iOS recording microphones for iPhone 8

cogfasser

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Hi, I am looking to record some simple songs at home with a mic that attaches to an iPhone. Good quality, ease of use, good price point. Anyone have recommendations? Also, anyone recommend a stand or tripod that can hold the iPhone steady when the mic is attached? Thanks for any help!
 
I’ve been pretty happy with the Shure MV88...although buying a lightning port mic may not be a great long-term idea. Now that the new iPad are USB-C, I bet that iPhones go that way, too.

As for my favorite mount, check out the glif...

https://www.studioneat.com/products/glif
 
Shure MV88 is my favourite and trust me I have bought and returned almost every one in the price range of $120 to $250 from Amazon.
It does drain your phone power but it cut out unwanted noise beautifully. I can do a recording while my husband has the TV on full blast two rooms over .
I tried recording at a concert while I was about 30 rows from stage. It came out surprisingly good too.
If Shure MV88 is too pricey, their basic model Shure MV5 is good as well but it is a mono mic.
 
Quick shout for Apogee MiC. I don't know what a good price point is, but I love my apogee. The mic comes with a tripod stand, so I just prop up my phone or ipad on a stand when i record, then move the mic to a surface near my soundhole.

There's a new MiC plus which allow for monitoring headphones to be plugged in. This seems like a cool feature, but not quite enough for me to replace what I've got.
 
The Blue Snowball works really well, too and comes with its own tripod. It needs a power source (the iPhone or iPad), so it will drain your device if you leave it connected a long time. But you can buy an external adapter from Apple which will let you charge the phone while you have the mic connected.

It's not as handy as the M88 because you need a separate place to rest the mic while recording, though. But it's really cheap.
 
Thanks so much everyone who has responded. This really helps in my search!
 
I have an Apogee iMiC I’d probably sell. PM me if interested. I also have a Zoom iQ7 which I find I use a lot more. It’s more than adequate for my needs.
 
I received a Shure MV88 today. I've run into a big problem right away. I can't plug it into the lightning port on my phone. It doesn't fit with the phone in it's case. Taking the phone out of the case every time I want to record is a big PITA. I know there are adapters, but I don't think they would allow the mic to attach directly to the phone. It would end up dangling from a short chord. Bummer. Is there an adapter that plugs directly into the lightning port that the Shure MV88 then plugs directly into? If not, then I'll have to use a longer cable and set the mic on a surface, or maybe I can figure out how to attach it to the tripod????

Bummer :(
 
Thanks. The connection issue, plus the fact that the mic came with zero operating instructions, was definitely frustrating. I found the user manual online, and I’ll get that extension adapter. One other question. What preset do you use? I’m guessing the audio works best, but I recall someone mentioning the flat setting as being good?
 
I think I'm just using the out of the box option. I haven't played with that side of it at all. All I know is that it is a better recording than from the iPhone, which isn't bad by itself.
 
I think I'm just using the out of the box option. I haven't played with that side of it at all. All I know is that it is a better recording than from the iPhone, which isn't bad by itself.

Did you just plug in the mic and record, or do you have to download the MOTIV app?
 
I use the Shure MV88 and it's excellent - can record audio or video using it's own apps, or into iOS apps natively. The app has a superb range of settings for microphone field and volume etc. Really really good. I tend to go into the Motiv app before using it, set it up, then it remembers those settings when you use it in something like iMovie

My only gripe - it does zap the battery a little, and you cant pass through a charging cable when using it. Minor gripe though.

https://www.gotaukulele.com/2018/02/shure-motiv-mv88-ios-stereo-condenser.html
 
Thanks Barry. As always, your review is a wealth of information.
 
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