The 3.5mm inputs on the transmitters supply 1.4-2.1 V according to my contact at Hollyland. If you plan to use a 3rd party lavalier microphone with the Lark Max, please check that it does not require more than 2.1 V.
I ordered the Hollyland because of your review. At the moment, to comes with 2 Lav mics when ordering through Amazon! I'm loving the system so far. Curious, but did you boost the gain on the receivers or apply gain in post for your voice over? Very clean audio when listening to recordings, but it's on the quiet side. I have a Panasonic Lumix S5 IIX, and I lower the gain on the camera's pre-amp to -18 db as to not introduce additional noise. Thank you.
@@curtisjudd One thing I've been trying to find out and haven't seen anywhere is regarding the safety track. Do you know if you are recording with both mics, can you have a safety track for both mics, or does it suddenly mix the two mics together and create a safety track that is the mixed mic, just quieter. I was hoping that if I was using both mics and recorded internally on both, that each would have their own safety track recorded, similarly to recording mono. Id love to know if you understand what is going on with the safety track when using both mics.
@@jonathanschanbacher3782 The safety track at the receiver mixes the two mics and puts them at regular gain on the left channel and slightly reduced on the right channel. So you lose the ability to keep them separate. On the transmitters, it does not record a safety track. HOWEVER, for spoken word audio, I have found that it records with a LOT of headroom. So you'd have to be recording super loud sounds - effects or opera singers at close range - to run into clipping issues.
I've been using it and one plus I found is that I could use it for a remote interview using USBC and also grab the 3.5mm output to record scratch audio at the camera.
Great Review! Was waiting for this.. But just days ago someone found the new DJI Mic 2 in one of those goverment databases where companies need to register new devices pre launch.. It is rumored to be released very very soon.. I hope DJI sends you a unit to review, i expect it to beat out the competition again!
That quick internal recording is all I am after as a back up. I wish the Tascam DR10 had a built in microphone so you could just quickly attach it to a wireless microphone at events and have ot as a backup recording (I shoot weddings as well).
After watching some reviews of the DJI Pocket3 from a few RUclipsr influencers, the sound quality of the DJI Mic 2 was so good that I decided to wait for it, which I feel is about to be released！
it shocked to me that an audio system ages when it is just a very few years old. Missing those days when a 12-year-old lectrosonic system performs perfectly today. I know they are apples and oranges, but we just oddly accept that a piece of gear ages when it is only 2 years old. Like a disposable equipment.
Yes. Thanks to the consumer tech companies, in particular for spreading this mindset. I’d like to see more thoughtfully designed products that easily last at least 5, preferably 10 years.
I remember when 1st getting into serious video creation I invested in Audio before finally buying a camera because they weren’t going to invent much that sounded better than a lectorosonic with a TRAM Mic m. This was 2010 and that mic is still amazing. My next investment will probably be the wireless deity system that records 32 bit float and time code internally.
One of the things I have had problems with wireless kits is on places where there are lots of frequencies. Like malls, concerts, conferences. I have seen lots of reviews on "clean" private spaces but none on saturated ones as in this examples. Have you had any experience with this kind of situations?
@@ElMeach The more expensive kits from Sennheiser, Sony, and the new DEITY THEOS seem to hold on better, in my experience. But also, a fair bit more expensive.
I’ve been using this system for a couple months now, overall great. Sometimes however the receiver doesn’t make flush contact with the charging case pins. So essentially it will be powered on by itself and a couple times depleted most of the battery. This isn’t a problem if you keep the charging case upright.
Curtis, great review as always. Money/price not being an issue, as a "solo" creator yourself doing talking head videos, which one would you buy? Personally, I don't record two people "in the field" or "on location" so two transmitters isn't a necessity. Watching all the buzz surrounding 32 bit float on the Røde (which was obviously catered to people who didn't know what it was) was somewhat hilarious. I can't remember the last time I clipped a mic. That jog wheel or crown on the Hollyland seems like a really smart move. I hadn't really considered the Hollyland until now.
About a week ago i watched hella reviews on the new rodes & audio stuff then once i was ready to pull the trigger i realized they were back ordered not wanting to risk a long wait it forced me to consider options & i landed on the new holly & pico but i didn't see any reviews from you so after going deep into a rabbit hole i made a full circle to tascam dl 10. It took me awhile to accept wireless isnt the end all be all & thinking the dl 10s were too old but they won me over & instead of spending 400+ i got 2 tascams used but like new with all original packaging from Ebay & the zoom m3 new for $360. These were my 2nd pico 3rd but for the money & my level tascam & m3 took the gold.
I have heard about different LAV mics not getting enough power from these small 2.4ghz units. Something about the lack of power to give the higher "quality" mics their normal abilities. Have you heard of experienced anything about, and if so, have you considered a video about limitations or types of LAC mic leads that work well with these new systems? I always enjoy your explanations and understandings of all things audio. :)
Thanks. The trick is that Hollyland didn't publish in their specifications the amount of power supplied by the transmitter. I'll contact them and see if I can find out more. But my suspicion is that they're all trying to hit a "our transmitter is powered by its internal battery for X hours!" target. So they're not likely to design the external port to provide the full 5V that is typically available on bigger, pro-level wireless packs.
Thanks!@@curtisjudd I wonder if it would be interesting to compare different lav mics (dpa 6060, countryman b6, even Senn ME2) to the mics included to see what, if any, difference in sound and if there is any use in pairing those higher end leads with the new wireless packs.
Hey Curtis, great video as always! I am curious though, have you ever had the chance to review the Shure UL4 Cardioid Lav microphones? I think they are new to the market, and I can't find a single review video for them online. I currently use the Shure TL48, but I find that I'm still picking up too much room noise for my line of work (Legal Videography) and was curious if you have compared them yet since I know you're a fan of the TL48 as well. Thanks!
@@curtisjudd I see, thanks for the reply and information! The lack of samples and even information from brands like Shure about their own products remains baffling to me. Thanks for all your helpful videos and God bless!
Nudge the audio one frame to the left or do nothing. Most won't be able to tell. It isn't until you get to 2 or 3 frames off that people generally start to notice.
