#88

drafts/iPhone and Music.md

@@ -1,12 +1,16 @@
 # iPhone and Music: For Artists, Curators, and Enthusiasts
 
+```
+iphone-ios-music-apps
+```
+
 [Notes Draft](drafts5://open?uuid=9B5B7A22-2815-4D33-ACC1-42CB08CB6A2D)
 
 ![Music on iOS](https://i.snap.as/mTEozs2r.png)
 
 ## Reporting from deep within the iOS cult on essential apps/methods for real-life music people.
 
-As you may or may not be aware, I’ve spent all of my 2021 so far diving real deep into iOS, considering all that has changed since “an iPod, a phone, a personal computer.” I’ve tuned in to the output of explicitly Apple-adjacent publications both old (*MacRumors*, *Apple Insider*, *9to5 Mac*, etc,) and new (*Apple Scoop*, *MacStories*,) which have all metamorphosed in huge, mostly-redeemable ways just as their primary subject has. I have my own pubescent stories of Mac cultism, but I do not consider my relationship with the brand to be an essential part of my identity, as so many do and have. Apple, Inc’s story is spectacular and infinitely-relevant so long as they remain “the most valuable company in the history of the world,” as I so love to describe it. Like many of you, I’m sure, I am often compelled to bring up the humongous contrasts in the historical context of the company - to scream infinitely many variations of the observation that Apple was basically the fucking *indie*, premium-tier consumer tech manufacturer owned by the Creative Class for the first half+ of their existence, and have somehow maintained that *Think Different*™ brand narrative as they have definitively become the Big Blue of their time.
+As you may or may not be aware, I’ve spent all of my 2021 so far diving real deep into iOS, considering all that has changed since “an iPod, a phone, a personal computer.” I’ve tuned in to the output of explicitly Apple-adjacent publications both old (*MacRumors*, *Apple Insider*, *9to5 Mac*, etc,) and new (*Apple Scoop*, *MacStories*,) which have all metamorphosed in huge, mostly-redeemable ways just as their primary subject has. I have my own pubescent stories of Mac occultism, but I do not consider my relationship with the brand to be an essential part of my identity, as so many do and have. Apple, Inc’s story is spectacular and infinitely-relevant so long as they remain “the most valuable company in the history of the world,” as I so love to describe them. Like many of you, I’m sure, I am often compelled to bring up the humongous contrasts in the historical context of the company - to scream infinitely many variations of the observation that Apple was basically the fucking *indie*, premium-tier consumer tech manufacturer owned by the Creative Class for the first half+ of their existence, and have somehow maintained that *Think Different*™ brand narrative as they have definitively become the Big Blue of their time.
 
 From my perspective, the responsibility for the wellbeing of this utterly-delusional, occasionally very dangerous sentiment actually lies fairly squarely on those of us who consider ourselves *better than all of that* because of our Debian workflows and their ancient command line utilities. (For the record, this is also 100% delusional as things stand in 2021.) One thing I think we can all acknowledge, though, is that Apple’s image has been inextricably bound with *musicmaking*, throughout, far more than any other even remotely comparable tech company. Naturally, the business still loves to bring this up all the time in big, glossy gestures. The topical example of note would be the only worthwhile content I’ve yet to encounter on Apple TV+: [*Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry*](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/billie-eilish-the-worlds-a-little-blurry/umc.cmc.5waz3hfo9r1133t8arap8b6nq), which documents the highlights of the young, beloved musician’s prodigious ascension. For what it’s worth, I appreciate some special insights I gained thanks to the film, which I do not actually consider at odds with the truth of its super on-brandness for Apple.
 
@@ -117,4 +121,10 @@ Disappointingly, Apple’s own Music Memos - as demonstrated by Chris Welch from
 
 https://youtube.com/watch?v=GhAknEKy9Ig
 
-As part of my [iPhone 12 Pro Max Review](https://github.com/extratone/bilge/issues/45), I’ve accumulated quite a few audio files in various formats testing its capture abilities and stashed them in [this folder](https://github.com/extratone/bilge/tree/main/audio/Capture%20Testing) on _The Psalms_’ GitHub Repository. 
+As part of my [iPhone 12 Pro Max Review](https://github.com/extratone/bilge/issues/45), I’ve accumulated quite a few audio files in various formats testing its capture abilities and stashed them in [this folder](https://github.com/extratone/bilge/tree/main/audio/Capture%20Testing) on _The Psalms_’ GitHub Repository. Probably the most relevant of these, though, is embedded just above. If you’ll forgive my pajamas, ridiculous piano faces, and general rustiness with the instrument, it demonstrates the “**Audio Zoom**” feature found in the iPhone 11 Pro and up, which I’ve found to be unfortunately underdocumented by Apple, itself. I added my own inquiry to [this post on the official Developer forums](https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/124512?answerId=671299022#671299022) asking about it, but don’t really expect anything back. According to “[What is Audio Zoom for smartphones](https://www.dxomark.com/what-is-audio-zoom-for-smartphones/)?” published on the site _DxOMark_:
+
+> The main technology behind audio zoom is called beamforming, or spatial filtering. It allows changing an audio recording’s directivity (that is, the sensitivity according to the direction of the sound source) and shape it in any way necessary. In this case, the optimal directivity is a hypercardioid pattern (see illustration below), which enhances sounds coming from the front direction — that is, from the direction in which your camera is pointed — while attenuating sounds from all other directions (your background noise).
+
+My testing has suggested that **the best means of recording unfiltered-as-possible stereo audio with an iPhone is to record video at 1x zoom with the native Camera app** and extract the audio from the video file. In the [Bandcamp track embedded below](https://davidblue.bandcamp.com/track/-), I “mounted” my 12 Pro Max right above my old upright’s soundboard and extracted audio directly from the video file with Audacity. It was then amplified slightly, saved to a FLAC file and uploaded directly to Bandcamp. Of course, it’s worth qualifying that - while I have extensive experience with audio - I have neither professional training, nor any professional monitoring equipment. 
+
+https://davidblue.bandcamp.com/track/-