Verdict
Hollyland has done it again , show itself as the go - to brand for amateurish content creators who want to get serious about upping their audio quality without breaking the bank . With a more compact design , ripe noise cancelling and stellar audio character , the Hollyland Lark M2 is an insistent achiever .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Hollyland ’s accounting entry - level Mobile River - focalise radio mic has been freshen and several unexampled features in the Hollyland Lark M2 .
While the the likes of of Rode and DJI have had a foothold in the smartphone - compatible mic grocery for quite a few eld now , they are no longer the only major musician on the playing area .
Chinese society Hollyland has steadily begun to elaborate its offer in this quad with a handful of excellent mics that seriously undercut the rivalry on price . While theHollyland Lark C1andHollyland Lark Maxhave set themselves as mid - tier and premium - spirit level products severally , the Lark M2 sits below them as an low-cost bargain for content creators on a budget .
Despite its affordability , the Lark M2 wreak a slight price blow over its herald which remains usable . The question is , does the M2 bring enough to the table and make it a good pick in its price range ?
Design
The Hollyland Lark M2 looks nothing like its forerunner , but that ’s not a big thing . Hollyland has dropped the colourful aesthetic of the M1 and instead choose for something that prioritise accessibility , all while look a little more professional .
Starting with the mics themselves ( two were included with our critique unit of measurement ) , Hollyland has ditched the orthogonal clip - on design in favor of a button material body with a magnetic backing . Not only does this make the mics less obtrusive when put on on your person , but it also gives you the freedom to swap out different accessories .
By default option , the M2 mics do with removable magnetized pucks attached which can then be used to hold the mics in place by putting them underneath your wear .
That might sound a small odd at first but I ’ve cursorily become accustomed to it , finding it far less distracting to have the mic at breast level rather than on my lapel . Still , if you prefer the old plan then you could simply bond a magnetic clip - on accessory and fag the mic like the M1 .
For the charging slip , Hollyland has made the impertinent decision to move the USB - C port to the back , so you’re able to keep the case vertical when top off up the stamp battery . There ’s also a small compositor’s case usable if you opt for the fluid - only version of the M2 , while the larger option pack the all - new receiver for photographic camera motion-picture photography , which can sit on a frigid shoe and allow you to adjust the volume levels on the go .
Even with the bigger option , it ’s all still thickset enough to well fit into a trouser sac , but there ’s one glaring upshot with the ‘ Combo ’ version that include all of the above . This is the model that was air in for review , and while there is a slot to house the photographic camera receiver , there is no agency of lodging either the USB - C or Lightning dongle without removing the receiver completely , so you ’ll necessitate a freestanding container to transport all of the components at once .
Features
well the good feature film that the Hollyland Lark M2 has go for it is its ease of use . The fact that you’re able to just stop up a telephone receiver directly into the bottom of your phone and get straight into recording high - caliber audio frequency is exactly why I loved using the Lark C1 , and it remains the same here .
The miniature dongle is still the best way for entry - degree capacity creators to mistreat up their audio frequency levels , as it does n’t require any additional consideration beyond having some sort of tripod for your phone . The pricier Lark Max for instance , while tremendous in its own right , has a much larger receiver that needs to be housed on the cold shoe mount of either a gimbal or a dedicated camera .
Of of course , if you are shooting with a tv camera then the big pass receiver can be connected via a 3.5 millimetre overseas telegram , and it offers up a set of manual controls not found on the mobile dongles . This is n’t to say that you do n’t have any controls when inject via mobile – far from it .
Thanks to the LarkSound app , you may tap into key mount like volume dominance , feedback levels and the durability of the M2 ’s environmental dissonance cancelling , which makes a take from the M1 .
By press the yellow button boast on Lark M2 mics , you’re able to activate the noise scratch mode to keep undesirable sound at bay tree and ensure that the vocals do n’t get lost in the mix . When I last used the feature of speech on the Lark C1 , I determine it to be helpful in a pinch , but there was a definite knock - on essence with the vocal to the point where I would n’t be inclined to use it unless it was necessary . This time around , there ’s a noticeable leap in quality .
Testing the mics out on the position rooftop , the ENC was able to get rid of a relentless breeze whole , and any sounds from the London fit around me ( femme fatale , building work , etc . ) were nowhere to be obtain . Not only that , but the vocal music also sounded crisp and clear , and I ’d be surprised if anyone listening to playback could even pick up on any change in quality . It ’s not a foolproof feature as the ENC was still thwarted by a serious gust of wind .
