Best recording microphone iPhone TeRriBle: What's best?

[pianoplayerstar]

Members:

I'm tired of using my iphone recorder to make junk recordings; without having to spend $200+ on a standalone, any of you have any suggestions to be able to make at least a DECENT RECORDING of piano pieces?

.... something that plugs into the iphone and to simply lay on top of the piano hammers?

... or where to you leave the microphone by the way? Best Acoustics... to prevent that awful HOME RECORDING -type sound.

Your input is well appreciated.
Thanks a bunch.
pps

[iansinclair]

There are a number of high quality to very high quality microphone available -- check B&H Photovideo in New York, for examples.

That said...

First, remember that piano is one of the hardest instruments to record well (organs are worse, but not much).  The microphone(s) should be some little distance from the instrument, but one has to experiment with the particular instrument and room to find the best locations.  They and their stands must NOT touch the instrument, however!

I doubt very much that you will find a quality recording setup which "plugs into the iPhone".  I could be wrong, but... you might, however, get away with a system connecting the microphones to a good computer, either using the computers on-board analogue to digital conversion if it is high end equipment (lower end equipment usually has too low a sampling rate and, worse, often has automatic gain control), or more likely using outboard analogue to digital conversion.  There is good software available (Audacity is one good example) once you get the signal onto your computer in digital form.

[visitor]

Tascam has one and  or zoom iq6 depending on model phone or  iPadyou have

[quantum]

First thing you need to do is work on mic positioning.  Getting a new mic and placing it on the piano or near the hammer strike point isn't going to yield much improvement if any.  Mic placement is more important than gear acquisition.  Yes, there are inside the piano mics and mic techniques, but your budget would rule these out.  Inside the piano mic placement is typically used in pop and jazz recordings. 

Turn off auto gain, or whatever it is called on your device.  For music recording it is best to set gain manually.  Play some loud stuff on the piano.  You want to set the gain so that there is no clipping when you are playing loud.  Generally you would work with the loudest sounds you anticipate making in the recording. 

Start with placing your mic/recorder/phone about 6 to 10 feet away from the piano, 4 to 8 feet up from the floor.  Record a sample, listen, evaluate, take notes.  Move the recorder around the room, rinse and repeat.  You are looking for the sweet spot in your room.   Alternatively, you can have someone else play the piano and you move your ears around the room as if they were microphones. 

IMO, the portable audio recorders by makers such as Zoom, Tascam, and Roland offer the best compromise of affordability, ease of use, and audio quality.  They will generally outlast the life of a smart phone and in some cases offer a bridge to acquiring higher end recording gear.  Some models have XLR inputs to accept studio mics if you want to upgrade in the future. 

[indianajo]

I won't waste much time listening to U-tube because it is polluted with cellphone recordings that sound like ****.  
+1 quantum's suggestions on placement.  I use two camera tripods ($5 at charity resale shop) with homemade rubber shock mounts to place mikes that far away from the piano in my isolated music room.  I use cardioid mikes facing the piano.  Other techs in studios with other musicians also playing use omni mikes taped to the piano soundboard. I detest the idea of using tape on my soundboard, and just record alone in the room.  
As far as decent sound, I've never heard anything cheaper than a shure KSM27 sound decent to my ears on piano.  I saw those on KET Jubilee and Woodsongs TV shows, is how I got onto them.  I found one used for $80 and another for $140.  I damp the vocal 5000-10000 hz 5 db peak with a winter sock over each.  They are supposed to be used with a pop filter anyway.  
It Takes a phantom power mixer to interface to condensor mikes like those, I found mine, a 1998 Peavey unity 12 for about $100.  The recorder is the cheap part - a regular tower PC pentium 4 running audacity under free ubuntustudio op system.  About $80 and the software is a free download.  No annual $159 updates required by microsoft or Apple.  With the mixer I can mix in a SM58 or ear suspended supercardiode dynamic mike (like Plantronics) across both channels for voice if I play something popular and sing too.  
recordinghacks.com has a lot of data about mikes, but their product reviews tend to come from guitar and voice people.  Those instruments are a snap to record versus piano.  Don't believe me, take a tamborine or bell and earphones to check out any mike you audition.  Cheap mikes can't do those either.  
My dream mike is a shure KSM44 with cardioide, omni, or bipolar pattern switchable, totally flat.  Those showed up recently for $1000 the pair, but I couldn't scrape up the money fast enough.  
As far as phone, I spend $10 a month to energize a level 3 flip phone model.  The only thing I need a phone for is to call an ambulance if I break a leg.  Enjoy your Video game aps; I'll be playing the piano or listening to records with a 200 lb stereo.   