Great video! I've actually been using this kit for almost two months. Previously I was using the Hollyland M1 kit. This is a big step up!!! So far, I have loved using these! For my Amazon content, I just clip the transmitter on my shirt....but to step up the audio a bit more, I use their lav mic to plug into it. Which seems to work pretty well. I've not done the testing that you do though lol. Fantastic work as always!
Best review out there for this product! The Lark Max is the only product in this price range claiming to have automatic frequency hopping. Since its range doesn't seem to be enhanced by that, could it at least be less prone to interference than its competitors?
13:54 sorry for the newby question. But if you add a 30ms delay to the wire mic so that it’s in sync with the wireless system. Wouldn’t the video now be out of sync? Do I need to re-sync it again in post? Thanks for the great quality videos man. Much love from Spain 🇪🇸
Depends on your workflow. If recording audio separate from camera, then you’ll sync the audio clip to the video clip in post and it’ll be perfectly in sync.
Since April I'm waiting to see one of your titles starting with "Deity PR-2 review" 😂 Can't wait to watch, hope you receive a review unit, they told me it gets released in November.
great video.very helpful. i bought the lark max after watching this. thank you. i have a question, to avoid sync in post;if i use a hollyland lark max and rode videomic pro together into my camera using a 3.5mm splitter will it work .i need these two mics recording into the camera:the lark max for two people talking and the rode shotgun mic pro for ambience.please let me know.
I recorded a clap with a wired microphone AND the Lark Max into a Sound Devices MixPre at the same time. Then in post production, I measure the difference in time before the start of the clap on the wired mic channel and the Lark Max channel.
@@curtisjuddInteresting. Were you using the noise reduction on the Lark when you did this test? I would have expected this Hollyland to be similar to the older models that claim 5ms latency and thought that perhaps the additional latency was due to noise reduction processing.
@@curtisjudd Thanks for the confirmation, Curtis. That's really too bad. I would have expected (hoped) for around 5ms as is claimed by one of their earlier wireless units. Oh well. Do you happen to know what the latency of the RODE Wireless Go Pro is? Btw - always love your content. Big fan.
Curtis, thanks for this review. I'm tempted to buy. I assume one can plug in a higher-quality lavalier. Does Hollyand say which lavaliers are compatible, do you know? how would it sound with a Sennheiser or a DPA?
My guess is that it would probably work but the spec sheet doesn’t appear to share details like how much voltage is supplied or the pin-out configuration. You may be able to get this by contacting their support
@@richardweddle3408 I have this, and have purchased a few different (Sennheiser Compatible) 3.5MM TRS earset mics and they worked fine with the Hollyland. I even plugged in a regular dynamic XLR mic using an XLR to 3.5mm TRS cable.. Worked fine.
Question... if you're using it as you suggested, just recording to the mic directly and not the receiver, I'm assuming the distance/line of sight dropouts are no longer an issue?
Great review as always. Would love to see your tests on how each of these handles a lav mic input, and which lavs work best, for those of us who don't like to see the black plastic advertising board pinned to a subject:-)
The frustrating thing about some of these is that they don’t provide the full 5V power that many higher quality lavalier mics need. So I don’t recommend them if you’re looking to use any higher quality 3rd party lavalier mics. Instead, they seem to expect you’ll use their mediocre quality lavaliers.
@@curtisjuddSo the quality of supplied lavalieres is mediocre? I'd appreciate an opinion of audio quality using their lavs between Hollyland Max and Rode Wireless Pro for live stream - no post processing - situations
@@EvanFotisRODE Wireless Pro had the best external lavs and they’re included with the kit. However, the alligator clips don’t hold the mics very well, so be prepared to find alternate solutions for that.
those G4 are 650€/$ per pair -- thats too much for me , aren't there some reasonable proced alternatives? You know lithium mines are just not that environmental friendly and ressources are finate
my dad and I do calls on discord for our podcast. He uses and android and I cannot get his microphone to work, it is only working threw the phone microphone. Can we use the microphone as a live microphone in discord or zoom so I can record his video with quality audio at the same time. Rather than the audio coming from his cellphone.
Someone mentioned that some of the Lark 150 units had issues with white noise when in mono mode. Are you familiar with that, and did you have any similar issues with this model?
Thanks for the video Curtis. Would you take the Lark max over the tentacle track E? I found a great deal that would cost me the same price for the Larx Max and the track E kit (mics and everything) I mostly make educational videos on YT in front of a white board and vlogs. I know the track E would be overkill 😂 but they are pretty much at the same price. So I’m having trouble deciding between the 2. Thanks. 🙏🏼 Happy holidays and merry Christmas 🎄
Nice comparison. But I am a bit jealous, that its only a 100$ difference in the US :D its 200-250 Euros in Europe between the Lark Max and the Rode Wireless Pro.
Hi. Thanks for the helpful info. 1) Can the Hollyland Lark Max mic receiver be attached to a RC2 (with screen) controller for DJI Mini 4 Pro? Through USB or how? 2) Does Hollyland mic work with DJI Mini 4 pro? 3) Can a Hollyland Transmitter be stuck (for example by a tape) to a drone to record sounds? Regarding the weight, windshield, ability of taking sounds, etc? 4) Can Hollyland Lark M1 (cheaper with 200 m range) do all of the above? What lacks compared to Lark Max?
@@curtisjuddThanks. Can a Hollyland Transmitter be stuck (for example by a tape) to a drone to record sounds? Regarding the weight, windshield attachment, ability of taking sounds and reducing the "noise of the flying drone"? etc? Do you think Lark M1 works fare as Lark Max? Do you have a comparison?
Does the RX have interference sounds when actively powered and receiving? I'm having massive noise problems with my Rode WG II, and am looking for a similar system without this problem.
