The Audio-Technica ATR-3350 is a cheap and simple clip-on microphone. It’s great for making your sound better in different situations. In this review, we’ll examine what it can do, how well it works, its good and bad points, so you can decide if it’s right for you.
Performance (Pros and Cons)
Pros
- Crystal Clear Sound: The ATR-3350 delivers high-quality, clear audio, ensuring your voice is heard with precision.
- Easy Setup: Simple plug-and-play functionality means you can start recording or speaking right away.
- Omnidirectional Pickup: Captures sound from all directions, reducing the need to be directly in front of the mic.
- Affordable: Priced competitively for those on a budget, making it accessible to a wide range of users.
- Long Cable: The generous cable length allows for flexible positioning and movement during use.
- Clip-On Design: The discreet lapel clip ensures the microphone stays securely in place.
- Versatile: Suitable for various applications, from interviews to presentations and content creation.
Cons
- Cable Noise: The cable can generate some noise if it rubs against clothing or other surfaces, so be mindful of its placement.
- Battery-Dependent: The ATR-3350 requires a LR44 battery, which might need frequent replacement.
- Not Ideal for Professional Studios: While great for many purposes, it may not meet the rigorous demands of professional audio recording.
Features
The ATR-3350 comes with a range of features that enhance its usability and performance:
- Omnidirectional Condenser Element: Captures sound from all directions, reducing the need to speak directly into the microphone.
- Wide Frequency Response: Delivers clear, balanced sound across a broad spectrum of frequencies.
- 6-meter Cable: The lengthy cable provides flexibility in positioning, even in larger spaces.
- LR44 Battery Powered: Requires a readily available LR44 battery for operation.
- Lapel Clip: The clip-on design securely fastens the microphone to your clothing.
- Foam Windscreen: Minimizes unwanted noise from wind or breath sounds.
- 1/4-inch Adapter: Included for compatibility with a variety of recording devices.
- Affordable Price: Offers a cost-effective solution for better audio quality.
Use Cases
The ATR-3350 excels in various situations:
- Interviews: Capture clear, high-quality interviews, even in noisy environments.
- Presentations: Enhance your presentation by ensuring your voice is crisp and easily heard.
- YouTube and Podcasting: Improve your audio for online content creation.
- Vlogging: Record vlogs with professional audio quality.
- Gaming: Communicate clearly with your gaming team or audience.
- Conference Calls: Ensure you’re heard clearly during virtual meetings.
Setup and Usage
Using the Audio-Technica ATR-3350 is a breeze:
1. Clip the small microphone to your clothes, making sure it’s near your mouth.
2. Plug the microphone into your recording device or camera using the provided adapter.
3. Put a LR44 battery (not included) into the microphone.
4. Turn on your recording device and begin recording clear sound.
Phyllis100 –
Upon receiving this microphone in the mail, I recognized right off the bat that the packaging was very nicely put together. It displayed the various components that were included, was pleasing to the eye, and was easy to open without damaging. The included plastic tray works very nicely for storing the microphone.For starters, the metal battery box is of very good quality. The included instructions and battery made it very easy to get put together and get working. A nice feature I appreciate is that besides the cord being very long, the battery box has cable left on both sides of it, rather than it being placed close to the microphone where it could be a pain to deal with, or close to the device connection end, where it could be a strain on the connector.The included TRRS adapter is great for use with any laptop with a headset jack but no dedicated mic or headphone jack, and it is also great for use with any cell phone that likely uses the same style of connector.The wire that connects all of the various parts of the mic is of very good quality, with no noticeable lack of shielding. Even with my cell phone right next to the coil of wire, no radio noise or static was detected. The wire has a soft smooth rubber insulation on it, and seems like it will last a very long time. This is truly a professional grade microphone worth much more than the asking price. The wire is even strain relieved at all connection points to prevent failure over time.Now on to the important part: The Sound! I completed 3 tests with this microphone, and it performed flawlessly in every application.The first experiment was to see how well it picked up the voice of the wearer, such as if you were to have the microphone on your person for a podcast or on another for an interview. The microphone was able to detect my voice nicely and evenly regardless of my head position, and had a very clear sound that accurately represented my voice in a very pleasing way. This is likely due to the microphones very good frequency response and low noise. No hiss was present in my recordings, which were done on my iPhone, an Olympus HD stereo audio recorder, and on my laptop with Audacity.The next experiment was to compare the microphone to the internal microphone on my iPhone 5. Not only was the audio clearer when using the microphone sitting right next to the phone about 5 feet from my head, but it was also louder, and had less hiss. This was a very nice surprise.Finally, on to the reason why I purchased this microphone. I took it with me to an alternative punk rock concert, plugged into my Olympus HD stereo recorder, with the microphone clipped onto my shirt collar, and the audio came out wonderfully. I was expecting it to perform like the recorder did with its internal mics, but it outperformed it in every way. Not only was the audio clear with no distortion (this can be an issue with loud concerts), but it was also very good at picking up the entire audio spectrum, with full bass and nice highs, and it also did not pick up as much of the surrounding crowd noise as the internal mic did in the past. The microphone is very small and easily concealed on your person either for concert recordings or interview filming.Between the extended frequency response (many cheap mics that are similar to this sound muffled or dark), high output without distortion, sensitivity, extra long cable, splitter cable (worth almost $10 by itself), and internal battery (most lavalier mics do not work with certain laptops or phones that do not apply microphone power), you simply cannot go wrong on this.Also worth noting, is a very nice small wind screen is included for the mic.If I lost the product, I would certainly order one again. I may even order another to go along with this.
