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Like Lightning!

March 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment

iQ5_Black_slant-displayBarely had the digital ink dried on my blog from Monday’s unveiling of the RØDE iXY before my good friend Tim Keenan (owner of Creative Media Recording) chimed in with some welcome news.

Most portable mics designed to work with iPhones, iPads, iPods, etc. come with the 19-pin connector common on the iPhone 3 and 4, and early models of the iPad and iPod.  But as I mentioned in the iXY blog, Apple is fond of designing away from 3rd-party vendors, just to keep ‘em hopping, I think.

But look at what our friends over at Zoom Electronics did!  They’ve already come up with a pretty snazzy mic

Zoom H4n

Zoom H4n

that fits Apple’s new Lightning Connector now installed on the iOS 6.0 or later (iPhone 5, iPod touch [5th generation], iPad mini, etc.).  Bingo!

As you know, Zoom is the innovator behind a number of pro-quality hand-held audio recorders…chief among them, the Zoom H4n…and now the new H2n as well.

zoomThe new unit is called the iQ5.  It has a unique ball-type design that they call “stereo mid-size microphone” that has both horizontal and vertical positioning.

From the SamsonTech website:  “…the iQ5 features a 3-position Mid-Side stereo field switch (90°, 120°, RAW) for selecting the width of your stereo field and creating incredible flexibility over your recordings. The iQ5’s 3-position gain control switch (Auto, Limit, Off) lets you quickly choose your volume settings, while its analog mic gain wheel allows you to fine tune your levels while recording.”

I don’t see a price anywhere for this unit.  It’s not even listed on the offiicial Zoom site.

The site I’m linking to here claims the Zoom iQ5 is available at Guitar Center, but Guitar Center’s online site doesn’t return any results on a site search.

Again, this disclaimer — so well elucidated by tech officianado and LA voice talent Bo Weaver:  “No mobile mic-with-tablet-and-app configuration will match the fidelity of your home studio.”  (paraphrased)

Innovation marches on!

CourVO

 

 

 

Filed Under: Hardware, iPad, iPhone, New Paradigms, Technology Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Under the Surface

November 30, 2012 By 3 Comments

In the exploding tablet wars, one new entry stands out…and it’s from a familiar name:  Microsoft.

The global computing giant made it’s fortune on software…not hardware.  The most serious hardware offering it had heretofore was a series of keyboards, mice, and webcams.

But with the almost simultaneous launch of it’s newest operating system – Windows 8 -  MS also released it’s first serious hardware/software device: the Microsoft Surface. (manufactured by Asus).

Ive had the chance to put this tablet through its paces.  As context, I also own an iPad, and an Android Tablet, and well…you know me…I’m a geek who gets off on this stuff, so I think I have a pretty fair foundation to comment.

In a word:  AWESOME.

In fact, our Manager of Digital Media here at the TV station — who is even more of a gadget guy than I am (if that’s possible), spent a half-hour with the Surface, and said he was sorry he bought the newest version of the iPad.  He was that impressed.

There are a TON of reviews of the Surface, so I won’t try to add to the chatter, but let me give you a few hilites from a voice-actor’s POV.

  • Incredibly crisp display: 10.6″ ClearType HD Display, 1366×768 pixels, 16:9 (widescreen), 5-point multi-touch.  The first thing you notice is that it’s “longer” than the iPad.  Of course, the screen automatically adjusts to a vertical or horizontal orientation, but in vertical…a LOT more copy fits on the screen…that’s good for use in your VO studio, as you read from the device.
  • Inputs/Outputs: Finally!  A USB port!  Works great.  The device immediately recognizes the input, meaning you can store stuff on an external USB thumb drive or a Terabyte external drive.  You can also run Surface apps from the USB device.  The Surface also has a mini-HDMI output slot, a micro-SDXC slot (accepts up to 64 Gig storage), and stereo speakers.  Completing the package:  rear/forward facing cameras (720p HD LifeCams), a headphone jack, magnetized power cable, and magnetized 3-prong touch keyboard connector.
  • It’s FAST!  Quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3, 2GB RAM.  Noticeably fast and smooth.
  • Extras:  Ambient light sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass.  Nifty “touch” keyboard, and built-in stand, as well as a built-in SkyDrive connection.