Thank you for your this great information.God bless you. Because you have so much rich knowldge,may I ask you some guidance. I think that a Rode wireless hands free mic can also be used for live programs also by connecting through a mobile / laptop, by connecting through a mixer /amplifier. For example, for a church service,for addressing the congregation ? Please guide. Thank you sir
Hello Mr Curtis , i'm interested in using this to feed audio in to my zoom recorder and from that connect to my camera through 3.5mm jack, my question does this make any different in sound quality, like running this through an audio recorder by connecting the wireless receiver to the zoom , sr if i phrase this too poorly since im not well verse in the audio term, i think this is called audio hopping in one of ur video
Thank you for answering my question, i have been looking all over the internet for an answer about the sound quality of this method to no avail, so it's great to get some answer from you sir
I tested the device and find it not bad and bought a new set. However, the new set is faulty and screwed me up on my shoot. Sent it back toretailer and they confirmed that it is faulty after troubleshooting. However, I have heard NOTHING from the retailer for more than 2 weeks. Really bad after-sales service when the company sold to me a faulty item.
I have used some of these as well as Sony Lavs and found that the attenuator on my Canon C300 MkIII ends up cutting a lot of voices. Maybe this information can save someone from a ruined interview.
Quick noob question…. Can you record on the Hollyland Max receiver and use the transmitter with the 3.5mm to record onto the camera at the same time? Like for monitoring audio only
I want to use them as a wireless system, but also to connect the receiver to my Rode VideoMic Go II via 3.5mm and the transmitter via 3.5mm to my camera. Could the Hollyland work as a wireless recorder + record directly onto the camera footage? Thanks 🙏🏻
Hollylamd needs to ditch the cables & add the attachments that DJI uses for Smartphone connections. Rode too! Shocking the Rode hasn't added noise cancelation.
Dear Sir, Greetings.Thanks for your great video. Please guide me , regarding the use of Rode Wireless PRO, as wireless hands free mic for public address for mega church meetings etc. where preacher and interpreter stands together with their mobiles etc.
1) Rode Wireless PRO being GHz,will our mobiles,wi-fi etc.interfear with it's signals, so that the voice gets affected?
2) Can Rode Wireless PRO receiver be connected directly to the sound amplifier or is it possible only through a mixer ?
I've been using Rode Wireless Pro... kinda great mic with lock jacks. I guess Deity will come for you in the near future since they just announced the Deity Theos. Hope to see they for your help to test it .
Thanks for the feedback @DrVikasSharmaMD. I just checked and as intended, we loudness normalized the audio to -23 LUFS. This is the standard loudness for broadcast in Europe. I use this same standard for audio gear reviews so that I can give viewers the closest experience to what they can expect with the device, without any post processing.
A question: Am i correct, that Lavs with locking TRS wont be able to connect/physically fit to the non locking pin transmitters like these consumer grade systems?
My experience is that a well designed locking TRS plug will plug in as the locking nut will move back to make room for the plug to fit. But there may be some locking plugs out there which do not do this.
@@TDCIYB77 I have purchased various earsets to us with the Lark. Some have a locking ring, and some do not. The mics I bought with the locking ring that does not have the locking ring that slides back enough to expose the correct pin length, I had to use an adapter cable that converted the 3.5mm TRS Locking connector to a 3.5mm TRS Standard connector.
When I was looking for a microphone, the fact that Røde said on the website about the videomic NTG "if the battery is dead, you can send it for replacement" was a huge factor.
Awesome Video! I even had dropouts with the camera 2m away from the transmitter once with the dji mic in a big hall and once in a classroom with the rode wireless pro. but the internal recording is so good, i prefer the internal recording anyways i use the wireless transmission only for doublechecking the tone and having the same source for syncing ... overall i think i will stay with the rode forever as a back but i can not wait to check out the deity theos once it is released
Why would any of these companies think that making their transmitters more visible is a good thing? Why not just include a sticker for someone that wants more bling.
Curtis when you commented about the Rode price being more, am I correct in saying that although the Rode is more expensive they do not come with two lavs unlike the others. If so this makes the price comparable. By the way I really do not understand why Rode insists on shiny cases and putting their name on the clip. This to my mind really cheapens the product especially when you are calling it Pro.
I ordered the Lark Max with 2 lavs from hollylands website, at the time they had a site wide discount which was roughly the same price as both lavs Although I would expect the Rode lavs to sound better.
I think the Røde sounds better. Best sounding is kind of what I want. I can do some post audio work if needed. Having good ready to go audio would be nice, but is not Needed... Maybe, we will see. I like the idea of 32bit float, but I have never used it.
@@curtisjudd After more research, I want a Sony UWMP if I get a wireless lav. I may go for a supercardioid or something. I like the idea that the lav could follow me and at least one other person around, and may reject some background noise because sound has to be close. But I also want something that could record multiple people, maybe more than two. I also want good sound, and it seems lavs don't sound the best.
@@curtisjudd wasn't clear enough. Those are separate terms... They exist?! Now I have to look those up. I want something that can be hidden like you would for a film. I would probably do that all the time if I got a lav, but I can see why people clip them to a shirt. The sticky pads for skin would add up as you used them every shoot. So, what I will search next is if a supercardioid lav can be hidden like a normal one, and if they sound as good. If they are just a small supercardioid, that would seem to negate the background reduction because sounds have to be close. It would have the follow me around aspect, and maybe I will find it could capture multiple people like a regular one, just camera mount it.... Not likely, but we will see. Thanks for the good videos.
@@Coolshows101 I have never heard of a lavalier microphone with a super cardioid polar pattern. I believe you are looking for an omni-directional lavalier microphone - 99.9% of lavalier microphones are omni-directional. The remainder are mostly cardioid. And yes, omni-directional lavaliers manage to pick up mostly what you want because they are mounted on the person so they are close to the sound source. Best wishes!
If the H L max comes with a same unit in 32bit, the Rode will be in trouble, they are so great to use and makes the other competitor on that price not close to compare.
@@curtisjudd When shooting some sports, they do quickly to the yelling of players; they have a safe tracker but limit the chance to record the two mics simultaneously in different channels.
Hi Curtis, You said "if you need 32-bit float for some reason" and I'm a bit advocate of it as a videographer where I want to turn on my audio and know that it's going to do its thing and I don't have to worry about constantly monitoring it while I'm interviewing someone or handling a second camera. Big fan of it going into the rode. I have the wireless go II and they are hard to operate, which I plug into my Zoom 3. I'm hoping DJI or another brand will incorporate 32-bit into other devices. Do you have any other advice or options?
Listen with a good pair of headphones and you'll hear more bass to Rode and a bit thin Dji. More than that Curtis didn't tell us how much he had to amplify signal for each system to reach -23db loudness. Somehow, I assume that Rode had more powerful signal.
