As a manufacturer of a wide range of audio products, Salamonic has earned a reputation for making great wireless microphone kits. One of Saramonic's new kits, the BlinkMe B2 is a wireless microphone transmitter and receiver set unlike any other on the market.
If you're used to square wireless microphones from Australian brand Røde, the circular shape of the transmitter's impressive 1.3-inch TFT circular screen will make you do a double take.
Saramonic BlinkMe B2 comes in a zippered case for on-location use and includes two circular transmitters with built-in microphones and a receiver base station with a small touchscreen that allows you to change settings on both transmitter units. It consists of
In addition to the transmitter and receiver, Saramonic bundles a ton of extra features in the form of accessories that allow you to link the receiver with your camera, smartphone, or digital audio recorder. The kit includes a smartphone holder with a cold shoe that allows you to clip BlinkMe 2 onto your phone.
Other accessories in the kit include two sets of magnetic disks for attaching the transmitting microphone to clothing or another surface. There are also some magnetic clips and cold shoes. With this in your kit bag, you should be able to attach a wireless microphone to just about anything. This is essential as the magnetic clip is very strong and the transmitter is quite thick.
In addition to TRRS and USB cables, the kit also includes a fluffy windshield for when you're shooting outdoors and need to reduce wind noise that can ruin your audio. Salamonic seems to have thought of everything, and they even offer a plastic screen protector to protect the gorgeous round screen from scratches.
Although the BlinkMe B2 transmitter is quite large, it is relatively easy to install using the magnetic clips included in the kit. The transmitter is large, so it's not very easy to hide, and there's no input for a lavalier microphone. Fortunately, the magnetic disk can be placed under a shirt or jacket, and the transmitter simply clips onto it like a limpet mine.
The receiver magnetically latches onto a cold shoe adapter and can be placed in the hot shoe of a DSL or video camera. If you are shooting with an iPhone or Android smartphone, you can also use the included smartphone holder.
Both transmitters attach magnetically to the receiver unit when not in use. When you connect the receiver to a computer or USB power source, the receiver and two transmitters will be charged, fully charged and ready for use.
The Saramonic BlinkMe B2 operates in the congested 2.4GHz radio spectrum, but if you're on the go, you won't experience congestion issues. However, if you're filming or recording indoors, we recommend turning off Wi-Fi equipment, cordless phones, or Bluetooth devices to free up frequency bands. If things get bad, you might want to make sure no one uses the microwave as it can also affect the 2.4GHz spectrum.
The circular screen on each transmitter is highly saturated and incredibly bright. These are used to display important information, and the display is touch-sensitive so you can use it to change settings. You can turn off the display if it's distracting, or load an image onto the screen to show things like a company logo or a solid color to match your outfit.
In addition to showing the logo, the display also shows information such as gain settings, monitor levels, and the amount of charge remaining in the microphone's rechargeable battery. The buttons on the transmitter can be customized with various settings, so you can easily turn on the noise reduction circuit, enable recording, and turn off the microphone. This is a good thing because the last thing you want is to be standing in the cold and wind fiddling with menus and changing settings.
The sound quality of BlinkMe B2 is indeed very good. The receiver has a direct USB-C digital output and an analog 3.5mm stereo jack that can be connected to your camera's microphone input. If you're using an iPhone for video, the 3.5mm to Lightning cable makes the receiver appear to your iPhone as an external headset.
Wind is often an issue in the field. To address this, Saramonic includes some furry windshields, which should do the trick. If the wind is very strong, there is also a noise reduction setting that is particularly effective for wind noise, which should solve the problem completely.
Battery life for the transmitter and receiver units is excellent, with 6-8 hours of continuous transmit time, especially if you return the transmitter to the receiver dock to replenish the receiver's 24-hour battery between shots. Enough for one day of shooting. .
The receiver unit has a small touch-sensitive letterbox display that can be used to configure the microphone remotely, which can be a huge time-saver when shooting at some distance from your subject. I also like the fact that each transmitter can record a safety track in case something happens to the signal sent to the receiver. The receiver has a headphone output, allowing videographers to easily monitor sound levels.
I think the Saramonic BlinkMe B2 is not only great for filming purposes, but also an ideal tool for recording podcasts. Instead of mounting the microphone on a stand and making it uncomfortable, you can clip one transmitter unit to the interviewee and the other to the interviewer and record from the receiver, or the transmitter can record. You can also use audio files.
Each unit has 8GB of onboard memory, which is enough space to store your longest podcasts. At 48kHz/24-bit, each transmitter can capture up to 15 hours of audio. If you lower the quality a little, you get more. I believe that by making the other person less aware of the microphone, the conversation becomes more natural and we can have better discussions.
Saramonic BlinkMe B2's signal strength and reception sensitivity are very good. The distance you can reach depends on the number of obstacles, but I tried this kit in a stone cottage with thick walls and was surprised by how good the signal reception was. You can use BlinkMe B2 with confidence.
verdict: The Saramonic BlinkMe B2 is great value for money, and costs less than the excellent Røde Wireless Pro launched last year. The transmitter unit is a bit large and lacks an input for a lavalier microphone. This is my only real criticism of this excellent kit. The smartphone app used with the Saramonic kit makes it easy to customize your setup, and you won't go wrong with the audio quality. Saramonic BlinkMe B2 offers amazing value for money for an entry-level priced wireless microphone set. Once you use a wireless microphone for video, you'll never go back to using your smartphone's microphone or your DSLR camera's built-in microphone. Wireless microphones are the most cost-effective way to facilitate video production.
Price and availability: The Saramonic BlinkMe B2 is available now and includes two transmitters with built-in microphones and onboard memory. The price of the kit is very affordable at $249.99.
More information: www.saramonic.com
Technical specifications:
- Display: TFT.
- Transmission: 2.4GHz digital frequency.
- Modulation: Digital.
- Polar pattern: omnidirectional.
- Antenna: Built-in.
- Operating range (line of sight distance): 100 meters.
- Sampling rate: 48kHz.
- Frequency response: 20Hz – 20KHz.
- Signal to noise ratio: >80dB.
- Max SPL: 110dB SPL.
- Sensitivity: -39±2dB
- Audio input connector:
- TX: Built-in condenser microphone.
- Monitoring Connector: RX:3.5mm monitor port.
- Audio Output Connector: RX: 3.5mm auto-sensing output (TRS/TRRS).
- Power Requirements: Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery.
- Charging time: RX: Approximately 2.5 hours (using 5V/2A charger).
- Battery life (TX): Approximately 30 seconds to 5 hours (when onboard recording is enabled) or 8 hours (when onboard recording is disabled).
- RX Battery Life: Approximately 30 seconds to 24 hours (when one TX is fully charged).
- TX memory: 8GB.
- Weight: TX 30g/RX 70g.
- Dimensions: TX: ø 47 x 12.5mm / RX 56.6 x 56.6 x 25.2mm.
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