Excerpted from the June 4, 2023 edition of Sree's Sunday Note.
In this age of selfies, vlogs and teleconferencing, it’s not surprising that the equipment we use to capture ourselves has evolved quickly, especially during the extended stay-at-home period of the recent pandemic. Even simple devices like microphones have become lighter, more responsive, and, in some cases, just plain cooler.
The new Saramonic Blink Me 2-Person Smart Wireless Mic System works with digital cameras, cell phones, tablets, computers and other hardware with USB-C or 3.5mm ports, but its niftiest feature is something you don’t expect in a wireless microphone: a color touchscreen.
No, the 1.3-inch color TFT LED display isn’t a gimmick, but a functional touchscreen which allows access to all microphone settings. However, the fact that users can change the microphones’ displays from a clock or an audio-level meter to a corporate logo, a photo or other image is a cool extra aimed directly at social media influencers, according to Saramonic.
The two coin-shaped wireless microphones can be clipped onto clothing, have a range of up to 328 feet and can be used for up to 8 hours between charges, according to the company. The microphones offer active noise cancellation to enhance voice quality and store magnetically on either side of a small receiver/charger box. A free mobile app allows users to access to all features including customizing the microphones’ displays.
Each microphone offers 8GB of onboard storage for up to 22 hours of audio, which means they can also be used as simple audio recorders. You could place one on a podium during a speech, for example, and download the audio from the microphone later.
The receiver itself has a has a 1-inch touchscreen which lets users configure the microphones, monitor battery life and audio levels and perform other functions. The receiver has a headphone jack, a useful feature for digital cameras which lack one, and runs for up to 24 hours per charge. A magnetic bracket allows the unit to be mounted on a camera’s hot shoe.
Audio from the two Saramonic Blink Me microphones can be mixed in mono mode or separated into right and left channels in stereo mode and audio can be recorded from the USB-C and 3.5mm audio outputs on the receiver simultaneously, which lets users record to multiple devices at once. My tech tips appear regularly in Sree's Sunday Note.
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