Fantastic review brother Curtis! I ended up purchasing this as soon as it came onto the market and I’m really glad that I ended up purchasing it instead of the DJI or the Rode. A must buy for RUclipsrs of any kind…
Rode is way better in terms of price as it has the 32bit option plus 2 Lav Mic comes with it that separately cost 200 dollars and that Lav mic is perfect. So Rode in price point is the best. Rode is a reputable Audio company that consistently updates their devices with firmware and gives more and more features. Also, Time Code Sync is another winning point for Rode. This system under 200 dollars is the best to get it.
@@curtisjuddYes agreed They need to change the design and go with DJI kind of slim design and small with touchscreen option, Can you make a video about how to get these systems with 4 or 6 people in an interview, I am looking some professional and compact solution that I can use 2 Rode Pro kits for 4 people but I don't know how I can my camera output.
RODE Wireless PRO would be the ultimate winner because of 32bit capability. 32bit audio gives a peace in mind if you're planning on using the audio as a recording later. Plus for some reason in my headphones Rode sounds more natural, warm and present for me.
The RODE Wireless Pro blows both the DJI and Hollyland Lark Max out of the water on sound quality. Wow, what a big difference, as it sounds like the RODE is whole other league. Of the three, the Hollyland LM comes in last in terms of audio quality on unprocessed signal, but it’s not that far behind DJI.
@@curtisjudd For my application, I’ve opted for the Rode Wireless Me but, had I gone down the Wireless Pro route then the 32 bit floating point is something that should have been a standard years ago in Digital audio recording but, it’s here now at least. Do like your review style btw. 👍
These companies just do not listen. Non-replaceable batteries on every one of these. Just for money, they are willing to add to all the pointless e-waste.
Why everybody keep making huge transmitters... all those models are always the same. They should copy the Picomic instead of releasing always the same stuff over and over
Or have noise reduction? My point is that it depends on what's most important for you. If tiny transmitters are it, then it sounds like PicoMic is a great fit for you. 👍
The 3.5mm inputs on the transmitters supply 1.4-2.1 V according to my contact at Hollyland. If you plan to use a 3rd party lavalier microphone with the Lark Max, please check that it does not require more than 2.1 V.
I ordered the Hollyland because of your review. At the moment, to comes with 2 Lav mics when ordering through Amazon! I'm loving the system so far.
Curious, but did you boost the gain on the receivers or apply gain in post for your voice over? Very clean audio when listening to recordings, but it's on the quiet side. I have a Panasonic Lumix S5 IIX, and I lower the gain on the camera's pre-amp to -18 db as to not introduce additional noise.
Thank you.
@@drhito Yes, I had to boost the level in post.
@@curtisjudd One thing I've been trying to find out and haven't seen anywhere is regarding the safety track. Do you know if you are recording with both mics, can you have a safety track for both mics, or does it suddenly mix the two mics together and create a safety track that is the mixed mic, just quieter. I was hoping that if I was using both mics and recorded internally on both, that each would have their own safety track recorded, similarly to recording mono. Id love to know if you understand what is going on with the safety track when using both mics.
@@jonathanschanbacher3782 The safety track at the receiver mixes the two mics and puts them at regular gain on the left channel and slightly reduced on the right channel. So you lose the ability to keep them separate. On the transmitters, it does not record a safety track.
HOWEVER, for spoken word audio, I have found that it records with a LOT of headroom. So you'd have to be recording super loud sounds - effects or opera singers at close range - to run into clipping issues.
That's too bad. I have several RODE GO lav mics that require 2.7v it seems.
I've been using it and one plus I found is that I could use it for a remote interview using USBC and also grab the 3.5mm output to record scratch audio at the camera.
👍
Great Review! Was waiting for this.. But just days ago someone found the new DJI Mic 2 in one of those goverment databases where companies need to register new devices pre launch.. It is rumored to be released very very soon.. I hope DJI sends you a unit to review, i expect it to beat out the competition again!
We'll hear soon!
Looks that way as the dji first generation mic has dropped to £219 on amazon UK whereas jus last week it was £289
@@1pac882 Rumor is that it will be announced together with the new DJI Pocket 3, and sometime this week or November.. :)
I Chose the Hollyland Lark Max. Never regretted buying it.
👍
Too los volume. Quality mediocre.
Hey Curtis, i just want to congratulate you for another great video! You´re the greatest man! Thank you so much!
🙏
Hey Curtis, I was just about to look for this comparison and here you are! 😊
👍
That quick internal recording is all I am after as a back up. I wish the Tascam DR10 had a built in microphone so you could just quickly attach it to a wireless microphone at events and have ot as a backup recording (I shoot weddings as well).
After watching some reviews of the DJI Pocket3 from a few RUclipsr influencers, the sound quality of the DJI Mic 2 was so good that I decided to wait for it, which I feel is about to be released！
I hope so!
it shocked to me that an audio system ages when it is just a very few years old. Missing those days when a 12-year-old lectrosonic system performs perfectly today. I know they are apples and oranges, but we just oddly accept that a piece of gear ages when it is only 2 years old. Like a disposable equipment.
This is why user-replaceable batteries are important because gear ages and are disposable equipment without it.
Yes. Thanks to the consumer tech companies, in particular for spreading this mindset. I’d like to see more thoughtfully designed products that easily last at least 5, preferably 10 years.
I remember when 1st getting into serious video creation I invested in Audio before finally buying a camera because they weren’t going to invent much that sounded better than a lectorosonic with a TRAM Mic m. This was 2010 and that mic is still amazing. My next investment will probably be the wireless deity system that records 32 bit float and time code internally.
keep your lectrosonic. It will hold for another 10 years for sure. That's the beauty of audio@@daniellove162
I wonder if the EU requirements for easily removable batteries will apply to wireless transmitters
Hiya, great comparison review, thank you. Do any of the receivers have a 1/4" thread for mounting, or are any of them magnetic ?
No, unfortunately, none of the three mentioned here have 1/4 threaded taps on the receivers.
Does the noise cancellation work for the audio recorded on the transmitter or only the sound output from the receiver to a camera or recorder ?
