Audio-Technica AT899 Review
Subminiature Omnidirectional Condenser Lavalier Microphone
- Phantom and Battery Powered
- Miniature Profile
- AT8537 Power Module Included
- Omnidirectional Polar Pattern
Highlighted Customer Reviews
Showing 1 to 20 of 118 Reviews
Good Clean Dialogue - Easy to use
Audio-Technica AT899 - Condenser Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
I bought a few of the AT899 to record dialogue for a feature length film I am shooting. Not having a lot of experience, I wanted something easy to use that would just give me plain old clean clear dialogue. The AT899 delivers. My setup is very straightforward. I connect the AT899 Mics to a Microtrack Recorder ($299 - uses compact flash cards) via a XLRF to 1/4 TRS cable which you can get for about $18 each. I then concealed the mics under the actors clothing (6 inches below the chin - under the shirt - using the clips that the AT899 comes with). The mic/wiring is concealed under the clothing and the recorder is attached to the back of the actor's pants via an easily made homemade clip to attach. The results are great. First of all - no hiss or hum on these mics...just clear dialogue. Second, in quiet areas you only hear dialogue. In noisy areas, like restaurants or walking on a sidewalk with traffic going by...you get clear dialogue with the background noise sounding like proper low level background noise. Very natural. The dialogue is dominant...and the background noise is a nice low level natural background noise. Third, not doing any type of special taping/attaching of the mics...merely attached them to the actor's shirt (concealed) and resting against their chests...the mics still sounded clear as the actors walked around and talked while walking. (I eventually started doing a taping/attachment of the mic in such a way that the mic isn't touching the shirt interior or the actors chest. I did becuase when I tested the walking/talkiing...every 2 minutes I might hear 1 scratch/clothing rubbing noise.) Fourth, when the actors moved their heads up, left or right as talking...the dialogue all sounded the same...all good. (One thing to watch is when an actor drops their head/chin down and talks down...this is the only time the mic didn't perform well...and the sound was slightly distorted. But this is simple...merely instruct your actors to not drop their heads while talking and you're set.) Another bonus with using concealed lav mics like this with a concealed recorder - you don't have to worry about composing shots that avoid a boom mic. Bottom line - for indie film guys like me...this is THE MIC SETUP you want to use if you want simple/easy to use mics that just give you clean clear dialogue. ... More
Disappointing Performance
Audio-Technica AT899 - Condenser Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Kerry on B&H Photo Video
I intended to use this microphone in broadcast quality productions through a local television station that I freelance for and for my own projects on the side. I usually use Sennheiser G3's, but I wanted to cut back on battery usage, so I ordered a corded lav. The sound is clean, the accessories are nice, and I like that the mic disconnects from power module. I do not like the amount of room and clothes noise this mic picks up, but it's an omni, so that's expected. What kill this for me is the awful performance in the lower ranges. It's not as noticeable on most women and you can tweak the EQ on some men for a fatter sound. But if you get someone like an announcer with a beautiful, deep voice, this mic makes him sound completely flat. In broadcast, I get a lot of hosts/interviewers with a lower-range voice. The AT899 just doesn't have the range to cover it and trying to bring up lows that aren't there doesn't work. If someone's had similar experiences with this mic and found a way to work around it, please let me know how, because I really wanted to like this piece of equipment. As it is, it's getting reserved for general room sound, IFB use, and absolute emergencies. ... More
Nice clear sound from this mic
Audio-Technica AT899 - Condenser Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Barry on B&H Photo Video
We've got a wireless lavaliere, but are always nervous about the batteries dying in the middle of recording, which has happened several times, so we bought this mic. We often record in facility behind a podium where a wired mic works just fine, so no worry about batteries. This little mic works fantastic. Unlike our Sony wireless lavaliere which performed well on auto gain, this mic required manual and slightly higher setting, but once adjusted, fantastic sound. Nice carry case with various attachments and accessories. Lapel clip is sturdier than most. The cable has a tendency to kink, rather than unfurling straight, which was annoying at first, took some light twisting of the cable to finally get it to lie straight out. Another benefit to the power module is that if the talent needs to walk away from the camera for a moment (bathroom break, etc.) they simply unplug the power module and drop it in their pocket, rather than going through the motions of unclipping the mic, which is usually buried underneath clothes. ... More
Excellent lav mic!
