Good job man. You're like the only person I could easily find on here that reviewed this mic.

Man I’ve been waiting on this video. I just wanted to actually learn how this was done. Thank you so much Mann ! Way cool video.

cant wait for a tutorial of this mic using rew to make room correction using a minidsp....that would be a killer video

@maxheadrom3088

3 жыл бұрын

It's been done! Yay Julian!

@CMA1967

2 жыл бұрын

@@maxheadrom3088 um, where? Link?

You stare into my soul!! Scary! Jokes aside, you actually made me really want this microphone for calibration. Great review. 9/10. Might struggle to sleep tonight. I feel watched 🤣🤣

Podium! Great review, as always.

@JulianKrause

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

i just bought the UMIK-1 today. It has USB-C port now instead of mini USB

Thanks bro

Totally agree,this mic is essentially made for speaker builders using REW and building active crossovers with miniDSP. To record voice or music, or loud airplanes, get a recording mic and an audio interface like a Steinberg. Lower noise floor, higher SPL limits, but no calibration curve. You could calibrate against this mic, not ideal but possible.

@Gamez4eveR

Жыл бұрын

but it comes with a calibration file. it comes with 2 curves, normal and 90 degrees, where the mic points upwards rather than forwards. because of this, i'm not sure what you're referring to when you say "no calibration curve"

5:08 32 dBA self-noise? OMG! I didn't expect it to be that bad. Thank you for your tutorials anyway. Danke sehr!

@marcinkoscielny1481

Жыл бұрын

Welcome to budget measurement microphones. Distortion is also quite high on them. That's how 1/4" ECMs measure. You can get better results with 1/2" but they're less flat. People who measure distortion in their loudspeakers sometimes use dynamic vocal and instrument mics just for that.

very good review and nice biceps ;) one question, have you also tried the Sonaworks xref 20 mic? How do they compare to each other? Thanks. Peace. I´m out.

Thanks for the great video it explains a lot I just bought one of those mics and I’m trying to learn how to set it up do you have to calibrate it each time you use it

You should try MINIDSP line for tests with DIRAC if possible

Great information. thanks. Would measuring in car, need the 90 degree calibration file?

@JulianKrause

3 жыл бұрын

I think it makes sense to use the 90 degree calibration file as it will be difficult to aim the mic towards the speakers in a car. With the 90 deg file you can point the mic upwards and position it more easily.

how do you set it up with mac? they talk about an HDMI cable from the mac to a reciever?? what is a reciever in this case? the audio interface? very frustrated

can you calibrate a system of 2 shelf speakers and 1 subwoofer with it?

I have arcam. What is the difference between the mic which comes with arcam and this one, is there a solid difference

Hi Julian! Could you tell me if newer, cheaper measurement microphones compare favorably to this mic? There's now quite a few (very) cheap measurement microphones these days and (I am on a low budget) I would like to get one to work with the free REW software. Seems behringer does one as does superlux, t-bone, sonarworks and IK Multimedia - I am wondering what the difference is, if there's any at all? P.S these are all under 100 GBP/Euros.

@JulianKrause

2 жыл бұрын

Hey, as far as I can tell, the inexpensive measurements microphones are all in a similar ball park. Keep in mind that with something like the ECM999 you will need an audio interface to use the mic with. The UMIK-1 has a direct USB connection which in my opinion much more handy. If you only plan to make a few measurements and already have an audio interface I would go with a cheap XLR measurement mic. If you plan to use the mic more often I would recommend to spend the extra money for the extra convenience that the UMIK-1 provides. In both cases make sure you use a mic compensation file for the best results.

I saw your videos about the Zoom H1n. Do you think I should buy it to record ambient sounds and general audio replacing the camera mic? I also like the fact I can use it as a USB mic for PC and handheld mic . Thank you for making the videos !

@JulianKrause

5 жыл бұрын

Hey, I think the H1n works pretty well for ambience recording and it usually sounds a bit better than the built-in mics of a camera. So, if you are searching for a cheap and portable sound recorder the H1n might be the right choice. But I really cannot decide for you if you should or shouldn't buy it. That's what you have to decide for yourself. Cheers!

