Today, we have in our review one of the world's best-selling compact wireless lavalier microphone radio-system, the LARK M2, from the world-famous Hollyland company. In January 2024, Hollyland introduced the LARK M2, a new compact radio system available with two transmitters and a receiver for cameras and smartphones depending on the package. We received the complete LARK M2 Combo set for testing and review, and today we'll examine all its features and functions. Despite its compact size and relatively low price, the kit offers excellent ergonomics and high-quality sound recording. We will check all of this today.
We would also like to point out that compact wireless lavalier microphone systems are gaining popularity worldwide at a rapid pace, replacing bulky transmitters/recorders that are inconvenient for everyday use and to which a wired lavalier microphone is attached. But are compact lavalier radio systems really that good? That's what we'll tell you today. But before we get to main part of our Hollyland LARK M2 review, let's look at specifications of the device as usual.
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Best Price on Hollyland LARK M2 Combo
The Hollyland Lark M2 delivers excellent sound, extreme portability, and user-friendly design at a budget-friendly price — making it an excellent choice for beginners & professionals. |
Classic Package
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In our hands, we have an extended set of the LARK M2 Combo. Besides two microphones and transmitters, it has three receivers: one for a camera, one for smartphones with a Type-C interface, and one for iPhones with a Lightning interface. There are no any fundamental differences in the operation of the iOS and Android receivers, so we will test one. Hereinafter in the text we will refer to the version with Type-C interface as the receiver for smartphones.
The first thing you notice when you open the box and take out the radio system is how small it is. After all, there's a limit to human tactile sensitivity, and Hollyland engineers have nearly reached it. The microphones are about the size of effervescent vitamin C tablets or buttons on clothing, and the receiver is smaller and lighter than a matchbox. Interestingly, the images of the device on the website do not reflect its actual size; we had assumed that the device would be somewhat larger. The same can be said about smartphone receivers — they weigh almost nothing.
Microphone-transmitters are attached to clothing solely by magnets. Due to their tiny size, it is not possible to place clips or other attachments on the body. Keep this in mind if you want to attach the microphone to a stand or mounting arm; the device is designed to be attached to clothing with magnets. You can also hang the microphone around your neck like a pendant; two are included in the kit. For those who would like to attach the microphone to clothing with a clip, the set includes two magnetic clips. In the photo, they are oval-shaped and located to the right of the twisted cable. You can also try attaching the microphone to a stand or tripod with these clips.
When working with the radio system, it is best to have flexible, sensitive fingers. It is advisable to avoid handling the microphones with frozen hands in the cold, as they can easily be dropped and lost, for example, in the snow. This is particularly important for those who plan to use this microphone radio system in snowy regions during the winter.
The camera receiver is slightly larger than the transmitters and has a clip on its bottom edge for attaching to the "cold shoe" of a camera or rig. The receiver is equipped with a rotating wheel that turns with slight tactile clicks. It rotates continuously, with no stops on the right or left. This wheel controls the recording level of two microphones simultaneously and has three settings: quiet, medium, and very loud. These settings are visually indicated on the body by LEDs.
Unlike professional systems from leading manufacturers, such as the Hollyland LARK MAX receiver, the receiver does not have a screen. In practice, you quickly adapt to the lack of an OLED screen. You arrive at the shoot, set up the camera, connect the radio system, and start recording. Once everything is set up, no further adjustments are necessary; you can simply shoot video and achieve the desired result. That's why, if you need to constantly adjust and experiment with something, it is more convenient to use an upper model of the radio system. The LARK M2 kit is simple and straightforward; it is suitable for "plug and play" style work.
These microphones are highly sensitive. Attached to clothing with a magnet, they will pick up all the speaker's movements when he moves his hands, turns, bends, etc. There may be a sound in the audio track from the friction of clothing against the microphone. Even worse, if the speaker has a habit of stroking his beard or playing with beads, all of these hand movements near the microphone will create unwanted noise in the audio track that will be clearly audible.
Overall, the sound quality of the microphones was good. Our SoundGale team conducted several two-hour test live broadcasts, including conversational and music-making sessions. We connected the LARK M2 receiver to the Steinberg UR-44C audio interface using a TRS 3.5 mm to two XLR cable. The sound was clear, and the volume reserve was big. On the LARK M2 receiver, we set the level to two divisions, and on the audio interface, we set the gain of each track to about two to three o'clock. We slightly processed the voice with the built-in compressor on the audio interface. If desired, you can create a slight stereo effect by distributing the microphones on the panorama for 11 hours left and 1 hour right.
