MGR/Brian Johnston « Clear audio with flexible features »
Published on 01/07/23 at 09:19
Best value:
Excellent
Audience:
Anyone
I’m not a professional podcaster, but I’ve been dabbling lately; and to date, I’ve been using my computer’s built-in microphone to capture my audio. The sound is decent, although there’s a metallic flavor (room ambience) coming through the audio. I wanted something that was ‘dry’ and clear, while removing any room reflection, reverb, etc. I requested the new QWM-10, a 2.4GHz wireless microphone system by Sonicake, better known for their guitar pedals. I put together a quick demo (link below) that covers some of the features, as well as a wind and audio test. The quality and clarity of the mic should be obvious when you consider the background music was played through my Kali Audio IN-8 monitor speakers, and I simply held the Sonicake transmitter between the two speakers and recorded a second-generation audio.
Everything comes in a sturdy travel case, which houses everything you need, including the transmitter, receiver, wind muff, USB charging cable and TRS to TRS cables for both camera and phone. You may require additional adapters or conversion cables, depending what you’re plugging into. For example, when recording direct to my computer (e.g., podcasts), I plug into a mini TRS female that splits into two ¼ mono males (L + R stereo). Conversely, I plug direct into my camcorder.
Operation is simple, and once charged (takes 3 hours), both units turn on and pair up by holding their power buttons for 5-seconds. The charge is good for at least 10-hours. You can check battery status by pressing the power button (4 blinks = fully/high charged, 1 blink = 25% remaining). The Transmitter has a mute button and the Receiver has a volume button, so that you can adjust the speaker’s level from low, to moderate, to high. Both units have a quality clip, for fastening where you need them. And if you want the transmitter less noticeable, clip it inside your shirt, as it works perfectly fine inside or out.
There really isn’t any ‘bad news’ with this product, as it works well and is easy to operate. I saw one review where the 50m (164ft) range did not work as well as it did in other reviews, although it’s non-operation (cutting out or glitching) had more to do with having the speaker’s back to the camera/receiver. Once turned around, in direct line of sight, communication was fine. Otherwise, there are a few glitches in the manual, such as the transmitter’s audio button is for mute only, whereas volume changes are made with the receiver’s audio button (the manual indicates the transmitter). Not too big a deal, as the manual was translated from Chinese and sometimes instructions become a little skewed.
There are several pluses with the QWM-10, bearing in mind that I have not tried any other mic system before, aside from using my Shure SM57 to record vocals for music compositions. First, it is clear and dry. This system does a good job at reducing room reverb, reflections, etc., and minor noises. Second, and related to the first, point, the wind muff works very well. I didn’t stand outside in a wind storm, but I could not hear any wind blowing into the mic while placing it in front of a fan on low to high speeds. Third, it is versatile and can be used in a number of ways and with different electronics, e.g., phone, camera, computer, etc. Fourth, the price is excellent, at $69.99 USD. Yes, this unit was provided to me, but I did invest the time in writing this review and creating the demo. Regardless, considering the cost and clarity of signal, the QWM-10 would have been an obvious choice, which is why I requested this product for review. I saw a few less expensive lavalier mic systems out there, but were manufactured by far more generic (unknown to me) brands and I’m familiar with the quality and reputation of Sonicake. Overall, no complaints and two-thumbs up!
Everything comes in a sturdy travel case, which houses everything you need, including the transmitter, receiver, wind muff, USB charging cable and TRS to TRS cables for both camera and phone. You may require additional adapters or conversion cables, depending what you’re plugging into. For example, when recording direct to my computer (e.g., podcasts), I plug into a mini TRS female that splits into two ¼ mono males (L + R stereo). Conversely, I plug direct into my camcorder.
Operation is simple, and once charged (takes 3 hours), both units turn on and pair up by holding their power buttons for 5-seconds. The charge is good for at least 10-hours. You can check battery status by pressing the power button (4 blinks = fully/high charged, 1 blink = 25% remaining). The Transmitter has a mute button and the Receiver has a volume button, so that you can adjust the speaker’s level from low, to moderate, to high. Both units have a quality clip, for fastening where you need them. And if you want the transmitter less noticeable, clip it inside your shirt, as it works perfectly fine inside or out.
There really isn’t any ‘bad news’ with this product, as it works well and is easy to operate. I saw one review where the 50m (164ft) range did not work as well as it did in other reviews, although it’s non-operation (cutting out or glitching) had more to do with having the speaker’s back to the camera/receiver. Once turned around, in direct line of sight, communication was fine. Otherwise, there are a few glitches in the manual, such as the transmitter’s audio button is for mute only, whereas volume changes are made with the receiver’s audio button (the manual indicates the transmitter). Not too big a deal, as the manual was translated from Chinese and sometimes instructions become a little skewed.
There are several pluses with the QWM-10, bearing in mind that I have not tried any other mic system before, aside from using my Shure SM57 to record vocals for music compositions. First, it is clear and dry. This system does a good job at reducing room reverb, reflections, etc., and minor noises. Second, and related to the first, point, the wind muff works very well. I didn’t stand outside in a wind storm, but I could not hear any wind blowing into the mic while placing it in front of a fan on low to high speeds. Third, it is versatile and can be used in a number of ways and with different electronics, e.g., phone, camera, computer, etc. Fourth, the price is excellent, at $69.99 USD. Yes, this unit was provided to me, but I did invest the time in writing this review and creating the demo. Regardless, considering the cost and clarity of signal, the QWM-10 would have been an obvious choice, which is why I requested this product for review. I saw a few less expensive lavalier mic systems out there, but were manufactured by far more generic (unknown to me) brands and I’m familiar with the quality and reputation of Sonicake. Overall, no complaints and two-thumbs up!
