Portable recording specialist HHB is launching the FlashMic DRM85 at NAB, billing it as the world’s first professional digital recording microphone.
The FlashMic combines a high-quality Sennheiser omni-directional condenser capsule with 1GB of flash recording memory to create what the company refers to as a “convenient, durable and portable recording device that’s extremely easy to operate.” And seeing as how there are no cables and connectors to worry about and users can be recording instantly with just a single button-push, HHB could well have a point.
The mic records either .wav linear or MPEG1 layer 2 encoded files, which can then be transferred at up to 90x realtime via USB to Macintosh or PC computers and laptops for editing and onward transmission. A Date/Time stamp is stored along with the file, with the internal realtime clock set/synchronised automatically by the host computer.
The FlashMic is powered for more than six hours by a pair of standard AA batteries (either primary or rechargeable cells can be fitted), with the remaining battery power displayed along with time, level and status information in a backlit LCD on the microphone body. In addition, a visual low battery warning alerts the user to the imminent need to change batteries.
Users can operate the FlashMic straight out of the box using default settings or create and store nine custom configurations using the FlashMic Manager software supplied. An ‘Expert Mode’ allows all variable parameters to be accessed directly from the FlashMic body. Operating at the industry-standard 48kHz/16-bit, recordings can be played back under independent level control on headphones connected via a socket on the base of the unit.
MSRP? A mere $1,399.