[pianoplayerstar]

so it looks like TASCAM is the best for the iphone ... plus, to not leave the phone ON the piano to prevent a shrieking sound.

.. any other good suggestions will be helpful.
thanks.

[quantum]

If you are going to be spending money on a new mic, I would suggest getting something that is future compatible.  You never know when or if Apple will change the connectors on their phones.  If they do, you may find your mic suddenly incompatible with a future generation iPhone. 

Those phone mics look good for people that do a lot of work on their phone, like reporters that do ENG and use their phone as a mobile workstation.

Again, I would reiterate my suggestion for potable audio recorders.  There are some very affordable models available.  Plus they typically use USB connection and SD memory cards, things that are not locked into proprietary brand and likely won't disappear from mainstream technology for a long time.  Choose a mic/recorder wisely and it will last you through several generations of computing technology and save you money in the long run. 

Remember, mic placement technique is far more important than the mic itself.  Turn off auto gain.  If the recorder has a built in compressor, turn that off too.  Piano does not sound good with compression.

[visitor]

If you are going to be spending money on a new mic, I would suggest getting something that is future compatible.  You never know when or if Apple will change the connectors on their phones.  If they do, you may find your mic suddenly incompatible with a future generation iPhone. 

Those phone mics look good for people that do a lot of work on their phone, like reporters that do ENG and use their phone as a mobile workstation.

Again, I would reiterate my suggestion for potable audio recorders.  There are some very affordable models available.  Plus they typically use USB connection and SD memory cards, things that are not locked into proprietary brand and likely won't disappear from mainstream technology for a long time.  Choose a mic/recorder wisely and it will last you through several generations of computing technology and save you money in the long run. 

Remember, mic placement technique is far more important than the mic itself.  Turn off auto gain.  If the recorder has a built in compressor, turn that off too.  Piano does not sound good with compression.

agreed. apple has a track record of making previous accessories obsolute w/ the change from iphone 5 on to lightning , and now coming up, the 7 will make the old headphones not work....
getting a decent pcm recording or a video/audio combo unit makes the most sense for most people.

if you do get something for the phone , you'll want to get a tripod and mount for it so you can position properly

ie


but if you don't mind having to buy new microphones every time apple feels like it and you get a new device, the the tascam or zoom ones will get the job done ok.

[pianoplayerstar]

ok that means, i should just spend some money on a real microphone; however, if i can just find out how to OFF this auto gain on my iphone?

[quantum]

There is a difference between a portable audio recorder and a standalone microphone.  You need to decide which route you want to go. 

The portable recorders tend to be all-in-one devices.  Except for a tripod and a memory card, you typically don't need to add stuff to a portable recorder to get a working system.  The necessary components are all contained in one box: microphone, preamp, and recorder.  It sounds complex, but the devices are for the most part straight forward to use - set gain level, press record button, and you are in business. 

With a standalone mic, you need to build a system around it to record.  The microphone can't do the job by itself.  If you are willing to go this route, there is the possibility of getting much better recording quality as compared to the portable recorders. 

On a related note, there are video recorders designed for music recording.  They have better sound then consumer camcorders, and are a compact size similar to the audio recorders.  If you want video of your music, it is something to consider. 
An example:
https://www.zoom.co.jp/products/field-video-recording/video-recording/q4n-handy-video-recorder

[109natsu]

Do you have exactly an idea of what exactly works right now? Some don't work, and I don't want to go to the wrong route... I am also looking to buy a decent priced portable audio recorder. Any suggestions on actual products?

Natsu

[quantum]

The ones I've used include the Zoom H4n and Roland R09HR.  I could recommend either of these.  the H4n has XY mic positioning at 90 or 120 degrees, the R09HR has AB mic position.  The difference in mic position lends a different type of stereo image, really it is up to personal taste.  Naturally XY position lends itself better to mixing and mono compatibility, however the AB position gives a more colorful stereo image with the compromise of a lesser degree of mono compatibility.

The H4n has been updated, so you may wish to look at that.  Also many reviews state that the H5 and H6 (newer than H4n) have better designed preamps.  I have not yet taken the H5 and H6 for a test drive, so can't comment personally on them. 

As long as one doesn't expect an equivalent sound to studio mics, these portable recorders are good performance for the money.  Personally, I like to use them when bringing along a studio setup would be impractical. 

The following was a comparison recording I did between the H4n and studio mics.
https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=35970.msg413304#msg413304

[109natsu]

Quantum,

Thank you for the advice. I will look into one of those.

However, I have no idea what you are talking about, and I am not a microphone professional so there is no way, either. And it is not your fault, and nothing you should worry about.

But if either one works, then I'll buy the cheaper one

Natsu