As a long-time solo videographer, I’ve always been a sucker for easy and small audio recording solutions.
Of course if you’re on bigger productions or more professional shoots you’re going to want a dedicated audio technician and professional quality microphones and devices, but when the project needs are small and nimble enough, having a simple go-to audio system in your pocket can be a huge game changer.
Which is why I was excited to see that Austrian Audio has released their new MiCreator Studio, an ultra-flexible pocket recording system that combines a condenser microphone and a USB-C audio interface into a single, easy-to-use device.
Let’s take a look at this MiCreator Studio and explore how it might be right for your run-and-gun shoots.
Introducing the MiCreator Studio
Designed to be used for a wide variety of audio needs from recording music to podcasting, or perhaps for different journalistic purposes like field recording or interviews, the MiCreator Studio isn’t a strictly video-centric product by any means.
Still, with an absolutely tiny and compact build that can actually fit in a pocket, plus decent audio quality with its condenser capsule microphone and Austrian Audio’s open acoustic technology, it should actually do the trick for small-scale video productions that might need audio a slight step up from their built-in camera microphones but don’t need a bigger setup.
The MiCreator Studio also includes three different microphone sensitivity options which include a “Low Gain” mode that can handle a max SPL up to 130 dBs. It is also set to include a line input, two headphone outputs, and a range of onboard controls and expansion options including input for connecting a second device like an instrument or a lav microphone.
Using the MiCreator Studio for Video
In truth, you might need a few of these expansion options to realistically use this device for video. In particular, the MiCreator Y-Lav Lavalier microphone would most likely be a necessary option to better mic your subjects and record them directly with the MiCreator’s latency-free monitoring.
The MiCreator System Set also comes with a satellite MiCreator microphone which can capture high-quality audio in stereo, plus the set also includes two customizable faceplates and a custom case to keep your whole setup safe and secure.
Other than those few other features though, the whole MiCreator Studio set is pretty bare-bones and easy to use. Which, if you’re operating as a solo shooter looking to record better audio without sacrificing too much time, storage space, or budget, you might find it appealing in its simplicity.
The full MiCreator Studio Set
Credit: Austrian Audio
Price and Availability
Also, we should mention the price. The entire MiCreator Studio which is set to include the single microphone and interface unit only costs $199.
While the higher-end audio recording devices and microphone combos aren’t too much more, this price point should be appealing to those looking to work with camera and gear budgets under $1,000, which is certainly doable in today’s camera market.
You can purchase the MiCreator Studio here, as well as explore any expansion options as well.