Thank you for your presentation. I have this mic also and am very pleased with it.
👍🎙️
One of the things I have had problems with wireless kits is on places where there are lots of frequencies. Like malls, concerts, conferences. I have seen lots of reviews on "clean" private spaces but none on saturated ones as in this examples. Have you had any experience with this kind of situations?
Yes, these consumer wireless systems have a hard time keeping a connection in those WiFi saturated places.
@@curtisjudd thank you for your reply. I have also had a hard time with a boya uhf wireless kit. What kits are less prone to this kind of problems?
@@ElMeach The more expensive kits from Sennheiser, Sony, and the new DEITY THEOS seem to hold on better, in my experience. But also, a fair bit more expensive.
Great video as always! Thank you so much. I am buying the Hollyland )))
Happy recording!
@@curtisjudd i got is and love it ✌️
I’ve been using this system for a couple months now, overall great. Sometimes however the receiver doesn’t make flush contact with the charging case pins. So essentially it will be powered on by itself and a couple times depleted most of the battery. This isn’t a problem if you keep the charging case upright.
Curtis, great review as always. Money/price not being an issue, as a "solo" creator yourself doing talking head videos, which one would you buy? Personally, I don't record two people "in the field" or "on location" so two transmitters isn't a necessity. Watching all the buzz surrounding 32 bit float on the Røde (which was obviously catered to people who didn't know what it was) was somewhat hilarious. I can't remember the last time I clipped a mic. That jog wheel or crown on the Hollyland seems like a really smart move. I hadn't really considered the Hollyland until now.
Probably the RODE for me.
About a week ago i watched hella reviews on the new rodes & audio stuff then once i was ready to pull the trigger i realized they were back ordered not wanting to risk a long wait it forced me to consider options & i landed on the new holly & pico but i didn't see any reviews from you so after going deep into a rabbit hole i made a full circle to tascam dl 10. It took me awhile to accept wireless isnt the end all be all & thinking the dl 10s were too old but they won me over & instead of spending 400+ i got 2 tascams used but like new with all original packaging from Ebay & the zoom m3 new for $360. These were my 2nd pico 3rd but for the money & my level tascam & m3 took the gold.
Good call. Happy recording!
@@curtisjudd thanks! Keep up the great deep dives 👍
Super helpful, thank you!
👍
I have heard about different LAV mics not getting enough power from these small 2.4ghz units. Something about the lack of power to give the higher "quality" mics their normal abilities. Have you heard of experienced anything about, and if so, have you considered a video about limitations or types of LAC mic leads that work well with these new systems? I always enjoy your explanations and understandings of all things audio. :)
Thanks. The trick is that Hollyland didn't publish in their specifications the amount of power supplied by the transmitter. I'll contact them and see if I can find out more.
But my suspicion is that they're all trying to hit a "our transmitter is powered by its internal battery for X hours!" target. So they're not likely to design the external port to provide the full 5V that is typically available on bigger, pro-level wireless packs.
Thanks!@@curtisjudd I wonder if it would be interesting to compare different lav mics (dpa 6060, countryman b6, even Senn ME2) to the mics included to see what, if any, difference in sound and if there is any use in pairing those higher end leads with the new wireless packs.
@@revlovemountain Interesting but a little funny since all of those microphones cost more than the wireless kit. 😉
Fantastic review
Thanks.
Both B&H and Amazon have the Lark in stock, but your link is out of stock. Wanted to give you the affiliate bonus
Thank! We also have B&H and Amazon links in the description. 👍
Hey Curtis, great video as always!
I am curious though, have you ever had the chance to review the Shure UL4 Cardioid Lav microphones? I think they are new to the market, and I can't find a single review video for them online. I currently use the Shure TL48, but I find that I'm still picking up too much room noise for my line of work (Legal Videography) and was curious if you have compared them yet since I know you're a fan of the TL48 as well. Thanks!
I tried but couldn’t get a version that worked with my Sound Devices wireless. But the samples I’ve heard are quite good. 👍
@@curtisjudd I see, thanks for the reply and information! The lack of samples and even information from brands like Shure about their own products remains baffling to me. Thanks for all your helpful videos and God bless!
Thanks for the very detailed video! T 10:54 how do you sync this in post? Do you just drag the clip ?
Nudge the audio one frame to the left or do nothing. Most won't be able to tell. It isn't until you get to 2 or 3 frames off that people generally start to notice.
Great video! I've actually been using this kit for almost two months. Previously I was using the Hollyland M1 kit. This is a big step up!!! So far, I have loved using these! For my Amazon content, I just clip the transmitter on my shirt....but to step up the audio a bit more, I use their lav mic to plug into it. Which seems to work pretty well. I've not done the testing that you do though lol. Fantastic work as always!
Glad to hear it is working well for you!
Best review out there for this product! The Lark Max is the only product in this price range claiming to have automatic frequency hopping. Since its range doesn't seem to be enhanced by that, could it at least be less prone to interference than its competitors?
RODE does that as well, they just call it something else.
Thanks for the insight as always, Curtis! Easy to see why your channel is among the fastest growing out there!
13:54 sorry for the newby question. But if you add a 30ms delay to the wire mic so that it’s in sync with the wireless system. Wouldn’t the video now be out of sync? Do I need to re-sync it again in post? Thanks for the great quality videos man. Much love from Spain 🇪🇸
Depends on your workflow. If recording audio separate from camera, then you’ll sync the audio clip to the video clip in post and it’ll be perfectly in sync.
Have you tried turning on Noise cancellation on just using the trx alone no recv? Mine does not activate on a stand alone recording setup
Since April I'm waiting to see one of your titles starting with "Deity PR-2 review" 😂
Can't wait to watch, hope you receive a review unit, they told me it gets released in November.
THEOS? I preordered mine and am waiting for its arrival.
@@curtisjudd oh nice, apparently there's not even preorders here in France. I guess it's gonna be hard to get hands on one.
great video.very helpful. i bought the lark max after watching this. thank you. i have a question, to avoid sync in post;if i use a hollyland lark max and rode videomic pro together into my camera using a 3.5mm splitter will it work .i need these two mics recording into the camera:the lark max for two people talking and the rode shotgun mic pro for ambience.please let me know.