Negatives:
No question the Achilles heel of this device is a deficient universe of available apps.  This is growing by the day, but some things you’d expect just aren’t there yet.  DropBox for one.  However, it does have the full Microsoft Office Suite as part of the package…and not just an evaluation copy:  Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.  Fully functional.  Also, since Microsoft owns Skype, the Surface has the most advanced version of this program…it’s a pleasure to use… and works flawlessly.

This tablet — like no other I’ve seen — approximates a laptop.  The touch keyboard even comes with a built-in mousepad, so you can touch the screen, or use the mouse.  Also, with one touch, you can get to what looks for all the world like a Win7 desktop screen.

One other note, sadly, is an absolute absence of any available (decent) recording or editing software (DAW).  There are some rudimentary voice-recording apps…but this void is a drawback for voice-actors using the Surface as a mobile recording device, and especially frustrating in light of the possibilities afforded by the external USB port.

Remember, though…anything you can call up on the internet, you can utilize as a web-app on the internet.  I have yet to explore those options.  Some downloadable Windows programs are not compatible with the ARM processor/Win8 OS available on the Surface.

Final word:  A delight for everyday use.  Perfect for browsing and use as a resource and reading device in  your studio, but a failure as a mobile recording device (so far).

CourVO

 

Filed Under: Equipment, Hardware, Microsoft, Technology Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Make Your Own Cloud

November 21, 2012 By 1 Comment

Don’t get me wrong…I love DropBox, and Box.net, and SugarSync, and ZeroPC, Cubby, SkyDrive and any of about 30 other great “cloud” solution for saving, backing-up, sharing, and accessing your data.  I love the idea of “cloud” so much I’ve blogged about it several times:  A Hard Drive is So…Yesterday / Be Part of the Cloud Crowd / 7 Disruptive Technologies That Have Shaped the Business of VoiceOvers.

All these services are like Kodak was in its heyday.  They made rotten cameras, but they made the best film, and you had to keep coming back for the film.  They made a fortune on it.  It’s the same thing with today’s printers (not quite a dying breed…yet).  You can buy a printer for dirt cheap these days, but the CARTRIDGES cost plenty, and you have to keep coming back for ‘em.

All the popular Cloud drive systems are on the payment plan.  Their service is becoming essential.  But to go beyond 5-Gigs or 10-Gigs, you hafta pay a monthly or yearly fee.  The prices are reasonable considering what you get, but you have to keep coming back for it.

For a little over $100 (probably less by the time I write this), you can reserve one Terabyte of Cloud storage.  You can access it from anywhere, your smartphone, your desktop, your laptop, your tablet.  Anywhere there is WiFi or internet connections this cloud is available.  You can share links, make private and public “galleries” or “albums”…give audio file access to your clients (no more YouSendIt!)…and the best part it…you don’t have to keep coming back to pay for it.

SeaGate’s GoFlex Home Network Storage System hard drive plugs right into your WiFi network access point. The software comes with it.  It took me 10 minutes to install the hardware and software, and alla sudden, I can access all my files from anywhere.  SeaGate offers both iOS and Android apps to do the same from your smartphone or tablet.  The unit also comes with a USB port for access to even more portability or information.

NetGear offers a snazzy solution, too…attaching a couple Terabytes of storage right in the same box along with the WiFi access point.  Their All In One WiFi Storage Router is a little pricier than the SeaGate solution I just mentioned, but sure makes a nice package.  The unit has a SD card slot for added I/O.

