GEAR
MINI TESTS
DJI MIC 2 £309/$349 dji.com
DJI may have been slow into the wireless audio world, but the original Mic has won over thousands of fans. It is small, packed with technology and performs well on everything from cameras to smartphones as it comes with clip-on connectors for both iOS and Android. The two separate transmitters – one for each interviewee – have a built-in omnidirectional mic on each. In addition to the audio signal being beamed to the on-camera receiver, both mics have a built-in recorder. That’s helpful in case of a breakdown in wireless between the transmitters and receivers. Allied to great audio quality, this is why the original Mic set is a smash hit. But the new Mark II version improves on it in many ways. In short, the new Mic 2 kit has active noise cancelling to get rid of unwanted background sounds, has a direct connection to the DJI Pocket 3 or Action 4 cameras, a longer battery life, plus a more tactile receiver unit. But its real unique feature is internal recording in 32-bit float technology, so it’s almost impossible to clip the audio signal. Of course, the wireless signal sent to the receiver is not in 32-bit float, but conventional 48kHz/24- bit sample rate. But if the audio level drops or goes up significantly during recording, the internally stored 32-bit float version will allow you to make big gain adjustments in post with no drop in quality. That’s a big deal when shooting interviews and is a far better backup than a simple safety track at a lower level, for example. Although the kit can do that too, if you like. The two TX and single RX units sit inside a charging case which is juiced up by a single USB-C cable. The units give around six hours of use on one charge, but put them back in the case
and the batteries can be recharged twice to give 18 hours’ recording time. All units turn on when removed from the case and pair automatically, so you are up and running in seconds. The small TX units have a semi- transparent design, a lapel clip on the back, as well as an included magnet which can be an alternative method of fastening to your subject. The kit comes with a pair of furry wind muffs that clip to the top of the RX units far more positively than the old Mark I models, which were easy to dislodge. The RX unit, which is slightly longer but narrower than the older version, goes on the coldshoe and into the camera with an included 3.5mm lead. Adapters for Lightning and USB-C allow the receiver to work on any smartphone you have. DJI also sells its own plug-in lav mics so you can use them as small, conventional wireless audio units if you wish. Both the TX and RX also include USB-C so can be charged separately, and you use this to download recorded audio files. To make adjustments, you use the receiver unit, which has a small touchscreen as well as a new control dial. Set gain, headphone level, low- cut filter and lots more. Just about the only thing that isn’t better is the range, but it’s still 250m/820ft with line of sight which is plenty. The audio is designed for clear speech and it’s rather good, while the wind muffs provide great protection against breezes. When setting up, you can even note the make and model of camera, which applies some gain presets. Sadly, this didn’t include the Sony A1 we used for the majority of the test, but our B cam was a Sony A7S III – and that’s in the list. Though manually adjusting gain is easy anyway. We liked the original DJI Mic – as did many people, from vloggers to
MINIATURE MARVELS Transmitters and receiver are compact but packed with features
SPECIFICATIONS Range: 250m/820ft Frequency: 2.4GHz, 2400- 2483.5MHz Interfaces: 3.5mm TRS audio output, headphone jack, USB-C, Lightning Built-in mic: Omnidirectional Audio channels: Two Mic: Integrated Sample rate: 48kHz/24-bit, Charging time: 70 minutes Charging case: Additional runtime 18 hours Case charging time: 160 minutes Timecode: No Receiver dimensions (lxwxh): 54.2x28.4x22.5mm/ 2.1x1.1x0.9in Receiver weight: 28g/0.05lb 32-bit float (recorder) Battery life: Six hours Transmitter dimensions (lxwxh): 46.1x31x21.8mm/ 1.8x1.2x0.9in Transmitter weight: 28g/0.05lb Charging case dimensions (lxwxh): 116x41.5x72mm/4.6x1.6x2.8in Charging case weight: 200g/0.44lb serious filmmakers. Well, the new version is a significant upgrade in just about every way. The price is around 50% more, but at £309/$349, it’s still amazing value. AD
WHEELIE GREAT The on-camera
unit now has a control wheel to alter settings
PRO MOVIEMAKER RATING: 9/10 A tiny two-channel wireless audio
system packed with features Pros: 32-bit float recording Cons: No lav mic included
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