Easy video recording with Android phone

[Rudy4]

Although it's easy to record quick videos with a Android smartphone the internal mic often gives poor results. Here's a quick video I did to compare the phone mic with a condenser mic that is patched easily to the phone using a Saramonic Smartrig 2 preamp. I normally wouldn't place the phone so far away, but I wanted to emphasize the "room sound" by doing that, as well as how minimal the room sound is when you get the mic closer to your guitar.

This unit is designed to use as a interface for Android phones, but there are versions for ios phones, too. It can be used for dynamic microphones and also supplies 48 volt phantom power for condenser mics. The input is a combo jack, so you can plug a non-preamped guitar directly into it and then use the Saramonic Smartrig 2 preamp to boost the level before it goes into the phone input. The preamp has tons of pretty clean gain, too. As the photo in the video shows, I barely used the gain control to provide plenty of signal to my phone input.

It's an easy solution to getting better audio into your phone. It's not a replacement for better techniques, but it's quick and easy.

As the video shows, I purchased this on Amazon for the whopping sum of $25.

[DCCougar]

Oh, so it's an adapter that lets you plug your mic into your phone. Well, and a pre-amp to boost that mic signal.

Frankly, I'm amazed at how decent the phone mic alone sounds - without having to set any levels or anything. Even so, I use a Tascam DR-05 (apparently now discontinued) "field" recorder, then sync that audio to the video in iMovie or, [gasp] Davinci Resolve.

[Horseflesh]

That's a handy gadget, thanks for sharing.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by Horseflesh

That's a handy gadget, thanks for sharing.

You're welcome. I use a bunch of other ways to do it, including using the same DR-05 recorder that DCCougar does.

Syncing the video and audio isn't difficult, but I do appreciate anything that eliminates that step. I wouldn't do it for anything that I wanted quality audio for, but it does make "quick n' dirty" phone videos easier.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by DCCougar

Oh, so it's an adapter that lets you plug your mic into your phone. Well, and a pre-amp to boost that mic signal.

Frankly, I'm amazed at how decent the phone mic alone sounds - without having to set any levels or anything. Even so, I use a Tascam DR-05 (apparently now discontinued) "field" recorder, then sync that audio to the video in iMovie or, [gasp] Davinci Resolve.

Yes,adapter, preamp, and phantom power for the mic. It also works as a way to use a pickup into the phone, too.

The phone does a pretty good job by itself. Normally I'd put the phone a lot closer so the guitar would fill the frame but I was trying to get as much "room sound" as possible in the phone only video. It helps to start off with a room that sounds good to begin with, though.

[Chipotle]

This assumes an older phone with a 1/8" headphone jack. Unfortunately, newer models like my S22+ don't have one. Saramonic makes models with a lightning connector, but nothing with USB-C as far as I could tell.

The only thing I could find close was the Zoom U22, which has USB out (you'd need a USB-B to C cable) for $75.

[rule18]

Originally Posted by Chipotle

This assumes an older phone with a 1/8" headphone jack. Unfortunately, newer models like my S22+ don't have one. Saramonic makes models with a lightning connector, but nothing with USB-C as far as I could tell.

The only thing I could find close was the Zoom U22, which has USB out (you'd need a USB-B to C cable) for $75.

You could get this TRRS to USB-C on Amazon

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by Chipotle

This assumes an older phone with a 1/8" headphone jack. Unfortunately, newer models like my S22+ don't have one. Saramonic makes models with a lightning connector, but nothing with USB-C as far as I could tell.

The only thing I could find close was the Zoom U22, which has USB out (you'd need a USB-B to C cable) for $75.

Amazon lists them with 3.5mm TRRS plug, Lightning connector, and USB-C connection, although the price is higher. That's getting into iRig territory, though. (Have I mentioned that I'm cheap?)

If I end up with a phone with a different connector later I'll either get a cheap adapter or convert it to 1/4" mono to use it for an extra phantom power source and/or preamp to feed an extra input for my Cube EX.

I also ordered 6" by 8" unbreakable mirror to use with a flexible clamp arm on my tripod to see the back of my phone while it's recording video so I can frame shots easily.

[rule18]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

Amazon lists them with 3.5mm TRRS plug, Lightning connector, and USB-C connection, although the price is higher. That's getting into iRig territory, though. (Have I mentioned that I'm cheap?)

If I end up with a phone with a different connector later I'll either get a cheap adapter or convert it to 1/4" mono to use it for an extra phantom power source and/or preamp to feed an extra input for my Cube EX.

I also ordered 6" by 8" unbreakable mirror to use with a flexible clamp arm on my tripod to see the back of my phone while it's recording video so I can frame shots easily.

Hence the $15 TRRS to USB-C adapter I show above.

[Chipotle]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

Amazon lists them with 3.5mm TRRS plug, Lightning connector, and USB-C connection, although the price is higher. That's getting into iRig territory, though. (Have I mentioned that I'm cheap?)

For some reason it wasn't showing it to me before, but I found it. The fact that it's over $100 makes sense, though. If you are going mic-to-1/8" out, it's all analog. You want to go mic-to-USB (or other digital connector) you need A/D converters, so there's extra cost. Still, could be a nice, relatively low-cost entry to get video with good audio quality.