Audio-Technica AT899 - Condenser Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Tim on B&H Photo Video
I'm using two of these in studio with a Canon XF100 and am quite impressed with the quality of sound. Tweaking the camcorder's audio gain in combination with mic placement virtually eliminates room noise and what's left is a signal with great presence. Not sound booth quality, but that's not to be expected. My only quibble is aesthetic ... The entire mic assembly is flat black (which is good), EXCEPT for the jack that plugs into the power module. It's bright, shiny chrome. Strange choice. But admittedly, a non-issue. Build quality is excellent, however and the mic itself is definitely sub-miniature. Tiny. Great selection of clips, too, though I worry a bit about the amount of pressure necessary to attach the delicate, but generously long mic cord to the clips. ... More
good mic and accessories package, but
Audio-Technica AT899 - Condenser Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Cre8tv on B&H Photo Video
Note that the mic comes in a snap enclosure hard case with precut foam interior, and a full accessory kit with several different mic clips and windscreens (all the items of the separate $50 accessory pack). My only hesitation on a 5* rating is that the mic is a bit too sibilant on the Tees and eSses. I was monitoring through a H4n and Sony 7506 phones, which are a bit bright anyways. Still, I much prefer excess articulation to muddy sound. Just be aware of placement off axis to minimize it and you're fine. Overall a great mic set. Small and unobtrusive, and lots of ways to attach it - even a micro-magnet backed clip to go right through thin clothing. ... More
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AT 899
Audio-Technica AT899 - Condenser Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Geister on B&H Photo Video
While I don't have much experience with wired lavaliers, I do have lots of experience with a wide range of other professional mics (MA2000, KM184, AT4050, etc.) Like the AT4050, I find that the AT 899 is a winner in the bang-for-your buck department and a thoroughly useable professional quality mic. It sounds excellent and its audio requires very little post-recording tweaking (a quality I highly prize in mics.) The wide variety of included mounting accessories make this package all the more attractive. In my opinion, the mic alone is worth the price. And, I didn't find a better price for the mic than B&H's price. I'm a happy customer and expect to buy another of these very soon. ... More
AT899 Saved The Day!
Audio-Technica AT899 - Condenser Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by John on B&H Photo Video
Had to interview an exec in his office. We brought two cameras and two mics - a shotgun and AT899. Office had a hard floor with windows all around, so room was boomy and air from the duct work was LOUD. As a result, the shotgun audio unusable, even with Waves X-Noise. AT899 caught the voice loud enough and audio was surprisingly dry, as the cloth lapel absorbed much of the room reflection. After a little gating, it sounded like it was recorded in a vocal booth. Always have a lavelier in your kit. You may not always need it, but when you do, the difference can be crucial. This one did the job beautifully. Setup: Sony A7ii with Rokinon 1.5/85, Sony VG30 with Sony 1.8/50mm. Audio: iPad Air2 with Presonus iTwo, Capture. ... More
Good mic for the price
Audio-Technica AT899 - Condenser Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Mike the Communications Dir on B&H Photo Video
I have used this once for several short video shoots in an office setting. I am not a professional videographer but I did work as a TV reporter for 15 years and I have no issues with the quality. Plugged it into a Canon Vixia HD video camera using an XLR to mini jack converter. No detectable buzz or hum. Clip is good quality. One inconvenience is that the power switch on the mic is embedded too deep so you have to use the tip of a pen or a paperclip to turn the mic on and off. Not a big deal but could be improved. Also, the mic cable could be a couple feet longer. Combined with the XLR converter it's about 10 feet which is just enough to go between subject and camera underneath a desk. ... More
Worth the money
Audio-Technica AT899 - Condenser Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Stephanie on B&H Photo Video
I went through three cheap lavaliere mics in a year and a half. I finally invested in this after watching a B&H video tutorial. The sound quality is outstanding and it is easy to use. It comes with a beautiful storage box too. The power module is a little large but everything seem pretty durable. I wish there was more of an explanation of all of the clips that come with it.
Solid performer at a good price
Audio-Technica AT899 - Condenser Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Doubleflash on B&H Photo Video
I use this mic to back up a shotgun when shooting seated interviews. It's tiny, concealable, and delivers very good voice qulity. It's a solid value. I've found that the included wind screen is necessary when I spot the mic in the talent's sweet spot -- upper center of chest. Without the wind screen, the mic picks up breath sounds when the talent breathes through their nose. With the windscreen, it's a surprisingly quiet mic.
