Pixel Voical Air Wireless Microphone System REVIEW | MacSources
A solid option for audio recording.
Over the past few years, I’ve spent time gathering essential equipment for photography projects as well as video jobs. For a while, I made hand-held microphones work as my primary source of audio recording, but I quickly realized that having a wireless lavaliere microphone set would work best. I’ve tried a couple of different brands before, but haven’t found a perfect fit yet. The Voical Air Wireless Microphone System is a cost-effective option that is worth looking into.
DETAILS
The Voical Air Wireless Microphone System from Pixel features a mini UHF wireless microphone. The UHF microphone has a larger dynamic range than a microphone that uses 2.4GHz technology. It also has less interference. The wireless receivers and transmitters of this kit have an operating frequency range of 570–606Mhz and a working distance up to 70m. There are 36 channels available to use if the user encounters frequency interference. The microphone systems boasts SNR > 90dB which means there will be less noise mixed in with the signal so that the microphone delivered the closest original sound while reducing background noise.
The receiver and transmitter packs feature double OLED screens so that you can monitor fluctuation, channel frequency, db input volume, monitoring volume, battery status, and signal on the screen. All of these options make it possible to know your device’s status and make instant adjustments at any time. The microphone is miniature in size so it’s ideal for portable use. It features a built-in rechargeable battery (600mAh) and supports a USB Type-C interface. The battery will provide up to 6 hours of runtime and takes approximately 1.5 hours to recharge to 100%. The input/output interface is a 3.5mm TRS/TRRS audio connection (some devices may need a transfer interface adapter). The microphone is compatible with DSLR, smartphone, camcorder, audio recorder, laptop, and more. The system can be mounted onto cameras using a cold shoe adapter (included with the kit).
Scope of acoustics and electrical equipment: analog audio system
Transmission Type: UHF
Pick-up Mode: omnidirectional
Charging Power: 5V/1A
Battery Endurance: about 6 hours
Dimensions: 2.2″ x 1.8″ x 0.6″ inches
Service Distance: 70m
USER EXPERIENCE
The microphone system arrived in a nicely designed package. The box is well-identified for the product and brand it represents. The official name of the device is the “Voical Air Wireless Microphone System.” I have to admit that I did question whether or not this was a typo as my eyes first centered on the word ‘voical’ and read it as ‘vocal’. There was one place on a product page that actually referred to it as the “Pixel Vocal Air,” but I determined that was the typo.
The front of the box shows an image of the receiver and the transmitter packs. The sides of the box call out the main features and some safety instructions on using the system. The back shows another photo of the receiver mounted on a camera and a chart with specs. Because the box is mostly black, this image was a little hard to see well. It sort of faded into the background.
When you open the box, you will find the kit nestled away into a hard shell case, which I personally love. There are lots of different parts to this system and keeping them safe and organized without this case would have been a nightmare. Inside the case you will find the receiver and the transmitter packs along with the cold shoe mount in the base of the case. The lid of the case has a netted storage compartment where you will find 2 x 3.5mm audio cables, the lavalier microphone, a 3.5mm to Lightning audio cable (for use with iOS devices), and 2 x USB-C/USB-A charging cables for the packs. The lavalier microphone comes with a windsock and lapel clip pre-installed.
The receiver and transmitter that came with my kit both had full battery charges out of the box. That could vary depending on how long the product sat on a shelf prior to being shipped out, but I think it’s safe to assume that the kit will arrive with some charge to it. While I’m on this topic, I want to say how amazing it is that this kit is rechargeable — and uses USB-C! I’m still surprised by how many devices ship with Micro USB interfaces these days and I was ecstatic to find USB-C with this kit. The receiver and transmitter look nearly identical with the exception of the ports available on the top of the units and the placement of the clips on the back (the transmitter has a microphone on the top). When you turn the units on the display shows “RX” and “TX” to designate which pack is which. There is a level on the display that makes it easy to see when the transmitter is picking up an audio level. The receiver’s display level should match it pretty closely.
The system is very easy to use. You plug one of the 3.5mm audio cables into the receiver and the other end into your recording device. I was shocked that a Lightning to 3.5mm cable was provided along with the kit and was eager to use it with my iPhone since I do record quite a few interviews that way. So, in order to test the kit out, I decided to record audio to two different devices. The first test was to record to my iPhone using the provided cable. I plugged the lavalier microphone into the transmitter even though it has a built-in microphone and then I plugged the receiver into the iPhone. I opened the VoiceMemo app and recorded a few short sentences. The sound quality was good, but I did hear some static/hiss in the background. I assumed that it was from a fan that I purposely left on in the room where I was recording so that I could see how well the microphone filtered out that noise. Since the background noise was minimal, I think it did a pretty good job.
The next test I did was to read an excerpt from a book (“Peter and Wendy” by J.M. Barrie) and record it onto my iPhone first without using the wireless kit and then with using it. The iPhone does a pretty good job with its built-in microphone and the recording was clean. When I used the Voical Air Wireless Microphone System, the background noise was definitely knocked down and my voice was filtered through the windsock. It sounded as if it was recorded using an attached microphone and not just the built in one. I also tested the microphone using a Canon DSLR. The audio was recorded to the video clip as planned and it sounded very good.
Audio Sample using iPhone’s Built-in Microphone
Audio Sample using the Voical Wireless Microphone System attached to the iPhone
CONCLUSIONS
The Voical Air Wireless Microphone System by Pixel is a great addition to any camera kit. If I had to rate the sound quality of the recordings I would give it a solid 7 out of 10 and would suggest this kit to anyone looking to add a wireless kit to their system. It’s cost-effective and very easy to use. The added bonus for me is that it’s all rechargeable. The Voical Air system is an all-around great option for audio recording.
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Originally published at https://macsources.com on October 1, 2020.