Thanks for the video and channel. could I use the umik-1 (or new umik-2) to measure pressure, db sound? Is there any software compatible with this?

@SolamenteVicio

Жыл бұрын

It's already calibrated with SPL (REW has that function)

Dope dope dope

Nice review. Beware of SPL level, which is not accurate. I own 2 of them, and tested 2 others, SPL difference range was 10db

@JulianKrause

4 жыл бұрын

Interesting, I'll have to test mine. Just FYI, if you change the input level slider in windows it messes up the SPL calibration. It should be set to 0 dB.

@shining31

4 жыл бұрын

@@JulianKrause ah yes, I've read once John Mulcahy the author of REW on the avnirvana forum that for windows 8 and more, the windows KS driver give level 0db at 0,52~0,53 % of the slider. That explain why in REW with the automatic UMIK-1 detection the level is set up at 0,53. See docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/audio/default-audio-volume-settings about volumes level for microphones

Hi all, maybe a weird question but I'm not sure I'd like to buy a 2nd mic for vlogging: can a UMIK-1 be used for regular vlogging & everyday use ? At the end it's still just a microphone and I assume it would fit the task of course, although an overkill with its build and calibration etc. But anyway, now that I already own one, I'm thinking about why to buy a separate mic and why not use the UMIK-1 for live streaming, recording my voice ? Any confirmations, agree, disagree ? (I assume due to the nature of being a measurement mic, it would capture pretty much in 'CD quality', the whole frequency spectrum).

@nicholasbstone

2 жыл бұрын

It would give you a "flat" response. Would probably sound dull, lacking clarity.

How did you measure the mic to see how flat it is

Can you measure frequency response of speakers? For ex. using specific test tones from Tidal? Thx.

@JulianKrause

3 жыл бұрын

Hey, the easiest way to measure the frequency response of a speaker is to use the UMIK 1 with the free program REW. You probably can make some measurements with dedicated test tones but you would need a software which can display the measurement.

All, should I use the normal calibration file if I’m implementing a 3.1 system (no surround sound speakers)? Julian recommends the “normal file” (mic pointed directly at the speakers) for 2.0 or 2.1 systems only.. and recommends the 90° one for surround systems with speakers all around the mic. Of course my system being 3.1 leaves me in the middle of these two options. Which file do you recommend for 3.1?

@JulianKrause

6 ай бұрын

Tbh, does not really matter in your case. With speakers behind the listening position, it makes sense to have the mic pointed upwards and use the 90-degree calibration file. In a case where the speakers are pretty much all in front of the listening position there is little difference between the two methods. For a 3.1 system I would probably go for the 0-degree calibration file and point the mic at the center speaker.

@mrs.a2795

6 ай бұрын

@@JulianKrause i’ll do exactly that, thank you Julian. I can’t believe you answered so quickly. Very impressed. by the way, I find your videos very easy to enjoy. Kudos, you have an excellent disposition, tone and speaking style. Very much appreciated, especially as an old man. Also, I think I bit off more than I can chew, possibly. My Samsung TV blew up a couple of weeks ago, replaced it with an LG G3. Can of worms, as I felt inspired to get a new receiver, speakers, Blu-ray, player, the whole shoot-n-shabang. So now I’ve been roped into buying the mic, stand and honestly I’m quite intimidated even before attempting to utilize Dirac, REW and APO. I COULDN’T EVEN TELL YOU OFF HAND WITH THOSE ACRONYMS STAND FOR. Would you be interested in coming to Atlanta Georgia?

@mrs.a2795

6 ай бұрын

[Kidding of course]

As regards audio measurements: What is the real-world "use case" for a device such as this? I am learning how to use a few audio devices, of varying degrees of comlexity. What would the practical benefit be to my recordings as the result of adding yet another device into my workflow?

@JulianKrause

5 жыл бұрын

One very typical use case is the calibration of your audio playback system. With the UMIK-1 you can measure the real frequency response of your audio system. After that you can compensate some of its shortcomings with an equalizer. This way your audio system will follow a known response and will sound its best.

