Kerry at the NAB: Update #3 - MXL MM-4000 Smartphone Audio Mixer

The most recent generations of smartphones and tablets have fabulous cameras. Given great lighting, and a steady shot, you can get amazing results when you shoot a video.

But one of the most important things that's often overlooked is getting great audio. Lets face it, the built-in mic just doesn't sound good unless you're right on top of it. And that's not possible when you're shooting a video!

Smartphone microphones - both handheld and clip-on (lavalier) - are the answer to acquiring clean, high-quality audio. But what if you want to record an interview involving one or more people?

MXL solves that problem with it's newly-announced MM-4000 Mini Mixer+ 4-channel smartphone microphone mixer. This mixer is designed for smartphone and tablet mics. (Without getting too geeky on you, you can tell if it's a smartphone mic by the rings on the plug. Three black rings separating the metal sections of the plug mean's its "TRRS" connector for smartphones or tablets.) And this mixer is designed just for those mics.

At NAB 2015, I chatted with Perry Goldstein, Director of Unified Communications and Digital Technologies at Marshall Electronics, about the features of the Mini Mixer+.

UPDATE: The MXL MM-4000 Mini Mixer+ smartphone/tablet audio mixer became available in September, 2015. I now use this mixer on a daily basis for my Periscope broadcasts, and love it!

Let me know what you think about this mixer and how your smartphone video projects are going. Leave comments below!

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Blog Notes:
-Here is a link to MXL's line of Mobile Media microphones and accessories
-Here is another article about the mixer in Music & Sound Retailer
-Here is a link to an article about the mixer from MusicRadar