For video content creators, a reliable wireless microphone system is indispensable. Sound is a pivotal component of storytelling, often as influential as visuals in conveying emotions and information. After all, sound can make or break your epic cat documentary! A wireless system offers creators the flexibility to capture audio from various distances without the restrictions of cables.
Hollyland Lark Max Duo Box
In the vast sea of portable microphones, Hollyland's latest release, the LARK Max, is turning heads and for good reasons. Equipped with Max Timbre microphone technology, Hollyland's LARK MAX Duo Wireless Microphone System has the potential to seamlessly fit into fast-paced content production, boasting broad compatibility with both cameras and smartphones.
Transmitters and Receiver in hand
Disclosure: Hollyland contacted us to ask if we were interested in reviewing their new model and mentioned that they could send us a review sample if we were interested. Believing that our readership would be interested in this product, we gladly accepted their offer.
Hollyland Lark Max has two versions, Duo and Solo. Here we will be reviewing the Duo version that comes with 2 transmitters and 1 receiver whereas the Solo version as the name suggests comes with 1 transmitter and 1 receiver units.
Hollyland Lark Max Duo Transmitters, Receiver and the Charging Case
Some of the potential areas for the use of Hollyland Lark Max:
- Vlogging and Content Creation
- Filmmaking
- Documentaries & Interviews
- Weddings and Ceremonies
- Educational Lectures and Seminars
- Music Recording
- Field Research: recording observations or notes in the field where written notes may be challenging
Before delving deep into its specifics, let's look at the key features of the Lark Max:
Hollyland Lark Max Duo Key Features
- 2 x Transmitters with Built-In Omni directional Mics
- Dual-Channel Receiver
- Environmental Noise Cancellation
- Dual-Signal Processing Technology
- 14-Hour Backup Recording with 8GB built-in storage in each transmitter
- Up to 820' / 250m Transmission Distance
- 7.5-Hour Transmitter Battery Life
- OLED Receiver Touchscreen
- Charging Case with Built-In Battery
Unboxing
Besides the 2 TX and 1 RX, the Lark MAX comes with 2 x furry windscreen a.k.a. dead cats, charging case, storage bag, magnetic clips, various cables and a 3.5 TRS cable.
Hollyland Lark Max Duo Protective Case
The included USB-C to USB-C/USB-A/Lighting cables covers almost all the possible devices that you want to connect to such as an iPhone, Android device or a PC.
Hollyland Lark Max Duo Included Cables
The carrying case houses the cables and dead cats in addition to the charging case but there is almost no spare space left for any extra such as lavalier microphones.
I thought they always picked the black cats
Furry Windscreen on the Transmitter
What’s in the box
- Hollyland LARK MAX Duo 2-Person Wireless Microphone System (2.4 GHz, Black)
- 2 x Hollyland LARK MAX Clip-On Wireless Microphone Transmitter (2.4 GHz, Black)
- Receiver
- Hollyland LARK MAX Charging Case (Black)
- 3.5mm TRS Cable
- USB-C to Lightning Cable
- USB-C to USB-C Cable
- USB-C to USB-A Cable
- 2 x Furry Windscreen
- 2 x Magnetic Clip
- Storage Bag
- Limited 1-Year Manufacturer Warranty
Design and Features
The Lark Max boasts a 48kHz sampling rate, 24-bit depth, 70dBSNR, and can handle up to 128dB SPL. It uses a 2.4GHz wireless signal, employing automatic frequency hopping for a reliable connection, and offers a reach of up to 820 feet / 250 meters. Keep in mind that the maximum range is based on line-of-sight transmission, so the distance decreases if the transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) aren't in direct view of each other.
Transmitter Microphone
The Hollyland Lark Max transmitters come with an internal battery that can run for up to 7.5 hours, while the receiver's battery lasts up to 9 hours. Furthermore, the charging case boasts an additional 22-hour battery life, guaranteeing you won't be caught off guard during a shoot.
Charging Case
The charging case auto-pairs the transmitters upon insertion and begins charging them immediately. Additionally, the case is equipped with a Type-C port for its own charging needs, and its battery status can be easily determined by a quartet of LEDs that light up when the lid is opened or closed.
