DJI has long been about letting its users create recordings in the most portable manner possible, but the new Mic 3 is about to make your gear bag lighter (and more versatile) than ever. The successor to the obviously-named Mic 2 puts up to four of its wireless microphones on as many subjects at once.
It’ll take some extra financial outlay to adequately mic up your impromptu panel discussion, though, as the Mic 3 ships with two of DJI’s revamped microphones. Additional bits are needed (and must be paid for) to wring the full potential from the company’s new tech.
Everybody wants to be like Mic 3
Major changes to the previous generation include a lighter transmitter and lighter weight overall, with each magnetic clip-on audio-grabber adding just 16 grams to the average lapel or collar. DJI has also created five different windscreen shades (you’ll have to pay for these over the Mic 3’s price tag) to better blend with a subject’s clothing. The standard unit includes two transmitters and a receiver, looking for all the world like a punk-rock set of earbuds tucked into their case. Windscreens and clips fit into the charging case when not in use.
There’s plenty of tech inside, too. The Mic 3 supports up to four transmitters and eight receivers at once, letting users create a Quadrophonic setup that plays nicely with certain Sony cameras. This will also pair nicely with multi-camera setups, like the aforementioned panel discussion.
Three voice presets (Regular, Rich, and Bright) and two adaptive gain modes (Automatic and Dynamic) provide options to suit various recording environments. At the same time, lossless audio enables transmitters to beam uncompressed 48kHz, 24-bit sound to receiver units.
2.5GHz and 5GHz wireless band support with automatic band hopping gives the mics a range of 400 metres, but if that conks out, the transmitters can record audio directly internally, so you won’t lose any audio. Either 24-bit or 32-bit floating point is captured if this happens.
DJI reckons you’ll get eight hours from each transmitter on a charge. Even Joe Rogan would struggle to run them down in a single session, with roughly two-and-a-half recharges living in the case. The Mic 3 (obviously) supports DJI’s own recording peripherals like the Osmo Pocket 3 without resorting to a receiver.
As for the price, that’ll vary when they get here. Overseas, the Mic 3 starts at around R4,200 for a single transmitter/receiver combo and R6,500 if you want two transmitters, a receiver, and the charging case.
