Check out this video of Mavis Co-Founder, Dr Phil, as he dives into the audio system inside Mavis Camera:
Mavis Camera includes a very powerful audio system that is designed to process audio in real-time. It stands out from many other camera apps due to the inclusion of an audio mixer. This allows for incoming audio to be processed, combined or manipulated before it is recorded. It also means the main audio channels included with a video clip are the output of the audio mixer - specifically Mavis Camera records a stereo mix (made from processing all the incoming audio channels).
Mavis Camera also provides the ability to record the raw incoming audio data as a multi-track STEM audio recording giving users the flexibility to record both the mixer output and the raw incoming audio - perfect if you want to record or stream the mixer output while also having the individual audio channels saved for use later in post production.
For more information regarding advanced audio including gain, pan and solo control, checkout the dedicated support article here: Advanced Audio
Audio processing
Mavis Camera processes audio using bespoke audio processing units. These convert all inputs into a mezzanine format before mixing them to a stereo output as-well-as a discrete monitor output. Simultaneously the raw audio input data are passed directly to the recorder.
Mavis Camera follows the standard iOS "last in wins" rule, where the last device plugged into the device (as either an input or output) is the dominant device. For example, if the last device plugged into the iPhone was an external input then Mavis Camera will automatically choose this as the input to the mixer. Similarly, if the last thing you connected to the iPhone was a pair of bluetooth headphones then Mavis Camera will attempt to route the monitoring out to the bluetooth.
Internal Microphones
All iPhones include a number of different microphones that can be used to record audio. In the latest iPhones multiple microphones are used together to create stereo inputs and complex polar patterns to help with unwanted noise rejection. Normally there are three main microphone positions that are important when recording video:
- Front. This microphone is positioned next to the front facing (selfie) camera lens and is mainly used when taking selfie videos.
- Back. This microphone is positioned next to the main camera lens(es) and is normally used during regular point and shoot video recording
- Bottom. This microphone is positioned next the USB-C / Lightning connect and is normally used during phone calls.
Mavis Camera will automatically select which microphone position to use based on the lens selected. This means that when selecting a main camera lens (e.g. 1x) the Back microphone will be selected and when using the front facing lens the Front microphone will be used. These microphones are supplemented by other microphone positions to create a rich audio sound with minimal background noise. Where possible, Mavis Camera also takes advantage of stereo audio provided by the iPhone. You can also select which internal microphone you want to use (for example you may want to use the main camera on the back of the iPhone but want to use Front microphone to narrate the video).
For more information regarding audio controls, checkout the dedicated support article here: Audio Controls & Mixer
External Sources
External sources can be connected to the iPhone via the USB-C or Lightning connector. Mavis Camera accepts most iPhone audio devices and it is regularly tested against the list of devices below:
- RODE Wireless GO II
- RODE Wireless Pro
- Hollyland Lark Max Duo
- Apple AirPods 3
- Apple AirPods 4
- Apple AirPods Pro 2
- Apple EarPods (USB-C)
- Apple EarPods (3.5mm) with USB-C Adaptor
- Sennheiser SC 165 Stereo USB-C Headset with 3.5mm
- Bose QuietComfort Headphones
- Focusrite Scarlett Solo
- Focusrite Scarlett 8i6
- Zoom PodTrak P8
Mavis Camera supports up to 8 input channels from an external source.
Help us out! Got an audio device and want to help test our audio system? Contact support with the results and get the device added to our list of known supported devices.
Bluetooth
Mavis Camera support bluetooth audio inputs and outputs. When connecting an output (e.g headphones) the monitor channel will automatically be routed to the bluetooth output.