I’ll grant you, the best of the best –  DropBox –  is seductively easy to use.  I’m not saying this is for everybody, but at least you don’t have to keep coming back for it.

CourVO

Filed Under: Hardware, The Cloud Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Geeky Christmas Buying Guide for VO’s

November 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

You can see the holiday shopping buzz building already.

If ever a price was going to be knocked-down on hardware items it’s between now and the end of the year.

Below is a brief collection of some stuff I’ve noticed in just the last day.  Tools like this can  make your VO  job easier, and even  more fun, but it’s gotta fit in the budget to make good on your ROI.

Skype Preview for Windows Phone 8  Yeah, yeah, I know…you love your iPhone, or your new Samsung Galaxy S III….but if you’re shopping for a new smartphone this year…you might want to consider the Windows Phone 8. Nokia is going full-tilt with Windows, and remember, Microsoft owns Skype now, so their new OS will bring the greatest functionality for this program.  I personally saw a demo of a Windows 8 Phone the other day and was duly impressed.

SweetWater’s new DEAL ZONE.  This restructuring of Sweetwater’s site claims to offer a new and improved way to find the gear you want with price drops, demos, B-Stocks and deals…over 1,500 according to this site.

Commun.it.  This Hootsuite-like social media interface has some nice little features…not the least of which is a daily report sent to your email that summarizes a lot of the Twitter and FaceBook metrics you should probably be watching.  Free to sign-up!

Wireless Wifi HD. Wireless streaming access to a batter-driven external Hard Drive for your laptop, Android tablet, iPad, or Smartphone.  Half a terabyte for $200.  Pocket-sized and portable.

WiFi w/ Built-In HD. This particular model from Netgear combines a Wireless Access Point with a built-in 2Terabyte HD that you can access from any device that connects to the internet.  Yes, that means you can back up virtually all your wifi-enabled devices to this monster hard drive, and do it wirelessly.  It also means you have a common access to all your files in one place easily accessible from your desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.  I’m telling my wife to get me this for Christmas!!!

Microsoft Store.  The new Win8 is said to have the best handling of an audio signal yet.  See their official store for some of their latest offerings. (sorry, you knew I was a MS guy, didn’t you?)

CourVO

Filed Under: Equipment, Hardware, Microsoft, VO Hardware/Software/Tools Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Revisiting the Tablet in Your Studio

September 26, 2012 By 4 Comments

Yesterday, Stephanie Cicarelli of VOICES.com asked a question on her FaceBook group “THE VOICE ACTING HUB” about reading copy in the studio.  “Do you read voice-over scripts on screens or do you prefer printing them?” she asked.

Honestly I was floored to find that many still print, read, and mark their scripts on paper.  My astonishment is snobbish, I realize…and there’s certainly nothing wrong with paper, but I do believe it’s on its way out, and I have my reasons.

In fact, last Fall, I wrote a couple of articles praising the use of digital devices in your recording studio.

One was Top 10 Reasons to go Paperless, and the other was Top 10 Tablet VO Apps (which is reprinted below).

Almost a year later, both articles are still pertinent and timely.  I encourage you to revisit them (of course Smartphones work in the studio too, but the small screen makes it less advantageous to read copy from them).

Also, I get a lot of questions about recording on Android tablets, probably because the iPad does it so excellently.  Does the Android OS have anything that compares?  Not really, that I’ve found.  Nonetheless, here’s an article that lists the top recording apps for the Android OS.

Best Android Apps for Voice Recording

_____________________

(Reprinted from Fall, 2011)

Tablet computers are showing up in voice over studios everywhere.

I’ve blogged extensively about the use of an iPad or Android-powered tablet as a mobile recording device, but perhaps it’s most useful role is that of a reader…replacing sheets of paper or a book.

Paper is a an ongoing tradition of centuries, so not everyone will be an overnight fan, but a tablet can be held in just about any position that a piece of paper can, and you can do away with the printer in your office.

