IK Multimedia iRig Mic HD Review / Test
Today I'm reviewing an outdated microphone that has a newer model already released...the iRig Mic HD.
For this review, I have the mic connected directly to my 2017 iMac with the input gain set at 11:00. I have done no post processing on the audio, it is all raw, but the audio was slightly boosted in final cut pro X to simply make the audio easier to listen to.
If you are interested in this microphone, it will set you back $110.00 on Amazon
What's In the Box
Microphone
Microphone Mount
5/8" to 3/8" Stand Adapter
USB-A Cable
Lightning Cable
Cable lock
Storage pouch
Documentation
Specifications
Frequency Response: 40Hz - 18kHz
Polar Pattern: Cardioid
Max SPL: 134dB (3% THD)
Bit Depth: 24-Bit
Sample Rate: 48kHz
Performance / Features
The build quality of this microphone is sufficient. It has an all metal body and a sturdy feeling metal grill. It does feel a bit on the light side which makes me reluctant about the durability of this microphone's body. On one side you will find the microphone gain dial, and on the other side you will find a multi-color LED light which can be used for metering.
The frequency response is listed as 40Hz - 18kHz. They do not have any frequency response published, but while listening to the audio samples it is apparent that this not as presence boosted as the majority of handheld dynamic microphones.
The polar pattern of this mic is cardioid. The background noise rejection did not blow my socks off. At 90 / 270-degrees, there was almost no low frequencies; there was only treble. Once we got around the mic to 180-degrees, all the treble had been eliminated and the low end returned.
The overall performance of this mic is a mixed bag. The tone of this microphone is pretty good (if you like flatter microphones). Because it is flatter it is more neutral, and is a bit more boring sounding. The preamp fairly quiet all the way up to 100%, but it is difficult to measure the actual noise floor since I do not have an anechoic chamber to test this in. On the other hand, it suffered significantly from plosives which could lead to ruined recordings. The handling noise was also pretty disappointing.
Pros
Convenient since it's compatible with multiple OS (Mac, Windows, iOS)
HD Recording (24-bit, 48kHz)
Relatively neutral response compared to other handheld dynamics
Relatively quiet preamp
Cons
Lacks latency free monitoring
Suffers from plosives
Did not perform well with handling noise
Conclusion
If you are looking for a USB mic to run on your windows or mac computer, I would suggest you look somewhere else for a microphone. I say this because this microphone suffers so badly from plosives, it doesn't do well with handling noise, and it lacks latency free monitoring. Additionally the USB microphone market it very competitive so you can get a microphone that meets all your requirements for the same price if not cheaper.
On the other hand, if you're looking for a handheld dynamic microphone, that requires HD audio, has a relatively neutral frequency response, and runs to your iOS device over lightning cable, then your options are much more limited. I think in that case, this may be one of the only options you have, but i would suggest you check out the Mic HD 2 as it added the latency free monitoring, and hopefully they improved the plosive issue.
If you have any additional questions about this microphone, leave them on the youtube video, and I will try to reply ASAP.
Buy the iRig Mic HD (Affiliate Link)
Global: https://geni.us/irigmichd
