Tiny is the new small. But does tiny mean a sacrifice in quality? Today we are going to take a look at the DJI Mic Mini, a tiny wireless microphone system from one of the world’s biggest drone and action camera companies.
DJI reached out to us at Light Stalking and asked if we would like to do a review of their new Mic Mini. As with all Light Stalking reviews, we are not paid for the review and we maintain full editorial control over the review.
The Importance Of Microphones in Photography.
Go back a few years and it would be hard to justify a microphone review on a photography website. However, many of us these days not only shoot stills but also shoot video, either as a creative endeavor or to vlog our personal or professional lives.
Even the best equipped cameras cannot match the quality of a dedicated microphone system, so in recent years we have seen the rise of the wireless microphone system. Initially Rode were the biggest player in this field, but in recent years DJI have been on the scene with both their Mic and Mic 2 products. Both were a similar size to the Rode Wireless Go system but now they have gone small. I mean really small.
The DJI Mic Mini – Initial Impressions.
The Mic Mini comes packaged in DJI’s signature minimalist style white box. Inside the box you find the recharging case, an attractive soft shell carrying case and the usual instructions and regulations.
The charging case is reassuringly solid and contains two tiny wireless mics, a wireless receiver unit and USB-C adapter for the receiver unit. There is also a slot for an optional Lightning adapter, this allows you to directly plug the receiver into older Apple products. Also provided are 4 dead cat wind mufflers that clip directly onto the mics. One nice design feature is that the dead cats can be left on the microphones and still fit comfortably in the charging case.
Both the mics and receiver are held into the case via magnets and require a deliberate pull to remove them. This is, I suspect, to prevent them falling out and getting lost, because the mics are small, really small.
As you can see from the image the microphones are really diminutive. However they feel equity weighty and solid for their size although each weighs just 10g. The only controls are an on/off button and a wireless connection button. They also feature both a blue and green LED light. The blue denotes connection to a Bluetooth device whilst the green shows connection to the receiver.
On the back is a clip plus a magnet. This is useful for giving you discreet ways to attach the mic to the subject. The magnet is quite strong and can be quite fiddly to get off, if like me, you have chunky hands. Being small they are also easy to lose. One annoyance I did find is that if both mics are in close proximity to each other, for example in your pocket, they will tend to stick to each other.
Both microphone units feature a two level active noise canceling feature. The first reduces background noise in relatively quiet areas, whilst the second deals with higher levels of background noise. There is also an automatic clipping function, useful when not using the receiver.
The receiver unit is slightly larger but a little lighter, It features an on/off button, 3.5mm mic jack, a USB-C port and gain dial. There is also a coldshoe adapter on the bottom of the unit. The USB-C port is a data port for updating firmware and for charging the unit individually.
The case features 4 white LEDs on the front, denoting the charged condition. It can recharge both microphones and the receiver. The case is charged through a USB-C port on the back. No charging block is included, but I would imagine any phone/tablet USB-C charger would do the job. Let’s look at how the DJI Mic Mini can be connected to your cameras.
Direct Connection To DJI Products
If you own a recent DJI camera such as the Pocket 3 or Osmo Action 5, the microphones will connect directly to the camera without the need for the receiver. This is done over Bluetooth and is very easy to do. As the owner of a Pocket 3, I simply hit the connection button on the microphone, scroll through the menu of the Pocket 3 and connect.
The beauty of this approach is that when I switch the paired mic off, so long as I do not pair it with another device, it will connect automatically to my Pocket 3 as soon as I switch it on. This is extremely useful when making vlogs as you don’t have to constantly think about whether your audio is connected or not.
Bluetooth To Other Devices.
The same approach applies to other devices that support audio through Bluetooth. You click the pairing button on your microphone, scan for new devices on your smartphone/camera and connect.
In most cases once the DJI Mic Mini is connected the phone or camera will default to using it over the built in mic, however you may need to check your settings to confirm this.
Using the 3.5mm Mic Lead
Larger cameras such as mirrorless and camcorders, will require the use of the receiver and the 3.5mm lead. In the case of my Sony a7Rv, the receiver attaches to the camera’s hotshoe. Then I plug the 3.5mm lead from the receiver to the mic socket on the camera.
The receiver’s in-built gain dial is very useful for adjusting the mic’s levels, which you can monitor live on the camera’s LCD screen. Depending on the camera that you are using, you may need to set the DJI Mic Mini as the default audio device in the menu system.
