Hollyland Lark C1 Overview – Newsshooter

The Hollyland LARK C1 is s wi-fi microphone system for iOS and Android units. The system is being focused at Vloggers, stay streamers, YouTubers, and entry-level customers who could solely be utilizing a telephone or motion digicam.

The Lark C1 is available in its personal charging case and it’s being billed as a plug & play resolution. I’m going to be reviewing this system as an expert to see the way it works in an expert atmosphere. This will sound a bit of unfair at occasions to the Lark C1, however I can solely evaluate one thing primarily based on how I might use that product.

Dimension & Weight

The Lark C1 TX items weigh 11.5g / 0.40z. They’re moderately small and compact and I desire the design over having bigger sq. RX and TX items.

The Lark C1 RX unit weighs 7g / 0.25oz.

The charging case weighs 85.5g / 3oz).

What’s attention-grabbing is you could connect an Android model of the Lark C1 RX unit on to an motion digicam just like the DJI Motion 2/3.

I like this integration with the DJI Motion Cameras and it makes for a helpful resolution if you wish to report higher audio when utilizing an motion digicam.

Construct High quality

The construct high quality is fairly respectable for each the TX and the RX items. Regardless of their small dimension and the truth that they don’t weigh a lot, their building remains to be respectable and there wasn’t something that I got here throughout that overly involved me.

The iOS model of the Lark C1 RX options an MFi-certified Lightning interface.

Operation

The operation of the Lark C1 system has been designed to be as simplistic as doable, however you actually do want to make use of the LarkSound app to see what’s going on.

There’s nothing on the precise TX items aside from a small coloured LED to point what is occurring. All you get is an On/Off button and the Noise Cancellation button. You may inform when the noise cancellation button has been activated as a result of the LED mild turns inexperienced as a substitute of blue.

In a pleasant contact, you possibly can playback audio via your smartphone’s audio system with out the necessity to unplug the RX. The one caveat is that you have to first allow this within the LarkSound app in any other case it received’t work.

One-Click on Noise Cancellation

The Lark C1 encompasses a built-in good noise cancellation operate that’s claimed to assist block out undesirable ambient noises

Now, Hollyland solely recommends that you just use this in crowded and noisy environments. They state that for regular recording environments, utilizing a windshield is sweet sufficient.

LarkSound App

The LarkSound app permits customers to entry a number of superior operation choices. The app lets you view the TX battery proportion, regulate the noise cancellation degree, carry out an improve, or management the amount and real-time playback.

After you have plugged the Lark C1 TX unit into your smartphone and also you launch the app you’ll be greeted by a display screen asking for entry to make use of the audio supply that’s now coming in.

You then will likely be greeted by the primary display screen, however till you pull the TX items out of the charging case you received’t have the ability to see them.

When you pull a TX unit out of the charging case you’ll get a fast message that seems saying that the TX has linked. Additionally, you will see their battery standing.

You too can flip the Noise Cancellation on. Additionally, you will see that the amount adjustment may be very restricted. You may solely select between Low/Medium/Excessive. This doesn’t provide you with a number of flexibility, however to be sincere, you possibly can simply regulate the extent in no matter program you might be utilizing to report the audio.

The largest concern with the operation of the system is you could’t individually report two separate tracks in case you are utilizing two TX items directly. They simply get blended collectively which form of defeats the aim of getting a two-TX system. You may’t view two separate indicators from the TX items, they only seem as one.

No Lavalier Microphones

One factor you possibly can’t do with the Lark C1 system is to connect a lavalier microphone.

Don’t put logos or large coloured LED lights on a microphone that will likely be seen

I can’t stress this sufficient from an expert perspective. No one desires to make use of a wi-fi microphone that has been designed to be seen when it has an enormous emblem and LED lights on it. This isn’t a dig at Hollyland, as a result of all the firms making comparable merchandise do precisely the identical factor.

Now, I’ve a suggestion for this. Producers ought to make a bit of sleeve that customers can put excessive of the microphone casing that hides the brand and the LED mild. Microphones are designed to be heard and never seen.

The included windshields work effectively, however they’re aesthetically not one thing you need to have seen in a shot.

Look, I get it. For folks doing Vlogs or streaming it in all probability doesn’t matter if there’s a vivid mild or a emblem on their microphone, however for many different use instances, it does.