It should work but three channels may be more likely to drop out if there’s too much WiFi in the vicinity.
@@curtisjudd thank you .i am planning to use only one hollyland lark max another input will be from the rode videomic pro as you know its not wireless
Thank you so much for another great video!
May I ask how you measure the latency? Would appreciate a video about that or do you have one made already?
I recorded a clap with a wired microphone AND the Lark Max into a Sound Devices MixPre at the same time. Then in post production, I measure the difference in time before the start of the clap on the wired mic channel and the Lark Max channel.
@@curtisjudd thanks 🙏😊
@@curtisjuddInteresting. Were you using the noise reduction on the Lark when you did this test? I would have expected this Hollyland to be similar to the older models that claim 5ms latency and thought that perhaps the additional latency was due to noise reduction processing.
@@TheRealBarkinMadd I was not using the noise reduction. 👍
@@curtisjudd Thanks for the confirmation, Curtis. That's really too bad. I would have expected (hoped) for around 5ms as is claimed by one of their earlier wireless units. Oh well. Do you happen to know what the latency of the RODE Wireless Go Pro is? Btw - always love your content. Big fan.
This pack seems interesting. Thanks for the review.
👍
Curtis, thanks for this review. I'm tempted to buy. I assume one can plug in a higher-quality lavalier. Does Hollyand say which lavaliers are compatible, do you know? how would it sound with a Sennheiser or a DPA?
My guess is that it would probably work but the spec sheet doesn’t appear to share details like how much voltage is supplied or the pin-out configuration. You may be able to get this by contacting their support
I'll let you know what they say @@curtisjudd
@@richardweddle3408 I have this, and have purchased a few different (Sennheiser Compatible) 3.5MM TRS earset mics and they worked fine with the Hollyland. I even plugged in a regular dynamic XLR mic using an XLR to 3.5mm TRS cable.. Worked fine.
Question... if you're using it as you suggested, just recording to the mic directly and not the receiver, I'm assuming the distance/line of sight dropouts are no longer an issue?
Correct.
Great review as always. Would love to see your tests on how each of these handles a lav mic input, and which lavs work best, for those of us who don't like to see the black plastic advertising board pinned to a subject:-)
The frustrating thing about some of these is that they don’t provide the full 5V power that many higher quality lavalier mics need. So I don’t recommend them if you’re looking to use any higher quality 3rd party lavalier mics. Instead, they seem to expect you’ll use their mediocre quality lavaliers.
@@curtisjudd Thank you!
@@curtisjuddSo the quality of supplied lavalieres is mediocre?
I'd appreciate an opinion of audio quality using their lavs between Hollyland Max and Rode Wireless Pro for live stream - no post processing - situations
@@EvanFotisRODE Wireless Pro had the best external lavs and they’re included with the kit. However, the alligator clips don’t hold the mics very well, so be prepared to find alternate solutions for that.
@@curtisjuddThanks for your insight!
Thank you for pointing out non user replaceable batteries in these systems.
That’s the very reason I am still using Sennheiser G4 System.
👍
those G4 are 650€/$ per pair -- thats too much for me , aren't there some reasonable proced alternatives? You know lithium mines are just not that environmental friendly and ressources are finate
Can you maby make a video on how to write expression correctly for basic strings.
What?
my dad and I do calls on discord for our podcast. He uses and android and I cannot get his microphone to work, it is only working threw the phone microphone. Can we use the microphone as a live microphone in discord or zoom so I can record his video with quality audio at the same time. Rather than the audio coming from his cellphone.
Thanks from Chicago
Can I use both in stereo mode while connected to a Samsung s24?
Someone mentioned that some of the Lark 150 units had issues with white noise when in mono mode. Are you familiar with that, and did you have any similar issues with this model?
This episode was recorded that way. Didn’t seem like an issue.
@@curtisjudd thanks!
Excellent Review.
🙏
Thanks for the video Curtis. Would you take the Lark max over the tentacle track E? I found a great deal that would cost me the same price for the Larx Max and the track E kit (mics and everything) I mostly make educational videos on YT in front of a white board and vlogs. I know the track E would be overkill 😂 but they are pretty much at the same price. So I’m having trouble deciding between the 2. Thanks. 🙏🏼
Happy holidays and merry Christmas 🎄
I’d probably choose the Tentacles.
Nice comparison.
But I am a bit jealous, that its only a 100$ difference in the US :D its 200-250 Euros in Europe between the Lark Max and the Rode Wireless Pro.
😥
What if you plug the wireless mic into the Zoom f2 input, and use the F2 output to plug into the camera? dies this affect the recording in any way?
The output is a headphone jack and not the cleanest. I'd avoid it if possible.
Hi. Thanks for the helpful info.
1) Can the Hollyland Lark Max mic receiver be attached to a RC2 (with screen) controller for DJI Mini 4 Pro? Through USB or how?
2) Does Hollyland mic work with DJI Mini 4 pro?
3) Can a Hollyland Transmitter be stuck (for example by a tape) to a drone to record sounds? Regarding the weight, windshield, ability of taking sounds, etc?
4) Can Hollyland Lark M1 (cheaper with 200 m range) do all of the above? What lacks compared to Lark Max?
I don't have a DJI Mini 4 Pro here to test these. Probably better to contact DJI support to confirm.
@@curtisjuddThanks. Can a Hollyland Transmitter be stuck (for example by a tape) to a drone to record sounds? Regarding the weight, windshield attachment, ability of taking sounds and reducing the "noise of the flying drone"? etc?
Do you think Lark M1 works fare as Lark Max? Do you have a comparison?
@@Tootiaait will pick up drone prop noise and that’s about all.
Does the RX have interference sounds when actively powered and receiving? I'm having massive noise problems with my Rode WG II, and am looking for a similar system without this problem.
I haven't run into that issue with this or the RODE system.
Thank you for your this great information.God bless you.
Because you have so much rich knowldge,may I ask you some guidance.
I think that a Rode wireless hands free mic can also be used for live programs also by connecting through a mobile / laptop, by connecting through a mixer /amplifier. For example, for a church service,for addressing the congregation ?
Please guide.
