Review- Compared to any other element (see what I did there?), the quality of the sound you produce will determine or ruin your content. With smartphones and action cameras, the ability to create content is in the hands of more people than ever before. However, the microphones in these devices rarely meet the challenge, so products such as Mackie EleMent Wave Wireless Lav microphones have become necessities. Is this particular product worth your hard-earned money? Let’s find out…
What is it?
Mackie’s EleMent Wave wireless Lav microphone (to avoid my painful fingers, we call it “Wave” for short) is a 2.4 GHz wireless transmitter (microphone end) and receiver (the part that plugs into the recording device), designed to help you stay within your budget Produce high-quality sound. It comes with (almost) everything you need to get started. More about “almost” content.
What’s in the box?
- Wireless transmitter
- Wireless receiver
- Lavalier microphone plugged into the transmitter
- The transmitter’s “dead cat” windshield (in case you don’t want to use the lav microphone)
- A USB-A to dual USB-C cable can charge two devices at the same time
- TRS and TRRS cables from the receiver to the device of your choice
- A hard shell suitcase with zipper, suitable for everything
- Instructions for use and software discounts
Design and function
Both the transmitter and receiver use a common design language. Each has a power button and a link button on the front in case they lose connection. Out of the box, they are already paired, so this is more of accident than necessity. The transmitter has an additional mute button. Both have an LED to let you know the status-if it needs to be charged, it flashes red, if one unit is not connected to another unit, it flashes green, if it is connected, it remains green, and if it is muted, it is on the transmitter The top is always red.
Quickly pressing the power button on any device will display the current battery level in 25% increments. Four flashes means you are at 100% status, and 1 flash means you are at 25% status. Press and hold the power button for 2 seconds to turn the device on or off.
On the top of the receiver, there is a 1/8-inch jack for headphones and the other for output to your recording device. There is a 1/8 inch jack on the top of the transmitter for connecting the lav microphone and the onboard microphone.
On the right side of each unit, there are volume up and down buttons. I found this a bit strange on the transmitter because there was no headphone jack until I figured out the secret. The volume control on the transmitter controls the microphone output, while the control on the receiver controls the headphone volume. I didn’t tell you in the instructions.
Finally, on the left, there is a USB-C port to charge the device.
Wave has another variant-instead of a lav microphone, you can get a setup with an XLR connector so you can plug it into a high-end microphone. Although you cannot add additional transmitters to the device (in case you need 2 microphones at a time), according to Mackie, you can use up to 6 transmitter/receiver pairs in the same location. I can’t test this, of course, your ability to use so many pairs may be hindered by any other use or penetration of the 2.4 GHz band (such as WiFi).
Going back to the beginning of this review, I noticed that Wave comes with almost everything you need out of the box. “Almost” comes from the current state of smartphones and sports cameras. Today, many mobile phones no longer have 1/8-inch jacks—the same is true for sports cameras. In order to use this system, you need a dedicated dongle or some kind of digital-to-analog converter. For example, my phone (Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra) needs a special 1/8 inch female to USB-C male cable. I tried several common cables, but the last one didn’t work, so I gave up and paid Samsung tax and bought their cables. It works.
Strangely, this trend of abandoning the headphone jack on devices has been around for some time. I don’t know why Mackie didn’t turn the USB-C port into something more than just a charging station. Other wireless microphone companies allow USB output, so the receiver can be plugged into the phone very easily. It seems to be a big lady.
Although we are discussing the problem of misses, there is a big problem here-there is no recording function on the device. This means that if anything in the chain fails, your recording will fail. It may include interference from other devices, damaged or loose cables between the receiver and the recording device, or malfunction of the recording device. If there is a recording on the device, a secure channel can also be implemented. This channel will reduce the gain by a few decibels, just in case there is a lot of noise or poor volume settings. There are similar settings on the market with these features and the same price, so it is difficult to understand why Mackie does not include this feature.
After all connected and plugged into the power source, you can get up to 7 hours of recording time on a single charge. It takes several hours to go from 0 to 100%, so there is nothing unusual. If you have a clear line of sight between the transmitter and receiver, you can be 230 feet apart and still hear good sound (although again, your environment may limit it). Buildings, trees, and other obstacles lower it to approximately 30 feet.
The question is-is this better than the microphone on your phone or camera? The answer is the obvious “yes”. Although you can use the native microphone to capture audio on any type of device, you will also be affected by wind and environmental noise, as well as the distance between you and the device. Being able to use directional microphones (such as XLR handheld microphones or the lav microphones that come with Wave) means that you have the ability to fight enemies with clear voices. Although the onboard microphone on the transmitter is sufficient (and still better than your phone), the lav microphone will make your recordings reach a professional level. The sound is clear and crisp, the fuzzy windshield on Lava does take away any breeze on the hurricane side, and the ability to place the microphone near the speaker’s mouth will produce a more consistent volume.
Wave is a lightweight and easy-to-use alternative device native recording function.So yes, waves Yes It’s worth your hard-earned money.
what do I like
- This version includes a high-quality lavalier microphone
- Very easy to use-it can be up and running within a few minutes after charging
- Clear and interference-free sound (even if standing near my microwave oven, it obviously doubles as a radio tower)
- Including a hard shell case is a thoughtful design that can save you $14.95
What will i change
- Add on-board memory and secure channel for local recording
- Provides digital output via USB-C port
Final thoughts
If you are just starting to build your content creation studio, Mackie’s EleMent Wave system will be a good starter kit, especially if you need to record anytime, anywhere. Your content-and more importantly, your audience-will thank you for it.
However, my recommendation is to buy multiple dongles for your recording equipment. The USB cable may be easier to find when you are not at home, so if you need a special cable/dongle, it is better to have a backup instead of losing the opportunity.
price: 199.99 USD
Where to buy: Either directly from McGee or Amazon
source: A sample of this review is provided by Mackie
