Audiobus: Use your music apps together.
What is Audiobus? — Audiobus is an award-winning music app for iPhone and iPad which lets you use your other music apps together. Chain effects on your favourite synth, run the output of apps or Audio Units into an app like GarageBand or Loopy, or select a different audio interface output for each app. Route MIDI between apps — drive a synth from a MIDI sequencer, or add an arpeggiator to your MIDI keyboard — or sync with your external MIDI gear. And control your entire setup from a MIDI controller.
Download on the App StoreAudiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.
Recommendations for a portable recorder
![[Deleted User]](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/837e279b234fb910fa772e3a5df964b9/?default=https%3A%2F%2Fvanillicon.com%2Fd72d79c13c76c06a9941a393b48dcaa5_200.png&rating=g&size=200)
I'm thinking about asking the Mrs/Santa for a portable recorder, as I'd like to do better quality field recording.
Recommendations around the hundred quid mark would be welcome - the most essential thing being it sounds better than my iPhone, which is pants at recording audio via the mic. I'm looking at the Zoom H2n, or the cheap Tascams...that sort of thing:
Any feedback would be useful - might talk me out of it but it'd be good to know the pros and cons of the cheaper end of the market, and whether it's much of a step up from using the SE.
Cheers!
Comments
I use my iPhone as a fieldrecorder using a Sure MV88 microphone.
The software and the recordings are quite good and I love to use it also with some apps like FieldScaper. 😊
I don’t want to carry one more gear with me. 😎
Just the microphone (it’s small and lightweight...
https://www.amazon.com/Shure-Condenser-Microphone-Windjammer-Windscreen/dp/B01DIPN1V8/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1544200653&sr=8-4&keywords=Shure+MV88
Can't comment on the audio quality, but one of these would slip into a pocket pretty well.
Thanks chandroji - hmm...I wondered about just buying a mic for the phone, whether the quality would still be good enough. I'll do some research!
I'll take a look - thanks!
The mv 88 quality is fantastic but it’s a battery/data drain. Prob your best bet though
I have been using an H4n for years and I love it. I've recorded rehearsals with it, used it as a practice tool (built in tuner and guitar effects), cut demos with it (built in 4-track), recorded gigs with it (can record via the internal mic and two XLR/TRS inputs simiultaneously), record audio for my videos with it (both via internal mic for my voice and line in from the iPad), and I use it as an audio interface while recording.
The price point is a bit higher than the H2n, but it is really ridiculous how much this little thing does. I now have countless hours of gig and rehearsal recordings that no one will ever hear!
Seriously, though - you can't go wrong with one of these Zoom recorders. Even the H2 is dynamite.
one of the nicest ones ( for me anyway )
was the sony pcm-M10 , they discontinued it a year or so ago and it was going cheap ( £100 ish ) for a while... not sure if you can find them still for sale??
i can uphold the notion that the MV-88 makes decent recordings , though i don’t have an iphone only an ipad. so i don’t “get it out in public” often
Rode do a similar thing, which sounds pretty nice. The only problem - and I'd be interested to find out if this is true of the Shure too - is that since the headphone jack went there's no way to monitor what you're recording.
@pauly
It’s true! I use the AirPods for monitoring.
There is another problem with the Rode Lightning Mic.
You can not use the Homebutton when the Mic is attached... 😎
One more thing...
it is also not possible to change the position of the microphone. Alignment is not possible!
That’s why I went with the Sure MV-88...
https://www.amazon.com/Rode-IXYL-Condenser-Microphone-Cardioid/dp/B00MHTVIDU/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1544205349&sr=8-4&keywords=rode+lightning
Ah right thanks. Thing that worries me with those is they use a Lightning connector, so I'm guessing that rules out new phones.
Yeah my mate swears by the H2. Problem with this stuff is you look at the next model up and it does even better things....and before you know it you've blown the budget
Thanks for the feedback.
That's not what I've heard!
Sorry, thanks...yeah can't find an M10 for sale, though Amazon have a PCM-D100 for £660, so I'll skip that one. Quite a few votes for the MV-88 now then....still concerned about that Lightning connector though....
