables for adequate connections available, as long as they keep selling them.
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Old 08-10-2016, 09:59 PM
buzzardwhiskey buzzardwhiskey is offline
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A friend bought a Zoom iQ5 mic that attaches to the lightening connector of his iPhone. It's amazing. The phone already does half way decent videos, especially when the lighting is good, but with the better mic the sound is easily superior to most handheld cameras.
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Old 08-11-2016, 02:19 AM
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And if you are looking ultra cheap, I actually recorded a couple of youtube videos with mic that comes with the iphone earbuds dropped into the sound hole. The worst part about it was craning my head down so I could put the headphone in my ear.
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Old 09-03-2016, 01:20 PM
AJ Morty AJ Morty is offline
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Default Blue Spark Digital

Reverb.com did an article on this and their recommendation is the Blue Spark digital. Looks like an interesting option for recording on iPhone/iPad.

https://reverb.com/news/best-usb-mic...relatedarticle
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Old 10-04-2016, 04:03 PM
MisterJ MisterJ is offline
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Does the Zoom allow you to put your recordings into a USB thumb drive? How do you move your recordings?
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Old 10-08-2016, 07:59 PM
jeastman jeastman is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MisterJ View Post
Does the Zoom allow you to put your recordings into a USB thumb drive? How do you move your recordings?


I ended up getting a zoom and it records into an SD card do very economical and easy to move around.


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Old 10-09-2016, 08:08 AM
slide496 slide496 is offline
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I switched from the iMic 96 k to the SHURE MOTIV M51.

It works better for me capturing vocals and guitar together and I like the settings it comes with.
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Old 10-31-2016, 03:39 AM
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My experiences have been fine with all of the following:

Apogee MiC into iPhone

Shure SM58 through Shure MVI into iPhone

Shure MV5 into iPhone.

Zoom IQ6 (for sale now)


My favorite options are the Apogee, and the SM58 /MVI - although I am new to this one.

Actually... I prefer the first three options over the IQ6, but maybe that's just because I never gave the Zoom a fair shot.
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