Microphone options are... ???

[EarthDawn]

So since Steve passed and the company is going down a terrible slope of mis-steps I was wondering if anyone has a work around so we can input a microphone other than the iPhone buds?

I have a Rode mic but of course it won't hook up to the headphone port even with a TRS to TRSS adaptor.

Some people still mobile PodCast and Edit Video using that Apple Program Final Cut Pro and need a decent sounding voice over...

So what have people come up with. Are there any plug and play solutions or is this a lost cause?


Thanks so much for the insight.

 

[campyguy]

Stop thinking in terms of input and start thinking in terms of throughput. Specifically, wideband audio (HD voice) and lossless audio. We use the wired "theBoom" and wireless Plantronics Edge UC for our work (dictation and communications) and I use an Edge UC (standard version) with my iPhone and Mac and a pair of Sony HW700DS Wireless Headphones with my Mac (via HDMI) that are pretty much the best wireless headphones on the planet for movies and the like.

Just look up wideband audio options that use a proper vocoder, and you'll discover that you've been using products that are pretty much stone age in design. All of my old "narrowband" products are in the bin, where they belong.

This, coming from a former LI'er from Northport. LI, where drivers for Grado headphones are still made by hand...

 

[EarthDawn]

In other words just plugging in a microphone to my MacBook Pro is not an option any more...

Its ashamed as there are great directional mics for DSLR cameras and now when you want to use that great mic to make additions or corrections you can't...

Thanks for the help... and yes I looked into what you suggested but it was not the avenue I was looking to go.

 

[leman]

I don't even remember when I saw a 3.5mm microphone last time... plenty of hi-quality USB stuff around. FYI, our lab people are doing phonetics research which involves accurate recordings of speech in a noise-isolated chamber. Yes, they use MacBooks for that. Didn't yet hear a single complain from them.

 

[campyguy]

No worries. If you're looking for a simple plug-in Mac solution, theBoom is just that. Also, the Blue Yeti is a "6-star" compatible USB mike for lots of speech software (check Nuance's web site for compatible headphones), and a couple of my friends use that mic for their jams and that unit is pretty natural sounding. My Edge UC has a dongle that plugs into a USB port - two minutes to pair it and it sound tons better than any other BT headset (I dictate letters and memos with this headset, and I'm a tech writer...).

Be patient, don't despair. Our Macs don't have WB audio for speech input "built-in". That's why I buy WB options. Good luck!

 

[priitv8]

On the cheap end there are various dongles available:
3.5mm Headphone Mic Audio Y Splitter Cable Female to Dual Male Converter Adapter

 

[RadioGaGa1984]

Couldn't be bothered after the first sentence.

 

[CE3]

Not sure how a general query regarding whether or not there are any good 3rd party 3.5mm input microphones qualifies as a misstep by Apple. But if you want a decent quality plug and play microphone, your best bet is USB.