OM SYSTEM OLYMPUS ME-15 Tie Clip Microphone for Digital Voice Recorders

This is a fantastic microphone. I've tried many, and this is the very best for clipping to clothing and using with a digital voice recorder. The audio quality is excellent, the clip is solid and durable, and its price is uninflated. There are other high-qualitiy microphones that require a battery to operate, and when the battery goes down, you will be recording silence. Since the ME-15 has no battery - it works passively, straight from the mic jack - it sidesteps this problem and is basically goof-proof. Yet it still records very high-quality audio. Another way in which the ME-15 offers an advantage is the mic head's attachment to the clip - it's sturdy and is not prone to unintended coming apart. Other microphones have clips that are often separated from the mic, which I've then had to replace with tiny cable ties. I like the ME-15 so much, I'm a repeat buyer. I don't need more because they break; it's just because I've lost them from time to time. (They are intended to be small and unintrusive, after all.)

I recently took a chance on this microphone, putting some faith in the Olympus name. I do videos that I post on YouTube, often reviewing products - so I do a lot of talking while the camera is focused on a product or activity, etc. The on-camera mic was not a good option, and the clip-on mic that I had previously sucked. It was very muffled and distorted. The Olympus ME-15 mic has made a huge difference in the quality of my videos. The audio of me speaking is very clear and crisp. The volume can be adjusted without creating a muffle or distortion. The alligator clip that comes with the microphone is excellent for clipping to the front of your shirt. I usually clip it just below the collar bone area and that seems to give me very good audio results. The only downside to this mic is that the cord is on the short side. I would very much prefer a longer cord (8 ft. would be great, 6 ft. would even be okay). This is a minor issue, as I can always extend it with another cord if I need to. In summary - great quality microphone at a very good price.

. Stop and notice the difference between icky sound and quality sound. Then do something about it. This mic is an inexpensive first step. I use it for video reviews. A $100 "LDC" desk mic might be better, but I like this solution. You don't have to worry about: Turning your head away from the mic. Pop filters. Breath noise. Stands. Isolation mounts. Phantom voltage. This "lavalier" style mic is typically plugged into a wireless system such as the Azden WMS-PRO Wireless Microphone System. But since I'm always recording from about 10 feet away, I prefer direct wiring. I use the very heavy duty Monoprice 15ft Premium 3.5mm Stereo Male to 3.5mm Stereo Female 22AWG Extension Cable (Gold Plated) - Black . - - - Works with... Doesn't work with... - - - The owner manual warns: "Do not use this microphone with any recorder that cannot supply power to an external microphone. If you are using this microphone with a recorder not made by Olympus, we cannot guarantee the specified sensitivity." Well, it would be nice if that was disclosed in the product description before purchase. I'll guess they are not talking about the "48 volt phantom power" that larger condenser microphones require. I plugged this into the "Mic" input on my PC's sound card. It seemed to work fine after I set the Realtek Audio Manager's "Microphone Boost" to +10 dB. I don't know if it's working below par, but it seems to work pretty well (See video.) It works fine with my Olympus WS-802 Voice Recorder. It does NOT work with my Canon HF-M500 camcorder (directly connected). Apparently many camcorders require a battery powered mic such as the Audio-Technica ATR-3350 Lavalier Omnidirectional Condenser Microphone (or an energized interface). PROs: - Good quality sound - Affordable - Easy to set up and use - Almost invisible (except for silver clip) OKs: - You can easily paint or replace the silver "tie pin" clip CONs: - Unclear what devices are fully compatible. - Olympus does not explain compatibility issues very well. - - - Specs from Owner Manual - - - Type: Electret condenser microphone Directionality: omni-directional Sensitivity: -42 dB at 1 kHz (0dB = 1V/Pa) Output impedance: 2.2 K ohms Power Supply: Plug-in-power system (1.5V - 10V) ~~~ Comments & questions welcome ~~~

