Is it possible to plug an external microphone?

[Saint*112]

Hi all
I am new on this forum and a dummy at using a smartphone.
I need to make videos outdoor and I have an issue with wind noise. I tried to plug a TAGSTAR SGC -598 (which is self-powered) to no avail. I looked in the manual and there is nothing about external mikes. I looked in the parameters and found nothing. Is there a way to do it?
Alternatively is it possible to protect the built-in mike from the wind?
TIA
Regards
Nick

 

[dexterv]

Yes, it is possible, but you cannot plug it in directly as far as I know. You need a headset/microphone splitter. I had very mixed results with a cheap Chinese one but it worked with the built in recording app when I managed to make contact with the microphone and got the headset with microphone icon It should work with the camera app as well.

 

[Saint*112]

Yes, it is possible, but you cannot plug it in directly as far as I know. You need a headset/microphone splitter. I had very mixed results with a cheap Chinese one but it worked with the built in recording app when I managed to make contact with the microphone and got the headset with microphone icon It should work with the camera app as well.

Thanks for your quick reply. I had read about this trick before but it made no sense to me. In the meantime I found a Youtube video that explains all the whys and the how-to. Now I understand.
While doing my shopping for a microphone and cables I never encountered this information. All vendors advertise their mikes as plug-and-play in all smarphones.
Searching for the splitter I came across a cable UGREEN 3.5mm Male to Female Extension Cable with Microphone Stereo Audio Adapter Compatible for iPhone iPad Smartphones Tablets Media Players that's supposed to do the job without the extra cable for the headphone that I don't need. I ordered it.
Let's hope it'll work.
Nick

 

[dexterv]

Thanks for your quick reply. I had read about this trick before but it made no sense to me. In the meantime I found a Youtube video that explains all the whys and the how-to. Now I understand.
While doing my shopping for a microphone and cables I never encountered this information. All vendors advertise their mikes as plug-and-play in all smarphones.
Searching for the splitter I came across a cable UGREEN 3.5mm Male to Female Extension Cable with Microphone Stereo Audio Adapter Compatible for iPhone iPad Smartphones Tablets Media Players that's supposed to do the job without the extra cable for the headphone that I don't need. I ordered it.
Let's hope it'll work.
Nick

Well I don't see how this will help, the link you provided is for a 3.5mm extension cable. It does nothing to separate the microphone from the headset in the combined port. Even the seller answered that it wouldn't work for a single microphone. the 3.5mm jacks on phones as far as I can tell cannot support stereo mics and headsets because there are not enough poles on the jack you have ground, mic, left and right speaker and that is it. Let us know how it goes.

 

[Saint*112]

I'll get it tomorow. If it doesn't work I'll buy a splitter. Anyway I'll need such an extension: splitters are too short (14" at most) and I would like to be free of the second cable.
Nick

 

[Saint*112]

As you forsaw it doesn't work. I had no clue about the audio specs of the different devices (smartphones and cameras) and of the different cables. If I got it straight:

• Cameras and mikes are with the TRS type. Therefore the first cable (which is TRS) works with my cam.
• Smartphones are with the TRRS type. The second cable I bought is (I suppose) a TRRS to TRRS type and therefore doesn't work with my mike. This is not precisely documented.

I eventually found male-to-female TRRS-to-TRS extension cables. All of them look quite light. They are not cheaper than splitters. If I understood well splitters are by definition of the TRRS-to-TRS type (at least for the mike end). Most of them are nylon braided and look stronger.
Nick