simple audio setup to take a video with an iPhone7

[RockyRacc00n]

Looking for a recommendation on a mic.

I see that there is an extensive discussion on the various studio setups you guys have, but I'm a beginner and looking to start things simple.

I want to take videos of my singing and playing acoustic guitar to critique myself and perhaps even post on youtube. I took some videos yesterday just on my iPhone7 setup about 3 feet away and the sound qualify seems ok.

I was shooting from an up angle where the guitar was closer to the phone camera than my voice so at times the guitar sound seemed to dominate, but overall not bad.

Am I correct in my expectation that a simple plug in mic to my iPhone will make a significant improvement in the sound quality from what I currently have without getting into some of the (seemingly) complex stuff I find in the discussions here.

And if so, what mic would you recommend?

Thanks in advance for your help. By the way, first time member, so Hello everyone.

[RockyRacc00n]

Well, seems people are reading but no responses thus far. Let me know if I needed to be more specif on what I want to do... as I mentioned before, basically video myself to critique and perhaps upload to Youtube if I ever build up the nerve to do that.

Anyway, On my way home today, I stopped by a music store and bought a shotgun mic called AmpRidge MightyMic S. I made 2 recordings, one with and without the mic. I do hear a slighty improvement with the mic but not sure if the difference is enough to warrant the $50 I spent. I might decide to return it later but for now, not bad.

If anyone has any tips, things I should consider, please let me know. If you need to know my approx budget, I would say about $100.

[Fran Guidry]

It's reasonable to get dozens or even hundreds of views before getting a response, that's the world of forums.

Mic placement is the key to recording quality, second only to performance. So getting a mic that attaches directly to the phone still puts the mic in a less than desirable place. A mic that attaches through a cable and can be placed independently of the phone is the solution you're seeking.

I've had good success with iRig stuff, but I'm sure there are many good solutions out there.

Fran

[tdq]

I'd suggest recording and shooting separately (but at the same time) and then putting them together via Imovie or similar. I've used a zoom h2n which is a little over your budget but maybe second hand? I'm sure there are other options. This way you can position the audio device for best sound quality and position the iphone for best image.

[krisls]

I'll second tdq's answer. An H2n with your iphone will work fine. Use stands/tripods position mic suitably close and phone at suitable distance. Use a loud clap as the sync point up front and away ya go.

A little experimentation to find said distances and a bit of a play about with whatever video program you use and it will come together reasonably quickly.

Kris

[Nama Ensou]

Originally Posted by RockyRacc00n

Well, seems people are reading but no responses thus far.

I'm in the same boat as you and was hoping to learn a little bit about getting a decent sound on iPhone videos too.

[RockyRacc00n]

Thanks for the responses. For most situations, the iPhone will be placed about 3 feet away, far enough to frame from waist up and frame most of the guitar. And I will be in my room, so no other noise.

In these situations, will I get much improvement from having a different kind of mic (or a device like H2N... I see a lot of references to this Zoom thing but not sure what that is yet.) placed somewhere separately vs what I am doing now, which is a shotgun mic (AmpRidge MightyMic S) attached to the iPhone? I wouldn't want the mic to be visible in the shot, in which case it will have to be several feet away anyway.

I've been experimenting with this shotgun mic I bought few days ago. Initially, I wasn't sure what the big deal was, as you may have noticed on my previous post. But after shooting a bunch of videos with it and really listening, I do hear some improvements in the sound.

I also discovered iMovie yesterday and noticed an option to import audio, so I guess this is what some of you guys are talking about. Yeah, as you can see, I'm a complete beginner. So, while I explore the options you guys suggested, for most of my shooting situations now, I think I am ok with the current rudimentary setup... shotgun mic plugged into the phone.

On a side note, beside the audio setup, the bigger issue I have is... why can't I get a clean run through without making a mistake? =( I guess it's an obvious statement, but darn it, so hard to play to a camera!

[Fran Guidry]

This blog post includes a comparison using the iRig Pro with one of my mics vs the built in mic: http://www.homebrewedmusic.com/2015/...-lampg-videos/ I think close mic placement makes a huge difference.

It's easy to position the mic close to the instrument without having it in the shot if that's what you prefer.

You might be able to rig something with your existing mic and an extension cable ? ?

As far as performance issues, imagine if you were paying $500 an hour to make your videos (grin). The great thing about DIY video is the unlimited do-overs.

Fran

[RockyRacc00n]

Originally Posted by Fran Guidry

This blog post includes a comparison using the iRig Pro with one of my mics vs the built in mic: http://www.homebrewedmusic.com/2015/...-lampg-videos/ I think close mic placement makes a huge difference.

It's easy to position the mic close to the instrument without having it in the shot if that's what you prefer.

You might be able to rig something with your existing mic and an extension cable ? ?

As far as performance issues, imagine if you were paying $500 an hour to make your videos (grin). The great thing about DIY video is the unlimited do-overs.

Fran

I will check that out. Hurray to unlimited do overs. I actually put up this link for feedback from the forum. It was shot using the setup I described. But the info everyone shared here will be helpful as I look to get more into it.

[j3ffr0]

Zoom iq6 may be what you are after. Looks pretty cool.

[RockyRacc00n]

If I may revisit this...

Some of you mentioned Zoom H2N. Few newbie questions on this.

(1) Obviously, this would involve merging the sound with the video. I've tinkered with iMovie on my iPhone7 and I see the option to add audio. But how do you transfer the sound from the Zoom to my iPhone?

(2) If I were going to use the Zoom and all I did was use iMovie on the iPhone to simply put the sound over the video, without editing the sound, I'm probably not using it optimally. Is that correct?

(3) Following up on (2), if I wanted to edit the sound, what app would I use? I don't think I am seeing any sound editing option on iMovie. Is that what GarageBand app is for?

If you guy can elaborate on any of this, or point me to a good reference online, I would appreciate very much.

[RockyRacc00n]

Did some more searching and hit on this. This guys is just awesome, in case you are not already familiar with him. It looks like he did a 3 part series on the stuff I was looking for.

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lMZP0F79Fk
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4NZoqZA4zM
Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD95-SfQ6fk

Now, what to do about my playing and singing.... hmmm.

Hope this helps another newbie.

EDIT: at this point, this isn't the "simple" set up I initially set out looking for, but perhaps this is a reasonable amount of effort to up the quality.

[Hurricane Ramon]

You could also use an interface like my Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 with the IOS app .

With this interface set up I/you can use any type mic you wish into an iphone5s/6s/7/ipad .

I have :

• 1 Samson C01 large diaphragm condenser LoHz 48VDC phantom powered
• 1 Shure SM57 LoHz
• 2 Shure Unidyne PE585 HiHz
• 1 Shure 520D Green Bullet HiHz harp mic
• 1 Tascam DR44WL LoHz with 2 phantom powered 48VDC X/Y stereo condenser mics

With the Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 it's possible to use any of the above combinations of mic's going into my iphone 5s , T.C.Helicon Voice Live 3 X or computer .

EZ :

HR

[j3ffr0]

I just got zoom iq7 for my iPad. Like.

https://www.zoom-na.com/products/han...microphone-ios

[Brent Hahn]

If you find a quiet place to record with the right acoustics, it should sound good just recorded with your phone. You shouldn't need to go separate-system and sync things up. It'll probably be a spot that's quite a bit deader than your kitchen.