Is an iPhone just as good for recording audio as the microphones music producers use?

XPcentric · Feb 20, 2013, 02:18 PM

Is an iPhone just as good for recording audio as the microphones that music producers use?

basesloaded190 · Feb 20, 2013, 02:20 PM

No.

MacDawg · Feb 20, 2013, 02:22 PM

LOL, no, not even close

pnyc · Feb 20, 2013, 02:37 PM

Yes the iPhone is actually better that's why those pro microphones cost few thousand bucks a piece. Makes sense? No? Okay.

adcx64 · Feb 20, 2013, 02:42 PM

It's better than one of the cheaper mics out there, but no where close to a pro mic. Check out the Blue Snowball. It's cheap and really nice.

zimv20 · Feb 20, 2013, 03:17 PM

it's a tricky question.

the iphone is not as good as what an engineer would use. as far as what a producer would use, i suppose it depends on the producer.

Jessica Lares · Feb 20, 2013, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XPcentric

Is an iPhone just as good for recording audio as the microphones that music producers use?

The microphones used in production vary: 1) Sound from all sides - Omnidirectional, 2) Sound from one direction - Cardioid, 3) Sound from two sides - Bi-directional

There's also different types of microphones, condenser, dynamic, ribbon, are the main types. All of them have different ranges, and all of them can only handle a certain amount of sound being thrown to them.

With the exception of the iPhone 5, all the iPhones have an omnidirectional microphone. The iPhone 5 has three, but they're all very narrow for clear/louder sound when you're speaking.

Like the others are saying, you want to invest into a proper microphone. The iPhone will record some things nicely, like a soft voice, and maybe acoustics to an extent, but it will mostly give you horrible, muffled, echoey sound otherwise.

Peace · Feb 20, 2013, 03:38 PM

Is this a joke ?

Most pro microphones cost more than the iPhone unsubsidized .

spoonie1972 · Feb 20, 2013, 03:57 PM

Sadly, its built-in speaker seems to be good enough for most people to listen to.

/sad panda

Weerez935 · Feb 20, 2013, 05:13 PM

Yup I'm trading my Neumann for an iPhone 5s lol

bwhli · Feb 20, 2013, 11:04 PM

If these music producers are using iPhone 5's, then yes.

Mrbobb · Feb 20, 2013, 11:20 PM

U mean a self-employed garage "producer?" or a real producer with his own office and expense account?

See that Mic Dave Letterman has on his desk? costs $10,000. I bet it's better than the iPhone's.

ChrisA · Feb 20, 2013, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XPcentric

Is an iPhone just as good for recording audio as the microphones that music producers use?

No. If you buy even a cheap ($100) microphone you will be able to hear that it is dramatically better than the iPhone's mic. But you don't see real engineers in studios using $100 microphones, they tend to like the high-end stuff. But even an entry level Mic is just a world apart for a iPhone.

Much of the added quality comes from the much better electronics and more importantly the ability to adjust the "levels" in the preamp to audio interface. The Mic. on the iPhone does not have analog gain adjustment.

----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by spoonie1972

Sadly, its built-in speaker seems to be good enough for most people to listen to.

Yes my 14 year old daughter either can't hear or doesn't. But I think the reason is that today kids don't give a hoot about the music, it's the performers that are liking. It is the personality that is being marketed, not the music.

cheekypaul · Feb 21, 2013, 04:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XPcentric

Is an iPhone just as good for recording audio as the microphones that music producers use?

no its not but it is useful. they say the best camera is the one you have on you, might go for mics too. you will get perfectly acceptable, if lo-fi results with the iPhone.

in the meantime look here

http://m.ixymic.com/
http://www.wiretotheear.com/tag/field-recording/
http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/irigmic/
http://italksync.com/

zimv20 · Feb 21, 2013, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrbobb

See that Mic Dave Letterman has on his desk? costs $10,000.

to which mic are you referring?

mcdj · Mar 5, 2013, 02:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrbobb

ee that Mic Dave Letterman has on his desk? costs $10,000. I bet it's better than the iPhone's.

One man's $10,000 mic is another man's $2900 one.

