iPhone field recordings products

[marcnyc]

I'm looking to do some field recordings on an upcoming trip (soon) and want to buy a stereo microphone for the iPhone.
Does anyone have any real world experience with the Blue Mikey (Mikey) and Logitec LIC-iREC03P ( Logitec LIC-iREC03P )?
Does anyone know of any other products that work with the iPhone 3G (not iPod)?
Thanks

[marcnyc]

anyone at all?

[Skulls615]

I'm biased because I work for Blue, but I can tell you that the Mikey is pretty different from the Logitech. Our mic is a bit newer and we put some technology into it that I haven't seen anyone else doing. I don't believe the Logitech one records in stereo, because as far as I know, our Mikey is the only one that records in stereo.

We also have an APP called Blue Fire, although 4track and the regular version of Fire, kick ass.

Hope that helps.

[63hz]

iDEC A/V Playback and Recording Rack Interface for iPod
great unit works great with iphones

[marcnyc]

I was looking for portable so the the iDEC doesn't work for me but thanks....

Skulls615, could you elaborate on "we put some technology into it"? Would love to know more about it since the literature doesn't even say how the mics are placed.

The Logitech is definitely stereo, by the way, look at the link.

[Corran]

A guy I worked with had the Mikey, and I was very surprised at the sound from just that. For recording little things and maybe bootlegging a concert (sorry but that's what he was doing!) it worked fine. Probably easier and more covert than a handheld recorder, but I'd say that even a cheap $300 handheld was a bit of an upgrade in sound. Assuming you have the iPod though, I guess it's a bargain option (I feel like I might be one of the only people in America to not have an iPod).

[rackdude]

I saw an Alesis product that gives you line and mic ins but it looks bulky.

[marcnyc]

works with iPhone? link please?

[secondbridge]

Originally Posted by marcnyc

Does anyone have any real world experience with the Blue Mikey (Mikey)

I used the Mikey and my iPhone 3G in rehearsal last night (loud-ish rock band). The sound quality was a noticeable improvement over the on-board iPhone mic. However there were a few drawbacks:

1. When used with my iPhone it would quit recording randomly. 6 seconds. 9 seconds. 3 minues. 20 minutes. etc. Nothing consistent. The first hour of rehearsal didn't get recorded because of this. Thinking it might be my overloaded iPhone, I restored the iPhone this morning and tried it again a few times. Same deal: 3 minutes here 12 minutes there. The Voice Memo app would just quit without warning.
2. Even at the lowest sensitivity setting the recording was still pretty clipped and distorted. That's to be expected I suppose so maybe not an actual drawback.

And the good points:

1. It did work fine with a regular iPod 5G (not an iPod Touch). I let it run for three hours this morning with no problems (except for a mysterious buzzing sound when it was not in record mode. I didn't investigate that).
2. Sound was an improvement over iPhone internal mic. Quiet sources like solo acoustic guitar sound good.

All in all I decided I rather not futz with it. I returned it today and ordered a Tascam DR07.

[jeremy.c.]

Originally Posted by Skulls615

...because as far as I know, our Mikey is the only one that records in stereo.

I have yet to be able to get my Mikey to record in stereo with FiRe or Blue FiRe on my iPhone. It doesn't light up (which I guess is normal on the iPhone?) but it seems to capture audio otherwise. Maybe mine is busted. Any thoughts? I can't find a dang thing about it on the interwebs. I even plug it in before launching FiRe which is supposed to force FiRe into stereo mode. Is this a iPod only feature?

[marcnyc]

The Logitech seems like a better product but because it is currently only available from Asia and because the Mikey is cheaper, I decided to get my a Mikey and try it out.
I got it in the mail today. I already see things I don't like about it but I will give it a real world test the next few weeks and if I don't like it or it doesn't work well I'll just return it.
I'll report back.

[marcnyc]

I've had a few weeks to test the Mikey. Overall I am pleased but I do have some complaints.
The sound quality is reasonable for a product in this price range. The software that comes with it is also pretty easy and comprehensive (there is a pro version for $10 with more features).

The biggest gripe I have is that you cannot listen to what you are recording while you are recording it! This is such a basic need for any field recording device that I really don't understand why they didn't get this right at Blue!

Other problems I ran into with Mikey are:
1. sometimes when you plug it in it is not recognized as stereo microphone and it tries to record in mono... you have to physically unplug it and plug it back it
2. the internal playback speaker is practically useless... if you try to play something through it the volume is so low that you can't hear it... in fact I had to disconnect the Mikey and listen through the speaker of the iPhone which was louder.

Software problems I ran into were:
1. it's easy to accidentally record over something you recorded previously if you don't lock your recordings or you don't create a new recording every time (which I think should happen by default)
2. it's time-consuming to transfer your recordings to the computer... you have to do it one by one over WiFi or FTP... It would be MUCH better if you could access the recordings via USB and drag-and-drop

I wonder if there's a way to let Blue know about all of this... is that Blue employee still reading this?

[rackdude]

Originally Posted by marcnyc

works with iPhone? link please?

ProTrack Handheld Stereo Recorder for iPod

Looking more closely, no. It doesn't work with the iphone. Sorry.

[Skulls615]

The new Mikey comes with a headphone jack accessory allowing you to monitor while recording. It also has a line in and the ability to charge while using (mini-USB).

It should be fairly easy to get this in your computer Marc. Just plug it in and ITunes recognizes it as a voice-memo.

It does work with the iPhone and the second generation one is iPhone certified. For now, you have to put it in airplane mode.

My Logitech doesn't record into stereo.

What else can I do to help?

[marcnyc]

This is great! I just returned my old Mikey to buy the new one... Looking forward to try all these new features! Much welcomed upgrade!

[Skulls615]

You may have returned it too soon. The new one doesn't come out for another few months or so.

[marcnyc]

oops :-)
well, I had to or I couldn't have

[9sbean]

Curious, how do you answer the phone when recording?

[marcnyc]

you don't, it goes in Flight Mode so your calls go to Voicemail

[9sbean]

Why not use a pocket recorder such as Zoom H2, Tascam DR07...at similar low cost, yet higher quality.
Keep iPhone open for more business?

[marcnyc]

I just wanted something portable and having a clip on attachment for a device I know I am ALWAYS gonna have with me was the most appealing...
plus other factors, like how cheap it is, the fact that I don't nee to carry another charger and another cable everywhere I go and the fact that I am not doing field recordings for a library, a movie, a job or even a specific project

[9sbean]

Yeah, that's a good point, I shall try the same when I get my iPhone 3Gs.thumbsup

[fiddler59]

I am very interested in the Mikey but I have a 3rd generation Ipod Touch. Does the old one work with this model Ipod, or is the new 2nd generation Mikey more compatable ??


David Blackmon

[drycounty]

I got a Blue Mikey from Amazon for around $40 back in November and used it to record stuff all over Australia while I was there. I think it's a fantastic item and bring it with me everywhere these days.

Here's an example recording of some of the thousands of bats found perched on the pines throughout Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens:

http://alturl.com/297o

While it might not be as good as the old Nagra gear I once got to use, there is no comparison when it comes to convenience. The mere ability to do decent stereo recordings via my phone is amazing, and even magical.

Transferring files via wifi is amazing. Very exciting to hear that the new model will have the ability to monitor while recording. I may have to get a second. This one is getting beat up, being in my pocket every day.