Any stereo mics for Android phone? (like the Røde i-XY for Apple)

[stefanaalten]

Does anyone know of an Android equivalent to the Røde i-iXY stereo mics for Apple? http://en.rode.com/microphones/ixy Or more generally, any advice on using an Android device to record good quality stereo audio? (My alternative is to splash out £200 on a dedicated audio recorder like Zoom H5).

Looking to try to out using my Android phone to record our band's rehearsal sessions (a community concert band - brass & woodwind - playing in a church hall).

[Mike Stranks]

I don't know of a direct equivalent to the Rode Mic for iOS... or at least not in the same uber-compact form.

But if you only want to record a stereo file you don't need to go to an H5 to achieve your objective. An H4n would suit as would many of the Tascam, Olympus, Sony etc models.

https://www.solidstatesound.co.uk/c-portables.htm

[stefanaalten]

Thanks Mike

Point re. H4n vs H5 noted but as difference between them is only £20 I'm happy to pay extra as I gather there are some (small) improvements between the two (as per this reviewer's video at least: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLlyPDSypLc)

However, I am still interested in the possibility of using smartphones (we all have them!) as recording device. Here's a thought ... couldn't multiple smartphones be combined, one to record "left" and another to record "right" and use software to combine? Now gone off to research other external mics. Looks like there are many more options for iPhone than for Android.

[stefanaalten]

Booh, now realise there is a limitation ... my Android phone is a Samsung Galaxy A5 and this does not have a TRRS port, just standard headphone jack (useful article here: https://www.wildmountainechoes.com/equipment/audio-recording-with-a-smartphone/) so can't connect via that way. The search continues...

[ef37a]

I am very new to Android smartphones, had a Sony Xperia 10 for just a couple of months (it drives me mad) and I have looked at ways to use it as a basic recorder without much luck.

The Sony has a USB C port and I have an adaptor that allows certain USB devices to work it, a keyboard for instance (it is the (*&^% swiping that drive me mad) but I have not tried it with a USB interfaces.

I also assumed a smart phone could be found on a PC network and therefore acess my printer and smart TV? Not so it seems so how useful audio recording is going to be on an android looks dubious?

I sometimes think I should have bought an iPhone but, 1) I can't really afford one and 2)I HATE Apple!

Dave.

[Bob Bickerton]

My preferred onboard mic for iPhone is the Shure MV88 which I consider to be superior to the Rode equivalent and as good as the onboard mics of the Zoom H series - alas it is not Android compatible.

However the Shure MV51 is. I have not tried it myself and you’d be recording in mono - might be worth a look?

Bob

[James Perrett]

I tried my Zoom U44 interface with my Tesco Hudl2 tablet and it worked fine for stereo playback but I could only get it to record in mono. I believe that it is possible to record multiple channels on Android with the right combination of interface and device and there's a pretty comprehensive list of devices and their limitations at

https://www.extreamsd.com/index.php/tec ... dio-driver