Based on our observations, the sound quality is best when the speaker holds his or her head upright and speaks directly into the microphone. The sound quality deteriorates when the speaker turns his or her head to the side. Keep this in mind when recording streams or interviews with two participants, such as when the guest and presenter sit with their heads turned half-sideways to each other rather than facing the camera directly. In this case, it is best to attach the microphones to the clothing on the side.
Despite the blue LED, which is constantly lit on the microphone-transmitter during operation, the microphones are so small that they are not visible at all on colorful or black clothes in the frame. Moreover, the microphones resemble buttons or jewelry, creating the illusion that the recording is conducted with shotgun type of microphones fixed outside the frame.
One more observation: It is best to position the microphone 18–20 cm from the speaker's face.
For example, in noisy places such as outside while shooting a blog, it makes sense to turn on the noise cancellation system, also known as a "noise gate" by sound engineers. This system is activated by a button on the microphone; it cannot be activated on one microphone and not the other. When activated, the noise cancellation system makes a strong frequency correction, which slightly distorts the voice. This effect is similar to how we hear sounds underwater. However, this effect is not so strong while the surrounding noise is significantly reduced, making this system indispensable in some cases, especially on a noisy street.
The main thing is to pay attention to the color of the LED on the microphone transmitter housing and not activate noise cancellation where it is not required, especially when recording in a quiet room or recording music.
It's also important to understand the difference between using a furry windshield, which reduces the effect of wind blowing in, and using the noise cancellation system, which processes the voice signal by removing unwanted noise from the soundtrack. These are essentially two different tools, and they should be used when necessary and appropriate.
The manufacturer claims unrealistic figures — up to 300 meters in a line of sight. After testing the Hollyland COSMO video sender, we found that 300 meters (or 350 steps) is a long distance. At that distance, it is difficult to see the camera with a tripod, and the camera with a 200 mm telephoto lens can barely see us. What is the point of such a range? It is most likely done with a reserve or for shooting situations unknown to us. We conducted a range test moving away from the camera about 100 or 150 steps. When we turned to face the camera, the signal was stable. However, we don't see the point in continuing this test.
It would be much more interesting to find out if the sound would be interrupted if we turned to the side or faced away from the camera. Obviously, the speaker in the video will not always face the audience. He may be sawing, chiseling, dragging, or writing with a marker on a board while continuing to speak. For this case, Hollyland has a solution: the LARK M2 microphone antenna has a high-gain LDS (Laser Direct Structuring), which, in theory, reduces interference caused by the human body. It's a mystery how all this technology fits into such a small transmitter body.
Of course, in our Hollyland LARK M2 Review we could not avoid the topic of recording vocals or musical instruments (after all, our SoundGale resource is designed for musicians, artists, sound designers and sound engineers). Some readers commented on our radio system reviews saying that these devices are not designed for music recording but only for voice recording, as was mentioned in the review of the RODE Wireless Micro Lavaliere System. However, that is not the case. Now, even the Hollyland company itself gives an example on its website of a violinist practicing by attaching a LARK M2 microphone to his jacket lapel. Of course, we're not talking about professional studio recording, but for lessons, rehearsals, streaming, and collaborative music-making and composing online — why not?
The SoundGale team believes that you can record music (vocals and instruments) with any microphone. The Hollyland LARK M2 is no exception. Additionally, the mic-transmitters have an excellent frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz and a bit depth/sample rate of 24 bits/48 kHz. This will allow you to achieve good recording quality, at least for your music demos.
In our studio practice there was a case when an artist recorded his vocals on an electret microphone capsule that was built into old Apple wired headphones that used to come with an iPhone (those were the days, I hope you caught this moment). The sound engineer had to work hard to process the recording, but the track became a hit with more than two million listens on Spotify! If you're passionate about creating, don't focus too much on your devices.
How do you record a podcast or interview with three or four participants? Of course, you could get a special four-channel radio system, but the most obvious way is to use two dual-channel sets. In our testing, we used the RØDE Wireless GO II with the LARK M2. Will these kits be able to work well in the same space without causing interference? Our team filmed a musical performance with two cameras, each camera using a different radio system. As a result, we got four independent audio tracks: two on one camera and two on the other. This turned out to be convenient for later editing. There were no interferences or conflicts between the devices.
The system is compatible with devices that have Type-C or Lightning interfaces. Our Combo kit includes two smartphone receivers that support both standards. No additional apps or drivers are required to get started. Just plug the receiver into the smartphone port and pair it with the microphones/transmitters. After pairing the devices once, they will connect quickly.
