[dabl]

I'm wondering if it will be possible to connect a high-quality microphone to the N8 via usb. I can't find out what current can be supplied by the device nor what currents are required by available usb microphones.

[psychomania]

Nokia have not announced the ability to do that, I'm not 100% sure if USB OTG can even do that. So far it looks like nokia is only using it for a connection to external storage devices.

Perhaps this article will be helpful to you:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_On-The-Go

[XpictocBockpec]

I was wondering the same thing, but for a Nokia 5530 xpressMusic...  The n8 was a little out of my price range.  I've seen people do this with an iPhone, and I was hoping Nokia was up to the challenge.  I hope you'll let us know if you ever get this to work.

[foxmeister]

Nokia Have announced this that also has a Microphone built in

http://europe.nokia.com/find-products/accessories/all-accessories/home-and-office/nokia-mobile-tv-he...

http://conversations.nokia.com/2010/09/09/nokia-launches-mobile-tv/

[Pher]

On the Nokia Conversation - The Official Nokia blog site

Nokia people claim that it will work:

"Nokia N8 – Audio outputs
Naturally, the Nokia N8 comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack. Plug in any pair of buds or cans to enjoy your tunes. There’s also a micro USB connector for an additional microphone or specialist audio equipment."

http://conversations.nokia.com/2010/07/22/nokia-n8-and-its-audio-smarts/#

But no further detail how it is done.

Have anyone succeded with this? For example getting a USB-microphone to work and record?

I have just ordered a Samson Q1U Microphone for this purpose.

Thanks

[ToTTen]

Greetings,

I'd like to know how 's the situation with the USB microphone connectivity.

If I connect a USB condenser microphone to the N8, will it automatically encode its audio input in the video when I start recording a video? Or just the audio recorder?

If so, what formats will it support?

I could really know this, since information around the web on this subject is really scarce..

[JudaZ]

I doubt a USB microphone would work but this might be a solution for connecting  an external microphone .. its for the N95, but same cable works on N8  Just a standard Nokia AV cable and some additional standard audio connectors

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNFmDetXs7c

[peteaudio]

Hello all,

Just to confirm you can get a microphone into a nokia n8/e7. To do this you will need to use a CA-75u which comes with any n series nokia.It is a three way RCA (phono) split giving you a yellow white and red RCA to a 3.5mm (mini) jack.

Once you have your CA-75u you will need to plug your microphone to start with into the red RCA and in the software make sure your default accessory is the headset. Then you plug the mic into the red RCA and then the 3.5mm jack in the top it should ask you which type of connection you want, select headset. Now take the mic and plug it into the into the yellow RCA. Now you can use sound recorder to record from the mic!.

This is obviously a work around and it would be much easier for nokia to produce a microphone interface or even better bring out a usb x/y configuration microphone like the zoom recorders use. Come on nokia give me a new gadget!

Some notes about mics and connections into an RCA.

Electret mini mics should be fine, but I am personally using a lo impedance condenser microphone which has internal power (battery) such as a AKG C1000 or Audio Technika AT33a I myself am using a sennheiser shotgun from the early 90's.

To make the correct connection from an XLR plug to the RCA you will need to create a mono lead the easiest way to do this is to connect the white or cold or pin 3 on the XLR to the screen or pin 1 on the XLR. Then terminate them to to the screen or outer part of the RCA. Then terminate the red or hot or pin two on the XLR to the center of the RCA. Alternatively go to maplins or radio shack and buy one.

[Jeroi]

I can confirm also that whit N8 you can attach anykind mic to 3.5mm TSSR connection. The 3rd band is the mic input and I made a simple TSSR to 2* TSR which second is mic female that merges left/right for mono input at TSSR connection, so I can plug in anykind of mic or headset as a handsfree and record suber audio while recording video. The beatiful is that you can use anykind of pc headset as hands free on car ie logitech brand headsets and so on. How ever passive mics are too weak so it dont work so good. This is why you need battery operated mic to get full good volume level and sound. This is why people did buy for n95 condenser mics and this is good for N8 too.

You can buy similar cable from this link until Nokia makes same cable as official addon for phones: http://www.startech.com/product/MUYHSMFF-35mm-4-Pin-to-2x-3-Pin-35mm-Headset-Splitter-Adapter-Male-t...

My only hope for Nokia is that they would give a mic support in settings so that mic's could be overrided by mono audio input even tho there is no mic plugged or using passive mic like dynamic mic's or head set or similars.

The second feature suggestion for symbian is to have outputted the recording volume from video camera to headphones so you can monitor what you are actually recording. At the moment the phone is dead silent while filming. Why not output sound thrue headphones that is recording at the moment?

I can also say that filming outside with onboard mics are useless. Wind makes huge noises as mics are very sensitives because they need to pick up long distances and this way wind makes so much noise to the phone that the onboard mics are useless. Better would be provide us a good stereo mic input in the phones.

[Jeroi]

My only hope for Nokia is that they would give a mic support in settings so that mic's could be overrided by mono audio input even tho there is no mic plugged or using passive mic like dynamic mic's or head set or similars.

The second feature suggestion for symbian is to have outputted the recording volume from video camera to headphones so you can monitor what you are actually recording. At the moment the phone is dead silent while filming. Why not output sound thrue headphones that is recording at the moment?

I can also say that filming outside with onboard mics are useless. Wind makes huge noises as mics are very sensitives because they need to pick up long distances and this way wind makes so much noise to the phone that the onboard mics are useless. Better would be provide us a good stereo mic input in the phones.

[DavidTMoore]

I just tested a USB mic on the voice recorder on my N8 - couldn't find any settings or options, so I just plunged on - and it looks like it just picks up the mic automatically. Job done.

[myN8]

Thanks for the tip; worked for me. Used the included short USB cable (small USB side goes into phone, don't know the technical name for this connector size, the large female USB end mates with the USB from headset/mic). I use a pair of Logitech USB headsets for PC. The nice thing is not only does the N8 detect the headset and switches to it when I plug them in, but does so when the phone is in use (ie if I get a call I can just plug the headset in).

[DReffects]

now that's just too cool!

have you figured out how to use an usb mic in video mode as well? when i plugin my sennheiser usb headset with microphone i can use it for audio notes, but not when recording video...