@RobertLinthicum

5 жыл бұрын

@@JulianKrause Thanks. Do you mean measuring the response of a speaker system, or recording scenario?

@JulianKrause

5 жыл бұрын

@@RobertLinthicum Hey, I'm talking about measuring the frequency response of loudspeakers. In a recording situation (e.g. recording dialogue) I don't think there is much use for a measurement mic.

@RobertLinthicum

5 жыл бұрын

@@JulianKrause I understand. This is an audiophile, listening accessory.

@JulianKrause

5 жыл бұрын

@@RobertLinthicum Yes, or if you do critical listening for audio and video production this might be interesting as well.

How about connecting the Mik-1 to an AV receiver?

It's coming with a USB-C connector now.

What does the "Logger" feature do in the software? Would it record dBSPL readings?

@JulianKrause

2 жыл бұрын

Correct, you can log dBSPL over time, even with different weightings and responsiveness of the trace.

Can this microphone record the low frequency sound of my neighbors stomping? If I am using this for recording audio only, I assume I don't need the do the calibration and use the calibration files because my purpose is not to use it for measuring speakers so I can use it right away and it will work?

@JulianKrause

3 жыл бұрын

Hey, it probably can but it's not ideal, as it is relatively noisy. Your neighbor stombing is probably not extremly loud, so it might drown in the noise floor. Mini DSP released a more expensive version, the UMIK-2. This might do the job but I can't guarantee it.

@HM-wi4zf

3 жыл бұрын

@@JulianKrause Thanks for the reply. I will check out the UMIK-2 as it has a lower frequency response and lower noise floor. So you do mean the stomping sounds can be heard on the laptop speakers because I have trouble with it being audible on speakers. Can I ignore doing the calibration and using calibration files and just use it out of the box if I am just using it for recording and not measuring?

@JulianKrause

3 жыл бұрын

@@HM-wi4zf You can use it without the calibration file and this should be fine. But there is hardly any chance you will hear this sound with your laptop speaker because it cannot reproduce the low frequencies. You definitely have to use somee decent headphones in oder to hear that.

@HM-wi4zf

3 жыл бұрын

@@JulianKrause Okay, I understand. Thanks again.

How to buy it

Can I measure the impact of a popfilter or any other material to the microphone? I want to know which material change in which frequency.

@JulianKrause

Жыл бұрын

Yes, absolutely. You can measure the frequency response with a speaker and the mic in a fixed position. Then you put the pop filter in between and then measure gain. If you subtract the two measurements from another it will give you the difference the pop filter makes. Tbh, you can do that with any microphone, not just the UMIK-1. If you need a free software for this, try REW :)

Would I stand to benefit at all if I used the UMIK-2 over the 1 solely for use with Dirac live measuring my room with Very Expensive speakers?

@JulianKrause

2 жыл бұрын

I really don't think so. The biggest difference between the UMIK-1 and 2 is noise which isn't a concern when calibrating at a typical listening level. Make sure you use the compensation file specific for your mic and you can get really good room correction results even with the UMIK-1.

My horn tweeter did 127dB, easily. Probably should dial that down.

Can it be used like normal mic for voice comunication?

@JulianKrause

5 жыл бұрын

Yes, it connects to your PC like any other USB mic. But there will be quite an audible noise floor. If you only need a mic for communication purposes, there are cheaper and better solutions out there.

@Macias

5 жыл бұрын

I need it to correct my room acoustics and after that it will be useless. Also i need something for skype. I thought i could use this one.

@JulianKrause

5 жыл бұрын

@@Macias Ok, that works :)

@Macias

5 жыл бұрын

@@JulianKrause thanks :)

Hi everyone. Does anybody know if this mic could be used to detect environmental infrasounds? If so, which software would you suggest to use? Thanks in advance.

@JulianKrause

4 жыл бұрын

It depends on what you understand unter infrasound. 15Hz? Should be measurable with this mic. Anything below 10Hz? Probably won't give you grat results. Because the frequency response of the UMIK-1 starts to drop off around 10 Hz and the noise increases towards the lower frequencies you problably get a very poor recording.