ColossalPenguin –
I used this mic for recording vows and some behind-the-scenes action at my recent outdoor wedding. For the ceremony, I recorded video and wanted to include a set of alternative audio streams (other than only relying on the built-in mic of the GoPro used for video), to make sure I’d have something good to work with and pair with the video footage. For this mic, I connected it to a Samsung Galaxy S5 (using the included TRS –> TRRS adapter, with the inline power turned on) and recorded using the pre-installed voice recorder on my phone. With this configuration, the voice recorder app immediately recognized this mic and I clipped the mic (with windscreen) on the the upper portion of the vest I was wearing. I didn’t notice any cheapness in the clip that some people have complained about.I recorded around 30 minutes of audio (mostly outdoors in the presence of a fair amount of wind – the built-in mic on my GoPro Hero5 Black picked up quite a bit of wind) and the recording quality was quite good and I didn’t notice any wind being picked up. Also, I was able to not only hear myself, but my bride and the officiant came through pretty clearly, too, so I was happy with the range of capture. I had tried a less expensive mic that did not have an inline power adapter, and the range seemed to be noticeably less. The only issue I had with capturing clear audio was if the mic cable got bumped hard – that, however, could have been solved up front with securing the cable better and is no fault of the mic itself.There are less expensive options out there, but I’m plenty happy with this mic and the price is still fairly competitive (especially since the TRS –> TRRS adapter is included). The performance was more than adequate and the audio I captured was quite good, especially given the circumstances being outside with a fair amount of wind. I highly recommend this product.Pros: inexpensive, consistent recording quality/volume, easy setup (i.e., no setup required and worked right out of the box), good field of capture range (even outside)Cons: no battery indicator, windscreen falls off relatively easily, too long of cord (that’s a lot of cord to stuff in a pocket if you also need to make room for the recording device)Final notes: I only tried this on the Samsung Galaxy S5 and built-in voice recorded and can’t comment on usability with other devices (or Apple products that people have noted issues with) or recording methods. If you have the right configuration though (i.e., power on/off & whether or not you need to use the adapter), it should work perfectly well with most devices.
James –
The 1-star reviewers of this mic sound like they expected the quality of a $500 microphone. This is a $26.80 mic (when I bought it on Amazon). For the price, I think it’s just fine.Clipped on my shirt, the pickup is good. I bought it to be a better alternative than the internal mic in my iPhone 5s for making YouTube videos. The ATR’s sound quality is clear and true without the ambient noise or room echo I get from from my iPhone’s internal mic at the same distance. I may have to boost the sound level a little in post edit, but that would probably be true for any mic. The 6 meter cable makes it very easy to use with my iPhone on a tripod capturing the video at a distance. I used the smart phone adapter to plug into the iPhone, and it works fine. The mic is quite small so it’s almost not noticeable in my videos.On the negative side, the windscreen does come off pretty easily, but that’s not a problem for me, as I record my videos inside. In my tests, I doubt I’ll need it for my videos. For outside use where a windscreen might be more important, the windscreen comes off too easily. One other negative is that the power on/off switch button on my unit wasn’t attached very well. It fell off the first couple times I used the mic. A little superglue fixed it, but I hadn’t expected such a repair being required.If you’re looking for absolute top-of-the-line audiophile sound quality or heavy duty design for tons of use, spend some money to get it. But I intend to use this microphone for my YouTube channel videos for my own voice coaching business. Its sound quality is just fine, even for demonstrating nuances of vocal production. And I’m hoping that it will stand up mechanically to my level of use.
Amazon Customer –
tudo certo com o produtorecebido tudo certo com o produto
Brian –
The mic is pretty good for the priceThe mic is pretty good for the price. Maybe not the best, but worth it. The noise level is low for this quality of mic which is a good thing. The biggest problem is the fact that there is no battery level LED. So, you really don’t know when the battery is dead. The battery could die in the middle of your recording and you wouldn’t even know it. You just have to estimate the amount of time that it was used and then judge from there.
Sweena –
Amazing productI was lil hesistant about this product ..but thankfully i was wrong..this product is amazing.. the mike almost cancels the outer noice as in the ambience noise..i had so much prob with my dslr as it was capturing all the outer noice ..p.s i dnt know the exact terms of the noises…but literally my dslr and android fone was capturing even the sound of birds chirping or crow ..but this makes cancels out the noise of all the outer noise and u can hear ur voice clearly butttt u can stil hear a hisss sound in background which can b cancelled in editing software or if u use a music along with ur voice recording than u cant hear that hisssss noise..so for me this product is grear..and recommend it for beginners or professionals 🙂
Samik –
Nice peformance in the price rangeFor a long time I was trying to buy a cheap entry level lapel mic for my iphone and dslr. Audiotechnica3350is is what I wanted. It performs well and prety cheap. It perfectly works with my phone with the adaptorand with my dslr without the adaptor.Though I received an incoplete pack but after rerurning it i got the full kit within couple of days. Good buy O guess. Still it has not been challanged in outddor shooting. I hope it will do fine.
Olivier –
Très bon rapport qualité-prixJ’ai reçu le micro rapidement, et il fonctionne très bien comme prévu.Je connaissais déjà ce modèle, d’un collègue qui utilise le même.Attention: la petite mousse est difficile à poser sur le micro et le morceau de plastique qui tient le micro sur la pincette est fragile.L’emballage était un peu abîmé à la réception, mais c’est probablement dans le transport.