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Olympus ME-52W Noise Canceling Microphone

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Average Customer Rating:	4.0
Release Date:	2007-02-01
Brand:	Olympus
Model:	145055
Format:	CD
Weight:	2 pounds
Dimensions:	2 inches x 5.05 inches x 0.1 inches [Width x Length x Height]

Product Categories

Headsets & Microphones; Voice Recorder; General Accessories; All Dictating Equipment

Product description

NOISE CANCELLING MICROPHONE FOR USE WITH OLYMPUS DIGITAL VOICE RECORDERS. COMES WITH 3.5MM MONAURAL PLUG, TIEPIN CLIP, AND EXTENSION CORD.

Features

Noise canceling microphone for Olympus digital voice recorders

Ideal for use in high-noise environments

Includes 3.3-foot extension cord to make ideal placement easy

Includes a windscreen cover and a convenient tie-clip

Customer reviews

« NOOOOOOOOOO THANKS!! »

I ordered this product for the Kodack Zi8 camcorder to "improve" the poor mic quality and hoped this would do it but sadly I must say IT DIDN'T. I adjusted and tweeked it but nothing helped, the mic in the camera was better than this added one. This mic might work well with another type of recording machine but not this camcorder so I don't recommened it for the Kodak Zi8.

Rating: (2 out of 5) @ 2010-08-29

« An outstanding compact microphone »

My first reaction to this microphone was astonishment at is its small size. It's larger than most lapel microphones, but that's because of the physical requirements for noise-cancellation. Still, it's very small, especially for a true "cardioid" (noise-cancelling) microphone.

The performance is superb! As Jim wrote, it is very sensitive. I tested it in a quiet room at distances up to 10 feet away. At about 3 feet, my voice was strong and clear. At 10 feet, it was obviously remote, but the sound was good and very clear, with no echo. Off-axis, the sensitivity drops rapidly. At about 70 degrees, the sound weakens noticeably, and beyond 90 degrees, it is almost inaudible.

M. L. Strickland is correct in warning that the microphone requires external power. The instructions on the box specify 1.5 - 10 volts. Writers who reported that the microphone was very weak were almost certainly using a recorder that does not provide the necessary excitation voltage. This energizer voltage draws negligible power from the recorder's batteries.

However, he is wrong when he writes, '... the noise "cancelation" is only provided by a directional shield. True cancellation is obtained by using a stereo mike with the two pickups wired to cancel noise that arrives at both equally.'

Noise-cancelling microphones have existed almost from the start, long before stereo ever existed. The close-up photo on this page clearly shows a slot ("port") in the side of the microphone's body. There is another on the other side. These ports channel sound to the back of the transducer (the sound-sensitive element) so that it is 180 degrees out of phase with the sound striking the front. These opposing signals cancel each other acoustically, but there is always some sound "leakage" through the case and because of imperfect cancellation, resulting in a weak output.

This microphone is intended for recording sounds at a distance, which is the purpose of all cardioid (unidirectional) microphones. Its output level is higher than on most microphones, so there is a possibility of distortion, especially if the sound source (such as the speaker) is too close. For a normal voice, I suggest it be held 8 to 12 inches from the speaker's mouth.

This microphone was bought to be used on an Olympus DS-330, a six-year-old monophonic digital voice recorder. The internal microphone is sensitive and effective, but because it is omni-directional, recordings in a noisy environment, or at a distance from the speaker, are unclear. The ME-52W mic worked equally well in the "Dictation" (low-sensitivity) and "Conference" (high-sensitivy) modes, but the "Dictation" mode is preferable. It's almost identical in sensitivity to the "Conference" mode, and omits residual background noise, such as radios and air conditioners.

With a rated frequency range of 100 - 15,000 Hz, and depending on your equipment, the ME-52W makes excellent voice recordings, and respectable, but not perfect, music recordings. It essentially eliminates echoes, and strongly reduces background sounds. If it's compatible with your equipment, it should be a winner.

Rating: (5 out of 5) @ 2010-05-21

« Olympus Microphone for digital voice recorder »

Better clarity and less noise. Adds value to the sound recording by having a clearer sound.

Rating: (5 out of 5) @ 2010-05-19

« Good low-cost external mike for digital video cameras »

This is a most worthwhile accessory for a digital video camera like the Kodak Zi8 that has a jack for direct attachment of an external microphone. It improves the audio quality quite a bit.

Rating: (4 out of 5) @ 2010-03-23

« Very sensitive, good quality. »

I use my Olympus ME-52 microphone with my Olympus WS-400S Digital Voice Recorder. The WS-400S can record in stereo and mono, and because the ME-52 is monophonic, I set the recorder to record in the mono mode, which is ideal for recording a single voice.

The ME-52 is super sensitive. When I have it clipped to my shirt near the bottom of my sternum (breastbone), it will record me clearly whether I speak in a normal speaking voice, a low speaking voice, or a whisper. If I speak too loudly, the recorded sound is distorted. (The recording volume on the WS-400S cannot be adjusted; only the playback volume can be adjusted.) The fidelity of voice recordings made with the ME-52 are excellent and much better than the fidelity of voice recordings made in any mode using the built-in stereo microphones on the WS-400S. I plan to use recordings made with the ME-52 and the WS-400S as voice over tracks on digital videos (the WS-400S has a built-in USB plug to facilitate easy uploading of recordings to a PC), and I anticipate that the sound quality on the final product will be excellent.

The ME-52 does not literally cancel out external noise, meaning sounds emanating from points other than directly to the front of the microphone, but because it is unidirectional and good quality, it does a good job of leaving background sounds where they belong - in the background.

Before buying the ME-52 I experimented with a miniature Aiwa brand stereo microphone that came with a portable cassette player that I bought years ago. The sound was quite poor and there is no comparison between the sound of recordings made with the Aiwa and recordings made with the ME-52.

I like that the ME-52 can be used with and without the included extension cable, and that the microphone swivels. This makes it possible to plug it, sans extension cable and tie clip, into the recorder, place the recorder on a table top, and swivel the microphone toward the speaker. (The tie clip is separate from both the microphone and the extension cable.)

A very nice little monophonic microphone, well-suited for professional use. Just remember that if your recorder is capable of recording in stereo, set it to record in mono when using the ME-52 (unless for some reason you only want the recording in one channel).