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Rode SC6L/Best Preamp for iPhone 7 and up?
Howdy folks,
Long time lurker, first time poster.
I'm looking to get some input in regards to the best way to set up the different iOS midi/modular da```w components.
Quick background info:
I primarily find myself working on my iPhone 7, as I always have it with me and am always working on something when I get a few free minutes. Also have an iPad mini 2 and an iPad 2017 (I share this with my fiancee, who also makes music, but is not as into the technical stuff).
I have arrived here by way of touring musician-> default band engineer using DAT's at our practice studio->Pro-Tools!->disgust with Pro Tools->learning Logic and more recently Ableton, and finally picking up iMaschine last fall, which lead to huge increase in time spent making “fun” music along. with the occasional rhythm track for one of my guitar based songs, which I would generally import into Maschine hosted in Logic.
Anyways, at some point I started reading about iOS apps and got the Moog package, and was hooked. I started reading this forum a couple months ago, but have only recently hit, critical mass, you know... Not only owning apeMatrix, but having enough synths/sound generators to fill 2 of the 3 matrices without using multiple instances. This, along with the purchase of a new (last model) iPad, made me realize the only really lacking was a way to record live audio
TL;DR
So that leads to the matter at hand; we are looking for a preamp, mostly for vocals I'm assuming, as I have a decent array of mics/amps and will likely track instruments into macOS.
I tend be more accepting of experimental vocals as long as there is good bass tone.
I was all set to go with the standard iRig, when I realized that it might not be compatible with the iPhone 7.
Around the same time I found this little guy,
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SC6L--rode-sc6-l-mobile-interface-for-ios
Thought it would be cool to be able to do duets with the Mrs, and as I am planning to do a bunch of interviews for a podcast next year, I thought it might be worth a shot.
Has anyone tried this thing out?
Any advice regarding iPhone 7, and whether the dongle will work with other pre-amps?
Any recommendations outside of IK?
Lay it on me.
Comments
Here's a pic.
I would pick up a proper audio interface instead of what seems to be an overpriced dongle
Welcome @Thardus, there are no pre amps on this as it’s a line input, but looks like it will be useful, affordable and good quality (imo), and besides, Rode have been building some quality gear lately.. I’m looking forward to the soon to be released iOS camera mic from Rode..-
http://www.watsonwu.com/blog/2018/8/3/videomic-me-l-at-the-beach
@Thardus that Rode interface doesn't seem to have phantom power, so it's only good with dynamic mics, not condensers.
In your shoes I would spend a little more and something like an Audient ID4. It would be much more fully-featured, capable of driving condenser mics, and the quality is great.
The Røde SC6L is primarily made for the SmartLav+ microphones so the input expects TRRS type connections and will NOT work with line-level sources. Just thought it's worth to mention...
You can do dual vocal tracks with a single microphone if it features the figure-8 pattern, as pictured in the biginning of this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=165&v=kXtSeODQM0o
There is of course no perfect channel separation (which wouldn't exist in the same room at close distance anyway), but the response is often considered very natural.
Some chinese ribbon mics are surprisingly good (in relation to price tag), some have quite high output levels (more than a Shure SM57) and they usually have a fairly high bass response in close distance use.
The most portable solution (working with such a setup) is the Apogee One, an iRig Pro hasn't enough gain.
Thanks for the input guys, I didn't catch that @Samu, thanks. I knew it was essentially part of a set, but was hoping to use something it for something like this:
Probably should mention that I'm looking primarily for something small and sturdy, and it would be for field recordings and demo/scratch vox for the most part.
Although... I try to never rule anything out, some of my favorite vocals were recorded with the line mic on the 2008 MacBook Pro. Generally speaking though, when a song gets to a point that I consider it worthy of "full" production, I would almost certainly be recording vocals at the home studio, or at least with a condenser and my old portable studio, a Komplete 6 w/ a MacBook Pro. Funny how a few months working primarily with iOS makes a stuffed laptop case + suitcase of hardware seem positively unenlightened.
Anyways, on that note, ideally I''m looking for something that is small, sturdy and utilitarian; something that can be taken along with us on hikes, can be used to record a few lines on long drives, etc. In other words, this would be the rig you have with you to capture those spontaneous moments when a melody hits you, or you hear some strange noise and want to sample it.
So on one end of the spectrum, the IConnectivity stuff seems simple amazing:
between 2 and 6 re-routable audio channels, so it can work as a headphone amp, a mic pre, is bus powered and can be used to route midi and audio between 2 devices; your iPad and your MacBook, your MacBook and your iMac, or your mac and your bandmates PC for that matter.