great build and features, ok sound
Audio-Technica AT899 - Condenser Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by ToyTigerStudios on B&H Photo Video
I actually like the fact that it has a really long cord. I like to wire my subjects but then have the recorder next to me at the camera, which sometimes can be quite far away. I don't find the battery/XLR part to be inconvenient at all, in fact I very much appreciate the option to run the battery if phantom is not possible. The accessory kit of attachments is possibly worth the price alone, and I like how small the mic itself is. The sound was only ok, a bit flat with a lot of mid range boost. However, after two minutes of simple EQ, bring down the mids and raising the highs a bit, it sounded great. ... More
Wish I'd gotten it sooner
Audio-Technica AT899 - Condenser Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by pptphoto on B&H Photo Video
This mic works and sounds great. I have been a still photographer for many years and my partner and I have been integrating video into our projects more and more. We use a Panasonic DVX100 camera and have always tried using the built in mics or a shotgun mic. I have shied away from wireless lavs due to costs and technical hassles. We used this mic for our first interview/walkthru shoot last week and it worked flawlessly. Great sound, great pick-up, easy to hide. Everything just went perfectly. I wish I'd bought it years ago.
Simplicity and functionality
Audio-Technica AT899 - Condenser Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Scott on B&H Photo Video
This is a fantastic microphone for the money. I have wireless lavs, shotguns and other mics, but sometimes a simple wired lav is perfect because I do a lot of talking head corporate interviews. No need to over think it, it's just a wire, a microphone and a camera. Boom - done. As for performance, this has a great sound, low noise, and is pretty small & inconspicuous. The wire is plenty long and is easy to take with you in the included carrying case. If you're unsure take a look on youtube for reviews. There are plenty and ultimately that's what sold me on a nice low cost lav. You could spend hundreds more but why? ... More
Good value, smooth tone
Audio-Technica AT899 - Condenser Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Sam on B&H Photo Video
I'm using this mic for video interviews. I like the small size of the mic element, the variety of accessories included with the kit, and the sound quality. Compared to a Sony ECM-77, the AT899 reproduces male and female voices with a smoother, warmer character and a bit less sibilance. The only down side is that all the mounting accessories are designed to grip the mic wire near the element, and I have some concern about the wear and tear this will cause over time.
Awesome Lav
Audio-Technica AT899 - Condenser Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Raoul Duke on B&H Photo Video
I use this for my primary voice track on a Zoom H6. So much better quality than using audio from my cameras. It stays with me, so the voice track is always consistent. The sound quality is superb, and for something so small, it seems really durable. The only downside is that there is no clip for the power supply, so if you're using an XLR cable, you've got to find some way to carry this thing without damaging the cables. I rigged up a pouch from a knife, which does the trick. Inferior brands offer clips on their power supplies, so AT should join the club as a superior brand. ... More
Solid piece for the price
Audio-Technica AT899 - Condenser Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Jacob James on B&H Photo Video
The microphone is definitely in a good prosumer category. The quality of sound is solid and the construction seems to be well built, though I haven't used it much yet. The levels are a little low which reguire a high gain adjustment which does bring up background hiss, but for the money you can't beat it. I suggest to tell the talent to speak a little loud and you will have great quality recordings.
SOLID LAV, RELIABLE, NICE BASS ROLLOFF
Audio-Technica AT899 - Condenser Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
I'm using this mike in a TV studio. I run it into a voice processor and the performance is well within acceptable performance perimeters. If your looking for a solid lav that gives you best bang for your buck, this is the microphone. If you want off the chart, high-end performance then spend the extra money and get yourself a SANKEN lav. Microphone comes complete with a nice selection of clips and solid power assembly with nice bass rolloff.
Great Lapel Mic! Great Sound Quality!
Audio-Technica AT899 - Condenser Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Skurfdog on B&H Photo Video
I have used other lapel mics in my day and none of them compared to the high quality non-distorted and very clean sound I got from this lavalier mic for use with my Audio Technics wireless receiver. I received fast shipping from B&H and received the product just in time to record our first meeting and I couldn't have been more pleased with the quality outcome of the recording. Great quality for a great price. I would highly recommend this product for your Audio Technics wireless receiver.
Best bang for your buck!
Audio-Technica AT899 - Condenser Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
In shooting footage for a documentary, we bought this mic for traveling to 9 locations over a number of days. The sound was clean and crisp, despite background noise and street noise. We liked the mic so much, we came back and bought two more. It is the best sounding mic in the under $ category. I heartily recommend it be in your kit!
Great Microphone at a decent price
Audio-Technica AT899 - Condenser Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Sean on B&H Photo Video
I have already used this Lavalier a dozen times and I only got it a few weeks ago. It is not going to blow your mind with the sound right out of the recorder but with a little processing it does a great job and is moderately priced which is important for a free lance film maker like myself. highly recommend.
