Crazy off-camera iPhone-based audio recording set-up, would this work?

C

cloudcitycollective

Member
Amatuer filmmaker here, shooting video on a GF-1 with no audio input, would like to get a GH-2, but for now the image quality on GF-1 is pretty nice.

No audio-in means I have to record audio off camera to get decent sound. Here the crazy rig I'm thinking about trying:

iPhone 3G as the "field recorder", adding the Mikey 2 as a microphone upgrade and also providing a 1/8" input for a Rode VideoMic Pro, which I'm hearing great things about and will buy once it is released.

I would mount all of this on some sort of cage/steadycam that I can build with my dad (he can machine custom parts).

Does any part of this seem off? Is the input on the Mikey 2 "good enough" for the Rode, or will that input be the bottleneck?

Here are the details on the Mikey 2:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Mikey2/
 
The 3.5mm input jack on the Blue Mikey is line level, not mic level. You cannot plug in an external mic-level source. You would need a mic preamplifier of some kind.
IMHO, the Blue Mikey is not suitable for the application you propose. Further, no iWhatever has the quality, usability or reliability most people would require of even a low-end production sound recorder.
 
Actually you would get something since the new VM can add a 20dB boost, but that is still going to be pretty low.

However a bigger issue might be that the iPhone is notorious for blasting out it's calling home signal into all audio gear with in reach. Maybe if your on airplane mode this stops??

While I agree with Richard I don't think your going to be doing what would really qualify as "production sound recording" in the sense he's talking about. If this is just for you to fool around with then the Blue is supposed to sound pretty good, and with the boost the Video mic might be workable, maybe. If it's stuff you have another use for and it's not a lot of money AND your not using it in a serious project it might be worth trying.

Oh and powered has nothing to do with output level, what makes some difference is it's also amplified.

You are right however, you have a lot to learn about sound. I've been doing it since (probably) before you were born and I still have a lot to learn.
 
I will also add that you will see mixed results asking questions like that on sound forums, but it helps a LOT that you were pretty clear about what you were doing and expecting.

Most posts with this kind of question start off something like "I'm shooting this feature destined for major festivals, I want great sound and..."
 
Noiz2, thanks so much for your response! I'm bummed that it won't work, but glad that I learned something. I'm kind of a hacker at heart, so I like to try and do things outside the box, but I know there are some things you can't skimp on, like mics and lenses, I was just hoping the iPhone (in airplane mode for sure) would actually be a good recorder, due to the lack of moving parts.

From what I've read, I still think the Rode offers great value, I'll just have to find another way to record it.

Cheers!
 
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