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Zoom iQ5: A tiny professional stereo microphone for Lightning connector devices
For podcasters, reporters and others who want to capture sound on the go with their iOS devices, there's been a lack of options for the newer models of iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Why? Well, those models sport the new Lightning adapter. Zoom, the company that makes those amazing digital recorders like the H1 through H6 line, is now shipping the Zoom iQ5, a tiny Lightning-equipped stereo microphone to help you capture high-quality stereo sound. Specifications Suggested Retail Price: US$99.99 Dimensions: 58.6 x 62.45 x 38.5 mm Weight: 30.5 grams Audio quality: 44.1 kHz/16 bit Connectors: Lightning connector, USB Mini-B connector (for recharging your iOS device), stereo mini jack for combined headphone/line level output Microphone: Mid-side (M-S) stereo mic (90°/120°/M-S) Design Highlights The first thing that jumps out at you about the Zoom iQ5 is just how small it is. The microphone is in a spherical ball that's held by two small arms. The ball can be rotated 90 degrees around two different axes, allowing users to set up proper stereo L-R orientation regardless of how their iOS device is held. A switch on the left-front side of the iQ5 provides a way to set the pickup for either directional or more omnidirectional stereo. According to Zoom, the iQ5 uses two microphone elements -- a directional "mid" mic that grabs sound coming in from the front and a bidirectional "side" mic that picks up ambient sound. Mid-side recording captures the mid and side mic signals as RAW data, which is then post-processed to adjust the stereo width or collapse the signal into mono. The mid-side post-processing can be done with Zoom's free HandyRecorder app, which I found to be surprisingly useful. For additional information on the mic design and the app, I'll defer to this video from Zoom. There's also a switch for gain control, which can be turned off, set with a limiter to avoid overpowering the mic or set to auto gain presets for concerts, solos and meetings. Once again, the presets require Zoom's HandyRecorder app. A mic gain wheel on the right side of the iQ5 makes it simple to manually adjust gain as well. Functionality Highlights One note to potential users of the iQ5 -- you'd better use it with a case that allows full access to the bottom of your device, since I found that I could not install it on my iPhone 5s without removing the case. Once the case was removed, plugging in the iQ5 immediately rewarded me with a glowing red LED indicating that the device was powered up. Having used some of Zoom's digital recorders for podcasting, I was dubious that the iQ5 would be able to capture audio with the same clarity and depth of sound as those dedicated devices. I'm glad to say that I was wrong. Monitoring the recording in progress was helpful, and there was no noticeable lag. I won't go into too many details about the HandyRecorder app, only to say that it works well and is simple to figure out. One issue I have is that the only way to share your recordings is through SoundCloud. For podcasters, having the ability to send files through FTP is often a requirement. There's no way to do that; you can't email the files; nor can they be saved to your song library. However, that's a problem with the app, not the microphone. You can always choose to use a different application like GarageBand or BossJock Studio. One possible issue -- twice during my testing I heard what appeared to be interference from the iPhone's cellular radio through the Apple headset I was using to monitor. That doesn't happen when I use the headset normally, and the sound did not appear on the recording I was making. I'm wondering if it was feedback from the Apple headset's built-in microphone interfering with the iQ5, so I'd warn users to use headsets without a mic for monitoring purposes. Conclusion The Zoom iQ5 is perfect for anyone who wants to do high-quality digital stereo recording, whether it's for interviewing, music or nature sounds. This compact and lightweight mic can slip into a pocket for immediate availability, and it's less expensive than most of the dedicated digital recorders. Rating: 3-1/2 possible out of 4 stars possible Giveaway One lucky TUAW reader is going to get his or her hands on a Zoom iQ5. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before January 27, 2014 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected and will receive a Zoom iQ5 Professional Stereo Microphone with Lightning Connector valued at $99.99. Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
Zoom iQ5 professional stereo microphone hands-on
Earlier at CES, we got our hands on the Rode iXY 30-pin stereo microphone iPhone add-on that left our Lightning users a bit sad. Cheer up! The folks over at Zoom got us over to their booth to take a peek at the company's new iQ5 professional stereo microphone. The iQ5 is a different beast than its aforementioned competition in that it works in conjunction with native iOS applications. What this means is that you can use it while recording video on your iOS device. The microphone itself rotates for this specific purpose, allowing for both horizontal and vertical audio recording in raw, 90- and 120-degree field positions. The recording resolution is capped at a respectable 16-bit/44.1kHz -- though slightly less than we were hoping. We didn't get a chance to actually hear an audio sample from the iQ5, but we're pretty confident it'll sound better than the standard mic equipped on any of the supported devices. The Zoom iQ5 lacks a bit in customization department as well as build quality -- we're generally not fans of the cheap plastic construction, which is unlike most other Zoom products. The spec sheet certainly leaves us wanting, but it's a start in the right direction for current-gen iOS devices. The iQ5 will set you back $100 and will start shipping Q2 of this year -- until then check out the gallery to hold you over.
Blue's Mikey microphone for iPhone and iPod finally shipping to picky recorders
If you need a little better acoustic recording from your iPhone or iPod, or if your portable device is simply fitting a little too easy into your pants pocket, Blue Microphones has your solution. Its Mikey microphone is finally shipping, after getting a debut nearly a year ago. The specs are still the same as we expected before, including CD-quality recording in stereo or mono with a swiveling base that lets it cover 230 degrees of your own little sound field. One thing that has changed, and quite nicely, is the cost: down to $80 from the previously expected $99 MSRP. Everybody likes that.
