So you have an iPhone and you want to record high quality audio and video files. It’s a great idea and good investment to invest in a clip-on microphone.
There is no doubt that there are plenty of different mic options for you to choose from but sadly, if it is quality you are after not all of them are going to meet your expectations, particularly at the low-end of the price/quality spectrum. There are plenty of different factors that need to be kept in mind in order to make an informed decision. If you are looking for a better quality clip-on microphone (or perhaps the best clip-on microphone) for your iPhone, here are a few things you need to keep in mind.
Determine Where and How Long you Will Use the Microphone
When looking for the best microphone for your iPhone, you need to determine how long or how often you will use the microphone and the typical environment you wish to use it in.
This will likely lead you away from the cheaper end plastic models to the sturdier built-to-last steel casing models. Incidentally the better ‘steel’ clip-on microphones will also be protected from acid/alkali conditions and abrasion during manufacture. At the outset these two simple questions will help you make a purposeful decision on the best microphone for your iPhone.
How Much Should You Spend?
When talking about microphone technology and quality, the old adage of you get what you pay for absolutely applies and the more you are willing to pay, the better the product is likely to be. The reason for that is that you should get a microphone with better ‘Basic Parameters’ that by default produce a better end product or sound quality and performance. But such a decision on money, performance and value gets back to want to use your microphone for.
If you are going to be using it with your iPhone for use at home, then you can save a lot of money by investing in a middle entry or even a low-end microphone however this will limit a lot of flexibility to be able to use and get the benefits of a good quality microphone for ‘other’ occasions, situations and locations. Remember, the idea here is to find a clip-on microphone that delivers the performance you want in the environment you will use it in or even possibly use it in over the longer term. That way you won’t be limited by your equipment for what you want to use it for.
Frequency Response
For a superior recording experience, you will need a microphone with basic parameters that has a frequency response range that can process male and female vocals without problem. A good quality lightweight clip-on microphone will stipulate a 20 to 20kHz range which incidentally covers the human hearing range and should therefor maintain its sound quality at both ends of the frequency spectrum.
Where is the Sound Coming from?
When talking about directionality, there are two common but different microphones to choose from. You can either choose between the two most popular polar pick-up patterns of omnidirectional or unidirectional in a Clip-On Microphone.
The former proves to be far more effective for orchestras and choral groups, whereas the latter is better suited for karaoke, presenting, recording and videos or situations where the sound source is close to the microphone since it principally captures sound from one direction while cancelling out peripheral noise to produce better quality overall performance.
As stated- price particularly at the low-end of the microphone market is not really the way to choose the Best Clip-On Microphone for your iPhone. Price at the other end of the spectrum however is indicative of superior quality because of the very specific and exacting basic parameters described that are built into the microphone.
Match the intended performance that these parameters will give you to your intended use and of course the quality you desire considering your budget and you can better match, choose and use the Best Clip-On Microphone For Your iPhone.
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by Tom Blacks