You pair the receiver to the mics via the connection buttons on both.
Using The USB-C/Lightning Adapter
The last way you can attach the DJI Mic Mini is through the provided adapter. This is attached by removing a cover on the receiver and plugging the adapter in. As mentioned, this could be the supplied USB-C adapter or the optional Lightning version.
Once attached this then plugs directly into the USB-C/Lightning socket of the device you want to use. This approach is ideal for older action cameras and for wireless connection to smartphones as opposed to connecting via Bluetooth.
A Versatile System
The whole system has been designed by DJI to be small and simple to use. Vloggers, videographers and content creators tend to require a multitude of different devices and adapters these days and anything that can simplify the creation process is a good thing. It is also designed to be a more affordable, lite version of their well regarded Mic 2 system.
The direct connectivity to recent DJI products makes this a very powerful system if you own these products, but the range of other connection options means that the Mic Mini will appeal to creative with pretty much any type of camera or smartphone.
All this is very good, but for all its versatility, is the DJI Mic Mini any good at its primary function, recording audio. I took it to one of my favourite photography locations to test its quality and range.
Using The DJI Mic Mini In The Real World
To test the DJI Mic Mini, I headed out to Rusty Rita, aka The Angel of the North. This gigantic statue commemorates the industrial heritage of the North East of England and also is deliberately sited near the A1M. The A1M is the main motorway between London and Edinburgh and hence a good location to try out the DJI Mic Mini in some challenging conditions.
As DJI allowed me to produce a review video, alongside this written review, I was able to do various tests on camera. I used my DJI Pocket 3 as the recording camera, this would be a very good representation of a typical use.
The connection to the DJI Pocket 3 was seamless and took just a few seconds. From then on, it connected automatically whenever I restarted the Pocket 3. The screen on the Pocket 3 showed me the audio level and unless I shouted with the DJI Mic Mini right by my mouth the level was well controlled.
I also tested the range of the mic, under ideal conditions DJI claims up to 400m. I walked up to Rusty Rita which was around 150m away and the mic remained connected with no dropouts. Even walking around the giant metal structure, the mic remained connected, this impressed me.
Getting back to my studio, the audio sounded excellent despite the rush hour noise around me. I assume the noise reduction kicks in automatically, there was no manual available at the time I tested this. However the background noise seemed well controlled. Dropping the clips into FCPX the only audio adjustment I made was Voice Isolation. I am no audiophile but my voice was clear and full and was perfectly acceptable for Youtube and similar scenarios.
I was unable to test battery life but DJI claims 10-11 hours on time for the transmitter and receiver and this extends to 24 hours when recharged through the case. This is more than acceptable for most uses.
Not Everything Is Perfect
As with any product, there are a few minor niggles. Because of the size of the mics, there is no 3.5mm input on either of them. This means that you cannot use a lavalier mic with them. However their size does make them more discreet than larger alternatives.
Again due to the size, the clip on the back of each mic has a limited distance it can move. I found it quite difficult to clip the mic to the lapel of my winter coat, having to resort to using the magnets instead.
I also worry that given the size, it would be easy to drop and potentially lose one of the mics. When testing at Rusty Rita, the temperature was -2C and my large clumsy and numb hands struggled with the size of the mics.
These, however, are all relatively minor issues created by the need to compromise some of the ergonomics to reduce the size. The positives far outweigh the negatives.
Summary
As someone producing YouTube videos every week, in particular using DJI products, I found the DJI Mic Mini a very useful tool. When I purchased the DJI Pocket 3, I did not get the creators pack. This contained the larger DJI Mic 2, however as the owner of a Rode Wireless Go II system, I felt I did not need another wireless mic. That was a mistake, the workflow using the Rode with my Pocket 3, whilst not complex, did slow me down and added extra stages to my video production.
The DJI Mic Mini, is the perfect accompaniment to recent DJI imaging products. It is simple to set up, produces good quality audio and has a very impressive range. It’s also extremely versatile, connecting easily not only to DJI products, but through the addition of a receiver, to mirrorless cameras, smartphones and even directly to any Bluetooth equipped computer.
If I were in the market for a replacement wireless mic system, given the number of DJI products I own, the DJI Mic Mini would definitely be top of my list.