Working Vary

The Lark C1 has a claimed wi-fi working vary of as much as 650ft (200m) line of web site, with a low latency of 0.08s. Nevertheless, the claimed vary when it isn’t utilizing line of web site is 130ft (40m).

It makes use of superior frequency hopping know-how in order that the Lark C1 can mechanically change to a transparent channel.

I did a spread take a look at to see what kind of distance I might get out of the system. I discovered that so long as I had line of web site I might simply get 250-280m. This was far larger than the marketed working vary, nevertheless, with methods akin to these it actually relies on the atmosphere you might be working in as to what kind of vary you’ll get.

Battery Life & Charging

As I discussed earlier, the Lark C1 is available in its personal charging case. This can be a good contact, though it does imply that it takes up more room. Personally, I desire having the charging case, as a result of it’s handy and additionally it is an excellent place to retailer and transport them in.

The Lark C1 TX items have a 140 mAh (0.518 Wh) inner battery that can last as long as 8 hours. The charging time for TX items is round 1.5 hours. The charging case additionally takes round 1.5 hours to cost.

Each the TX and RX are usable whereas charging. The RX will be linked to an influence supply to cost your telephone throughout operation.

You too can cost your telephone and the Lark C1 RX unit on the similar time by connecting the Lark C1 RX to an influence supply.

Audio High quality

The Lark C1 TX items function an Omnidirectional microphone with a frequency vary of 20Hz–20kHz.

The audio high quality of the system is okay, and doubtless what you’ll count on from a budget-priced wi-fi audio system with an in-built mic. The microphone can sound a bit skinny, particularly if it isn’t moderately near the place your topic is talking.

Above you possibly can hear a pattern of the audio recorded in a daily room. I’m carrying the Lark C1 and it’s about 15cm from my mouth.

In case you are utilizing the Noise Cancellation set to Sturdy then the audio high quality definitely takes an enormous hit.

Above you possibly can hear what it feels like. Now, you wouldn’t really use the Noise cancellation in regular situations like this, however I simply needed to present you a comparability of the way it sounds when it’s turned on and off.

Actual World Use

The Lark C1 is principally plug & play as marketed. It’s fast and straightforward to arrange, nevertheless it does have very restricted controls and there’s no potential to report two separate tracks in case you are utilizing two TX items directly. It additionally lacks any type of monitoring if you wish to hear to what’s being recorded. Listening to a recording via the audio system after you will have stopped recording is helpful, however it’s too late should you discover any points.

You may actually simply use any of the smartphone apps that enable for audio recording. When you simply use the conventional video recording operate in your iPhone, then the audio from the Lark C1 mechanically will get used.

Apps akin to Filmic Professional, in addition to different rivals’ audio recording apps additionally assist you to select the Lark C1 because the audio supply.

What you could possibly do with the Lark C1 is to make use of it as an additional recording system to select up ambient audio on location through the use of it at the side of a Tentacle Sync E mkII and the Tentacle Sync Recorder.

What this allows me to do is to seize audio externally with matching timecodes for my different cameras and audio units.

Sure, I might simply use a Tentacle Sync Observe E to do the very same factor, however it’s helpful should you want one other audio supply, or as a backup choice.

It is usually helpful in conditions the place you might be recording content material that’s going to be handed off to another person as a result of you possibly can clip a TX on your self after which report audio describing what you might be capturing or what your digicam settings, and so on. had been. That manner you will have a timecode-matched audio file that isn’t embedded into your footage that an editor also can use.

Look, I do know the Lark C1 isn’t a product that’s prone to seem to a number of professionals, however it’s a good choice to have sitting in your equipment for emergencies.

Value & Availability

Listed below are the costs for the assorted Hollyland Lark C1 choices:

Competitors

Competitors comes within the type of units such because the Comica Audio BoomX-D MI1 Ultracompact Digital Wi-fi Microphone System for iOS Smartphones (2.4 GHz) which is $139 USD for the equipment with one TX and two TX items for $179 USD.

Different competitors included units just like the Saramonic Blink 500 B4 2-Particular person Digital Wi-fi Omni Lavalier Microphone System for Lightning iOS Units (2.4 GHz) which retails for $185.39 USD.