Just wanted to chip in here - I've been playing with a few solutions. Have a look at some Sennheiser kit - I use an AVX receiver on my hoodie - hooked into my iPhone via the lightning adapter and the Rode plug to make it work. you can also look at the rode lighting to xlr cable - iXLR which also has headphone monitoring. Sennheiser have a 'clip mic digital' which works great and is good for blogging. If you want to record something different have a look at their ambeo smart headset - binaural recording very cool. Obviously you have wires which can affect the motor movement etc. but if you keep them thin and away from the motors you should be good to go.
Rick: Thanks for posting re: the Ambeo Smart Headset. Looks like an interesting approach, although being omni-directional I wonder whether for talking head shots whether they'd work any better than the typical camcorder "nose" mic? Have you tried them for that kind of shot? I could see them working well for nat. sound, though. EDIT: Link to Ambeo's: https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-A...pID=31G6awQ4XTL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch Andy Forensic Software & sUAV / Drone Analyst : Photographer : Videographer : Pilot (Portland, Oregon, USA): Trees=2, Ground=1, Props=11. The Ground Is The Limit™ ---------- Forensic Drone Analyst : Forensic sUAV Analyst : Forensic Unmanned Aircraft Analyst : Forensic Drone Expert
The Ambeo is most def for natural sound - it really works best when you listen with headphones. I did a demo film and threw something together on Youtube - link below. What I can suggest also is a new Sennheiser mic - the 'memory mic' which is entirely self sufficient. I dont know much about it other than seeing stuff online but it appears that the mic uses the phone to sync somehow. The box records your stuff - and then re-syncs to the picture afterwards. I assume it does this via timecode. They say there's partnerships coming with Filmic Pro - so I assume you'll hook the mic into this workflow too. Good thing is that it doesn't need any connection to your phone and no TX/RX units so you can go as far away as you like. They say you could in theory put it in a kids pocket who's in the school play and then sync it after. I think it's a neat idea - there's some prototypes floating around... here's a link to my ambeo demo thing I did..remember to use headphones.
Forum participant John Chu uploads a video using the Movi with an iPhone 6S and this headset/mike every few days. His YouTube channel: https://m.youtube.com/user/chung123video/videos And his most recent video:
Which is fine providing you can avoid operator noise - and also the person you're speaking to is close enough.
Hi John and Rick, I just had a look at the new RØDE mike that you guys are talking about. It plugs directly into the Lightning port. I don’t see how it can be used with a Movi and balance the phone. Unless I’m missing something, the phone would have to be way to the right of where it normally is for the mike to clear the motor. I don’t have the counterweight, but it doesn’t appear to be compatible with that either. See these RØDE videos on this new mike:
I think that the Zoom H1n, at US$119, is very good value and will result in better sound than any consumer microphone reliant on a mobile phone’s analogue to digital converter and preamp. A guy named Curtis Judd made what is probably the most credible and comprehensive YouTube review of this recorder/mike combination. If one is interested in how the H1n sounds, Judd used it to record all of his review. His one reservation about the H1n is that, in his view, for dialogue recording it places too much emphasis on midrange frequencies. Given the recorder’s cost, I think that this amounts to a quibble. In any event, given that he used the H1n to record the review, one can make one’s own judgment on whether his voice sounds OK. Re Darrin’s comment about letting the recorder run, it’s perhaps worth noting (a) that the recorder has a marker function, and (b) that it can do a two second pre-record roll, both of which Judd refers to in his review. No need to use either of these functions, but in some cases they may be handy. The review is here:
That Videomic Me does have some weight to it. (Solid aluminum) I agree now that I think about it, it is better to utilize the HOODIE accessory then introduce another issue with balancing the phone.
I have a question that keeps coming up in my mind on this forum. I do not understand why you guys insist on recording to a phone’s analogue to digital converter and preamp. It amounts to a deliberate decision to degrade the quality of your sound and complicates balancing the Movi. Why? What is the advantage? Is it just about avoiding synchronisation, which is not rocket science, or is it more than that?
Geez Rorick. If you really think that I insist on recording a degraded sound..... then I would really like to see some of your programs you have fully produced using an iPhone and the Movi using double system sound. Seems like my sound is just fine. Plus I have no problem balancing my Movi. To me you see, it’s the environment that makes me choose the most efficient “production” aquisition set-up. A mic attached to my iPhone is fine with me. Yours truly in production.... John M. Woody
Hi John, You know perfectly well that recording sound to an iPhone involves a compromise in sound quality. I don’t have to prove this. It is beyond serious debate. I just asked why many of you are prepared to make the sacrifice, and you gave an answer - it’s “efficient” and “fine with me”. Cool.
I don’t ‘need’ to record serious sound on the movi rig. I would consider a radio mic if I was doing a walk and talk shot but only if I needed to edit and deliver something super fast and only had an iOS device to edit with.
Hi, I am very interested to buy the Movi but I need some questions: 1. Through the USB can I plug an audio interface (Audio compliant like the Focusrite Isolo) and trough the bluetooth record inside the Iphone?? (I know it will be latency on the recording). 2. If not now....It will be in the future?? 3. I have an iphone 6s how is the feedback?? Thanks in advance.
Thanks for your quick answer... The app of the Movi is connected by bluetooth. We can transfert audio by bluetooth also no??? My question about the iphone 6s it is in general.... Thanks again.
I am not really sure what you are asking? If you can plug a USB mic into the Movi? No - its just for charging. The phone is the phone - so if you are happy with the image quality of your phone it will be the same on the Movi - just stable! You can plug a mic into your phone via the headphone/lightning port (whatever the 6s has) and that's how you record. Same as you would if there was no Movi involved. Think of the movi as just a holder for the phone. It doesn't need the bluetooth even - thats only for the Movi app which many of us dont use all the time and use other filming apps.
Thanks again for your answer. Sorry if I am not clear. I have an audio interface Focusrite Isolo (Audio compliant), witch I can plug via the lightning cable to my iphone 6s and I am able to record a stereo track or two independants mono track. Because my audio interface is Audio compliant my Iphone recognise it. I was hoping in the future the usb connection will be able to connect an audio interface and via bluetooth record on the iphone. But Thanks again for your answer.
Unlikely - the USB is essentially a battery charger. Same as plugging your audio interface into a battery pack. If you have the Focusrite - thats not something you'd want to carry around with you attached to the Movi anyway - you're better off just recording audio separately and syncing in post- keep the movi as light as possible and let audio be recorded away from the gimbal.