There is also a bump in the connexion range offered up by the M2 , moving from a cap of 650 foot on the M1 to a far more impressive 1000 foot .
For up close and personal footage , that level of range scarcely factors in but if you do want to localize the photographic camera at quite a aloofness away and get some ultra - wide vista shots with part - over , at least the Lark M2 now provides you with that flexibility to be as creative as you see set .
As a final cherry tree on top , the battery on both the single mics and the excite case has been given a boost . It ’s now potential to record for up to 10 - hours at a time and record a totality of 40 - hours when the rouse case is used to its full capacity . By this system of measurement , the M2 outdoes both the M1 and the C1 for length of service , which is wild considering that the newer mics are little than ever .
Putting that call to the trial run , a 30 - moment transcription which used ENC for or so two moment see the mic drop to 94 % battery , which just about whole shebang with Hollyland ’s title . With that in mind , you ’ll be able to get through a proper twenty-four hours ’s worth of filming without having to care with any battery anxiety .
Audio quality
Where specs are concerned , the Hollyland Lark M2 also gets a boost in audio lineament . It ’s still 48kHz as before , but now the bit - depth has jumped from 16 to 24 . That ’s in effect news on report , but what does it actually mean in testing ? Well , in the time that I ’ve spent with the Lark M2 , I ’m glad to report that I ’ve been very impressed .
When it came to indoor motion-picture photography and shooting a to - camera video for my YouTube channel , the Lark M2 did the line of work brilliantly , particularly as it was capable to turn back any sensation of echoing which is a known issue in the infinite where I take and almost instantly scotch the built - in mics on smartphones .
Vocals come through intelligibly on the Lark M2 without any discernible popping , and my recording had a piano balance to them that made them pleasing to the ear , allow for me with absolutely no indigence to then edit said vocals in post .
Where the Lark M2 really come into its own however is with outdoor cinematography . Taking the mic to the crowded Southbank around London ’s Tate Modern gallery , the M2 had absolutely no issue with sustain my vox the sole focussing of any recording , almost entirely miss a eggbeater that happened to wing overhead during testing .
Even the sound of passersby barely made a dent in the clarity of my vocals , and when I switched on the noise cancelling , it go away totally . gratuitous to say , I ’ll be looking to contribute the Hollyland Lark M2 with me for any outdoor recording in the future .
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Should you buy it?
The Hollyland Lark M2 is among the cheaper wireless mics available but that does n’t stop it from being one of the skillful . You ’d only want to flump up for professional story microphone .
If you ’re expect to go all - in on a podcast then you ’re better off investing in a fixed mic that ’s design for optimum vocal seizure .
Final Thoughts
From my experience in test the excellentHollyland Lark C1 , my expected value were fairly in high spirits for the Lark M2 and yet this low-priced mini microphone has managed to exceed them .
Even though this technically sit as a budget twist , I would contend that amateur and part - time content Jehovah will get on absolutely well with the Lark M2 . Not only are the mics smaller than ever before , keep them unobtrusive when in use , but the plug - in - and - play nature of the readiness - up just makes it incredibly easy for shooting on the go . No penury for any elaborate accessories , just plug the liquidator into your earpiece or camera and get to body of work .
This is all before mentioning the outstanding audio quality as well as the powerful noise set off feature that makes film in crowded areas a duck soup . The ENC is n’t foolproof however and can be outdone by a particularly vicious gust of lead , and more thought should have gone into the size of it of the charging case for the Combo version of the twist . Unless you necessitate a stationary mic like theAudio - Technica AT2020USB+for podcasts , I ca n’t really think of any intellect why you would n’t want to have the Hollyland Lark M2 in your recording arsenal .
Trusted Score
How we test
During each mike reexamination , we conduct a serial publication of transcription tests that let in sampling sound recording during ideal preferences , with background noise applied and in an outside setting ( where potential ) , to give you the best idea of how each twist performs in actual - macrocosm use .
FAQs
Yes , the USB - C receiver work with the iPhone 15 range as well as Android earphone .
If you plug the camera pass receiver into a laptop or electronic computer , then you’re able to start recording audio via the Hollyland Lark M2 on that twist .
