IPad and VO recording

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Barry Trussell on September 27, 2010 at 12:59am

Hello Dana,

I've not used the Ipad for recording,but it has been utilized as a download tool and reader for scripts. the large screen and portability, in conjunction with internet makes for and excellent way to get scripts on fly, jump in front of a mic, and record - great for quick turn arounds. No paper, no paper shuffling. I have no doubt there will be good apps to be used for recording auditions coming soon, as with the I phones.

Barry

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Permalink Reply by Dana Negrey on September 29, 2010 at 1:22am

Thanks Barry. I am enjoying the iPad as a document reader. I will be sure to share my experiences with it as a DAW in the next while :-)

Cheers,
Dana

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Permalink Reply by Jamie Blythe on January 18, 2013 at 9:54pm

Hey Barry, 

For more on recording with your iPhone or iPad, check out Erik's new book: iVoiceoverBook.com  It's been getting rave reviews and it was only released this afternoon! ;)

~Jamie

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Permalink Reply by Howard Ellison on October 26, 2010 at 3:54am

Hi Dana. Some broadcast reporters do use iPHONE, which (unlike many other phones) gives quite good street audio, especially if you attach one of those $30 mikes made for it. Handy size, too! Samples I've heard on web aren't quite up to best VO standard, whereas portable recorders from about £150 up (and again heard via web) are, pretty much. Could be a squint delivering copy from a tiny screen, so iPad could be just great. Looking forward to hearing how you get on. Howard

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Permalink Reply by Jamie Blythe on January 18, 2013 at 9:57pm

Hey Howard, I wanted to let you know that Erik J Martin just today came out with a book about recording on an iDevice and I'd love you to check it out. iVoiceoverBook.com

; )

~Jamie

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Permalink Reply by Dana Negrey on November 2, 2010 at 2:46pm

I have come across DAW from harmonicdog.com. Nice little recording app! I tried using a Snowball USB mic, connected to the iPad using the iPad's camera connector kit. Turns out that the Snowball mic is not supported, so I'll have a go with a different USB mic. However, the quality using the iPad's built-in mic wasn't all that bad. Far from being pro, but might work in a pinch for an audition. I'll post more updates later.

Feel free to share your experiences using the iPad as a VO recording device.

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Permalink Reply by Erik Martin on May 1, 2011 at 11:15am

Last night I recorded an audition for a friend with my iPad2 and am quite pleased with the results, but more pleased with the possibilities!

 

We used her AT2020 usb mic, the camera connection kit for the iPad, and the Twisted Wave app for recording.  

 

Pros:

Setup was mindlessly simple, and it just worked right from the get go.  Literally plug and play.

No worries on isolating the computer (iPad) from the recording area as it is 100% silent

Recording interface is super simple.  Works as expected.

Can email the audition directly from the App.

 

Cons:

The Mic Gain was a lot lower than I would have liked, and I had to normalize the file.  (very easy in the software)

No MP3 option in the software- AAC or WAV/AIFF.  I'm certain that I could have just used the AAC, but would rather not take chances, so I imported the file to the computer and converted to MP3.

 

Editing:

I'm not saying this is a pro or a con, it just is what it is.  I've been editing audio for 15+ years on the computer and I am superfast with a mouse and my eyes.  I found that editing with my finger is a lot less precise than with a mouse.  I am sure that with a bit of practice I can get up to speed using just my fingers, pinch and zoom and all that.  The talent didn't notice it, but I know how fast I am usually, so I felt slowed down having to audition my edits.

 

General:

All that said, I think this is TOTALLY FRIGGING AWESOME. What I love about the iPad in general is that it takes all the junk away from a computer and gives you just what you are trying to work on.  The same experience is true in recording VO- you are not thwarted with all the shenanigans that software manufacturers try and throw at you.

 

The Future:

I did manage to hook up my Apogee ONE interface and play around just long enough in GarageBand to see that it did in fact work.  I think using this would overcome the mic gain issue I was having with the AT2020 though it's not as sexy as just plugging a USB mic directly into the iPad.

 

Well, that is my VERY recent experience with it, looking forwar to seeing where this all goes!

 

Best, 

 

Erik J

http://homerecordingstudiodesign.com

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Permalink Reply by Dana Negrey on May 1, 2011 at 11:38am

Hi Eric,

Thanks for sharing. It's great getting feedback like this. I've ordered to iRig mic to see hoe it does with my iPad and Harmonic Dog's DAW for auditions, at least. It would ne nice to be able to avoid that extr step of having to use the computer to make an MP3. Ideally, I am hoping to record, edit and send all from the iPad, using as little gear a possible.

Will share results after playing around with the iRig.

Cheers,
Dana

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Permalink Reply by Jamie Blythe on January 18, 2013 at 9:50pm

Hey Dana, 

Erik just came out with a book that's AAAALLLL about recording on an iDevice. Check it out - you'll love it! iVoiceoverBook.com

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Permalink Reply by Dana Negrey on May 1, 2011 at 3:36pm

I did try out a Blue Yeti with DAW. The mic was originally supposed to run through the camera connection kit. However, an Apple update removed that ability. On the harmonic dog forum, people reported success using a powered USB hub with the Yeti. I didn't try that, myself.

Cheers,
Dana

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