@SM-gn4gy

4 жыл бұрын

@@JulianKrause Do you know if there is any budget mic that would cover the range 1Hz to 20Hz? Thanks

@JulianKrause

4 жыл бұрын

@@SM-gn4gy Hey, I don't think that doing measurements of infrasonic frequencies is easy. Even more high-end measurement microphones usually only go down to about 5Hz. To do your measurements you probably need a specialized infrasonic microphone. Sadly I don't know any cheap solution for your problem.

@JulianKrause

4 жыл бұрын

@@SM-gn4gy Hey, I recently stumbled accros this website: www.infiltec.com/Infrasound@home/ Their product might be worth a look and maybe exactly what you are looking for.

@EdwardT9

4 жыл бұрын

You have a very nonstandard requirement. You might have research this a bit...

Where do I buy it, I cannon find it on thomann

@steameier8590

4 жыл бұрын

www.oaudio.de/mikrofone/minidsp-umik-1-usb-messmikrofon.html

@LoffysDomain

4 жыл бұрын

@@steameier8590 super!

7:40 “I’m back!!!” 🤣

Apparently from my research any good quality mic is inherently not an easy tool to make. EVEN in 2019 of course I could be TOTALLY wrong.

@JulianKrause

5 жыл бұрын

I'm not a microphone designer, but there are quite a few things you have to take into account when producing a good mic. Stuff like frequency response, impulse response, impedance, noise and RF sensitivity are all things that will influence a design. So yeah, I think manufacturing a good mic still requires quite a lot of work.

Think i made a mistake here. Thought i could plug this in and record my freq. response from my hi-fi stereo just like that. But it will not, you somehow need to plug in your reciever to the pc, so that REW can output the signals to my stereo...i feel so stupid ..lol. Anyway, how do i attach my stereo to the pc, just plug it in at the line-in from the soundcard?

@JulianKrause

4 жыл бұрын

If your reciever doesn't have a USB you could connect the line-out from your soundcard to the reciever. The best solution would be to use a separate DAC like the ODAC. But this might be overkill for what you are trying to do.

@deejeemadrox1866

4 жыл бұрын

@@JulianKrause Thanks Julian for the tip. Just gonna need a minijack to left-right tulipconnectors (black/red). Think i dont need the extra DAC for my project.

If anybody is watching this now, the new version uses USB C. :)

my man is not interested in blinking at all.

The human ear works better then any microphone

@dogobgynz

3 жыл бұрын

shut up ..

@patrick7799

3 жыл бұрын

@@dogobgynz well I found out the microphone is accurate when I was using the Dr.Meter Digital Decibel Sound Level Meter yeah in the song Siberia from the time splitters 2 soundtrack the bass sound is 0.2 decibels louder then the treble sound so I adjusted my subwoofer to match that loudness now my subwoofer making sound perfectly the setting I was using before my subwoofer was almost double the loudness of my treble I was wrong my subwoofer has more loudness when I use my ears to adjust my subwoofer so I rather trust my ears

@dogobgynz

3 жыл бұрын

@@patrick7799 huh

@patrick7799

3 жыл бұрын

@@dogobgynz yes a microphone is very inefficient at reading a speakers sound so you shouldn’t use frequency response charts the frequency response charts is unreliable information

$300 isnt cheap

too much talking not enough on screen demonstration. This wasn't helpful.

@imBriz

3 жыл бұрын

lol

@ketwurst1831

3 жыл бұрын

lol

Good review but it sounds like you're emotionally dead inside or you're reading from a script. Sounds really lifeless

@johnpoo1662

4 жыл бұрын

So what. He is reviewing a microphone. Hardly exciting stuff. We want facts not emotions. #FlatResponseMatters

@eksine

4 жыл бұрын

@@johnpoo1662 if it's so unexciting why are you so triggered?? Calm the fuck down

@johnpoo1662

4 жыл бұрын

@@eksine random words

@eksine

4 жыл бұрын

@@johnpoo1662 fuck off John poo

@johnpoo1662

4 жыл бұрын

@@eksine ok