Using a Rode VideoMicro Microphone With the iPhone 6

 

I recently picked up a Rode VideoMicro Microphone for use with my iPhone 6. While this microphone is meant for use with cameras it works great with my iPhone 6 but there are some details you’ll need to know before buying. The Rode VideoMicro was built to use with cameras. You attach this microphone to your camera to record high quality audio when your shooting video. The built- in microphone on most cameras are not very good so with the VideoMicro you can record better audio and improve the overall quality of your videos. The Rode VideoMicro retails for $89 but you can find it online for as low as $59.

The box contains the VideoMicro microphone, a dead cat windscreen, a shock mount, a patch cable, and quick start guide.

The microphone does not require a battery. It draws power from the camera. Make sure to check rode.com to see if your camera can power this microphone. The microphone’s patch cable is TRS to TRS with a 3.5mm male connector on each end. The shock mount is a Rycote Lyre. It has a cold shoe adapter. Supposedly these Rycote Lyre are pretty good. The windscreen is a dead cat. Thick and furry, which is should eliminate more wind noise than a foam windscreen.

This mic is an on-camera microphone but I plan to use it with my iPhone 6. I checked rode.com and it is compatible. Rode recently started shipping a second version of this microphone called the Video Mic Me. It’s the same microphone as this one, but designed specifically for smartphone. I’ll explain later why I chose the VideoMicro over the Video Mic Me.

The VideoMicro will not work out of the box with the iPhone 6. The included 3.5mm TRS to TRS patch cable will not work with the iPhone or other smartphone. The iPhone headset jack is uses 3.5mm female TRRS connector. I needed a different patch cable. I bought the Rode SC7 TRS to TRRS patch cable which is sold separately for $15. The black end of the cable is TRS and the gray end of the cable is TRRS. Rode now uses a grey connector for TRRS, which is a nice touch. The black tip plugs into the microphone and the gray tip into the iPhone.

I’ll still need a way to mount the microphone to my iPhone as the it doesn’t have a cold shoe mount. When I shoot video with my iPhone I like to build up a rig. If you have watched my channel you have seen that I used a ALM MCam with my iPhone 5s and am current using a iPro Lens case for the iPhone 6. The MCam has a cold shoe mount integrated in the body. My iPro Lens case has two 1/4 20 mounts. I am going to connect this cold shoe mount to the top 1/4 20 mount and use that to hold the microphone. Once I get this rig all set up. I’ll record some video and we can hear how the microphone sounds.

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As I said earlier Rode has the Video Mic Me for smartphones. It costs the same but clips directly to the smartphone, it has a built in 3.5mm TRRS male plug to attack to the phone. It comes with the dead cat but it doesn’t need a shock mount or require a patch cable. It has a headphone pass-through on the back which the VideoMicro doesn’t have.

I chose the VideoMicro because I use a rig and can attach the VideoMicro’s shock mount to a cold shoe adapter. Looking at the pictures its not clear how well the Video Mic Me would mount to a phone in a case. By choosing the VideoMicro over the Mic Me I’ll have the flexibility of using it with both an iPhone and a camera in the future.

The downside is the added cost for the TRRS patch cable, cold shoe adapter, and a splitter if I want a headphone jack to monitor audio from the headset jack.

How did you think the mic sounded? leave a reply below. I still need to do more testing.

Check out my video below.

Want to learn more about the Rode VideoMicro? I have a number of articles and videos about it here on tech129.com., Click here to see more.

 

Products mentioned in this video


12 thoughts on “Using a Rode VideoMicro Microphone With the iPhone 6”

  1. Hi ! Thanks, I think I will buy this for my iphone. But how can I attach it, or fix it on my iphone ? The Ipro Lens is too pricy and the mount is for cameras.

    Thanks

    1. You either need to get an iphone case with a 1/4 mount or check out the smartphone version, the Rode Video Mic ME. Check out the amazon link to the VideoMic ME at the bottom of the article.

  2. hi there
    i wanted you to help me understand something.I have the same video micro micrphone i have a nikon d3200 with the kit lens and i also have iphone6 and samsung note3 /4 . what i wanted to know is that will the rode video record if i use any other brand of cable available locally . or i need to use the sc7 cable only.As i tried and i havent found any difference .I use the rode rec le app on iphone. and i feel that its the inbuilt microphone of my iphone that uses to record my voice not the video micro attached to the iphone.
    Fatima

    1. Hi,
      To use this mic with the iPhone 6 you need a TRS to TRRS patch cable. I haven’t tried any other cables than the Rode SC7 but it should work. My feeling that as far as cables go the SC7 wasn’t too expensive, and rode makes quality stuff so I bought that one.

      If you are using the TRS cable with your phone you are likely recording from the built in mic. Try using garage band on your iPhone and tap on the mic and see if the meter moves.
      should give you an idea if your phone is useing the rode.

    1. Hi Steve,
      I had the previous model. Did a video about it. I like the Ztylus and S1 better for video at least. I feel they hold a variety of phones with and without cases better. The original glif was design specifically for the iPhone. The later models were modified to work with other phones. I haven’t tried the latest model you linked to. It’s relatively new.

    1. Hi Ender,
      Make sure you plug the black end of the SC7 into the microphone and the gray end into the lightning to 3.5mm jack adapter. Make sure both ends are completed plugged in. Plug the SC7 into the adapter and then the adapter into the phone. When checking if the audio was recorded make sure to unplug the lightning adapter. All this sounds obvious but all these items are mistakes other readers, and myself have made while using the mic. You can also try the mic and adapter on any iPhone with a lighting port to test if it works there

      When you record do you get any audio or silence?

  3. I bought the RODE VideoMicro but I haven’t purchased the SC7 patch cable because I bought the thin FOS-CLIP that has a TRRS end to it. Will it work? I ask because I’m using the cable that came with the box but using one end to plug it on the FOS-CLIP you suggested directly to my iPhone 6S+. Is that compatible? Or, do I need to buy the SC7 cable regardless then use the FOS-CLIP to attach it to my iPhone? By the way, I liked your videos and subscribed to your YouTube Channel. Great infotainment content man! Keep up the great work. Just let me know and thanks!

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