Sennheiser’s new Memory Mic is a wireless microphone designed for smartphones. We saw it teased at NAB earlier in the year, and it does look like a pretty cool piece of microphone tech. It connects via Bluetooth but keeps recording without dropping even if you go out of range of the phone. And if the Sennheiser samples clips are anything to go by, it sounds pretty good, too.
The Memory Mic is basically a self-contained microphone and recorder. This is presumably why it’s so big. But this does mean that even if the person wearing it gets out of the Bluetooth range of your phone, it will carry on recording. And it’ll keep carrying on recording for up to 4 hours. When the phone comes back into range, it’ll transfer over the missing data. This means there’s no dropout like you might see with more traditional wireless microphones when they go out of range.
The Memory Mic does look a little unconventional for a clip-on microphone and certainly doesn’t resemble your typical lav mic. It’s big, and white and kinda screams “Hey! look at me!” in the video samples against clothing. But, it does hold great promise for future generations of the tech if they can make it a bit smaller, and a bit less obvious.
- System requirements: Android version 5.1 or later; iOS version 10.2 or later; Bluetooth 4.1 or later; WLAN IEEE 802.11 b/g/n
- Transmission frequencies: 2.4 to 2.4835 GHz
- RF output power: ≤ 10 mW
- Max. sound pressure level: 119 dB SPL
- Capsule: prepolarised condenser microphone
- Pick-up pattern: omni-directional
- Frequency response: 100 – 20,000 Hz
- Data stream bit resolution: 48 kHz/16 bit
- Operating time: ≤ 4 h
- Power supply: rechargeable lithium-polymer battery; 3.7 VDC, 360 mAh
- Charging current: 5 V, 500 mA via USB
- Charging time: 70% charge: ≤ 1 h; 100% charge: ≤ 2 h
- Dimensions: approx. 51 x 37 x 16 mm
- Weight: approx. 30 g
- Temperature range: Operation: 0°C to +40°C; Storage: -20°C to +70°C
- System requirements: Android version 5.1 or later; iOS version 10.2 or later; Bluetooth 4.1 or later; WLAN IEEE 802.11 b/g/n
- Transmission frequencies: 2.4 to 2.4835 GHz
- RF output power: ≤ 10 mW
- Max. sound pressure level: 119 dB SPL
- Capsule: prepolarised condenser microphone
- Pick-up pattern: omni-directional
- Frequency response: 100 – 20,000 Hz
- Data stream bit resolution: 48 kHz/16 bit
- Operating time: ≤ 4 h
- Power supply: rechargeable lithium-polymer battery; 3.7 VDC, 360 mAh
- Charging current: 5 V, 500 mA via USB
- Charging time: 70% charge: ≤ 1 h; 100% charge: ≤ 2 h
- Dimensions: approx. 51 x 37 x 16 mm
- Weight: approx. 30 g
- Temperature range: Operation: 0°C to +40°C; Storage: -20°C to +70°C
Despite the fact that the Memory Mic has Sennheiser written on it, it’s not that expensive. It’s available to buy now for only $199. The companion app is available now in the Google Play Store for Android and the Apple App Store for iOS. For a wireless-capable microphone, of any type, that’s a pretty amazing price for a brand with this kind of history and reputation.
It’s an interesting little unit. I don’t think I’m the target market for the Memory Mic, but I still I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on one of these at some point to have a play and see how it compares to other mobile and more traditional wireless microphone options.
Hopefully, in the future, they’ll make a version that isn’t quite so obvious.
