Released 08 Nov 2022, Last Updated 16 Nov 2022
If you're seeking a portable podcast recording solution, a video call setup on the go, a pocket-sized music studio or even a super-compact filmmaking rig, then pairing a USB microphone with a smartphone or tablet is an incredibly versatile and powerful option.
In this article, we’ll take a look at why you’d want to use a USB microphone with your mobile device, how to choose the right USB mic and how to connect it to your iPhone, iPad or Android mobile device.
El micrófono profesional NT-USB+ USB ofrece una configuración de grabación potente y portátil cuando se combina con un teléfono inteligente.
Broadly speaking, any situation in which you’d normally use your phone or tablet’s on-board microphone can be drastically improved by using a USB microphone, as built-in mics in mobile devices are typically low quality.
A professional quality USB mic like the NT-USB+ is an excellent way of capturing broadcast-grade voice on your mobile device for podcasting away from home or the studio. Most noticeably, a USB mic will make your voice sound significantly more full, rich and detailed than when using your phone or tablet’s microphone, and it will better isolate your voice, boosting its clarity and reducing unwanted background noise.
Pairing your phone or tablet with a USB shotgun microphone like the VideoMic GO II is the best way to get crisp, clean audio on your video calls. Shotgun mics are highly directional, meaning they’re even better than other types of microphones at isolating your voice and rejecting background noise from the sides and rear of the mic.
Con la mayoría de los teléfonos inteligentes modernos teniendo capacidades de video potentes, simplemente agregar un micrófono de cañón profesional USB como el VideoMic NTG puede convertir tu teléfono en un equipo de videografía de calidad profesional que puedes llevar contigo a donde vayas. También puedes echar un vistazo a los Kits de Vlogger de RØDE (disponibles en versiones para iOS, USB-C y Universal 3.5mm) para un conjunto de vlogging todo en uno, que incluye un micrófono compacto de alta calidad, Tripod 2, soporte para teléfono, luz en cámara MicroLED y otros accesorios.
Con la amplia gama de aplicaciones para hacer música disponibles para teléfonos y tabletas hoy en día, emparejar tu dispositivo con un micrófono USB de alta calidad como el NT-USB+ lo convierte en un conjunto de grabación y edición de música súper versátil y potente. Las tabletas son generalmente más adecuadas aquí, ya que tienes más espacio en pantalla (y generalmente más potencia) para manejar tus grabaciones multipista y usar procesamiento y efectos.
Cualquier micrófono USB va a ofrecer una mejora masiva en la fidelidad de audio sobre el micrófono incorporado en tu teléfono o tableta, pero mientras estás mejorando, bien podrías elegir un micrófono USB de alta calidad, idealmente con algunas características específicas para ayudarte. Vamos a echar un vistazo.
Con algunas excepciones, muchos teléfonos y tabletas modernos ya no tienen una salida de 3.5mm, por lo que es importante buscar un micrófono USB con su propia salida de auriculares – afortunadamente, esta es una característica bastante estándar. Mejor aún, si optas por un micrófono USB con monitoreo sin latencia (como nuestro NT-USB Mini y NT-USB+), puedes escuchar tu voz o instrumento sin ningún retraso.
Sin esta característica, la señal de tu micrófono se enviará a tu dispositivo móvil, a través de tu aplicación de audio o video, y luego de vuelta, creando un retraso que no solo es irritante al grabar, sino que también puede interferir con los patrones de habla y las actuaciones musicales.
The NT-USB Mini studio-quality USB microphone features a headphone output with zero-latency monitoring.
There are a few different standards of connection available in USB mics, but we’d recommend you opt for a USB-C microphone. This is the latest standard and will give you the greatest flexibility when connecting your mic to a mobile device, often allowing for a single cable.
Note: Some USB mics may require more power than your phone or tablet can provide, in which case you’ll see a relevant error message display on your device when hooking up your mic. If this is the case, you may be able to provide your microphone power using something like Apple’s Lighting to USB 3 Camera Adapter (if you’re using an iPhone or iPad) and providing extra power via the second USB port on the adapter.
Assuming your microphone has a USB-C output, the simplest way to connect your iPhone or iPad to the USB mic is via a Lightning Accessory Cable like the SC15 or SC19. These cables directly bridge USB-C and Lightning ports and are all that’s needed to set up your USB mic with your iPhone or iPad, granted your device can provide enough power (see above note).
Some Apple products feature a USB-C port, namely the iPad Pro and later models of the iPad Air (4th-gen and later) and iPad Mini (6th-gen and later). For these, you can simply use a USB-C-to-C cable like the SC16 or SC17 to connect to your USB mic.
El VideoMic NTG no solo cuenta con una salida USB, sino que también dispone de una serie de controles integrados para procesar y mejorar tu audio, como un filtro de paso alto y un refuerzo de alta frecuencia.
If you’re using a USB microphone with a different port, you’ll need to use an adapter like Apple’s Lighting to USB Camera Adapter, which provides a USB Type-A port to plug in the cable that came with your USB mic.
Once connected, your iPhone or iPad should automatically recognise your USB mic and set it as the input and output device, but you may need to check input settings in the media app you’re working with. If you’re using a mic with a headphone volume control like the NT-USB+, you can turn up your phone or tablet’s volume to maximum and use your microphone’s volume control to adjust levels to taste.
Most modern Android phones and tablets now feature a USB-C port, which means you can use a USB-C to USB-C cable like the SC16 or SC17 to directly connect it to your microphone, assuming your device can provide enough power to your mic.
Once connected, your Android device should automatically set your USB mic as the input and output device, and you can use your audio, video and conference apps as normal – if not, check the audio settings in your app. As with iOS devices, you may need to use an adapter if your microphone and/or mobile device doesn’t have a USB-C port or if your device can’t provide enough power for your mic.
Once your USB mic is hooked up to your phone or tablet, there’s a massive range of both iOS and Android apps you can make use of, including filmmaking apps, video and conference call apps like Zoom and even fully-featured music production workstations.
Pairing a VideoMic Me-C or VideoMic Me-L with a smartphone running RØDE Reporter is a super simple and compact solution to recording pro audio.
For a simple yet capable option for recording audio, check out the RØDE Reporter app. It features a microphone input level control, audio meter, media library and the option to record your audio as a hi-res WAV file for the highest quality or a compressed MP3 file with a number of different quality options to save on storage space.
Pro Tip: Switch your phone or tablet into flight mode (unless your recording situation needs it) in order to avoid any unwanted interruptions during recording, as well as possible interference from the cellular or wireless signals.
RØDE offers a range of professional USB microphones to suit a wide range of uses, as well as a number of on-camera VideoMics that feature both 3.5mm and USB-C connections.