Sennheiser wireless Memory Mic for smart phones
Posted on: Monday 6th of August 2018
Sennheiser have a new product for the run-and-gun ENG market: the wireless Memory Mic for smartphones. The size and quantity of equipment that journalists and reporters require to create professional quality content has decreased considerably within just a few years. In many instances, the smartphone is now the tool of choice, offering a quick and simple way to capture documentary or commentary. The key drawback is the sound quality of the mobile phone’s built-in microphone.
The Memory Mic features a high-quality Sennheiser condenser capsule with omni-directional pick-up pattern. The omni characteristic is particularly resistant to wind noise and very forgiving if a speaker changes the angle and/or distance at which he or she is talking into the microphone. Via the app, the sensitivity of the microphone can be set at three levels in order to adapt to louder or softer voices. The operating time of the microphone amounts to up to four hours – a full recharge of the integrated lithium-polymer battery via the USB port takes two hours at most. Within an hour, the battery has recharged to about 70% of its full capacity. The Memory Mic comes complete with a USB charging cable and a quick guide; the free Sennheiser app is available in the Apple App Store or from Google Play. For outdoor recordings in windy conditions, a windshield will soon be available.
When recording with the Memory Mic, the integrated microphone of the smartphone is also active and works to concurrently pick up ambient sound. Using the dedicated audio mixer of the Memory Mic App, the user is able to select the optimum balance between ambience and the audio captured with the Memory Mic at a later point in time.
As the wireless Memory Mic does not occupy any input on the smartphone, journalists can still employ additional accessories such as a gimbal or connect an additional wired microphone for interviews. For iPhones, Sennheiser offers the HANDMIC Digital or the ClipMic digital, for example. The AMBEO Smart Headset for spatial 3D audio recordings is ideal too, as it is fully compatible sonically with the Memory Mic.
