iPad/iPhone recording setup

[Tarkuz Toccata]

Kaya ko nasabi sa earlier post ko na para sa akin di practical ang usb mic for recording music. Di nya kaya approach yung flexibility and tone if you use xlr mic w/ boom stand. 
- You can easily position it wherever it sounds best while playing comfortably. Sa usb mic madalas ikaw pa ang kailang pumosisyon sa mic.
- If you want to increase the signal to noise ratio, you have to get up close to the mic.  If you have to crank up the gain on your mic para lang marinig, tataas din ang noise (ie, anything that you don't want to hear/record).

Para sa mga ayaw gumamit ng USB mic, a very simple solution is to use a mixer with built-in USB port such as:

Peavey PV6 USB


Peavey PV8 USB


Peavey PV10 USB


Peavey PV20 USB


 

[deltaslim]

The ART Pre has never been known for being quiet, my former StudioV3 notwithstanding. Have you compared between using usb power and the adapter?

Hi KitC - I did more tests and found that the noise is simply a product of the increase in gain, ie, the Dual Pre is only amplifying the noise that is already present in the environment (room/house) along with the signal. Before the gain jump, I can hear some of that same room noise already. I guess I just have to address the room noise issue first, and get used to the jump in the gain knob.

Other than that, I don't know of any usb mixer/audio interface that has all these features and can be powered (including phantom power) solely by the iPad. Very portable and easy to use, giving you more time for creating music. It reminds me of what they say about the popularity of the iPhone as camera: the best camera is the one you always bring with you.

[iankevinangeles]

Meron ako niyan! Ang problema kung wala ka namang vocal booth or studio.. Pick up niya lahat ng sound kahit yung mga sasakyan sa labas.. Hahaha

Pero yun nga ang pinakaportable at sobrang okay naman para sakin ang quality, yun lang condenser mic ko eh..

Hahaha that is so true! But I guess it's because of the 3-pattern settings that opened up the mic's sensitivity. Unlike microphones that are only cardioid, maybe?

Hi KitC - I did more tests and found that the noise is simply a product of the increase in gain, ie, the Dual Pre is only amplifying the noise that is already present in the environment (room/house) along with the signal. Before the gain jump, I can hear some of that same room noise already. I guess I just have to address the room noise issue first, and get used to the jump in the gain knob.

Other than that, I don't know of any usb mixer/audio interface that has all these features and can be powered (including phantom power) solely by the iPad. Very portable and easy to use, giving you more time for creating music. It reminds me of what they say about the popularity of the iPhone as camera: the best camera is the one you always bring with you.

I suggest you turn that pre-amp/gain down. I've learned that it is best to track with a low gain and just process the tracks after, to maximize the volume of the whole master track.. I track never above -18db (it can reach up to -10/-12db sometimes though)

[deltaslim]

I suggest you turn that pre-amp/gain down. I've learned that it is best to track with a low gain and just process the tracks after, to maximize the volume of the whole master track.. I track never above -18db (it can reach up to -10/-12db sometimes though)

This is a good suggestion! Thanks.

[iankevinangeles]

This is a good suggestion! Thanks.

Always remember to track at around -18db(peaks). Never do hot-tracking.

[83jamster]

Is it possible to run an shotgun/boom mic through an IRig guitar interface and record onto an Iphone? Or are there xlr to 3.5mm connectors that the Iphone can detect?

Thank you

[Garner]

Other than that, I don't know of any usb mixer/audio interface that has all these features and can be powered (including phantom power) solely by the iPad. Very portable and easy to use, giving you more time for creating music. It reminds me of what they say about the popularity of the iPhone as camera: the best camera is the one you always bring with you.

Ayos to! Sir, kaya niya kahit may naka connect na condenser mic sa xlr with phantom? Wala din ako alam na kaya to kahit yung Focusrite itrack nag rerequire ng external power. This is amazing!

[sonicassault]

Kaya ko nasabi sa earlier post ko na para sa akin di practical ang usb mic for recording music. Di nya kaya approach yung flexibility and tone if you use xlr mic w/ boom stand. 
- You can easily position it wherever it sounds best while playing comfortably. Sa usb mic madalas ikaw pa ang kailang pumosisyon sa mic.
- If you want to increase the signal to noise ratio, you have to get up close to the mic.  If you have to crank up the gain on your mic para lang marinig, tataas din ang noise (ie, anything that you don't want to hear/record).

Kung ideal ang room at walang ibang noise, ok din naman siguro ang usb mic for capturing multiple sources (eg, voice + guitar) or kung madali makakuha ng magandang position.

Just my 2 cents...

I don't know if my USB mic was just that good, or I got lucky, but I got around these two problems.
-As for the positioning, I bought a really long USB extension cable. 200 bucks for something like 5 meters. Fortunately it provided power and didn't drop data, so it worked well enough for me that I was able to position my USB mic just like I could with any XLR mic. But of course my particular model also has a standard circular base mount and mic stand mount.
-For the gain, well, my mic was actually pretty hot out the gate, so no percs louder than a cajon, but it's hot enough for vocals and guitars, but not extremely hot that it always goes above -10db. It also has gain controls via driver, but I don't know how well that works for an iPad.

To TS, the Dual Pre seems to be a good option, that it works with an iPad. Really flexible stuff there, but of course, you can't skimp on your mics either. The very least you can get for yourself would be an SM57, i5, or AT2020.