This is my first review of any type of iRig mic, but after using some of IK Multimedia‘s other products, and really liking them, I was ready to see what this compact mic could do.
First off, this mic is very versatile and affordable. Priced at around $100, it is a great option to improve the audio quality of voice and video recordings on your iPhone. The Mic Field is very small and light, making it very portable, which is a huge plus. It has a 24-bit audiophile-grade A/D converter, a 44.1/48 kHz sampling rate, a low-noise/high-definition pre-amp, and It plugs directly into the Lightning port on iOS devices, so no extra ports or cables are needed.
The true test of a microphone’s quality to me is recording a whole band live. So, I took the Mic Field to my band rehearsal. We aren’t the quietest of groups, so I knew I was going to really put the mic to the test. I was using the IK Multimedia app, Amplitube, to record my group. The app has a very cool recording feature, and I figured pairing it with the mic was a logical choice. When I plugged the mic into my phone, I immediately noticed that it is able to rotate 90 degrees – giving me a great deal of positioning options.
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While the rest of the band was playing I was able to see, through the app’s level monitoring indicators, that it was all too loud, and I was able to adjust the gain control levels, located just below the headphone jack, to get a recording that would record at a more desirable level. Once I had a good level, I hit record, and we played through a song.
After rehearsal, listening back to what I recorded, I was very happy with the outcome. I have tried recording my group with just the built-in iPhone mic and the results were very distorted and almost unintelligible. With the iRIG Mic Field, I could hear everything evenly, and clearly.
As I mentioned before, there are other uses for this mic other than recording live music, and I think it is very competitive for other outboard microphones in its price range. I really was pleased using the iRig Mic Field.
I am also looking very forward to any new gadgets IK multimedia has planned for the future.
iRig Mic Field is now available from music and electronics retailers worldwide, and from the IK online store, for only $99.99/€79.99 (excluding taxes).
For more information, please visit www.irigmicfield.com
Vanessa Izabella
www.bastmusiconline.com