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[j.hall]

need help guys.  i do a moderate amount of pre production anymore.  i'd like to use my iPhone to capture song ideas that develop in practice spaces.  the "voice memo" app is great, but the internal mic blows for loud rock bands.

any suggestions on a cheap, but "acceptable" (by that i mean not totally distorted) external mic that will interface with the iPhone?

[yoink]

I think the Blue Mikey is the only solution that comes to mind. According the the Blue website it's not officially supported (though there's anecdotal evidence of it working with all the iPhone sound recording apps) and some notes on other forums indicate it's not suited to high SPL recording.

However, the Blue's website also notes a new version that is for the iPhone and high SPL recording, but that's slated for release "this spring." Even if the mic does, well, suck, the thing is also supposed to have a line level input. Could be cool and just what you're looking for.

[yoink]

Me again.

Your post got me thinking that I would like to do the same. I already use my iPhone for rough dB level checking.

I found this: http://www.studiosixdigital.com/

I've seen their apps but haven't thought the iPhone's audio platform was worth investing in without an external mic or input.

$250 seems a little steep considering you can get a decent flash memory field recorder for that price and it doesn't include the microphone, but the possibilities of software on the iPhone/iTouch are far greater.

But they also have this: http://www.studiosixdigital.com/ipromic.html

At suggested $130 it's not much more expensive than the Blue solution above, but seems suited to the kind of high SPL recording you're looking for (me too!).

[j.hall]

i have their "audio toolbox" on my phone already, and do use it.

i'm hoping to find something that isn't complicated.  often times while i'm in PrePro, i'm also "co-writing" with the band, so idea will come up and i just want to grab them quickly so no one forgets as we press forward.  also arrangement changes to songs the band has been playing for a long time i'd like to grab for the same reason.

the point is, if the "rig" is too clunky, then i simply won't use it.

honestly, i'd love an app that could pad down the internal mic so i really could just use my phone.  

i'll check out the blue thing.

[MI]

J,

Try this:

 http://www.mcdsp.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=v iew&id=537&Itemid=112

http://www.retrorecorder.com/

Mario

[Infrasonicsound]

MI wrote on Fri, 12 March 2010 13:21

J, Try this:   http://www.mcdsp.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=v iew&id=537&Itemid=112 http://www.retrorecorder.com/ Mario

Tried this at a rehearsal the other day...still can't bring down the mic input. Any loud rock band will overdrive the internal mic. Anything else out there?

[j.hall]

bummer!  i've been using retro recorder for "acoustic" pre production/song writing sessions, and it's awesome for that.  haven't tested it out with a full volume rock rehearsal yet.

[lysander]

You can buffer the input on the iPhone by simply putting the phone under a blanket or a pillow.

[fenderprojoe]

My wife took a video of my band at a bar a few months ago using an iPhone 3GS and she accidentally covered the mic with her finger while she was holding it up.  The sound was, surprisingly, good for the twenty or so seconds until she repositioned her hands.  I would think that maybe fixing a foam earplug with some tape might do the trick.  

--Joe

[rankus]

fenderprojoe wrote on Mon, 26 July 2010 11:41

My wife took a video of my band at a bar a few months ago using an iPhone 3GS and she accidentally covered the mic with her finger while she was holding it up.  The sound was, surprisingly, good for the twenty or so seconds until she repositioned her hands.  I would think that maybe fixing a foam earplug with some tape might do the trick.   --Joe

I'm going to try this (earplug on the video camera idea) at my daughters gig this Friday!  Thanks for the great suggestion Joe