Other Advantages:
-Silence:  no shuffling of papers
-Green: no trees sacrificed
-Immediately adjustable font-size with the flip of two fingers
-Downloads and displays docs and pdfs from “the cloud” effortlessly
-Allows annotations, marke-ups, underscores, arrows, etc to hilite the copy
-Replenishable.  Use over and over
-It has a certain “cool” factor (not that that matters, right?)

If you’re just jumping onboard the tablet wagon, or haven’t had the time to research the best apps for using the device in your studio…look no further…I’ve been sussing it out and humbly offer you my

TOP TEN TABLET VO APPS
(for the iPad/iPhone)

1) GoodReader — opens just about any kind of doc or pdf, downloaded from almost all the popular cloud services, allows annotation, and is intuitive to use.

2) QuickOffice — much like GoodReader…the pro version is a little pricier, but this one handles .docs better, also letting you generate new .docs, presentations, and spreadsheets; and connects to about every conceivablel cloud service

3) ReaddleDocs –  slick interface, opens .docs and .pdfs.  Connects to all the usual suspect cloud services, and email accounts.  Has a quick search function.  Annotation functions are easy but rudimentary compared to some of the others.

4) iAnnotatePDF — ‘Seems to be the fave of AudioBook narrators.  Rich annotation feature-set, search functions, and other key tools. Highly configurable.  I find the interface to be confusing, but after a while you get used to it.  Only plays in PDF-land, not .docs.  Downloads from cloud services.

5) PDF ReaderPro — An iAnnotate clone with it’s own style (more intuitive interface, I think).  Allows annotation, cloud downloads, bookmarking, printing, and a host of other handy features, like sharing, that make it tops on my list.  Again, only PDF.

6) PDF Expert –  Still another top-notch PDF reader. Allows annotation, downloading from the cloud, free-hand mark-ups, hiliting with different colors, printing, saving…the works.  The PDF Expert and iAnnotate as well as PDF ReaderPro are amazing in the array of things it can do.  You’ll wonder why you use a desktop or laptop computer.

7) Honorable Mention –  File Sharing:  iFiles, Box (Box.net), DropBox, Air Sharing, and Filer

 (for the Android)

8) qPDFNotes — Does everything the big boys above can do, and just as sweetly.  ‘Has rich annotation, and mark-up features, and connects to all the cloud services you could ask for.

9) ezPDFReader — Ditto.  Allows for magnification, split layouts, lots of annotation tools, plus has a nifty function for quickly scanning through the pages of a book.  Plenty to like here.

10) Quick Office — Appears under this OS as another strong contender with all the features of its Apple cousin…plays well with docs AND pdfs, and allows for annotation, as well as generation of new docs from scratch.  Cloud connections.

Honorable Mention: Documents to Go.  Allows for plenty of manipulatiion of existing docs, plus lets you generate .docs, .ppt (Power Point), and MX Excel files, as well as PDFs… pretty nifty and more features than you’ll ever use.

It’s hard to stop here, actually.  There are so many handy apps for file handling and reading — and more being issued every day — that you can find just the right one for you with a little searching through the AppStore or Marketplace (now :Play Store).

What’s YOUR favorite?  What have I missed?

CourVO

Filed Under: Apps, Hardware, Home studio, iPad, Software, Technology Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Whittam Launches VO Studio Tech

September 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Everybody’s first choice in audio technical help is stepping it up.

George Whittam is re-branding his top-flight audio services as VO STUDIO TECH.

This is a smart move by George, and certainly shows a growth in his expertise, his clientele, and his ability to build off EWABS noteriety.

Read more about the announcement here:  Eldorado Recording Services is now Studio Tech.

Either way, think about contacting George when only the best advice will do on your home studio, technical and equipment considerations, audio chain troubleshooting, Source-Connect or ISDN configuration, and much more.

By the way, I’m not just shilling for George because he’s a friend.  I’ve depended on him, and never been disappointed.  Besides, he IS a friend…of all voice actors.