BigRed1 · Mar 6, 2013, 11:36 AM

Don't totally write off the $100 mics. A lot of producers and engineers will use SM57s and SM58s in the studio. I don't, but I don't begrudge anyone who does.

mannix87 · Mar 6, 2013, 01:05 PM

Hell no

Feb 20, 2013, 02:18 PM	#1
XPcentric macrumors regular Join Date: Oct 2008	Is an iPhone just as good for recording audio as the microphones music producers use? Is an iPhone just as good for recording audio as the microphones that music producers use?
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Feb 20, 2013, 02:20 PM	#2
basesloaded190 macrumors 68030 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Wisconsin	No. __________________ 2011 MacBook Pro 15 HR Anti-Glare, Etymotic ER-4p, iPhone 4 32GB Twitter
	3

Feb 20, 2013, 02:37 PM	#4
pnyc macrumors regular Join Date: May 2007 Location: Brooklyn, NY	Yes the iPhone is actually better that's why those pro microphones cost few thousand bucks a piece. Makes sense? No? Okay. __________________ *MacBook Pro i7, 8GB, 250GB SSD ; 27" LED Apple Cinema Display*
	1

Feb 20, 2013, 02:42 PM	#5
adcx64 macrumors 65816 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: The Moon	It's better than one of the cheaper mics out there, but no where close to a pro mic. Check out the Blue Snowball. It's cheap and really nice. __________________ Jailbroken iPhone 5 Black/Slate Verizon LTE PlayStation 3 320GB PowerMac G4 MDD Dual 1.25GHz 7455B-2GB RAM-1TB Storage-Radeon 9800 Pro-10.5.8
	0

Feb 20, 2013, 03:17 PM	#6
zimv20 macrumors 601 Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: chicago	it's a tricky question. the iphone is not as good as what an engineer would use. as far as what a producer would use, i suppose it depends on the producer. __________________ Oct 2011: check out my band's first album @ boxsetauthentic.com
	0

Feb 20, 2013, 02:22 PM	#3
MacDawg Demi-God (Moderator) Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: "Between the Hedges"	LOL, no, not even close
	0

Feb 20, 2013, 03:38 PM	#8
Peace macrumors P6 Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Space--The ONLY Frontier	Is this a joke ? Most pro microphones cost more than the iPhone unsubsidized .
	0

Feb 20, 2013, 03:57 PM	#9
spoonie1972 macrumors 6502 Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Toronto	Sadly, its built-in speaker seems to be good enough for most people to listen to. /sad panda __________________ 2012 MPB 15, 16GB, 512SSD, Geek 11941 - Logic Audio 2009 Mac Pro, 64GB, 5,1 Firmware, X5570 swap x2. Geek 18185 - VEP5, Kontakt, etc.
	0

Feb 20, 2013, 05:13 PM	#10
Weerez935 macrumors regular Join Date: Dec 2012	Yup I'm trading my Neumann for an iPhone 5s lol
	1

Feb 20, 2013, 11:04 PM	#11
bwhli macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Boston, MA	If these music producers are using iPhone 5's, then yes. __________________ 15" rMBP, 2.3 GHZ, 16 GB RAM \| 32 GB White iPhone 5 \| 16 GB Black iPad 4 @bwhli \| http://bwhli.com \| MainStage for Musical Theatre
	0

Feb 20, 2013, 11:20 PM	#12
Mrbobb macrumors 68020 Join Date: Aug 2012	U mean a self-employed garage "producer?" or a real producer with his own office and expense account? See that Mic Dave Letterman has on his desk? costs $10,000. I bet it's better than the iPhone's. __________________ Solution: FREE, Explanation: Is gonna cost ya.
	0

Mar 6, 2013, 11:36 AM	#17
BigRed1 macrumors member Join Date: Dec 2011	Don't totally write off the $100 mics. A lot of producers and engineers will use SM57s and SM58s in the studio. I don't, but I don't begrudge anyone who does.
	0

Mar 6, 2013, 01:05 PM	#18
mannix87 macrumors 6502 Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: in the southeast	Hell no __________________ if you can read this, you're sitting too close to your Mac.
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