Confusion may arise if the user first works with the camera receiver and then decides to work with the smartphone. In this case, you will need to pair the devices. To do so, follow these steps:
You can also use the smartphone's voice recorder, but shooting video is much more interesting. The standard Android smartphone application worked perfectly with the LARK M2 microphone. As expected, the recording quality is excellent, the same as when using the camera.
During testing, we checked the radio system's operation with one of the latest iPhone models, and everything worked perfectly. The video recording application functioned exactly the same as on Android.
The radio system can work with a computer as a regular USB microphone. It is much more convenient because it can use two microphones simultaneously and does not require wires. When connected to a computer, Windows detects the radio system's receiver as a "wireless microphone." However, there is an immediate nuance: as with a smartphone, the signal is recorded in mono only. You cannot switch to stereo mode or edit the voice of each interlocutor separately during editing. Keep this in mind when filming interviews or other events with two participants using a USB connection to a computer.
Note the photo above: The two LEDs above the volume wheel are green, indicating that the recording is in mono. When these LEDs are blue, stereo mode is active. The modes are switched using the M button on the receiver. However, this switching does not work when connected to a computer via USB. Perhaps this is a software issue that will be fixed in future updates.
Using it as an audio interface can be useful for streaming with one or two participants and even for music streaming when it is not necessary to have each microphone on its own track. It is also very convenient to record a voice-over directly into an editing program. There are many more uses.
The LARK M2 camera receiver has an analog output, a small 3.5 mm stereo jack (TRS), which you can use to easily connect the receiver to an audio interface if you have the necessary cable.
You may ask, "Why would you do that when the receiver itself can serve as a kind of audio interface and signal digitizer?" The answers are obvious: 1) to achieve stereo mode when working with a computer, and 2) to work with other microphones and sound sources, such as musical instruments connected to the instrumental or line inputs of a multichannel audio interface.
We purchased a TRS 3.5 mm cable with two XLR connectors to work with audio interfaces and wireless microphones. However, different manufacturers' audio interfaces work differently with combined XLR and instrumental inputs, which is beyond the scope of this review. Note that we set the gain of the first and second channels to 10 o'clock and the gain on the LARK M2 receiver to one division. This allows you to achieve an adequate recording level. Never apply 48V phantom power! Watch out for that!
The charging case is very convenient. We just need to make sure that the case is always charged because all three of our devices will constantly replenish their charge by being inserted into their respective slots. The battery life of the built-in batteries is 10 hours for the transmitters and 9 hours for the receiver.
The charging case is designed to work with two microphones/transmitters and one camera receiver. All three devices in the case will fully charge in 1.5 hours. The charging process can be visually monitored — when all four LEDs on the case are lit, the charge is full.
Thanks to its battery, the case can fully charge the entire kit three times in a row. Convenient! During our testing, we only charged the case once, as soon as we took it out of the box. After that, we didn't charge it again, and it continued to work without running out of battery. It's great on the one hand, but on the other hand, you get used to good things quickly, so you lose your guard. After all, you still need to charge the case from time to time.
Smartphone receivers need to be charged separately using the Type-C interface; the charging case is not designed for them. Microphones, on the other hand, can only be charged in their own case.
We've finally reached the end of our Hollyland LARK M2 review. It's time to summarize the results. After our tests, we gave the Hollyland LARK M2 to our videographer friend, and his words perfectly summarize our review: - in conclusion, I have one final thought: During the tests, I replaced my RODE Wireless Go II with the LARK M2 for ten or twelve shooting sessions and did not experience any inconvenience or reduction in quality. I had dreamed of replacing the WGII with a new PRO model from the same manufacturer, but now that dream has disappeared — the LARK M2's functionality and quality are enough for all my tasks, which mainly involve shooting podcasts and interviews, small music sessions, advertising streams, and personal blogging. So, the RØDE Wireless GO II is on the shelf, and I'm seriously considering switching to the Hollyland LARK M2.
The Hollyland Lark M2 delivers excellent sound, extreme portability, and user-friendly design at a budget-friendly price—making it an excellent kit for industry professionals and beginners alike. But if you need more advanced features (like internal recording or stereo output), or a rugged mount and stronger connection, the DJI Mic II may be worth the extra investment.
We hope you enjoyed our review of the Hollyland LARK M2 wireless lavalier microphone system. Please feel free to leave your comments, questions, and suggestions in the section below. We will be happy to answer them all as soon as possible. If you already own a Hollyland LARK M2 and have used it for a while, don't forget to share your impressions and tell us what you liked or disliked about this wireless mic system.
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