Thank you sir
Yes, this can also be connected to a computer or mobile via USB.
Hello Mr Curtis , i'm interested in using this to feed audio in to my zoom recorder and from that connect to my camera through 3.5mm jack, my question does this make any different in sound quality, like running this through an audio recorder by connecting the wireless receiver to the zoom , sr if i phrase this too poorly since im not well verse in the audio term, i think this is called audio hopping in one of ur video
No need to add the recorder unless you’re also recording additional mics. Most likely will not make things sound better.
Thank you for answering my question, i have been looking all over the internet for an answer about the sound quality of this method to no avail, so it's great to get some answer from you sir
Hey Curtis, great content. Between the Hollyland Lark Max & the Rode Wireless ME which would you recommend for travel vlogs and talking heads?
I had a better overall experience with the Lark Max than the Wireless ME.
@@curtisjudd thanks Curtis
user-replaceble batteries - lack of it - do you know a reasonable priced alternative w/user-replacable batteries?
I tested the device and find it not bad and bought a new set. However, the new set is faulty and screwed me up on my shoot. Sent it back toretailer and they confirmed that it is faulty after troubleshooting. However, I have heard NOTHING from the retailer for more than 2 weeks. Really bad after-sales service when the company sold to me a faulty item.
Thanks for sharing. That’s a definite con.
I have used some of these as well as Sony Lavs and found that the attenuator on my Canon C300 MkIII ends up cutting a lot of voices. Maybe this information can save someone from a ruined interview.
I believe you can turn off the auto gain in the Canon.
does hollyland have gain assit feature and all feature are same like rode wireless go II as both are on same price
No, it does not have a gain assist type of feature.
Awesome & Thanks :)
👍
Quick noob question…. Can you record on the Hollyland Max receiver and use the transmitter with the 3.5mm to record onto the camera at the same time? Like for monitoring audio only
I want to use them as a wireless system, but also to connect the receiver to my Rode VideoMic Go II via 3.5mm and the transmitter via 3.5mm to my camera.
Could the Hollyland work as a wireless recorder + record directly onto the camera footage?
Thanks 🙏🏻
I hope the question makes sense hahaha! I’m waiting for you reply to buy the Hollyland trough your affiliate link
No, the recording is in the transmitters, not the receiver.
@@curtisjudd exactly, I didn’t explained myself…
So, could I record in the transmitters and in the video at the same time?
@@Francisfphoto_ Yes.
Hollylamd needs to ditch the cables & add the attachments that DJI uses for Smartphone connections. Rode too! Shocking the Rode hasn't added noise cancelation.
Dear Sir,
Greetings.Thanks for your great video.
Please guide me , regarding the use of Rode Wireless PRO, as wireless hands free mic for public address for mega church meetings etc. where preacher and interpreter stands together with their mobiles etc.
1) Rode Wireless PRO being GHz,will our mobiles,wi-fi etc.interfear with it's signals, so that the voice gets affected?
2) Can Rode Wireless PRO receiver be connected directly to the sound amplifier or is it possible only through a mixer ?
1) possibly but it depends on how much other 2.4GHz activity there is in the church.
2) depends on the amplifier but most likely you need a mixer.
Can U add more mics to the same reciever?
Two max per receiver (in short, no).
I've been using Rode Wireless Pro... kinda great mic with lock jacks. I guess Deity will come for you in the near future since they just announced the Deity Theos. Hope to see they for your help to test it .
I have a THEOS kit on preorder and looking forward to reviewing it. 👍
Yes! That's what I'm talking about. Can't wait for your reviewing.@@curtisjudd
Hi Curtis , I am on a 29 ich mac , and I am having hard time hearing you . Volume low
Thanks for the feedback @DrVikasSharmaMD. I just checked and as intended, we loudness normalized the audio to -23 LUFS. This is the standard loudness for broadcast in Europe. I use this same standard for audio gear reviews so that I can give viewers the closest experience to what they can expect with the device, without any post processing.
A question: Am i correct, that Lavs with locking TRS wont be able to connect/physically fit to the non locking pin transmitters like these consumer grade systems?
My experience is that a well designed locking TRS plug will plug in as the locking nut will move back to make room for the plug to fit. But there may be some locking plugs out there which do not do this.
The Rode locking plugs have a locking ring that can be unscrewed completely so you will be OK.
Thanks to both of you, Curtis and Dave! That helps tremendously!
@@TDCIYB77 I have purchased various earsets to us with the Lark. Some have a locking ring, and some do not. The mics I bought with the locking ring that does not have the locking ring that slides back enough to expose the correct pin length, I had to use an adapter cable that converted the 3.5mm TRS Locking connector to a 3.5mm TRS Standard connector.
@@hiphop360 Thanks mate, good to know there is an option for an adapter if it comes to that!
When I was looking for a microphone, the fact that Røde said on the website about the videomic NTG "if the battery is dead, you can send it for replacement" was a huge factor.
👍
Thank you!
You're welcome!
Rode: another level
Sort of. Still operates at 2.4GHz which just doesn’t work in a few situations.
hey! wow!splendid ~sleep well! ))
LOL. Ok. You too.
Latest software update puts HPF on the Rode ✅
👍
Awesome Video! I even had dropouts with the camera 2m away from the transmitter once with the dji mic in a big hall and once in a classroom with the rode wireless pro. but the internal recording is so good, i prefer the internal recording anyways i use the wireless transmission only for doublechecking the tone and having the same source for syncing ... overall i think i will stay with the rode forever as a back but i can not wait to check out the deity theos once it is released
👍
Why would any of these companies think that making their transmitters more visible is a good thing? Why not just include a sticker for someone that wants more bling.
Maybe they think that it’ll make us feel like professional athletes who are sponsored? Doesn’t make sense to me…
Free advertising
@@braydenjones4505 it’s worse than free advertising for us because we pay for the product.
Curtis when you commented about the Rode price being more, am I correct in saying that although the Rode is more expensive they do not come with two lavs unlike the others. If so this makes the price comparable. By the way I really do not understand why Rode insists on shiny cases and putting their name on the clip. This to my mind really cheapens the product especially when you are calling it Pro.