Transmitter Record Button
The transmitter and receivers come with a metal clip designed to securely grip onto clothing. These clips can also be fitted into a camera's hot shoe or a flash accessory.
Metal Clip
Additionally, the transmitters feature a metal magnetic disc, allowing them to be magnetically attached through clothing.
Transmitter with the Magnetis disc
The transmitters are equipped with a 3.5mm TRS port, allowing for the connection of alternative microphones such as Lavalier or shotgun mics.
Transmitter connected to a Mini Shotgun Microphone
The LARK Max incorporates a vital safety measure: each microphone also saves up to 14hours of Uncompressed and lossless wav audio internally thanks to their built-in 8GB storages. This means that even if there's an unexpected signal loss, your audio remains intact and accessible. In addition, this gives you the ability to use a single transmitter as a field recorder, a convenient way to take voice notes or record a conversation.
The receiver features a 1.1″ AMOLED touchscreen, a button and a dial(that can also act as a button) on the front side and with the combination of these three, you can change almost all the settings and start/stop recordings and monitor the audio levels easily and effectively. The display shows the selected recording mode on addition to individual audio levels, signal strength and battery status of the transmitters.
Receiver OLED Screens
On the side of the receiver, there is the on/off button which can also be used to lock the screen to avoid the accidental presses.
Receiver Side
The screen orientation on the receiver is fixed, so it's only visible from the camera's rear. It would be beneficial to have the flexibility to view the screen when positioned in front of the camera, as is often the case with vlogging.
Receiver attached to a Sony A7R V
The receiver has a built-in EQ features where you can choose from Hi-Fi, Low Cut and Vocal Boost options. There is also a headphone port on the receiver for monitoring purposes.
Receiver Side
Record Modes
You can choose one of the three recording modes: Stereo, mono and safety track.In safety track mode, while one mic records in normal levels, the second mic records -6dB signal so in case of a very loud voice causes clipping on the normal recording, you can use the recording from the second mic.
ENC - Environmental Noise Canceling: A neat feature that the Lark Max have is the ENC (Noise cancellation)which helps suppress ambient sounds such as traffic noise, office sounds, air ventilation systems, etc. In our tests, we found the noise cancelling system to be quite effective to block the unwanted sounds.
Audio Quality
Hollyland claims that you can make ‘studio-quality’ recordings with the Lark Max. We don't have a direct method to measure whether this claim is true or false, but our subjective opinion after reviewingn the system in various different scenarios is that, we can easily say that the recording quality of the microphones is excellent, especially considering the price range of the product. The human voices comes through with remarkable clarity, minimal noise, and a rich, robust tone. In order to enhance the sound quality even further, we recommend using a high quality external lavalier or shotgun microphones with the Lark Max Duo receivers.
Conlusion
The Hollyland Lark Max managed to impress us in almost every way possible during our review -starting from the build quality all the way to the features and sound quality- so much so that we really had hard time finding any negatives. For most listeners, the sound quality we get from the Lark max microphones are virtually indistinguishable from what we get from many other expensive microphones. The ENC comes very handy to reduce the noise in the field while shooting, no need to do it in post-processing via filters. The result after noise reduction also sounds natural, works without muffling the speaker's voice much. The battery life with the included charging case is excellent, and the whole system is to carry around thanks to the well designed case.
Overall, the Lark Max DUO is a reliable, high quality and easy-to-use recording equipment that deserves a place in every content creators arsenal.
What is good?
- Excellent audio quality
- Built-in ENC mode that can be activated with a touch of a button is effective
- Included magnets
- Inclusion of various cables to cover different devices
- Full controls on the receiver with the touch screen and dials
- Strong transmission and long max reach
- Total battery life with the charging case
- Impressive build quality
What can be improved?
- Option to switch the orientation of the screen to the front of the camera would be nice for vloggers
- More space in the protective case to house lavalier microphones
Hollyland Lark Max Price and Availability
The LARK MAX Duo wireless microphone system costs $299 and available at major online retailers such as Amazon and B&H Photo. If you don't need the secong transmitter, the LARK MAX Solo (1 TX + 1 RX) is available for $199.
Official Page: https://www.hollyland.com/product/lark-max
Manufacturer Page: https://www.hollyland.com/
User Manual: https://www.hollyland.com/download/download-lark-max
