RØDE i-XY Stereo Microphone for iPhone

RODE i-XY Stereo Microphone

The RODE i-XY is a stereo microphone made for Lightning iPhone and iPad models, turning the phone or tablet you already carry into a proper stereo recorder. A matched pair of half-inch cardioid condenser capsules sits in a 90-degree X/Y near-coincident arrangement, capturing a natural stereo image with stable centre focus. Onboard analogue-to-digital conversion delivers up to 24-bit and 48kHz audio straight into your recording or video app, and the microphone draws its power from the iOS device through the Lightning connector, so there are no batteries or cables to manage. A metal chassis, foam windshield and zip pouch are included for recording on location.

Key features

• Matched pair of half-inch cardioid condenser capsules
• 90-degree X/Y near-coincident stereo configuration
• Frequency range 20Hz to 20kHz
• Maximum SPL 120dB for loud sources
• Onboard conversion up to 24-bit and 48kHz
• Powered by the iOS device via Lightning connector
• Metal chassis, weight 40g
• Foam windshield and zip pouch included
• For Lightning iPhone and iPad only

True stereo from a matched capsule pair

A phone’s built-in microphones are designed for calls, not for music or atmosphere. The i-XY replaces them with two matched condenser capsules arranged at 90 degrees in a near-coincident X/Y pattern. That geometry is a long-established stereo technique: sounds arriving from the left reach one capsule earlier and louder than the other, and the brain reads those differences as width and position. The result is a recording where a choir spreads across the space, a street scene has direction, and an acoustic guitar has body rather than a flat, centred thinness. Because the capsules are a matched pair, the image stays stable instead of wandering as levels change.

Condenser detail with headroom for real sources

The capsules use a pressure-gradient acoustic principle in an end-address design, with sensitivity of minus 42dB re 1V per Pa and equivalent noise of approximately 18dBA. Low self-noise matters for quiet material such as interviews, nature ambience and softly played instruments, where hiss from the microphone itself would otherwise sit under every word. At the other end of the scale, a maximum SPL of 120dB gives headroom for amplified music, rehearsals and lively acoustic performances without the harsh distortion that phone microphones produce when they are overloaded. The full 20Hz to 20kHz frequency range covers the audible spectrum, from low instrument weight to high-frequency detail.

Digital capture inside the microphone

Conversion from analogue to digital happens inside the i-XY itself, at up to 24-bit and 48kHz, before the audio reaches the phone. Doing the conversion at the capsule avoids passing a delicate analogue signal through the phone’s general-purpose audio path and delivers a clean digital stream to compatible recording and video apps. There is nothing to configure on the microphone body and no separate recorder to sync later: press record in the app and the stereo audio is captured alongside your video or as a standalone audio file, ready to share or edit.

Made for Lightning devices, built in metal

This version of the i-XY connects through the Lightning connector and is powered by the connected iPhone or iPad, which keeps the whole setup to two items: phone and microphone. It is important to note the fit clearly: this is a Lightning model for compatible iOS devices, not a USB-C microphone, and it does not connect to Android phones or USB-C devices. The metal chassis protects the capsules in a bag or pocket, the complete microphone weighs only 40g, and the supplied foam windshield reduces wind and breath noise outdoors while the zip pouch keeps the kit together between sessions.

For musicians recording rehearsals, video creators who need real stereo sound, and anyone capturing events on a Lightning iPhone or iPad, the i-XY is a small, serious upgrade over built-in phone audio.