If you are using a small microphone for interviews or even solo recording, you have quite a bit of options today. But Hollyland just released their LARK Max (buy here), and I think it’s a piece of gear worth talking about because it brings quite a bit to the table.
Table of contents
LARK Max – a powerful two-channel recorder
The LARK MAX is an evolution from the LARK 150 (buy here) so it carries many of its features, but it also has some nice upgrades. The LARK Max is a two-channel kit. It has one receiver and two Built-In Omni Mics. So you can run two microphones in parallel and record two people at the same time, say an interviewer and an interviewee. There is quite a bit of control over how you can do that, but first, let’s dive right into the receiver unit.
LARK Max receiver unit
The LARK Max receiver unit has a clip that goes on a belt, but it “just happens to” be the size of a hot shoe so that you can mount it directly on a camera or a cage.
It is not the smallest unit in the market. The RODE GO, or SmallRig W60 are smaller, for example. But considering the incredible amount of control you get, it is a welcomed tradeoff.
You can access pretty much any function from the LCD and completely control the transmitters. this includes gain, mute, recording behavior, noise cancellation, which I’ll talk about later, and much more.
For controls, you have a push dial and a touch button which usually operates as a “back” button. I started playing with the unit even before I read the manual, and the menus are super-intuitive. It takes a little bit of getting used to a single dial vs. dial per channel. But mostly, it is very comfortable. On the other hand, the user interface has been redesigned from the 150, and you can see everything that matters in a single glimpse. That includes battery, modes, levels, ENC status, if a transmitter is recording, and a bunch more.
There is a headphones jack that gives you the option to monitor your audio directly before it goes into your camera or your phone. This is quite useful for debugging audio and also setting the right levels and gain on both your camera and the mic.
LARK Max transmitter units
The transmitters are matchbox size, and they look a bit different from the standard mics out there. Instead of a tiny delicate mic on the top, they have a nice mesh that protects the capsule. This makes them much easier to handle. And you don’t need to worry about accidentally touching the delicate parts of the microphone. Also, putting the dead-cat on is much easier than other mics. Actually, the entire build feels very solid and can probably take some minor abuse.
I think that Hollyland really wanted to make this set comfortable for the solo operator, so you get a nice amount of control from the transmitter unit as well. Not everything you get from the receiver, but all the operational functions. You can mute, start noise suppression and control the recording right from the transmitter.
As with most such units, you can either use the built-in mic or connect a lavalier (like this one) via a 3.5mm jack on the side of the unit. And like many of those microphones, you can either clip it on or use a small magnet. Or you can clip it to your belt if you use the lav mic.
Hollyland boasts a 250 meters line-of-site range, but we ran out of space after about 60 meters of testing. This is also where we had to face the camera to get line-of-sight to get a signal. The good thing is there is a safety feature exactly for those situations.
LARK Max safety features and recording modes
Once you start recording, you want as much safety as possible. Bad audio is the sworn enemy of a good video. The LARK Max provides three safety features which I found quite useful.
Safety channel
Once you are all set up, you can start recording, and depending on what you do, you may opt for one of three different modes:
- Mono mode – In mono mode, all the audio comes in as a single stream to both channels. This is the most basic mode, and it’s good for solo speakers or voice-over. But if you are already using Mono mode, you may as well look at the Safety channel mode.
- Stereo mode – In stereo, every mic gets its own channel. This way, you can easily split them up in post and process them separately. It’s great for interviews as it gives you more control over each of the speakers.
- Safety channel – The last mode is called safety channel, and it’s very similar to mono. Only the second channel records at a different gain. You can choose to record at a lower gain to recover any clipped sounds or up the gain if you like. This is the first time I am seeing gain control on the safety channel, and just like the other settings, you can control it directly from the receiver.
Internal recording
The LARK Max has another critical safety feature. Each of the microphones also records the audio internally, so even if you lose the signal for some reason, you still have your audio file. This is 2.4Ghz kit, so it is not as safe as DECT or UHF units. To retrieve your audio files, just connect the transmitter to your laptop, and you’ll find an eight GIGs flash drive with all your recordings. This is about 14 hours of audio, and you can set the unit to start recording as soon as it turns on so you always get that safety net
ENC – Environmental Noice Cancelling
I was not sure if this should go on safety or on Audio, but since it can help you deal with unpredicted situations, I’ll put it here. One interesting feature that Hollyland added is ENC which stands for Environmental Noise Cancelling. Ideally, this is a simple feature that can reduce ambient noise while keeping your voice very crips. I was quite impressed with this feature, and you can see in the video that even when a truck drove by, it had very little impact on how you heard me talk.
LARK Max case, run-time, and auto pairing
Before going into the audio part, I want to talk about run time. One of the biggest complaints about the LARK 150 was the short battery life. And run-time is critical with devices that only have an internal battery. You can not swap the battery, so once it’s done, you’re done for the day.
The LARK MAX almost doubled the runtime over the 150. It runs for seven and a half hours, which should be enough for one day of work, especially if you turn the unit off between shoots.
But! The case is also a charger that can top off the set. Twice. It takes about two hours to do a full charge cycle. This means that going out with a fully charged set (units and case) should last for about three days of work.
There is another “magic” function with the case. The transmitter and receivers know when they are in the case and immediately auto-pair when you open the lid. So, once you are on set, by the time you open the case and hand the mic to your talent, everything is already paired up to the right receiver.