On the other hand, there is the iRig HD, which is almost as much as the entry level iConnectivity unit, but is much smaller, is a known quantity, comes with AmpliTube, etc...
Or the Apogee One, which has all its power focused into one feature, and seems awesome, but probably more than I need if I'm going to do most of the final tracking in Logic. By the time you add a full size mic, cords, and probably a power pack or two, they no longer seem to have much of a size advantage.
In the end, it seems like the simplest solution may be using a USB mic, assuming you can get enough gain and don't care about recording anything at line level.
I know Blue has some good ones that seem to get consistently high reviews and assuming they work plugged directly into the CCK, although I suppose this doesn't help with recording instruments using line-in.
Otherwise, I'd say something like this looks ideal, at least in regards to the size and minimalism I'm going for. https://smile.amazon.com/Blue-Icicle-XLR-Converter-Preamp/dp/B001EW5YQS
The less complex you can make it, the less that can go wrong.
The more you can do with one device, the less complex your entire setup is.
So I'm a bit stumped.
Do most of you guys iRigs, or some kind of mid-range + preamps with multiple ins?
Are people doing vocals exclusively with iOS, and if so, are you happy with it?
I know most of you are primarily using iPad's, but for those using iPhone 7 and up, does the 1/8" converter work with IK and the other entry level gear?
I saw that the iRig HD has a lightning adapter, but the cheaper one does not. Frankly, I was pretty confused when I first plugged something into an iPad only to find there wasn't an input option. If Apple continues cutting all of our ports, we will apparently be relying on this kind of stuff even more in the future.
PS: I realize I just diverted from the initial topic quite a bit, should I delete this and start a new post and/or a poll?
Quote_@Thardus_”Probably should mention that I'm looking primarily for something small and sturdy, and it would be for field recordings and demo/scratch vox for the most part.
Although... I try to never rule anything out,”
I record sounds in the field also, mostly fx sounds and impulse responses.. I have sennheiser mkh 70, 2 x mkh 8040’s, 2 x DPA 4060’s, Pair of Crown PZMs, Barcus berry contact mic, and soon the Rode videomic me-L ios because it’s very quick and simple for capturing those unexpected sounds.
I always carry a phone, so all I need is to put this handy lil’ mic in my pocket as well.. It plugs directly into the lightning, and I’m ready to record in seconds.
Yes a few of us record vocals using nothing but iOS devices. Personally I use an iPad Air 2 and a Scarlett 2i4 with a small collection of condenser mics, but I do also sometimes record final vocals with a Shure MV51 which is portable and rugged and sounds OK to me (warm rather than bright).
For scratch vocals I just use the built-in mic of the iPad, it's fine, just a bit hissy and sounds like it's been through a high-pass filter. If you want to record with the built-in mic from the phone you should try the Izotope Spire app, it's got some amazing DSP that makes the built-in mic sound pretty good. In fact maybe the Spire hardware itself might be just what you're after, but if not then the app is definitely worth checking out.
In that case you've NOT set the system to 'measuring mode'. The default mic setting indeed has a 100Hz highpass filter engaged and a fast auto-gain processing, which is responsible for the hiss.
In measuring mode and manual gain setting the internal mic (or rather the mic array) performs remarkably well - similiar to many budget condensor mics.
Most of the difference results from the non-directional characteristic (no bass enhance at close distance) and the positioning of the device. If you'd use it like a regular mic, the screen would point away from.
The latest Apogee mic is a coop with Sennheiser, based on their MK4 model.
I use an iCA4+ a central studio routing device, connecting 2 IOS units or an iPad to a Windoze 7 DAW on the host ports. Analog in/out 3+4 are either connected to a Pro Tools TDM rig or a Creamware Scope system (for switch I simply replug the cables).
It's very versatile and has a reasonable audio quality (considering price range).
Not as good as my Audient ID22, but that's complaing on a high level.
Yes good point - you can set measurement mode on in Audioshare or in the settings in Auria - I forgot about this. TBH for scratch vocals I don't care since they are just for recording ideas. But if you want to squeeze the max quality from the built-in mic it's worth doing. It would be interesting to compare measurement mode in Audioshare with the Spire app to see which is better.
If you don't need the 4+ there's always
https://www.iconnectivity.com/products/audio/iconnectaudio2plus
Which one has a line-input? I would love to be able to sample some stuff, and I don't want to use headphone jack for that, or splash 300 pounds for it. Something basic but still a good quality, anything to recommend? thanks!
The Behringer UCA-202 is a real classic if it can still be found.
Thanks, will check eBay
Sounds like your looking for something similar to me, here's a list of iOS mics from Sweetwater that's short, but covers a broad spectrum.
https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/5-great-mini-mics-for-ios/