Audio-Technica ATR25 Stereo Condenser Microphone
by AUDIO TECHNICA
(Click here)
Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: AUDIO TECHNICAModel: ATR-25
Product features:
- Ideal for use with video cameras
- Offers the convenience of high-quality stereo pickup in a single microphone
- Professional condenser circuitry ensures excellent sound quality
- On/off switch for convenient operation
- Includes short camera cable with stereo mini-plug, and long recording cable with dual mono mini-plugs and 1/4 adapters
- Belkin F8V234-WHT-APL Headphone Splitter
- Belkin RockStar 5-Way 3.5-mm Headphone Splitter (White)
- Xtreme TB264DKO 264-Disc CD/DVD Case
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Audio-Technica ATR25 Stereo Condenser Microphone
Customer Review: 1 Year Later...
Summary: 4 Stars
The good stuff...
I've had this mic (and the ATR35 Lavalier mic) for well over a year and I've used them with 5 different camcorders(four miniDV and one hard drive based). I cannot put into words how much better the ATR25 sounds over the built-in mic on any of the DV cams. It maintains it's focus on where/who it's being pointed at while picking up just the right amount of ambient noise to keep the video sounding natural. It also completely eliminated the hiss and whine that every DV cam suffers from the motors turning the cassette.
With that said, since I've upgraded to a JVC GZHD6 I no longer use this mic. The built-in DD 5.1 mic doesn't exactly out-perform the ATR25 on all levels but the difference is negligible (something I completely expect from a camera in it's price range).
The bad stuff...
No LED power light! This is a gross oversight in the design of this microphone. At a glance, it's hard to tell if you've accidentally left it on or maybe bumped it on in your camera bag. Use rechargeable batteries and always have extras. The worse part is when you need to use it again you don't know if the battery is good or not (because there is no LED indicating as much). I once filmed 45 min of documentary interviews before I noticed that the battery had been dead all along. Lesson learned, I now use a fresh battery every time I use the mic, and remove the battery before I put it away. I cannot stress how annoying this is.
Another annoyance is the mounting/cable setup of the mic. If you do not have a shoe to mount the mic to you're going to need to improvise. A couple of the cameras I used had a mic input jack but no shoe. "No problem", I thought, "I'll just hold it, or set it in the middle of the table or something".. oh no, no, no. The standard mini jack plug that goes from the mic to the camcorder is about 8 inches long. There is another longer cable that comes with the mic but it splits the stereo signal to 2 mini jack plugs, one for left and one for right. While I'm sure this is handy if your using a sound board of some sort like a recording studio, I'm having trouble seeing a need for this cable in the consumer market. A longer standard mic/headphone extension would have been better. I bought this to solve the problem: Maxell HP20 Headphone Extension Cord with Adapters-10 bucks.
Overall, I am extremely happy with this product. If you have a mic input jack on your camcorder and you care about audio quality at all, buy it. Just don't forget the rechargeable batteries.
Description of Audio-Technica ATR25 Stereo Condenser Microphone
Stereo condenser video / recording microphoneIdeal for use with video cameras, Audio-Technica's affordable ATR25 offers the convenience of a high-quality stereo pickup in a single, easy to position microphone. The mic's professional condenser circuitry ensures excellent sound quality, while its on/off switch gives you a convenient method for conserving batteries. (The mic's internal preamplifier uses a single AA battery, included).
Each of the mic's two recording capsules offers a unidirectional polar pattern, rejecting off-axis sound for clean, focused pickups. The ATR25 comes with two cables: a short camera cable with a stereo minijack .125-inch plug and a long recording cable with dual mono minijack plugs and .25-inch adapters for use with recording or public-address equipment. A camera-mount and an interchangeable microphone-stand adapter base are also supplied.
What's in the Box
Microphone, 1 AA battery, 1 short camera cable with stereo mini-plug, 1 long recording cable with dual mono mini-plugs, two .25-inch adapters, 1 camera mount, 1 interchangeable microphone stand adapter base, a user's manual, and warranty information
Digital Cameras & Photo Categories
Similar Digital Cameras & Photo Products
Audio-Technica ATR-35S Lavalier MicrophoneAUDIO TECHNICA; CE
Best price: $34.99
CowboyStudio Shoulder Support Pad for Video Camcorder Camera DV / DCCowboy Studio; Digital Camera
Best price: $26.00
On Stage Stands 7701B Tripod Boom Microphone StandMusic People; OnStage; Music People; Release date: 2010-01-14; Electronics; Musical Instruments
Best price: $15.00
Price in other shops:
Adorama Heavy Duty L-bracket with 2 Standard Flash Shoe MountsAdorama; Digital Camera
Best price: $8.95
Sima SL-20LX Ultra Bright Video Light (Black)Sima; Digital Camera
Best price: $25.99
Price in other shops:
Sima SLB-M Video BracketSima; Digital Camera
Best price: $8.00
Price in other shops:
Cables To Go CTG 12ft 3.5MM STEREO AUDIO EXTENSION CABLE M/ F ( 13788 )Cables To Go; CE
Best price: $0.01
Price in other shops:
Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera - BlackEastman Kodak Company; Digital Camera
Best price: $416.90
3.5mm Stereo Male to Female Extension Cable 25 ft.Parts Express; CE
Best price: $0.27
Price in other shops:
Audio-Technica ATR-3350 Lavalier Omnidirectional Condenser MicrophoneAudio Technica; Audio-Technica; Audio Technica; Release date: 2009-07-28; Electronics; Musical Instruments
Best price: $19.36
Price in other shops: