Zoom iQ7 Mid-Side Stereo Condenser Microphone for iOS Lightning Devices

Zoom iQ7: Adjustable Mid-Side Stereo for iOS device

The Zoom iQ7 is a mid-side stereo condenser microphone for iOS devices that gives an iOS device control over stereo width the built-in mic can never offer. A directional mid mic captures what is in front of the device while a bidirectional side mic picks up the room, and the two combine into an image you can widen or narrow. A rotating capsule head keeps left and right correctly oriented whether you shoot in portrait or landscape. It plugs into the Lightning port, draws power from the device, and monitors through its own headphone output. For the mobile creator, it is the mic that adapts to the shot instead of forcing the shot to the mic.

Set the Stereo Width, or Change It Later

Mid-side is prized because the balance between the mid and side signals is the stereo width, and the iQ7 lets you control it. A three-way switch selects 90 degrees to focus tightly on a subject in front of the device or 120 degrees to widen the field and pull in ambience. Record in raw M-S and you can decide the exact width afterward, in the edit, when you know what the piece needs. The center image stays clear and mono-compatible while the sides add space. That is a level of after-the-fact control the fixed X/Y iQ6 does not provide.

Oriented Correctly for Audio or Video

The rotating capsule head is the iQ7's answer to a real mobile problem: when you turn the phone for video, a fixed mic gets its stereo channels backward. Twist the head and the left-right image stays correct whether you are holding the device upright for a voice recording or sideways to film a performance. That means the stereo field always matches what you see on screen. Paired with a 120 dB maximum SPL, it captures a loud, wide scene without confusion or distortion. It is engineered for the way people actually shoot on a phone.

Hands-On Levels and Monitoring

A dedicated gain wheel and a level meter sit on the iQ7 so you set the input by hand and watch it before recording, rather than trusting an automatic circuit. The 1/8-inch headphone output delivers zero-latency monitoring so you hear the true capture in real time and catch a peak before it clips. Audio records at up to 48 kHz/16-bit into the iOS app of your choice. That combination of manual gain, metering, and monitoring brings dedicated-recorder habits to an iOS device. For interviews and live capture with no second take, it is the safety net that matters.

Made for the Adaptable iOS Creator

Where the iQ6 delivers a committed, focused X/Y sound, the iQ7 is for the creator who wants to reshape the stereo image scene by scene. It suits the videographer switching between interviews and wide performances, the journalist grabbing ambience, and the musician who wants to fine-tune width after the fact. It plugs straight into a Lightning iOS device with no battery, no interface, and no cable clutter. Everything runs through the iOS device already in hand. This is the mid-side stereo mic for iOS creators who value flexibility over a single fixed pattern.