- Three things to look for before buying an iPhone lightning microphone
- iPhone external microphone review and recommended
- What would change after using a lightning microphone?
- Learn more about the phone input connector and adaptor
Image Source: Tech Travel Geeks on YouTube
Three things to look for before buying an iPhone lightning microphone
There are many factors that influence the choice, so how will we quickly and specifically pick the right one for us? Let's take a look at how Tech Travel Geeks, which is a channel of professional electronic product testers with 24.8K subscribers on Youtube came to review SYNCO P2L. You can understand its basic composition and use in the video, and have a step-by-step initial impression of how to choose a mic.
Unboxing and test video of SYNCO P2L lavalier microphone for iPhone lightning
From construction to performance, there are just so many things to consider, but here we conclude them into three aspects: types, connections, and audio quality.
1. Types: wireless, shotgun, and wired
- Wireless lavalier: Free your hands during recording or presentations, enable cable-free movement, and prolong the transmission distance between the shooting device and the speaker.
- Shotgun: Use a special structure design and polar pattern of cardioid, supercardioid, or hyper-cardioid, to accurately capture your sound and try to avoid the possibility of picking up the background noise.
- Wired lapel: Compared to the first two, this type is less convenient. There will be a wire to move and distance restrictions, but there is good audio quality while enjoying a lower price.
2. Connection: Physical and electrical
- Physical connection: it's important to connect microphone to iPhone lightning with or without a cover. How well does it stay attached to the iPhone and does it move independently of the device?
- Electrical connection: When attaching an external audio device to an iPhone, the transfer of audio, whether analog or digital, is crucial. What degree of signal integrity does the electrical connection provide?
3. Audio quality
These mics need analog-to-digital converters because Lightning is a digital connection. Both at the digital iPhone input level and at the analog level, audio quality is crucial. To record audio that sounds clean and natural, it's better to use it with a natural frequency response.
iPhone external microphone review and recommended by Moman PhotoGears
Here we present four fully featured products at the right price for sale at Momanx Online Store.
Spec. comparison table of four best budget lightning microphones
|
SYNCO P1L |
SYNCO P2L |
Moman CP2 |
Moman CP1(A) |
||
|
Price (USD) |
$59.00 Regular price$69.00 |
$69.00 Regular price$99.00 |
$69.99 Regular price$79.99 |
$39.99 Regular price$49.99 |
|
|
Output Connector |
Lightning port |
||||
|
Channel |
Single TX |
Dual-channel |
Dual-channel |
Single TX |
|
|
Wireless Charging Case |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✗ |
|
|
Monitor Connector |
Type-C (Type-C to 3.5mm adaptor included) |
✗ |
✗ |
||
|
Wireless Transmission |
Digital 2.4GHz |
Digital 2.4GHz |
2.4GHz |
2.4GHz |
|
|
Frequency Response |
20Hz-20KHz |
||||
|
Battery Life (Hours) |
5H |
5H |
15H |
5H |
|
All four are versatile and portable collar clip microphones with lightning plugs, featuring sturdy and lightweight materials, plug-and-play design, and long run time.
SYNCO P1L & SYNCO P2L: Single TX and Dual mic for iPhone
P1L and P2L belong to the same lightning microphones in SYNCO P-series. They have the same features and parameters in recording, the only difference is the number of recording channels. P1L has one transmitter while P2L has two of it for 2-person speakers, greatly expanding the range of use.
Compared to CP2 and CP1(A), they feature four-level indicated lights, showing visual power status, and enjoy an extremely long transmission distance between transmitter and receiver up to 492ft/150m in the LOS area.
In addition to a lightning plug, the P1L & P2L Receiver also has a Type-C socket on it. When you plug it in you can use it while charging. When you plug it into headphones, monitoring audio while recording video on an iPhone lightning microphone and adjusting accordingly will not be a problem.
- Further reading of SYNCO P1L & P2L comparison review
Moman CP2: Microphone with option lightning and Type-C
CP2 smartphone wireless microphone is ideal for multiple scenarios, such as vlogging, exterior photography, and interviews. It is actually a set with three connector options, including lightning as CP2(A) lightning microphone for iPad, iPhone, Type-C as CP2(C) for Androids, and both of the two ports as CP2(AC) (Sale price$75.99, Regular price$89.99).
Within the LOS range of 65ft, it is able to deliver a stable sound transmission with great noise suppression. It means that it can conduct interviews and recordings even in very noisy outdoor environments, such as press conferences, dinners, and other occasions.
Moman CP1(A): Budget omnidirectional lav mic
With a price under 50 US dollars, CP1(A) is the right choice for most newbies. Although it's cheap, it can be applied to quite a few scenarios and can perfectly meet your needs in terms of music recording, indoor shooting, vlogging, and live video streaming, or being a conference call microphone for iPhone lightning.
To capture sounds with great details, it uses a high-sensitivity mic head with a 360° pick-up pattern of omnidirectional. Although this also means that it may record wind sounds in the background, with the included wind muff and the internal intelligent noise reduction chip, you don't have to worry too much about this problem.
What would change after using a lightning microphone?
Like smartphones, cameras, camcorders, and so on, some of the camera equipment will come with an internal mic to record, but generally speaking, the effect is not good enough. And that's why you need an additional tool, especially a phone microphone. It would bring you premium audio effect for various recording. Below we have listed a few common applications.
- Recording: This kind of application includes daily life vlogging, pro filmmaking, documentary shooting, interviewing, and video production on Online shorts platforms like Youtube and TikTok.
- Podcasting: Taking your iPhone and a lightning microphone for podcast hosting is the fastest, easier, and most budgeted way to begin.
- Live streaming: When you do lives on Facebook, Instagram, and Skype, it’s suggested to have an external mic that provides better audio to attract more audience.
- Online meetings and classes: When you use only zoom on a phone or pad, you need one that guarantees audio stability and clarity to keep the conferences and lessons efficient.
Learn more about the phone input connector and adaptor
We've compiled three frequently asked questions you might care about.
What devices have lightning connectors for recording output?
In 2012, Apple unveiled the Lightning connection, which has since evolved into the default port on all of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Devices with Lightning ports include:
|
iPhone |
iPad |
iPod |
|
iPhone 5 and later. |
iPad 4 and later, including Air, Mini, and Pro models |
iPod Touch 5th-generation and later. |
There is no Lightning converter for the 30-pin connector, however, there is a 30-pin adapter for the Lightning Connector that enables compatibility with older equipment. As a result, newer accessories that use the Lightning connection will not function with devices made before those on this list.
How to solve the microphone connection failure due to accidental water in the interface?
Tap your device lightly with the connector facing down to remove any liquid, unplug any cords and accessories, and then let it sit in a dry place for at least 30 minutes. Try charging one more. Let the device dry for up to 24 hours in an area with some ventilation if the liquid detection signal is still present. After that, plug in your lightning wireless microphone and have a try.
How many kinds of the interface are there for output device connecting?
- Lightning: It’s an 8-pin connector that commonly is used in Apple mobile devices like iPhones, iPads, and iPods.
- Type-C: It's also called USB-C. As a new evolution of USB plug and port, it has gradually replaced the traditional Android phone interface thanks to the quick and stable output in recent years and has a tendency to expand further.
- 3.5mm TRRS: This is a common interface for connecting headsets and earphones on mobile devices. Nowadays, it is mainly used for real-time monitoring while the output of audio adopts other types like lightning wireless microphones.
- XLR: It is mostly found on professional photographic and videography equipment, like cameras and high-end camcorders for filmmaking.
