microphones
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Rode reveals a dual-transmitter version of the Wireless ME lapel mic
Rode has unveiled a dual transmitter version of the more affordable Wireless ME mic. If you can do without onboard recording, the dual transmitter version could save you from buying extra gear for a multi-mic setup.
JBL brings new microphones to CES 2024, including a wireless clip-on model
JBL brought a trio of condenser microphones to CES 2024 in Las Vegas. These include models to suit content creators of all kinds, and even professional musicians.
The best podcasting gear for beginners
Starting a podcast is easy. Making one that actually sounds good is another story entirely. We can't help much with the bigger problems facing would-be podcasters — finding a good topic and getting people to listen — but we can point you to the best gear to get started. With a few smart purchases, you too can sound like a podcast pro.
512 Audio debuts its first 'studio-inspired' USB mics for creators
From the team behind Warm Audio comes two new USB microphones for podcasting and streaming: The Script and the Tempest.
Shure's $249 MV7 is a USB/XLR microphone built for podcasters
Shure's MV7 is its first microphone with USB and XLR interfaces. It's a clear play for podcasters and streamers who can't justify Shure's popular SM7B.
Mikme Pocket lets you record mobile audio like a pro
For the past five years, Mikme has been chasing the dream of perfect mobile audio recording. Its first product was an excellent wireless microphone that automatically synchronized with your video recordings on iOS and Android devices. Now, the company is turning that box into something that you can easily hide from the camera. The Mikme Pocket is its spin on a wireless lavalier (or "lav"), those tiny microphones you typically see attached to talk show hosts and broadcast reporters to capture everything they say. It'll still do the hard work of syncing up its high quality audio with your mobile videos, but now you can clip the microphone on your shirt, stuff the recorder in your pocket, and shoot more like a professional.
Mikme's clever wireless microphone gets cheaper and more useful
Mikme's wireless microphone was one of the most unique devices we saw last year. It works as a standalone audio recorder, but most impressively, it can also connect to your phone and serve as a remote microphone when shooting video. The only problem was its high $500 launch price. Now Mikme is ready to make its device a lot more consumer friendly. It's dropping the price of the original microphone, now known as the Mikme BlackGold, to $299. And it's introducing another model, the Mikme Silver, for $199. Even better, the company is also enabling USB microphone functionality, so you can finally plug the devices into your computer and use them while chatting on Skype.
Nikon goes after video pros with the D850 Filmmaker's Kit
Until recently, Nikon had been wasting an opportunity to make its cameras more appealing to filmmakers. It doesn't have a pro video camera lineup to cannibalize, unlike Canon and others, so by adding 4K and other video features to DSLRs, it could have made taken sales away from rivals. Thankfully it started to catch up with the D850, which features 4K with no cropping and 1080p,120fps slow motion. Now, Nikon has made its clearest pitch for videographers yet with the Filmmaker's Kit.
Wireless mic Mikme brings high-end sound to mobile videos
There are plenty of portable audio recorders and microphones on the market, but Mikme goes a step beyond all of them. It's a compact wireless microphone that synchronizes with an iPhone app, allowing you to make quick mobile videos with high-quality sound. The only problem: It costs $500. That puts it out of reach for normal consumers, but it might be worth it for vloggers and people who need to make professional-sounding videos on the fly. And if you really care about audio quality, you're probably used to paying a premium for specialized gear.
Some Google Pixel phones are having microphone issues
Following hundreds of user complaints, Google has confirmed that some of its Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones are having microphone problems that require a warranty replacement. Owners have reported failures of one or more of the three mics on the devices, resulting in either no audio input at all or failure of the camera app's audio recording function. "The most common problem is a hairline crack in the solder connection on the audio codec," said Google employee Brian Rakowski. "The other related problems are due to a faulty microphone."
