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Turn your iPhone or iPad into a field recorder with this Lightning microphone from Blue

Ryan Waniata
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While Blue Microphones made its name creating high-end studio microphones, its expanding line of iOS-compatible mics that go anywhere you do are rapidly positioning the company as a premiere name in the burgeoning world of mobile recording. Today Blue unveiled an update to its adorably named stereo microphone, the Mikey Digital, adding Lightning connection.

At $100, the Mikey Digital with Lightning is one of the most affordable mics Blue makes. Inside the headstock are dual Blue condenser capsules, which allow for a much more sensitive exposure of detail than your common stage mic. Simply plug the mic into your iPhone or iPad’s Lightning input to allow easy recording to any number of available digital recording apps.

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The Mikey is positioned to make field recording nearly fool-proof, offering Blue’s Auto Level Sensing technology, which is a custom limiter for protecting your recordings from running into the red and distorting. The system can be set to fluctuate automatically with the subject’s volume levels, or allow the user to adjust gain manually. The Mikey also has an easily visible red LED to let you know when the levels are too hot to handle.

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Additional features for the Mikey Digital include a USB pass-through connection so you can charge your device while the mic is in place, a 230 degree rotating head for easy positioning, and a 3.5mm input to send direct signal to your iPhone or iPad from sources like guitar pickups, or DJ rigs. The system records at 44.1kHz/16 bit CD quality resolution.

Perhaps the best part about the new Mikey Digital with Lightning connection (for the price savvy among us) is the price drop on the old 30-pin Mikey Digital. At the time of this post, the mic can be picked up for a bargain-basement $45 at Amazon. For those with an older iPhone or iPad, that’s some serious savings for your recording pleasure. And while we don’t have confirmation from Blue about compatibility, those with newer iOS devices who have a 30-pin-to-Lightning adaptor lying around may be getting some ideas as well.

While we haven’t tried out the Mikey Digital for ourselves, we’ve had pretty good look with other Blue products, such as its Spark Digital microphone, so we expect the Mikey to offer good value for the money. The Lightning-connected Mikey Digital is available now at Amazon, and Sweetwater Sound, and will be coming to other retailers soon. If you want to hear some recordings made with the Mikey for yourself, check out the video below.

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