Best iPhone compatible mics

[mikerofone]

I play mandolin and guitar in an acoustic trio and want to record our practices for self-evaluation/critique. I realize my iPhone 13 has a built in mic but want to achieve something of better quality.

Suggested mics with Lightning connectability for this purpose?

Preferred DAW apps?

Thanks.

[grandstick]

I have the Shure MV88. It’s stereo, and does a pretty good job capturing the sounds that I need. It even came with a “dead kitty” windscreen, which is great for when I am outdoors, recording nature sounds.

https://www.shure.com/en-US/products/microphones/mv88

As far as a DAW, I use GarageBand. I use Logic Pro on my Mac, and I really like the fact that GarageBand-iOS files are able to be opened directly in Logic. I use my iPad and iPhone to capture any musical ideas that pop into my head, save them to my iCloud Files, then can open in Logic to flesh them out.

If you don’t use a Mac (or don’t have Logic Pro), the built-in editing tools in GB are quite usable and provide excellent results.

[hubcapsc]

RØDE VIDEOMIC ME-L

https://rode.com/en/microphones/mobile/videomic-me-l

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2jYFHLm3U4

I'm starting to think that "DAW" is a word that spans many
things, or that there's many types. You can see people on
youtube using fancy ones to snap off-key-singers and off-rhythm
drummers to the line. I guess the unix-command-line thing I
used to crop and cut my video and to normalize its audio is
a DAW too.

-Mike

[KevinH]

I have a Shure MV88+, which I've been happy with. Much better audio than you get with the phone mic. The MV88 (no +) is designed to plug right into the Lightning connector on the iPhone, whereas the MV88+ allows the mic to be placed away from the phone. The mic and phone are connected by a Lightning cable. The advantage of the + is that you can place the mic where it needs to be to get the best audio while placing the phone where it needs to be to get the best video. I suppose you could jury-rig the (less expensive) MV88 to to the same thing. It's just easier with the +.

I record mostly just to capture ideas that I'd forget by the next day. I use the MV88+ and Garageband for that. If I were to anything more demanding I'd probably look to Logic Pro.

[reeve21]

I've got the Shure MV 51. My only complaint is the plug where it connects to the back of the mic is a little fiddly, but I may have bent it. Not the most robust piece of gear, but the mic itself is bulletproof and sounds good to me.

https://www.amazon.com/Shure-Large-D...17485404&psc=1

I never really understood garage band. Previously I had used Audacity when I was recording into a zoom device. Got tired of all the file transfers and made the switch to ios when my desktop died and I replaced it with an iPad. My preferred daw is Multitrack DAW. Not free but I think it was 20 bucks or so.