Zoom iQ5 Lightning Stereo Microphone

Zoom iQ5 Lightning Stereo Microphone

The Zoom iQ5 is a high-quality mid-side stereo condenser mic, perfect for recording music and compact enough to be slipped into your pocket. Simply connect it to the Lightning connector of your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch and get ready to do some serious stereo recording any time, any place.

The iQ5 employs a unique rotating mechanism that enables audio recording with correct left-right stereo orientation whether used vertically or horizontally. Use it in standard "audio" position or simply rotate it to the "video" position in order to record video with the attached iPhone, iPad or iPod touch held horizontally.

Mid-side recording makes it easy for anyone to record in realistic (and fully mono-compatible) stereo. The iQ5 actually contains two microphone elements: a directional "mid" mic that captures audio coming from in front and a bidirectional "side" mic that covers ambient signal. Stereo width can be set to 90° or 120° according to the recording situation, or you can opt to record the mid and side mic signals as RAW data and then use Zoom's Handy Recorder iOS app to adjust the stereo width from 30° to 150°. This allows you to go from a tight sound focused on a single instrument to a wide image that includes the surrounding ambience and reverberation. The app even allows you to collapse the signal into phase-coherent mono, which is great for interviews, narration and other voice recordings.

The iQ5 makes it easy to get great sound no matter what kind of material you're recording. Its analog-type MIC GAIN wheel allows you to dial in the perfect amount of gain for any recording application. Or choose one of three Auto Gain presets (Concert / Solo / Meeting) to automatically set the recording level for any given situation. You can also use the iQ5's built-in Limiter to avoid input overloads.

Zoom's free Handy Recorder app is specially designed for use with the iQ5. Simply download it from the App Store and install it on your iOS devices. The app allows you to record in linear PCM format for the highest quality sound, or in AAC format to conserve storage space. It also enables you to apply compression, EQ and reverb effects, as well as normalize and divide files. Using the Handy Recorder app, you can even upload files to the SoundCloud audio sharing site, so you can immediately share your recording with the world.

The Handy Recorder app allows you to record in linear PCM (WAV) 16-bit/44.1kHz format for CD-quality audio that accurately captures the full subtlety of acoustic instruments and spaces. When you need to conserve storage space for long recordings, you can instead record in compressed AAC format for smaller file sizes and faster data transfer.

The Handy Recorder app enables you to directly upload your recordings to "SoundCloud"and share your music with people around the world.

The iQ5 can be used with most iOS apps that support audio input from an external microphone. For example, you can use it with the standard iOS Camera app to record high quality audio to go with your video and then use streaming apps to broadcast live performances. The iQ5 can also be used to record vocals and instruments when using music apps like Apple's GarageBand.