HTC says One's dual-membrane microphones block bad vibes
Nobody expects studio quality recording from a smartphone, but the technology in HTC's recently launched One at least allows distortion free audio to be nabbed in the quietest or loudest environments, according to the company's blog. Describing BoomSound tech, HTC says the system brings two dual-membrane MEMS microphones to the handset, one of which is focused on sensitivity and the other on high decibel sources. The two signals are then combined electronically, resulting in whisper-level tones that are free of hiss along with concert level blasting that won't clip or distort. By HTC's reckoning, that means the audio that goes along with those UltraPixels will be clear whether you're capturing a physics lecture or death metal concert.
Microsoft no fan of existing WebRTC standard, proposes its own to get Skype onboard
Microsoft, objecting to a web standard promoted by its competitors? Get out. While Firefox, Opera and now Chrome have implemented WebRTC on some level for plugin-free VoIP and webcam chats, Microsoft doesn't think the existing, proposed standard is up to snuff for linking with existing devices or obeying "key web tenets." It's suggesting a new CU-RTC-Web standard to fix what it claims is broken with WebRTC. Thankfully, the changes are more technical improvements than political maneuvering: Microsoft wants a peer-to-peer transport level that gives more control as well as to reduce some of the requirements that it sees holding the technology back as of today. There's no doubt an economic incentive for a company that wants to push Skype in the browser, but the format is already in front of the W3C and could become a real cross-platform standard. If other W3C members are willing to (slightly) reinvent the wheel, Microsoft's approach could get Chrome and Internet Explorer users talking -- no, really talking.
Google Chrome 21 stable release adds Retina MacBook Pro support, webcam use without plugins
Some Retina MacBook Pro owners have been waiting for this day for six weeks: that promised Retina support in Google Chrome is now part of a finished, stable release. Chrome 21 is now crisp and clear for those who took the plunge on Apple's new laptop but would rather not cling to Safari for the web. No matter what hardware you're using, Google has rolled in its promised WebRTC support to let webcams and microphones have their way without Flash or other plugins. Other notable tweaks like wider support for Cloud Print and gamepads tag along in the update as well. If you're at all intrigued by the expanded hardware support in Chrome, Google has an abundance of details (and downloads) at the links below.
Apple now the number one buyer of microphones in the world
Apple purchased a whopping 349 million micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) microphones last year to put in all of its various iOS devices, which means it is now the biggest purchaser of such microphones in the world. That number grew 173 percent from 2010 to 2011, putting Apple up over Samsung for the most microphones bought (and presumably installed and used). These specific microphones represent the three microphones found in each iPhone 4, 4S, and iPad 2. One of the mics is found in the headphone cable included with each device, and two are on the device itself, with one of those used strictly for noise canceling. This is why Siri works so well at "hearing" even in relatively crowded environments, because there's an extra microphone on board to listen for noise to remove from the incoming signal. It's also worth noting that the iPad doesn't have this third mic, which might be one reason why earlier generation devices haven't been marked for Siri use. The next-gen iPad will have all of these components too, so Apple isn't done buying up these parts. In fact, if we see both a new iPhone and a new iPad in the next year, Apple could cause yet another spike in the sale of these mini microphones and move even higher up the chart of consumption for this specific part.
Blue's Mikey microphone for iPhone and iPod finally shipping to picky recorders
If you need a little better acoustic recording from your iPhone or iPod, or if your portable device is simply fitting a little too easy into your pants pocket, Blue Microphones has your solution. Its Mikey microphone is finally shipping, after getting a debut nearly a year ago. The specs are still the same as we expected before, including CD-quality recording in stereo or mono with a swiveling base that lets it cover 230 degrees of your own little sound field. One thing that has changed, and quite nicely, is the cost: down to $80 from the previously expected $99 MSRP. Everybody likes that.
Macworld 2010: Hands-on with the Blue Mikey
Blue Microphones are on the show floor here at Macworld, and they invited us by their booth to take a look (and a listen) at the newest version of the Blue Mikey iPhone microphone. And with most of Blue's products (I have a Snowball that I use for podcasting, and it works and sounds great), it's quite impressive, producing excellent sound in a well-designed and easy-to-use form. Earlier this year, Blue announced the second revision of the Mikey, with enhanced features for $20 more than the first $79 version. That's the one we used, and it looked and worked great. They've added a line input (for recording guitars), and a USB passthrough, as well as put the entire body on a swivel (so it can even swing all the way around and point forward while shooting video on the 3G.
