External Microphone Support for IOS

Tony Taddeo

Firstly, congratulations on a great IOS app and interface to control a Flex 6x00 radio.

Though this idea has been mentioned previously, could you consider support for an external microphone connected to an IPhone/IPad other than through the 3.5mm phono socket or Bluetooth.

When connecting an external microphone digitally through the lightning connector, such as a Sure MV88 or via a digital sound card interface, the microphone is not detected and unavailable for use when using smartSDR for IOS. Note the same microphone (or digital soundcard interface) is detectable by IOS and available for use by other communication apps such as Skype.




As a side note, I have tried various Bluetooth headsets that work fine over mobile data connections (3G/4G) however, they can produce choppy audio and interfere with the network connection when operating on 2.4ghz WIFI networks in the real-world due to cross interference of Bluetooth and WIFI on the same band.

regards
Tony
VK5TT

Cal N3CAL

+1 on Tony's request!    

WV9L

i have a headset and a lightning port adapter. I even used the stock headphones with luck.  However, after this recent update that came out, something has gone amiss. When i plug in the headphones, there is no audio, with the app. I have made a post about this, and hopefully they find the bug and get it fixed.

Ria

That is strange because I have audio with the lightning adapter. 

Have you checked to see if "iPhone audio" is turned on?

WV9L

Yes. They all are correct settings. Same as i have always used/had. Just stopped working since the update on the app.

Tony Taddeo

Hi Ria

Thank you for your interest in this topic. Now that we have an Elmer on it perhaps this can get some traction .

I can confirm it does work when connecting a microphone through the Lightning to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Adapter, however it does not work when using dedicated external microphones (or audio devices) connecting to the lightning connector. These devices come up in the audio device list on your iphone/ipad with their device names. I suggest the first option works as it is the default audio device.

Fixing this issue would also allow the use of external audio interfaces for audio in and out of the IOS device, giving excellent audio results in a portable package for those chasing this.

It must be noted that using external microphones and audio devices does work in other IOS applications such as Skype, so it should be possible.

Being a software developer myself, at a wild guess I would suggest this may be related to a device permissions setting in code ?

Tony

Tony Taddeo

Im pleased to report that the latest version of SmartSDR for IOS (2.9.5) now supports a wider range of external microphones and audio interfaces connected directly to IOS devices. I am currently using the Sure MVi interface with a studio microphone and headphones for a real "at home" radio studio experience when I'm travelling. I particularly like this interface as it is BUS powered from the IOS device requiring no external power while also providing a return path for the received audio.



Thank you Marcus!

Tony
VK5TT

PS my last wish in this area is for Flexradio to enable the downward expander function while remote from the radio. The microphone threshold setting in SmartSDR IOS is useful as a noise gate but doesn't provide the increase in dynamic audio range from a downward expander.

Ryan Arrona

Could you list the hardware you’re using? I’m trying to get my podcast up and running through my iPad.

Ria

You can do it either of two ways.

One of them is to use the camera USB adapter and a USB sound card. 

The other is to get a line in cable and use the lightning to heaphone TRRS adapter. The line in cable typically has a resistor to enable the mic in, and probably a capacitor to isolate.

Incidentally I don't believe that D.Exp will work remotely as it uses hardware within the radio (I could be wrong).

Steve K9ZW

Serendipity, as my Apple Camera Adapter arrived midday hours before Ria posted, as I wanted to experiment with microphone alternatives to both an iPhone 11 and a iPad.

Will be testing a couple options for use with SmartSDR for iOS, as well as other software.

I also picked up the lightening to trrs adapter to use the same boomset that worked well with iPad with the iPhone.

73

Steve
K9ZW

Ria

Newer iPads also have USB-C which means you can probably use an audio interface like the Focusrite Scarlett or similar. But I haven't tested. 

Steve K9ZW

Yes, the varying models of Apple iPhone and iPad have presently two different connectors.

Apple has tested USB-C versions of more current production, but for now the North American market is Lightening for many products and USB-C for what are usually the top models in class.

So you may need more adapters and possibly not the sames ones on all your devices.

AFAIK the Scarlet is USB 2.0, and would be usable with appropriate adapter with both Lightening and USB-C devices.  

Ditto with many USB microphones and various midi devices, though premised on not needing USB power, which would either need a powered USB-hub with Lightening or would be better with USB-C.

73

Steve
K9ZW