External Mic Comparison with iPad Mini 3
I created this external mic comparison with iPad Mini 3 in response to questions I see on entrepreneurship forums and from teachers about what mic to use to make better videos with smartphones or tablets. I compare three mics in the video: theRode SmartLav, the Audio-Technica AT Pro70, and the Olympus ME52W. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. I explain my findings in this blog post. You can hear the comparison for yourself in the video. I recorded the footage for this video on an iPad Mini 3 using the 720p Facetime (front-facing) camera and edited it with iMovie for iOS. [Read the full post here: http://wp.me/p5hx3l-hw] If you're shooting for higher audio quality and don't mind a little extra work, the Audio-Technica AT Pro70 is a great choice. Currently priced at around $90. The AT Pro70 is a lavalier mic with an XLR connector. You will need to purchase an XLR to TRRS adapter to use with a smartphone or tablet. The lav cable on the Pro70 is about 6 feet long so you will probably want to buy an extension cable. You can find shielded XLR cables as well as TRRS extension cables listed in my Amazon store. If high quality sound is very important to you, I would suggest you opt for the XLR cable because it will keep the audio signal cleaner than the basic TRRS cable. In addition to the extra work the XLR cable and adapter, the default recording level/ output volume of the HP Pro 70 is fairly quiet. At one point in the video (External Mic Comparison with iPad Mini 3, https://youtu.be/8XdkCG9lLvw) I included a sample with the volume turned up in postproduction by 300%. This got the audio level up to the same level as the Rode SmartLav. but did not carry the hiss/signal noise as with Rode SmartLav and the Olympus ME52W. In other words, the sound quality is better with the Audio-Technica AT Pro70, but you have to do some additional work in your editing software. For convenience and all around usefulness for the do-it-yourselfer/on-location/smartphone video creator, the Rode SmartLav comes out on top. For the smartphone video creator who wants to add more quality to their videos and doesn't mind carrying more gear and putting in a little extra editing effort (to increase volume) you will get better results from the Audio-Technica AT Pro70. You can buy the three mics here using my affiliate links (I get a small referral commission if you buy after using this link): Audio-Technica PRO70 http://amzn.to/1lZMQSV Rode SmartLav+ http://amzn.to/1lZMSub Olympus ME52W http://amzn.to/1lZN9NL For more information, please visit my website: http://rosamediaproductions.com/ I created this video to demonstrate an external mic comparison with iPad Mini 3. I hope the video gives you a good understanding of how these mics perform. Please let me know if you have any questions in comment section.
I created this external mic comparison with iPad Mini 3 in response to questions I see on entrepreneurship forums and from teachers about what mic to use to make better videos with smartphones or tablets. I compare three mics in the video: theRode SmartLav, the Audio-Technica AT Pro70, and the Olympus ME52W. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. I explain my findings in this blog post. You can hear the comparison for yourself in the video. I recorded the footage for this video on an iPad Mini 3 using the 720p Facetime (front-facing) camera and edited it with iMovie for iOS. [Read the full post here: http://wp.me/p5hx3l-hw] If you're shooting for higher audio quality and don't mind a little extra work, the Audio-Technica AT Pro70 is a great choice. Currently priced at around $90. The AT Pro70 is a lavalier mic with an XLR connector. You will need to purchase an XLR to TRRS adapter to use with a smartphone or tablet. The lav cable on the Pro70 is about 6 feet long so you will probably want to buy an extension cable. You can find shielded XLR cables as well as TRRS extension cables listed in my Amazon store. If high quality sound is very important to you, I would suggest you opt for the XLR cable because it will keep the audio signal cleaner than the basic TRRS cable. In addition to the extra work the XLR cable and adapter, the default recording level/ output volume of the HP Pro 70 is fairly quiet. At one point in the video (External Mic Comparison with iPad Mini 3, https://youtu.be/8XdkCG9lLvw) I included a sample with the volume turned up in postproduction by 300%. This got the audio level up to the same level as the Rode SmartLav. but did not carry the hiss/signal noise as with Rode SmartLav and the Olympus ME52W. In other words, the sound quality is better with the Audio-Technica AT Pro70, but you have to do some additional work in your editing software. For convenience and all around usefulness for the do-it-yourselfer/on-location/smartphone video creator, the Rode SmartLav comes out on top. For the smartphone video creator who wants to add more quality to their videos and doesn't mind carrying more gear and putting in a little extra editing effort (to increase volume) you will get better results from the Audio-Technica AT Pro70. You can buy the three mics here using my affiliate links (I get a small referral commission if you buy after using this link): Audio-Technica PRO70 http://amzn.to/1lZMQSV Rode SmartLav+ http://amzn.to/1lZMSub Olympus ME52W http://amzn.to/1lZN9NL For more information, please visit my website: http://rosamediaproductions.com/ I created this video to demonstrate an external mic comparison with iPad Mini 3. I hope the video gives you a good understanding of how these mics perform. Please let me know if you have any questions in comment section.