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No access to laptop or computer, need to record via phone

ColdEye

ColdEye

Supporting Member
Oct 22, 2015
1,445
2,326
San Diego, CA
#1
So I don't have access to a laptop or computer, and I need to make some recordings. They don't need to be super high quality, as long as they are better than the stock mic on my android phone. Any device under 100 that I can use to just plug into my phone and get the files from, and upload them to the cloud? I have a bunch of cables and adapters. I will be using a zoom a3 as a preamp, also have some mics.
 
#2
Just plug the line out from the zoom into the phone, should work with any sound recorder app. The jack on most phones is also an input, but if not, cant you upload files from the zoom to your phone?

Btw, you can easily get a used laptop for under 100, and an audio interface for under 50
 
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#4
Wiremessiah said:
Just plug the line out from the zoom into the phone, should work with any sound recorder app. The jack on most phones is also an input, but if not, cant you upload files from the zoom to your phone?

Btw, you can easily get a used laptop for under 100, and an audio interface for under 50
Click to expand...


I just tried it right now, downloaded a bunch of apps too, but nothing seems to work. I used the mono/phones out of the a3 into the phone, and it doesn't record anything. Any particular apps you use? I do have an audio interface, can I just connect that to my phone via a USB adapter? I know all this would be easy with a laptop, but with my situation now it's not an option. Me and a friend are gonna be a 3week trip and we need to record some stuff while on the road, guitars for her and bass on mine. Whipping out the laptop is fine with me, but she more of a spur of the moment kind of person.
 
#5
I don't know what to tell you. The stock sound recorder on my android works just fine this way. I don't think any regular audio interface will work with a phone. I thought you had a zoom recorder, but the a3 is just a preamp, so maybe look for a zoom-type recorder with a mic. I am sure someone makes one under $100, probably some cheap chinese copy that works just as good. Apogee Jam is a guitar interface for an iphone, not sure what the android equivalent is. I think it's only one instrument at a time though.

The zoom type recorders have high quality condenser mics, and with the right placement (closer to bass probably) you can get very good recordings.
 
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#7
Wiremessiah said:
I don't know what to tell you. The stock sound recorder on my android works just fine this way. I don't think any regular audio interface will work with a phone. I thought you had a zoom recorder, but the a3 is just a preamp, so maybe look for a zoom-type recorder with a mic. I am sure someone makes one under $100, probably some cheap chinese copy that works just as good. Apogee Jam is a guitar interface for an iphone, not sure what the android equivalent is. I think it's only one instrument at a time though.

The zoom type recorders have high quality condenser mics, and with the right placement (closer to bass probably) you can get very good recordings.
Click to expand...

The mics / analog audio circuits of smartphones all have high pass filters that you can't switch off and that cut everything below 200 hz. Good for making phone calls, bad for recording bass.
At least with an iPhone, EVERY regular audio-interface (native drivers) works if you use an external power supply or a USB hub. Don't have experience with Android, but since Android 5.0 Android phones should work with every usb-interface that works with native drivers, too.
 
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#9
DirkP said:
The mics / analog audio circuits of smartphones all have high pass filters that you can't switch off and that cut everything below 200 hz. Good for making phone calls, bad for recording bass.
At least with an iPhone, EVERY regular audio-interface (native drivers) works if you use an external power supply or a USB hub. Don't have experience with Android, but since Android 5.0 Android phones should work with every usb-interface that works with native drivers, too.
Click to expand...

That's only for phone calls, otherwise tuners wouldn't work. I have guitar tuner that picks up notes in the high octaves of piano, which are far above 200hz
 
#12
seamonkey said:
That high pass was fixed way back in IOS6,
Invalid Link Removed

I'm not sure about Android
Click to expand...
Thank you, that is good - at least for me - news. But I kind of doubt that it is true for the inbuilt mic. This would be really disturbing during phone calls - at least for the ones you're talking too. Just think of touching the mic with your fingers or breathing into the mic while talking.
 
#16
DirkP said:
A high pass filter lets notes ABOVE a certain frequency pass. A low pass filter notes BELOW a certain frequency.
Click to expand...

Yeah I know that, I wasn't thinking. But I can also tune a bass on android, so obviously the low cut filter is not there. I think the high pass is meant for optimizing phone calls since speech doesn't have much under 200hz unless you are barry white.
 
#17
DirkP said:
Thank you, that is good - at least for me - news. But I kind of doubt that it is true for the inbuilt mic. This would be really disturbing during phone calls - at least for the ones you're talking too. Just think of touching the mic with your fingers or breathing into the mic while talking.
Click to expand...

It switches in for phone calls. No matter how modern and clean the IOS device is as a "computer", when it comes to phone lines they squeeze out everything to maximize the number of callers on the cell network. It's cut off high and low, it's compressed, it doesn't actually transmit the beginning or words, there's noise filters, ...

Unfortunately people equate the phone line fidelity to the fidelity the phone when used as a computer.

The built in mics actually work very good, but they are not omnidirectional enough to be a general purpose recording mic. A good omni external mic will solve that.
 

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