Macworld 2009: Blue Microphones
Good audio starts with a good microphone, and plenty of Mac podcasters depend on the effective and economical offerings from Blue. There are devices to fit most needs and most budgets in the Blue Microphones product line, and the company is beginning its string of three consecutive trade show appearances (Macworld, CES and NAMM in three weeks -- that's a lot of microphones) by showing off three new products. The Icicle XLR to USB converter is great for users with investments in legacy XLR gear who want a simple way to direct that audio to their computers; it's shipping now for $60 street price. (Update: we in no way meant to imply XLR is being phased out or is outdated by using the term "legacy" -- of course, it is standard in professional audio gear).The Mikey iPod microphone adds audio capture to most iPod models (not the iPhone or touch, unfortunately) with a swivel head and multiple gain settings to allow for recording over a variety of distances. Mikey retails for $80.Lastly, the EyeBall takes the popular Blue Snowflake mini-microphone and adds in a retractable, "Super HD" webcam that pops out of the side of the microphone when needed. The EyeBall is available for a street price of $100, a $30 premium over the conventional Snowflake model.You can see more details of all three products in the gallery below and the video in the 2nd half of the post.%Gallery-41296%
O'Reilly posts iPod microphone shootout
Over at O'Reilly, Mark Nelson tested all three major iPod microphone add-ons and wrote about his results. He tried out the Belkin TuneTalk stereo, the Griffin iTalk Pro, and the XtremeMac MicroMemo. When all was said and done, all three solutions performed well despite the fact that they were all horrible battery hogs. The $50 iTalk Pro offered one-touch recording and three input levels but its built-in microphone picked up a lot of hard drive noise. The $60 MicroMemo used a handy boom that avoided picking up iPod noises but had no level controls and could only record mono audio. The $70 TuneTalk Stereo offers a USB port that allows you to record while your iPod is docked and charging but had stability issues for positioning and the microphone, like the iTalk Pro, picked up iPod hard drive noises. TUAW readers: have you bought an iPod mic? Which one did you buy? And are you happy with your purchase? Let us know in the comments. Full disclosure: I write for O'Reilly.
UK surveillance cams may get mic'ed up to detect aggression
Pretty much every time we glance over at our friends in the UK, they seem to be implementing surveillance technology that surely wouldn't make George Orwell too thrilled. In the last two months alone we've seen those CCTV cams with accompanying loudspeakers debut in Middlesbrough, which was more recently followed by a handful of London cops getting some head-mounted cams. Sure, it's easy to invoke the spectre of Big Brother into any conversation about the expansion of the watchful eye of government, but the new discussions afoot have even us Yanks a little concerned for our British brethren. According to The Times, UK police are considering using high-powered microphones that will home in on a particular public conversation, if "aggressive tones" are detected, based on decibel level, pitch and the speed of the speaker's voice. Three hundred such microphones are already installed in cities around The Netherlands, including Groningen, Utrecht and Rotterdam, in locations such as government offices, city centers, and our favorite: "T-Mobile shops." We had no idea T-Mobile shops caused Dutch people to get so ornery -- maybe their highly-ranked customer service department didn't make it across the Atlantic yet.[Via The Inquirer]
Creative's Live! Cam Voice sports a mic for video chat
Video instant messaging seems to be taking off in a big way, at least if all those new video features being added by the major IM services are any indication, so Creative has just released a microphone-sporting webcam to let you get in on all the fun. Besides a 1.3 megapixel webcam (which claims to take 5 megapixel stills, but we suspect some interpolation is going on there), the Live! Cam Voice also features a directional microphone which supposedly enhances your chat experience in crowded areas, and even does double-duty as a remotely-viewable motion-activated security cam. When you're doing the chat thing, you can select a smart-face tracking option that uses digital zooms, pans, and tilts to keep you in the picture, but also seems to throttle down the resolution to only 640 x 480. Available immediately under the model number VF1070, this model is being given a suggested MSRP of $99 by Creative, but we already saw it on Amazon for just $84.
