I think the iPhone 4 is a great device because it makes it so easy to create compelling content right in the field. I still find it amazing that you can shoot and edit video right on the device. But how’s the audio?

It’s no secret I like the Kodak Zi8 because it has a mic-in jack. This allows you to capture great video AND audio when using an external microphone. I’ve tried plugging my current Audio Technica mics into my iPhone but haven’t had much luck getting them to work with it. I did have a couple of other mics in my office and thought I would try these while recording video.

The first mic is the Griffen SmartTalk Headphone Adapter. This is really designed as a lapel mic when using your headphones while making calls. But you can also use it as an external microphone while shooting your videos.

The second is the VeriCorder Mini-Mic. This is a small, directional microphone you can plug into your iPhone. I think it provides a pretty good gain to the audio too.

Watch and listen to the video below. Tell me which microphone you prefer. Either way, I think the iPhone 4 sets the bar for in the field video creation.

[View iPhone version]

13 Responses to “iPhone 4 Microphone Comparison”

  1. Lorenzo Wallace October 31, 2010 at 8:44 am #

    Hello Scott,

    I liked the sound quality of the Audio Tecnica ATR-3350 Lavalier for if I am the only person in the video. I like the ATR-55 Shotgun if I am conducting interviews so I can direct the mic in their direction.

    Take care,

    Reply
    • Pawel November 6, 2010 at 7:25 pm #

      I’ve been looking into getting an external mic for my iPhone 4. The ATR-55 Shotgun, seems to be exactly what I want. Can you plug it directly into the jack, or do you an addition connector of some sorts?

      Reply
      • Scott Skibell November 6, 2010 at 8:19 pm #

        You’ll need to get the kVConnection mic adapter for your iPhone. I talk about it over at http://MacScreencasting.com/blog

        This adapter allows you to plug any shotgun mic into your iPhone. Some people recommend the Rode or Azden.

        You’ll need the kVConnection cable before you can plug it into your iPhone though.

        Reply
  2. JD Eyebrows December 14, 2010 at 1:35 pm #

    I like the iphone internal mic best myself. It’s just harder to filter out background noise. I record songs with it myself. I’ve only had the iphone 4 for about 3 weeks, and I love it!

    Reply
    • Scott Skibell December 14, 2010 at 1:49 pm #

      JD Eyebrows, you’ll definitely want to check out the kVConnection cable that I demonstrate over at http://www.macscreencasting.com/improve-iphone-4-audio-with-kvconnection-cable

      It allows you to connect pretty good mics to your iPhone 4. I think kVConnection also has XLR adapters so you could conceivably connect studio quality mics.

      You’ll really see an improvement over the built-in mic.

      Reply
  3. Graham December 29, 2010 at 9:07 pm #

    I’d be curious to hear how it sounds with a bluetooth wireless microphone. Is there such thing as a bluetooth wireless lav mic for the iphone? That would seem to be optimal for sound quality and size/convenience.

    If not, maybe try with a bluetooth wireless earphone mic?

    Reply
  4. Stephen Jenkins January 9, 2011 at 5:09 pm #

    Great work Scott, this was helpful in trying to figure out how to use my iPhone to record high quality audio along side my Panasonic GF1.

    Reply
  5. Perrine February 11, 2011 at 9:52 am #

    Thanks for the great visual and audio comparison. Please share what you were using to hold the iPhone 4 while you were recording. Or, were you ‘turning the camera on yourself’ using the iPhone 4 camera ‘flip’ feature?

    (I’m also looking for an iPhone 4 tripod like device and tripod attachment.)

    Thanks for the info!

    Reply
    • Scott Skibell February 11, 2011 at 12:01 pm #

      Perrine,

      I was using the Xshot camera extender to shoot these. You can see my review here:

      http://www.skillcasting.com/use-xshot-and-iphone-for-great-videos/

      You can also use a regular tripod if you want and you would get better results because it wouldn’t shake any. I’ve picked up a real small tripod for about $15 USD at Walmart in the States. This is good if you’re sitting down because it only goes to about 36″. Then again, it’s tiny and fits in a small case.

      I was shooting it thru the back camera and “turning it on myself” because it shoots at 1280×720 that way. If you use the front side camera, like for Facetime, the resolution is only 640×480. That makes editing a tad more difficult.

      Hope this helps.

      –Scott

      Reply
  6. Alycia February 16, 2011 at 3:46 pm #

    Thanks for the info.

    I looked at the VeriCorder mini-mic on Amazon and the product description says that it is *not* compatible with the iphone 4—do you think this is incorrect and it actually will work with the iphone4?

    Thanks.

    Reply
    • Scott Skibell February 16, 2011 at 4:08 pm #

      Alycia,

      No, it’s not a mistake. The iPhone 4 changed some of their internal connections so the VeriCorder wasn’t compatible with it anymore. I was lucky in the fact that mine still worked. You may want to check the VeriCorder site directly to see if they’ve produced a new one yet.

      If not, consider the kVConnection cable. This will allow you to plug a regular microphone into your iPhone 4. I use it now and prefer it over the other solutions because I can plug higher quality mic’s into my iPhone. For example, I’ve used a TechSmith lav mic and the Zoom H1 because they both have 10′ cords. I like this because it gives me some distance from the camera. Your mileage may vary but I’ve been pretty happy with it.

      Reply
  7. Angus February 24, 2011 at 6:19 pm #

    Hi Scott
    The Griffen sounded the best, but the Iphone 4 by itself sounded ok.

    Reply

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