Double Bass iPhone Mic: Zoom iQ7 - alternatives?

[Steve Freides]

I have been using a Zoom iQ7 mic for years now for casual recording. It plugs into the Lightning port on my iPhone. For me, it's a good step up from the built-in mic, and it checks all the boxes I want/need: it's small, has its own gain control, improves sound quality of recordings noticeably, and it's only $100. Typically I just plug it in and then use either of two built-in apps: voice memo or camera, the latter for video + audio.

I'm curious to hear of there are other mics anyone else uses that are small, plug directly into the phone, and otherwise do what this one does but are perhaps better in some way that makes them worth trying?

FWIW, I don't just use this for bass but for everything - classical guitar, piano, brass, etc. It seems to handle everything well.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

-S-

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

I’ve been using a Shure MV88 with good results for several years now.

 

[Steve Freides]

I’ve been using a Shure MV88 with good results for several years now.

Chris, that looks like it uses a microphone cord. The one I’ve been using just plugs right into my phone and that’s a feature I’ve gotten to like because it’s one less thing I watched a videos and the one I saw had it plugged into a laptop With a wire.

-S-

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

The model I have plugged straight into my phone. However, since Apple keeps changing the adapters and the lightning adapter will be gone with the next phone, I think the mic will become useless. So it’s kind of a trade off I guess.

 

[birgedb]

A friend of mine has an Audigo mic that is pretty nice. I think it only works with Apple at the moment, and it uses a Bluetooth connection to record as well.

 

[Steve Freides]

The model I have plugged straight into my phone. However, since Apple keeps changing the adapters and the lightning adapter will be gone with the next phone, I think the mic will become useless. So it’s kind of a trade off I guess.

Yes, I guess I'll be looking for a small mic with a USB-C connector if I want it to plug right into the phone.

My current iPhone is a 10 - I may opt for a 15 when the 16's come out and then be good with a lightning connector for a while longer.

I appreciate the input, Chris - thanks.

-S-

 

[Steve Freides]

A friend of mine has an Audigo mic that is pretty nice. I think it only works with Apple at the moment, and it uses a Bluetooth connection to record as well.

The latency with Bluetooth would, I think, bother me. I certainly don't care for it when playing back over Bluetooth headphones.

-S-

 

[marcox]

The latency with Bluetooth would, I think, bother me. I certainly don't care for it when playing back over Bluetooth headphones.

-S-

I've been eyeing the Audigo -- it looks pretty slick.

According to their website, "the recording actually happens on the microphone to the internal memory, so there is no risk of a poor connection, data compression or delay ruining the recording. Once you stop recording, the audio is automatically transferred to the app and synchronized with your project."

 

[Steve Freides]

I've been eyeing the Audigo -- it looks pretty slick.

According to their website, "the recording actually happens on the microphone to the internal memory, so there is no risk of a poor connection, data compression or delay ruining the recording. Once you stop recording, the audio is automatically transferred to the app and synchronized with your project."

Cool. I will look into this more.

-S-