iPhone Mic / Software for Tradeshow Recording

A few times a year I will attend conferences of different types. In order to take some of the topics and turn them into blog posts and other web content, I like to record the talks.

Here’s where it becomes a pain.

When I get back, whether I use Ferrite / Rec Up or anything else, it often ends up being a painful recording. I purchased a small olympus mic and it is often not recognized by the iPhone, need an adapter since the mic does not have a lightning jack.

What is the best mic?

Not trying to look like a reporter, but want better audio.
This might just be a better recording app where I can kill the background noise and boost the gain, or could be a mic.

Fellow Mac Power Users, help, can’t seem to find an answer.

Thanks in advance!

Marr

As with any microphone, you will get the best quality sound recording if you can position it close to the audio source. Recording from an audience position will of course give you a lot of ambient sound as well.

For iOS Lightning, there are plenty of good products. Just remember that some will require that you don’t use a case, and that it will be useful for only as long as your phone has a Lightning port.

Found this to be quite a good overview of many of the options.

Thanks for this.

Because I am in the audience, how does one balance essentially needing the ambient speech (goal audio) and removing the other ambient noise and do you know of a brand / product / software that’s best for that?

Thank you again.

M

I am not familiar with software to clean up audio files like this, sorry.

Get a seat as close to the speaker as you can. A microphone with a narrow pick-up pattern (e.g. supercardioid) may help, but also require some precision in how you aim it.

Seems like a typical SEO-oriented, commission-based ‘review’ site. like thebestmattress.com or bestbattery.com or bestblender.com. No individuals listed, or their qualifications to make recommendations.

The go-to software for this is the Izotope RX plugin, which is a combination of audio utilities that let you de-noise, de-hum, and de-reverb audio, and is probably used on most of the podcasts you listen to. The more useful is the $400 version, which ain’t cheap. (Though plugindiscounts.com - which I’ve bought from and has an excellent reputation - has it for $338).

Maybe invest in a wireless lav mic that you clip on the presenter’s clothes. Perhaps a Bluetooth one? I hesitate to give recommendations but if I was you this is what I would try, especially if I could return it. Being Bluetooth make sure you leave your phone in the room if you leave momentarily as your recording would stop when you move out of range, and switch on airplane mode so you don’t get any calls which would also interrupt the recording. Then use voice recorder to do the recording. An iPod touch would also be good and negates these gotchas.