Audio on the LARK MAX
Audio is always a personal preference, but I like the way that the LARK sounds. It has a nice crisp and a full feel to it. You can listen to some samples in the video above.
You have some control over the audio using some accessories and features. Obviously, you get two windshields (A.K.A dead cats), and in my test, they proved quite effective. As I said before, they mount like “regular” dead cats, so its super easy to put them on and off.
You can also control the gain of each mic separately and engage a low-cut filter. Lastly, there is a mini-equalizer that lets you control some of the audio characteristics.
In the box
- Hollyland LARK MAX Duo 2-Person Wireless Microphone System (2.4 GHz, Black)
- 2 x Hollyland LARK MAX Clip-On Wireless Microphone Transmitter (2.4 GHz, Black)
- Receiver
- Hollyland LARK MAX Charging Case (Black)
- 3.5mm TRS Cable
- USB-C to Lightning Cable
- USB-C to USB-C Cable
- USB-C to USB-A Cable
- 2 x Furry Windscreen
- 2 x Magnetic Clip
- Storage Bag
- Limited 1-Year Manufacturer Warranty
LARK Max specs
| System | |
| Wireless Technology | Analog/Digital Hybrid 2.4 GHz |
| Included Transmitters | 2 x Clip-On with Microphone |
| Diversity | Non-Diversity |
| Max Operating Range | 820.2′ / 250 m (Line of Sight) |
| 196.9′ / 60 m (with Obstruction) | |
| Max Transmitters per Band | 2 |
| Built-In Recorder | Yes |
| Timecode Support | No |
| Mobile App Compatible | No |
| *As of June, 2023: Check with manufacturer for the most up-to-date compatibility | |
| OS Compatibility | Android |
| iOS | |
| *As of June, 2023: Check with manufacturer for the most up-to-date compatibility | |
| Sample Rate/Resolution | 48 kHz / 24-Bit |
| Modulation | GFSK |
| SNR | 70 dB |
| Receiver | |
| Receiver Type | Camera-Mount |
| Mounting Options | Shoe-Mount (with Included Hardware) |
| Antenna | Internal |
| Number of Audio Channels | 2 |
| Audio I/O | 1 x 1/8″ / 3.5 mm TRS Unbalanced Output |
| 1 x 1/8″ / 3.5 mm TRS Unbalanced Headphone In/Out | |
| Frequency Response | 20 Hz to 20 kHz |
| Network I/O | None |
| USB/Lightning Connectivity | 1 x USB-C Female (Audio, Charging) |
| Power Requirements | Battery |
| Battery Type | 1 x Built-In Rechargeable |
| Internal Battery Capacity | 490 mAh |
| Battery Charging Time | 2 Hours |
| Approx. Battery Life | 9 Hours |
| Display & Indicators | 1 x OLED Touchscreen (Battery Status, Channel) |
| Operating Temperature | -4 to 113°F / -20 to 45°C |
| Dimensions | 2.3 x 1.6 x 0.9″ / 58 x 40.8 x 23.2 mm |
| Weight | 2.1 oz / 60 g |
| Transmitter | |
| Transmitter Type | Clip-On with Microphone |
| RF Output Power | Not Specified by Manufacturer |
| Audio I/O | 1 x 1/8″ / 3.5 mm TRS Female Input |
| Pad | None |
| Muting | Off/On Switch |
| Auto-Level Control | No |
| Recorder Sample Rates | WAV: |
| 48 kHz | |
| Recorder Bit Depths | 24-Bit |
| Audio File Formats | WAV |
| Gain Range | 30 dB |
| Signal Processing | None |
| Frequency Response | 20 Hz to 20 kHz |
| Antenna | Internal |
| Power Requirements | Battery |
| Battery Type | 1 x Built-In Rechargeable |
| Internal Battery Capacity | 300 mAh |
| Battery Charging Time | 2 Hour |
| Approx. Battery Life | 7.5 Hours |
| USB/Lightning I/O | 1 x USB-C (Charging) |
| Display & Indicators | LED |
| Operating Temperature | -4 to 113°F / -20 to 45°C |
| Dimensions | 1.9 x 1.2 x 0.8″ / 48.5 x 30.3 x 19.4 mm |
| Weight | 1.2 oz / 33 g |
| Microphone | |
| Microphone Type | Integrated |
| Color | Black |
| Sound Field | Mono |
| Polar Pattern | Omnidirectional |
| Frequency Range | 20 Hz to 20 kHz |
| SNR | 70 dB |
| Equivalent Noise Level | 24 dB A-Weighted |
| Maximum SPL | 128 dB SPL Peak |
| 120 dB SPL | |
| Sensitivity | -36 dBFS at 1 kHz |
| 96 dB | |
| Operating Voltage | None |
| Charging Case | |
| Additional Runtime | 22 Hours |
| Recharge Time | 2 Hours |
| Battery Chemistry | Lithium-Ion Polymer (LiPo) |
| Capacity | 2800 mAh |
| Charging Interface | USB-C |
| Dimensions | 4.5 x 2.5 x 1.8″ / 115 x 63 x 46 mm |
| Weight | 6.8 oz / 193.5 g |
Price and availability
The LARK MAX sells for $299 for the Duo, or $199 for the solo, and they come in black or white flavors. This unit is packed with value, and it is definitely setting a high bar for the competition.
You can pre order the LARK Max on B&H.
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