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

No.

LOL, no, not even close

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

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.

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.

XPcentric said:

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

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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.

Is this a joke ?

Most pro microphones cost more than the iPhone unsubsidized .

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

/sad panda

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

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

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.

XPcentric said:

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

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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.

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spoonie1972 said:

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

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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.

XPcentric said:

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

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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/

Mrbobb said:

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

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to which mic are you referring?

Mrbobb said:

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

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

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.

Hell no