iPod Microphone
This morning before the meeting started, I took a quick sprinting shopping spree through Macy’s and then to the Apple Store. Played with the new video iPods. Oh my f#cking god. How can they make something so obviously incredible? I must have one. Oh, yeah. Cash…
Where was I going with this? Oh, yeah. I also picked up a Belkin TuneTalk microphone for my iPod. Maybe Evan will give it to me for Christmas. Plugged it into my iPod and it pops up immediately with the “Record Now” screen. Cool. So, I record some sample stuff, and it doesn’t sound like crap. Actually, it sounds completely decent. With some massaging in Audacity or GarageBand, it might even sound good. I can even leave the iPod on my belt, with the microphone in place, and record myself talking while standing and walking around. Kind of like I do when I present something to a group. Hmmmm… Might have to experiment with recording my next presentation… It also seems like a pretty handy podcasting recording setup as well.
I’ll likely be playing with the microphone while I’m here. I shouldn’t record myself at the moment, as I have a little too much wine in me to want my words recorded and published to the inkernets. Tomorrow 
Listening to a longish recording I made today during the “Welcome”meeting, and am noticing some, well, issues with loud speech while recording. It seems like when the audio being recorded maxes out, instead of just clipping the audio, it inserts static. Be careful not to max out audio levels. It’s also entertaining to hear the iPod hard drive spinning up in the recorded audio as the file is periodically spooled to disk.
I just wish Apple would let us use the iPod camera usb adaptor and plug a usb mic (like the samson one I’ve been using) directly into it. That would kick …
Alan, The new iPod eliminates the recording limits (the 5Gs support Low (22.05 KHz, mono) and High (44.1 KHz, stereo)) but there is no way to use it right now beacuse you can’t get a mic connected.
Nick – I don’t have an iRiver, but a lapel mic sounds cool. I can sort of simulate a lapel mic with the TuneTalk by clipping it on my belt or shirt.
Bill – the 5G incompatibility isn’t an issue for me. Since I upgraded the battery, my 3G will last for a couple more years. Darnit.
Alan – I’d tried the linux distro for the iPod before. Works well, but wasn’t ready for primetime. It recorded up to 96KHz, IIRC…
I’ve read the iPod hardware is limited to recording at an 8kHz, so that nips a lot of audio quality at the intack. There is a hack (try to ingore the near-porn ads):
http://ipod.hackaday.com/entry/1234000147025394/
This is why I go with the iRiver for recording; the iFP700 does 22.050 and I think the IFP900 I got recently does 32 and maybe 44.1
The flip side the user interface on the iRiver is pure hell…
I wouldn’t get too attached to the TuneTalk, as it and every other microphone adapter out there doesn’t work with th 5G ipods. Hoping someone comes up with one soon that does.
D’Archy, have you tried a Griffin label mic (in an iRiver 700 series if you can, as they use senheiser mics and earbuds)?
The iRiver iFP-700/800 series do 44.1KHz up to 320Mbps…I’ve been using an iFP-795 for recording for the last year. (Just don’t upgrade the firmware.)
Yeah, what’s up with that 5GB? I was in the Soho Apple Store just before Christmas. They couldn’t keep the 5GBs on the shelf. And a big complaint about the old iPods was the crap sound quality, which is apparently fixed in the 5GBs. And Podcasts are apparently going to redefine entertainment as we know it *and* save the human race from itself. And probably slice bread too.
So wouldn’t you think that some bright light out there would put 2 + 2 together, see $$$s and get a functional mic for the 5GBs out on the market like yesterday?
Cole, your idea’s not bad but it would be even better if they do it the Sendstation Pocketdock way. The tiny device has USB and 1 mini jack OUT… just imagine USB and 1 mini jack IN, it means you could charge the iPod battery while recording !
Nice feature I think
Cant believe how Stupid Apple can be sometimes.
However visit the Griffin (USA) website, roam around and find their nod nod wink wink message. They hint that they may be on the brink. The more emails they get requesting iTalk for 5thG the more likely they are to follow up their tentative stance.
(please email them with enthusiasm, I think they just need a little push)
Pete
well, you could set it to repeat the same track endlessly, so I suppose so.
Question, when recording a message on the ipod, does it have the ability for a continuous playback of the same message over and over?
Thanks for your help.
can anyone tell me how to use simple microphone with the standard 3.5mm pin in Ipod Photo?? i connected it but there was no option for recording??