No votes for the Tascam's yet..
I am quite tempted by the H2. The Mrs is out at a works party tonight, so I'll check what the xmas budget is when she gets back pissed and guilty I've been stuck at home all night.
I'm still not 100% sure I'll get much use from one - it's just bleak empty hills and sheep here. Still, I could probably get an album out of that. Just want to add a bit more 'found sounds' to my things.
it was just a phase... and it’s coming over all wet n wintery now...
... oops!
i’ll sell you my mv-88 cheap.... if i can ever afford one of these new fangled pro pads with the usb-c
don’t hold yr breath..
So the AirPods don't work for monitoring with the Shure? My understanding is that this is an IOS/Lightning/Bluetooth limitation.
I should add, I think Rode consider this a dead product. They certainly aren't interested in improving it. I'm hoping that once USB-C works it's way through to the iPhones someone will release something that addresses field recording a bit better. Something that you can put in your pocket, which provides decent stereo mics and a headphone output. It's ironic that my daughter's old iPod touch does exactly this with the Rode mic, but my iPhone doesn't.
Might be tempted if it's not all sticky. Problem is I've got a four year old Air 2 that heats up like a cafeteria/tea room (it stopped doing that after iOS12, but started again recently), and an ailing SE so I'm going to have to get one of those new fangled flipping usb-c fickers at some point. We'll see who's resolve cracks first and I'll pick up the pieces, cheap like.
it’s not sticky...
... but it is bulbous.
I can give mv88 a thumbs up but it does pose a problem for monitoring. The piece of crap plastic irig field is not as nice sounding but does have a headphone jack for monitoring.
Oops, now you’re asking again I’m not sure anymore. I have to check it again. 😎
It'd be a reason to buy AirPods. I have a Plantronics running headset and a set of B&O bluetooth earbuds, and neither of those work.
I can't see myself buying a new iPad for quite a while - No real new features, old features removed, the one metric that I really care about - battery life - seems to get worse with every generation.
Was more thinking the next batch of iPhones will probably go USB-C. Of course the iPhone XXX (or whatever) will have a battery life of under an hour.
I have the H2n, it is ok. It works fine. The mics are adequate. Mid/Side option is cool, for recording single sources, if you dig stereo mic techniques. Very stable, never lost a recording. Batteries last a long time, but not forever. I use the line in, a lot. It can record the line in and the mic at the same time, I’ve made a lot of nice concert recordings mixing the board and the mics. You can fit it on a mic stand with a little adapter that screws into the unit, something you can’t do with a phone easily.
Things I wish it had were more inputs, and the line in was 2x 1/4” inputs. Basically the H4n or the H6.
If the main goal is recording music, interviews, field recordings, I would get a stand alone recorder. If the goal is to record samples or band practice to use in iOS, a little usb mic would be better, because it is a little chore to drain recordings from the recorder, crop and label them.
For $100 though,I think you could get better microphones with a little stereo guy that plugs into the iPhone/ipad, as long as you have extra hard drive space.
Zoom iQ7 looks cool- lightning connector, mid side stereo microphone, a real knob for gain, headphone jack. $79
Cheers for the replies guys, lots of good info there so I’m off to do a bit of research
The Rode i-XY is what I use too, it's excellent and works great with the iPhone. Except for monitoring though I never did that anyway.
Based on what you're looking for, I really think the H4n is what you need. I know the cost may sting a bit more in the short term, but I've always been a believer in spending a bit more to get the right thing.
Just looking at that, that is very nice...
I use a zoom h6 it’s a beast...
It’s also an audio interface and a standalone multitrack audio recorder mixer in the clutch
I also have an h6 and it is awesome, it was $300 on reverb, the h5 is very similar and can be had in the $200 range. H4n is good too but the h5 and h6 have better preamps in them, real gain knobs, and a pad for line input.
H4n is good, but h5/6 definitely better.
The H5 has served me nicely the past few years. Sounds decent and has lots of options. It’s too big to throw in a pocket, but I usually have a small pack to toss it into. It has a nice feel for the price, doesn’t feel cheap at all. Good luck on your search!