VO STUDIO TECH

Great going, George!

CourVO

 

Filed Under: Equipment, Hardware, Home studio, Technical Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mics From NAMM

February 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Voice Acting is apparently not big enough to prompt equipment makers to hold their own convention just for us (YET)…but NAMM comes close.

NAMM originally stood for North American Music Merchants, but now it’s an international show for manufacturers, affiliates, resellers, and other vendors in the world of audio.

On the heels of CES in Las Vegas, NAMM was held this year in Anaheim, CA, and broke previous records for attendance.

If you saw my quick review of the new Blue Microphones at CES, well, NAMM is that…on steroids… times ten.

Apparently USB mics continue to be the darling of any recording set — vocals, voice-overs, or musical instruments.  Most audio engineers agree it’s not possible to get the same high quality fidelity from a USB microphone as you can with a XLR input, but that isn’t keeping manufacturers from trying.  That’s mostly driven by the insane pace of iPhone and iPad sales, and the realization that these devices can actually serve as excellent portable/mobile recorders.

At CES and NAMM, many of the name mic vendors bring their prototypes to show off, and then make vague promises that they’ll be on shelves “mid spring”, or “sometime in March or April”, or “just before Summer”…as was the case with the 3 new “Blue” mics I reviewed.

The mic pictured above, though — the MXL Tempo — is available now.  You can even get it in red and black, and it’s being priced all over the place at $59.   MXL also touts it’s iPad-compatible TRIO USB mic.

There are others, of course.

The iRig MIC Cast Mobile Microphone is a nice unit, but plugs into the earphone jack of your iOS device…not the 30-pin connector.

Finally, the Editors Keys SL150 USB mic comes with a kit that lets you plug right into your iPad for recording.

So many choices!  So little budget!  It almost makes you wanna hope for a road trip just to justify the expense of a USB/iPad mic to your better half!

CourVO

Filed Under: Conferences, Equipment, Hardware, iPad, Mics Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

CES for VO’s

January 12, 2012 By 3 Comments

My total time at CES this week was 4 hours one morning…maybe more like 3 hours and 25 mins.  That may sound like a lot, but time goes like:

(I think you get the idea).

The microcosm of the Exhibit Floor is like a futuristic city of commerce with all the finest in hucksterism, sales, presentation, hype, sex appeal, and product that you can stomach…and thousands of people — like ants — bustling around like they know where they’re going, and they have something important to do….most of them on their smart phone trying to text or call someone, and finding it pretty hard, ’cause there aren’t enough cell phone towers in the USA to handle all that concentration of traffic in one place.

I put together a little video of a few shots I took while I was there to give you a flavor of the scene.  Its only 1:10.  Check it out, and then I have some unexpected meet-ups with VO people to tell you about.

You saw my story about the Blue Microphones yesterday…after visiting that booth, I wandered.  I had no plan of where to go next, and at CES, that’s bad; you can get lost.  From the cavernous South Hall, I meandered my way to the behemoth Main Exhibit Hall where the Microsofts, the Sonys, the LG’s, and the Panasonics hang out.

A Voice actor named Christopher Flockton had briefly written me on FaceBook that he was working the Haier booth next to Panasonic, and I should stop by if I had the time.  Christopher turned out to be a wonderful conversation.  He was actually working as a spokesman for Haier.  These are good gigs to get as an actor…they pay well, but you’re exhausted by the end of the day.  Christopher had memorized the schpeel for his presentation…which he had to deliver several times during the day.  I’ve done similar work at NAB before with an ear-prompter for presentations, but I actually think memorization is easier.

I had barely said goodbye to Christopher…and walked about 50 yards, when I bumped into Steve Savanyu who (among other things) is the Director of Educational Services for Audio Technica.  I’d first met Steve at VOICE 2010.  He’s a technical whiz, and audio expert, who can quickly get you lost in hi-fi verbiage that maybe only George Whittam and Nikolia Tesla can understand.

