User guide

46 September 2006
WWW.BERADIO.COM
FIELD REPORT
press conferences, print media reporters put flash
recorders in front of the interviewee, but a radio
news reporter would hardly consider using these
types of devices to capture on-air material. But
what if HHB was to take the idea and combine
a premium Sennheiser hand-held mic and a user-
friendly flash recorder into one unit? It is called
the Flash Mic DRM85. It’s a news and interview
gathering powerhouse the size of a typical wireless
hand-held mic. Weighing 13 ounces, the Flash
Mic changes the way reporters capture the news
and it fits nicely in the palm of your hand.
Few people enjoy tough learning curves and
lengthy instructions, so when the mic arrived with
its thin 40-page booklet explaining features and
specifications, it was a breath of fresh air. After
leafing through the manual (to find out what the
three buttons and jogswitch do), my goal was to
insert the batteries and use the Flash Mic until I had
to read the enclosed literature. I simply pushed
the red record button, and put the mic in front of
co-workers and asked them to talk. I used the
AGC function to ensure good levels and to see
how the processing affected recorded material.
To my surprise, the compression and limiting in
the mic AGC were transparent. I heard great
levels and good sonic response from the soft-
spoken and loud-mouths alike. The LCD display
W
e live in a time when electronics are shrinking in size, while at the
same time they are providing unprecedented availability to endless
media sources. The Ipod is a prime example of a downsized per-
sonal media device that adds functionality to our lives. Fortunately, the broadcast
industry has followed suit, because capturing audio is easier today than it was
just two years ago. Who would have thought that CD and Minidisc technologies
are already facing obsolescence?
HHB has teamed with Sennheiser to place the cart behind the horse so to speak,
and economically employ a familiar item from the news gathering industry. At
HHB Flash Mic
DRM85
indicated that the flash drive was recording and
clearly displayed audio levels. After stopping
the record function, the Flash Mic automatically
saved the material and assigned each file a track
number. To test the user-friendliness of the mic, I
gave it to our afternoon drivetime host to use at a
speaking engagement. She recorded her speech
with no problems. I officially deemed the Flash
Mic a true plug-and-play device.
In the field
On July 2 at an Independence Day concert I took
the mic backstage to grab some interviews with
producers and talent for a radio segment. Most
were confused by my only holding a microphone,
but after a brief explanation even the seasoned
audiophiles in the group were impressed by the
concept and design. In addition to its novel ap-
peal, I found that the Sennheiser omnidirectional
microphone capsule captured clear and true
sound. As an added bonus, handling noise is
suppressed by solid and stable construction.
Windows and Mac recognize the mic as a
removable storage device (connected using the
supplied USB cable) and dragging and dropping
is quick and easy. However, on July 2 I didn’t
have non-linear editing capabilities. So with
some patch cord creativity using the headphone
output, the Flash Mic became a playback unit.
Of course, the headphone output is traditionally
used to monitor recording levels. As far as inputs,
the Flash Mic uses the omnidirectional condenser
microphone only. There are no auxiliary line or
mic inputs.
Sometimes noting a particular spot in interview
material comes in handy. The Flash Mic makes
this task easy. While recording, tap the record
button to create a “marker.” When the audio file
is opened, using software such as Adobe Audition
or Sound Forge V4, a flag is placed on the file
making the marked portion easy to locate.
By Chris Wygal
Performance at a glance
Switchable AGC
Internal 1GB flash
memory
USB Interface for
file transfer
Up to 10 second pre-
record buffer
Omni-directional
Sennheiser mic capsule
18.5 hours of
recording time
Nine user templates
for settings
Uses two AA batteries
Headphone amplifier