I ordered the Lark Max with 2 lavs from hollylands website, at the time they had a site wide discount which was roughly the same price as both lavs
Although I would expect the Rode lavs to sound better.
Fair point. I don’t know whether you can buy the RODE without the mics. That wasn’t an option when I bought my kit.
@@curtisjudd I have never seen the pro without.
I sort of like these systems right up to the battery element. Tentacle have a kit so there’s no real excuse.
Agreed.
I think the Røde sounds better. Best sounding is kind of what I want. I can do some post audio work if needed. Having good ready to go audio would be nice, but is not Needed... Maybe, we will see. I like the idea of 32bit float, but I have never used it.
👍
@@curtisjudd After more research, I want a Sony UWMP if I get a wireless lav. I may go for a supercardioid or something. I like the idea that the lav could follow me and at least one other person around, and may reject some background noise because sound has to be close. But I also want something that could record multiple people, maybe more than two. I also want good sound, and it seems lavs don't sound the best.
@@Coolshows101 a supercardioid lavalier?
@@curtisjudd wasn't clear enough. Those are separate terms... They exist?! Now I have to look those up. I want something that can be hidden like you would for a film. I would probably do that all the time if I got a lav, but I can see why people clip them to a shirt. The sticky pads for skin would add up as you used them every shoot.
So, what I will search next is if a supercardioid lav can be hidden like a normal one, and if they sound as good. If they are just a small supercardioid, that would seem to negate the background reduction because sounds have to be close. It would have the follow me around aspect, and maybe I will find it could capture multiple people like a regular one, just camera mount it.... Not likely, but we will see.
Thanks for the good videos.
@@Coolshows101 I have never heard of a lavalier microphone with a super cardioid polar pattern. I believe you are looking for an omni-directional lavalier microphone - 99.9% of lavalier microphones are omni-directional. The remainder are mostly cardioid. And yes, omni-directional lavaliers manage to pick up mostly what you want because they are mounted on the person so they are close to the sound source.
Best wishes!
Hi) Test Godox WMicS2 - it's new cheap, but UHF mireless mic.
Already did: ruclips.net/video/uuBqD6_JKt0/видео.htmlfeature=shared
If the H L max comes with a same unit in 32bit, the Rode will be in trouble, they are so great to use and makes the other competitor on that price not close to compare.
I'm happy even without the 32-bit float. Never clipped the Hollyland yet.
@@curtisjudd When shooting some sports, they do quickly to the yelling of players; they have a safe tracker but limit the chance to record the two mics simultaneously in different channels.
@@OrtizFilms 👍
Hi Curtis, You said "if you need 32-bit float for some reason" and I'm a bit advocate of it as a videographer where I want to turn on my audio and know that it's going to do its thing and I don't have to worry about constantly monitoring it while I'm interviewing someone or handling a second camera. Big fan of it going into the rode. I have the wireless go II and they are hard to operate, which I plug into my Zoom 3. I'm hoping DJI or another brand will incorporate 32-bit into other devices. Do you have any other advice or options?
Consider the Tentacle Track E or ZOOM F2 if you need 32-bit float. They’re not wireless, instead they are body pack recorders.
11:20 someone needs to 3d print a mic locking system like the did for the rode wireless go 2…
Please.
I am so confuse when listening 3 sample of both men and women, those are very similar
That means audio quality alone is not a super differentiating feature between these systems. You can choose based on other features.
Listen with a good pair of headphones and you'll hear more bass to Rode and a bit thin Dji. More than that Curtis didn't tell us how much he had to amplify signal for each system to reach -23db loudness. Somehow, I assume that Rode had more powerful signal.
Fantastic review brother Curtis! I ended up purchasing this as soon as it came onto the market and I’m really glad that I ended up purchasing it instead of the DJI or the Rode. A must buy for RUclipsrs of any kind…
Glad to hear it’s working well for you!
Rode is way better in terms of price as it has the 32bit option plus 2 Lav Mic comes with it that separately cost 200 dollars and that Lav mic is perfect. So Rode in price point is the best. Rode is a reputable Audio company that consistently updates their devices with firmware and gives more and more features. Also, Time Code Sync is another winning point for Rode. This system under 200 dollars is the best to get it.
Glad it works well for you. I’d like to see RODE make a more ergonomic menu system next round.
@@curtisjuddYes agreed They need to change the design and go with DJI kind of slim design and small with touchscreen option, Can you make a video about how to get these systems with 4 or 6 people in an interview, I am looking some professional and compact solution that I can use 2 Rode Pro kits for 4 people but I don't know how I can my camera output.
@@nexttvc That's where I decidedly DO NOT trust these systems. More than two channels and they start falling apart in most locations.
RODE Wireless PRO would be the ultimate winner because of 32bit capability. 32bit audio gives a peace in mind if you're planning on using the audio as a recording later. Plus for some reason in my headphones Rode sounds more natural, warm and present for me.
👍
The RODE Wireless Pro blows both the DJI and Hollyland Lark Max out of the water on sound quality. Wow, what a big difference, as it sounds like the RODE is whole other league. Of the three, the Hollyland LM comes in last in terms of audio quality on unprocessed signal, but it’s not that far behind DJI.
On my voice, I agree.
The out of sync audio (latency) on this is unacceptable now and these should be worn clip facing out so the shiny rode surface is a good idea but, 🙏
Ok.
@@curtisjudd For my application, I’ve opted for the Rode Wireless Me but, had I gone down the Wireless Pro route then the 32 bit floating point is something that should have been a standard years ago in Digital audio recording but, it’s here now at least. Do like your review style btw. 👍
@@modeloco Thanks and happy recording to you!
Sounds better than DJI and Rode
👍 Trust your ears.
These companies just do not listen. Non-replaceable batteries on every one of these. Just for money, they are willing to add to all the pointless e-waste.
Listen to us, please Hollyland, RODE, DJI!
Why everybody keep making huge transmitters... all those models are always the same. They should copy the Picomic instead of releasing always the same stuff over and over
Does the PicoMic transmitter power for as long a period and does it record?
Also, this is all relative. Traditional transmitter packs are WAY bigger than this.
Or have noise reduction? My point is that it depends on what's most important for you. If tiny transmitters are it, then it sounds like PicoMic is a great fit for you. 👍