In my mind, running into John P (yesterday’s blog), Christopher, and then Steve in an exhibit hall PACKED with thousands was not only beyond coincidental, but underscored for me the place audio and especially VOICE has in the consumer world of  hi-tech.  We matter as a profession, and as a force within the world of entertainment, advertising, elearning, publishing, and on and on and on.

And THAT quickly… 3.5 hours was gone!  On my way out, I stopped by the TwiT.tv location in the main hall.

The set-up was a veritable audio/video delight…mics and cameras everywhere.  And there was the man himself:  Leo LaPorte just ambling about talking to people.  In Las Vegas, some people call me a celebrity, but to me Leo LaPorte is a celebrity.  So, yes, I was shocked when Leo called me by my first name and started a friendly conversation.

‘Turns out he watches me when he’s in town.  I am so grateful for my life…it’s  not all good, but parts of it are amazing.

Thanks for taking the time to read about my wanderings at CES2012.

CourVO

Filed Under: Conferences, Hardware, Technical, Technology Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tascam iM2 Arrives

December 16, 2011 By 35 Comments

Here we go again… the never-ending search for a hi-quality usable/sharable audio file recorded on a smartphone or tablet computer leads us to this:  The Tascam iM2.

Up to this point, the Alesis iODock is the only device this reviewer evaluated that really met the minimum recording quality most voice acting pros would be comfortable sending to client…and it’s not that portable.

A caveat:  ANY $3,000 microphone will not fill the bill if your recording environment sucks.  So the Tascam iM2 is no panacea if you’re recording in the men’s bathroom at Target.

Having said that, though, the iM2 is the closest we’ve seen to making the grade with portable, on-the-fly, smartphone-device recording that you won’t be embarrassed to send to your best VO client.

Right now, it seems to be available only from B&H Photo.  $80.

See my video below for a quick look at the device itself.  My previous blog on the iM2 gives the specs.  Most importantly:  this device plugs into the 30-pin connector on the bottom of the iOS device (works with iPhone 4 & 4s, iPad, iPad2, and iPod), giving it the best possible shot at a decent recording since the Blue Mikey.  Apple changed the internal wiring when it moved from the 3Gs to the iPhone 4, rendering the Mikey unusable going forward.

(ed. note:  see a similar review of this device by Beau Weaver in the comment section of this blog)

Match the iM2 with Twisted Wave’s iPhone/iPad app for the optimal recording.  Twisted Wave also gives you powerful editing and post-production tools, and lets you share by FTP, iTunes, DropBox, email, or Wi-Fi, but does not record in .mp3.  Instead you can convert it to mp3 through a service online TW supports. Save in .wav, AIFF, CAF, or AAC.   Not quite as good, but getting close in quality are the apps:  FiRe,  Monle and  MultiTrack.

  • The dual-positioned mics rotate so you can direct these condensers to the direction of sound.
  • The unit works best when you set your iPhone to Airplane Mode, avoiding any interruptions.
  • The unit is also very sensitive to movement, so you need to get a comfortable grip and not move the phone around, nor move your fingers on the unit while recording.
  • To listen to what you’ve recorded, you must then UN-plug the iM2 to hear the speakers.
  • The iM2 does not come with it’s own headphone jack.
  • If you have the Apple-supplied earphones plugged in the phone will prioritize the built-in mic on the headset cord, and not record through the iM2.

Now the mic comparison.

I simultaneously recorded a couple of sentences holding the Tascam iM2/iPhone4 as pictured.

The saved .wav file on the iPhone, I uploaded to DropBox, opened in AA3.0 and converted to .mp3.

The Studio Projects C-1 recording was into the AA3.0 DAW through a Steinberg CI2 USB interface.  That recording was a  native mp3.

