iPhone User Survey
Thursday, April 21st, 2011 | by matthew mcglynn
We’re researching the possibility of creating an iPhone app for the Microphone Database. If you think you’d use it, please vote below so we can try to predict the audience size.
The idea of the app is to create a literal pocket reference for 950+ microphones. Each mic profile in the app would contain the same data as the RecordingHacks website — a detailed description of the mic, color photos, specifications, etc.
I needed this the other night, while setting up mics in a session. I needed to look up the values of the EQ switches for a couple microphones, but didn’t have the documentation available. Sure, the Mic Database can be browsed over the web from a mobile device, but accessing specific details would be significantly faster with a native iOS application.
If you can imagine using such an app, please respond to the poll question below. If you have feature ideas, please leave a comment.
We could have this out in a month, if there’s enough interest. So, if you want it, this is your chance to make it happen!
By the way, forgive me the ridiculous mockup shown above. 🙂 Clearly I will have to hire someone to handle the app’s visual design.
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Posted in Colophon | 21 Comments »
Jacque Harper
April 22nd, 2011 at 7:19 am
At this stage, for me, such an app would only be a curiosity. I’d probably download it (if it were free; maybe I’d pay $0.99), look at it a time or two, and then forget about it.
But that’s just me — I’m not working daily as a recording engineer, I’m a musician schlepping for a website as my day gig.
Jacque
Ian
April 22nd, 2011 at 7:57 am
I’d definitely be interested, but I don’t normally pay for apps. I would suggest if you wish to profit from it embedding a small advertisement bar in the app.
Matt
April 22nd, 2011 at 8:44 am
I usually only pay for apps if I’ll use them a lot, and at this point I don’t really have a frequent need to look up mics. Plus I have an android, so an iOS app wouldn’t do any good for me anyway. But I agree with Ian on embedding a small ad bar in the app/mobile site.
Personally I’d just set up a mobile optimized section on the site. That will take care of all (web enabled) mobile devices.
Marcus Manderson
April 22nd, 2011 at 9:43 am
I use various mics on a daily basis and could see myself using this app a lot. It is a great idea and one that has yet to be tapped by the app market.
I would suggest perhaps a “lite” version with a select number of microphones (maybe 250 or even 500, up to you). The “lite” version would be free. Or perhaps have a lite version that has all of the mics but features ads.
The full version would be ad-free and include all of the mics. I would pay $0.99 for an app like this. Maybe even $1.99 but I would advice against that price point.
A mobile optimized version of the website is not a bad idea. However, in my situation, I do not get reception in the studio where I work so a native app would be better (for me).
Hope this helps!…
Steve Currington
April 22nd, 2011 at 2:04 pm
Great Idea Matt.
Make sure it is iPhopne, iPad & iPod Touch compatible. And also consider an Android app world .. Android is also a system that is very much on the rise and on a par with Apples “iPhone” in popularity and usage. It will overtake iPhone in the smartphone marketplace (if it hasn’t already – I don’t watch the stats on this)
I have an iPad and an Android Phone.
Steve Currington
April 22nd, 2011 at 2:08 pm
BTW Matt.. I pay for all the apps I use .. OK I also get free ones but generally if the app is of use to me I am more than happy to pay. I believe in supporting the developers.
Anything under $5 is a giveaway price anyway. That is less than the price of my morning coffee for crying out loud.!!!
Kiwicompooser
April 22nd, 2011 at 4:19 pm
Hmm … On reading the feedback so far I am amused. Why does almost everyone seem to want stuff for free or almost free.. I wonder if those that record/mix/compose for others etc does their work for free.. Hmm somehow I doubt it!!
Matt provides a valuable service at his own costs and covers the hosting, database, development, research, testing etc and offers that for free.. I think paying a few bucks for a simple but useful app is extremely fair. I would be more than happy to pay anything up to say $5. As has been mentioned it is only the costs of a single cup of coffee or a beer…
I am happy to vote yes for the app (especially if it is multi-platform) and yes on a charge!!
Tanner Schelle
April 22nd, 2011 at 4:32 pm
Hey Matt. If you need any help with this let me know. I would be more than happy to help as this was something I was kind of already working on and I would use this a lot!
J. Christopher Dunn
April 24th, 2011 at 11:07 am
I use one microphone for my day-to-day needs and can’t image myself needing to reference a database beyond curiosity.
Alex Jeddr
April 25th, 2011 at 12:26 am
Price is not an argument for me. If it works, Ill be happy to pay for it. But…
Make an android app, also. There are more android users worldwide at this time and as it’s being used by a lot more than 1 manufacturer, this market is growing and will continue to do so.
Maxime Beaudoin
April 25th, 2011 at 12:51 pm
To be honest, invest in a mobile website, this would be much more efficient and this would reach much more device / people. A microphone database wouldn’t benefit from the iOS / iPhone platform’s features. Good luck.
John Ovnik
April 26th, 2011 at 7:33 am
The fact that people want music and related entertainment for “Free” is why the industry is in such a terrible position.
I personally would pay $5. for the application just because of the care and effort that was put in to creating it. It’s not an app I’d use everyday, but I could definitely see using it on occasion.
Philippe de Bourg
April 26th, 2011 at 10:26 am
What will be very cool is that :
1-Mic database (please, OFFLINE)
–> ok, could be useful at the flea market, nothing more
2-Search by application (make a tool, not a dictionnary)
–>Enter what you have to record (instrument, noise, orchestra, band), then the price range, then appear the possibilities! (PUT YOUR ADs HERE)
3-User rating (get social! – no account please, like comment here, its perfect)
–>Possibility to vote, rate, comment, “have it” button, “try it” button
Free for #1
0,99$ for #2
1,99$ for #3
Phil
Philippe de Bourg
April 26th, 2011 at 10:27 am
p.s. Could be VERY useful for a location
Ethan
April 28th, 2011 at 9:53 am
I would absolutely love this app on Android!
Chris
May 4th, 2011 at 9:31 am
Be mindful of how the app gets its data. If it is completely offline (information is baked into the app) then any updates will require a new release. If it’s completely online then a user has to be connected to the Internet to do anything with it. Depending on the size of the total data it may or may not make sense to retrieve all of the info from the web on each app launch – maybe an update button and a notification of what updates are available.
If data retrieval is built as a webservice from this site, then portability to other platforms becomes much easier. You could even license the service to other developers if there is large enough demand.
Scott
May 13th, 2011 at 3:32 pm
I’m very interested, there is an app for the iPhone called MicLopedia that does virtually the same thing, although the recent update doesn’t work at all. Maybe try working together with them to get a mic app that WORKS or combines features, or just see what they did wrong and make yours better!
nik kelsey
May 15th, 2011 at 2:20 pm
this would be fantastic in my situation and on location as i often work with people who argue ridiculous things such as using an sm7b on a snare with the hpf off lol
James Cunningham
May 17th, 2011 at 2:39 am
This app would be great to use out of interest i would love it to be free but may pay between £0.59p – £1 for it. What i would love to see on the app is alternatives from microphones so I would possibly be able to look at cheaper versions of microphones and see the difference between in frequency response.
BartC
May 26th, 2011 at 6:59 pm
Well, I use an Android phone, so that is the first issue. As Matt suggested, just do a mobile version of the mic data base, to cover all devices.
But if it is the mic data that you want to put up, I don’t accesses that so often that I couldn’t just use my laptop.
Mike Rogers
September 16th, 2011 at 12:34 pm
Make one for Android as well!