OM SYSTEM Olympus ME15 Tie Clip Microphone

*General description Although this is a mono-microphone, it's very well suited for general higher- quality voice recordings with a WS -class 'Olympus' digital voice recorder. The microphone takes some power from the device as it operates, so its fidelity is better than you would think from just looking at the size of the device. Its colour is black and with a metallic tie clip, so it's easy to place. I would however avoid getting the microphone wet or subjecting it to strong impacts. *Why use this microphone? If you use an Olympus digital recorder, other people as well have noticed that it's hard to boost the input levels for recordings that use 'Voice-activation'. If you apply this microphone, the input level is boosted so these features are easier to use reliably. However I would suggest that users select a 'high' microphone, non-stereo, setting before the recording is made, and make test recordings beforehand for maximum results. *Is it any better than my built-in microphones? The native stereo of Olympus class type devices can be fantastic when the device is stationary. But when you carry these devices, the recording quality can be reduced, as you are moving about. The idea is that the microphone can be made stationary with a tiepin clip, so is less likely to record the rustling of your clothes. This alone is an aid to better clarity recordings. To give you an idea of the clarity & sensitivity of this microphone when I play the recordings back using native Olympus headphones, I have heard my own breathing being recorded, the rustling of news papers and a clock ticking from over 2 meters away, even parts of the other person telephone conversation as someone is talk to them on the 'phone. Summary The price is fantastic for the quality of this microphone and is perfectly suited to an 'Olympus', WS -class device, for example. If you require better quality, you could consider the stereo-class microphones that used to be #40 and up. But now they are only around £25! If you're interested in higher - quality microphones, there is one i can recommend, the 'Olympus ME-51S Stereo Microphone' at better than half its previous r.r.p! If you wish reduce any residual hiss present when the recording is very quiet, I could suggest buying 'Magix Audio Cleaning lab deluxe'

I bought this to use with my GoPro (connected to an official GoPro adaptor) for videoing my motorbike rides & it works a treat. I use a bit of 3m duallock to fix the mike into the helmet & also bought separately a little foam windshield - a standard lavelier windshield fits perfectly. The resulting sound is a good balance between being able to hear my voice & also the sound of the bike. It's also surprisingly good at picking up other sounds e.g. pedestrians talking (better than my ears anyways) so I'm assuming this is pretty good omnidirectional. You still get a bit of wind noise but that can't be avoided really at 50/60mph! The overall sound quality is perhaps a little on the tinny side but then I'm comparing that to an M-Audio mike I also use which was way more expensive. I think it's a good sound quality for the modest price.

Very discrete head unit that can be secured with the clip but better with tape. Great for covert surveillance where you do not wish to produce the recording unit. The quality of the recording using the microphone is crystal clear even from a distance. Excellent for recording telephone calls without sucker cup attachment for the microphone. Again use piece of tape. Great product that have recommended on countless occasions.

The microphone works but is not much better than any other or even the Olympus recorder itself. If you are speaking with the person wearing the microphone it is necessary to stand very close to hear you although it picks up the person wearing it very well. The main attraction was to be able to clip on and be hands free. But the tie-clip has a plastic holder that does not grip the microphone well and becomes detached. It is easily lost unlike the microphone which is attached to the recorder. For a £20 purchase I would have thought Olympus would have a more secure product. As it is I have lost the tie clip and the microphone is presently useless and I will need to find another way to attach to clothing. thank you Olympus!!

A nicely packaged and presented tie mic that could easily go un-noticed during a broadcast/video by clipping onto your tie or button fasteners on your shirt. I felt that maybe an additional clip or two could be used to secure the lead and stop it moving around during recording. This way you won't get too much unwanted rustling sounds on the audio recording. One thing to note is that this particular mic has a MONAURAL PLUG. That means it will only record the left channel. This is not mentioned in the description so may come to a surprise to many, as it did me. With no need for a pre-amp I felt like this would be an advantage as you don't need to worry about batteries. It gets all the power it needs from the camera/ audio device itself and it seems to all work nicely enough. Of course, trying this on my Nikon 5100 DSLR didn't really give great result. Although this wasn't the fault of the microphone itself but more to do with the bad quality audio that DSLRs tend to be known for. On my Sony Handycam it was much better but as I said before – only one channel of audio. It's easy enough to adjust the panning during editing, but I personally prefer to not have to worry about that, so this was a deal breaker for me. In conclusion, a nice little mic with decent quality audio. But, if you're looking for nice stereo sound then look elsewhere. May I suggest the 'Sony ECMCS3 Microphone'. (This is the one I settled on after trying three mic's). Watch HD video for the Olympus ME15 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3u19Rdk2-M&hd=1

This mic is a mono mic that does require some power from the recording unit for it to work so be aware of these factors before purchasing this mic, if you are using an Olympus recorder or one that can supply power you will be ok. The sound quality is very clear with virtually no noise (hiss or other problem noises associated with cheap mic's) it just sounds good. I tested this mic near electrical wires that had live current running through them and had no interference at all, not so with many other cheap mic's. I use Sennheiser, and Rode mic's and can't believe how good a match this little mic is for the price. It may only be mono but if you require stereo it can be mimicked in post production by duplicating the recorded channel then assigning the duplicated channel to either the left or right channel as required to separate the recording to two speakers. I'd buy direct from a legitimate seller like amazon to make sure you get an original Olympus mic then you will be assured of quality recordings. My opinion is it's a great mic for the price and I doubt you will find one better for the money.

It arrived swiftly and exceedingly well packaged. It's small and slender and works well with my gopro for recording my voice whilst motorbiking, clean sound quality for the price, very happy customer

Every aspects of it in terms of quality is top notch. I haven't found any flaws so far. Solid clip on - just need to figure out how to properly use it. Doesn't come with windshield but not an issue for me. Very happy and highly recommended.