The ONLY tweak was a boost to the gain in AA3.0 for the Tascam recording.  Even though I had the volume control on the iM2 at max, the two comparison sound waves were not equal in gain.  I had to boost the Tascam recording by about 30%.

Below are the two comparison sound files.  I think you’ll agree that while they are not equal, the Tascam recording — standing on its own — would probably pass muster for an acceptable audition, or even a final cut.

The first soundfile is the Tascam iM2/iPhone4 recording.  The lower soundfile is the Studio Projects C-1 recording.

Tascam-iM2 against StudioProjectsC-1 by CourVO

 

StudioProjectsC-1 against Tascam-iM2 by CourVO

Pretty close, eh?

LA voice acting pro Beau Weaver has also previewed this device extensively, and his analysis is included below in the comment section.  Absolutely a must-read if you are interested in the deeper technical side of this issue.  Beau is very thorough in his critique.

CourVO

Filed Under: Apps, Equipment, Hardware, iPad, iPhone, Mics, Software, Technology Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

For Your VO Christmas

November 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The Holy Grail of mobile VO computing /auditioning: a hi-fidelity recording on your smartphone or tablet computer.  Most would likely agree that the leader in the software part of that solution is  Twisted Wave for the iPhone or iPad.

On the hardware end, many devices have launched over the last year, mostly for some version of the iPhone or iPad.

I’ve blogged about a number of these:  the iRig Mic, the Blue Mikey, the Tascam iZX, the Vericorder XLR Adapter Cable, the Alesis iODock, and probably a few that I missed.  Trouble is, only the Alesis iODock offers a means of input through the 30-pin connector at the bottom of the device…anything else is poor quality.

A guy who’s way ahead of me on the technology of it all — SoCal based professional voice-actor Beau Weaver – recently explained it this way in response to a thread about the technology in question: “…The audio input via the 3.5mm connector has a radical EQ curve built in, attenuating everything under 150hz and above 7khz…..which is to say “telephone filter” quality. There is no way around it, other than to introduce a reverse eq curve to compensate, which raises the noise floor. The work around with the camera connection kit USB adapter worked on the older version of the iOS operating system, but no more. The only way to get pro quality audio in is through the 30 pin connector. Several devices are in the pipeline, but none are shipping yet. For iPad, the Alesis iODock is the only thing that works…..at this point. iOS may be a pro recording platform at some point……but it is not there yet…”

So, why don’t equipment manufacturers develop more products that take advantage of this market?  Beau had an answer for that, too, when I asked him about it: “…they are just afraid to make a commitment because Apple keeps changing the API and  rendering their devices obsolete.  Case in point:  the Blu Mikey….which the second version of iOS broke, with no warning, and no recourse.  Equipment manufacturers are wise to be warry of making mac accessories……because there is a good chance apple will pull the rug out from under them…”

Still, apparently, some audio-equipment companies are willing to take the chance.  Case in point: the new Tascam iM2, seen above. 

It uses the 30-pin connector available in the iPhone and iPad, and according to the product website:  “…a high-quality stereo recorder.  A pair of condenser microphones – the same high quality as TASCAM’s best-selling DR-series recorders – plugs into the dock connector of your Apple device.  The microphones are adjustable over 180 degrees for the best sound placement.  The uni-directional elements are arranged in an AB pattern for detailed stereo imaging while capturing the ambience of your room.  The iM2 contains its own microphone preamp and analog-to-digital converter for low noise and great audio quality.  Unlike mics that use the built-in iPhone preamp, the iM2 can handle up to 125dB sound levels…”

Tascam certainly has a track record of making quality portable recorders like the DR-40, and the DR-07mkII…but this is a bit of a departure for them to release a hardware product that depends on the hardware/software of another device for their success.

Check it out.  I am.  When my unit arrives, I promise an evaluation with sound file samples.

My thanks to Beau Weaver for his help in this blog, and agreeing to my excerpting his comments.

CourVO

Filed Under: Hardware, iPad, iPhone Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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