Good value for money. Not the highest quality mic for audio, but decent quality lapel mic that can plug into your phone or laptop. I’ve used it very successfully to record webinars, training presentations, software FAQs etc, as well as on an industrial fabrication yard for mini podcasts. I found it was the sound quality that determined the value and usefulness of a presentation/ video, so this cheap little mic performed above expectations. I can recommend buying this cheap one and trying it out to see if the sound quality is good enough for your needs- before you upgrade to the more expensive versions

The lavalier microphone that came with my wireless Audio-Technica Pro 88W wireless microphone system stopped working. A replacement microphone from Audio-Technica (AT829MW) lists here for $44. After some more research for alternatives, I decided to try this Olympus ME-15 microphone for half the price. After some thorough testing, I'm happy to report not only does it work perfectly with the Audio-Technica 88W wireless transmitter, it sounds better and is built better than the Audio-Technica lavalier microphone! The Audio-Technica microphone appears to have a cable that is easily broken and is soldered onto the jack with a removable, screw-on cap like you'd buy at Radio Shack for home projects. The Olympus microphone appears to be all factory molded and the wire seems more flexible and less prone to breaking. Understand that when the wire breaks, it's not obvious. The Audio-Technica microphone looked just fine to the naked eye, but it just stopped working. The wire apparently broke somewhere in the middle. The way this Olympus ME-15 is built, it does not appear to be susceptible to the same kind of failure and its HALF the price! I do wish the alligator clip was black, rather than bright silver. However, I re-used the clip from the Audio-Technica microphone. The clasp is a bit smaller in diameter, but it does hold the microphone just fine, even though it only snaps on about half-way. I also wish this microphone included an external pop filter. Perhaps it is not needed, but I just took the pop filter off my old microphone and it fit on this one like it was meant to be there. Minor quibbles aside, the sound quality is excellent and I could buy two of these for the price of the Audio-Technica replacement (that would probably just fail again.) By having the alligator clip bright silver, it is very obvious when wearing it on camera. That is really my biggest complaint. Granted, the unit was designed to be used by a sound recorder, not a video recorder, but still, why not add more value and flexibility to the product if all it takes is a little paint?

I have a hobby that some might find a bit strange, I post video game playthoroughs on the internet with live commentary. I needed a mic with good sound quality and pick-up that wasn't going to break my wallet, when I ran across this mic I checked out some videos on youtube to see if some people had test footage of the quality, I found a few but not many and the test didn't show what I really wanted to know, either way I went for the mic. At this low price and for the quality it provides me I think this was a bargain, I would go so far as to compare it to the same quality you'd get with a Blu Snowball mic (Which I also own), Not to say that it's equal to the Snowball. If you need further proof, head over to my youtube site and check out any of my Dead Space 2 Playthroughs, I started using this mic at Parts 17 and up. [...]

While this mic does work, and has passable sound quality it's amplitude seems weak to me.There are many things to keep in mind with this product. 1. it does not include a wind screen, so it will not be useful for outdoor use with out a wind screen. 2. it is not powered so must be attached to a recorder with a phantom power function, which often has to be activated from a menu. 3. the cable is only about 3 feet (1 meter) long. So it is too short for direct camera plug-in for video recording, but works well with a hend held recorder or a wireless transmitter set up. If you really need a lavilier/lapell mic you will most likley be better off with a higher end more costly alternative, but in a pinch with a tight budget this could get the job done for some.

This is an excellent microphone! It's fantastic for voice recording and works really well just for that purpose. I bought this mic for use with narrating videos and podcasts. No air noise can be heard when using this mic, and voice is crystal clear whether connected to a lapel 4-8 inches away from your mouth or even perched 2-3 feet away. There were only 2 minor things I could point out: 1) It picks up detail like lip smacking and every sigh or breath you take inhale/exhale (so good a good audio editor will need to be used to smooth it out some) 2) It picks up more medium to high range sounds and less bass. If you're using it to record voice for singing, this could present some issues for someone with baritone or bass. But if you're using it for narration, this may be the microphone you want to try! I love mine! Durable and long-lasting, as well.