Gear Review: LOM Uši electret condenser microphones

"Uši /uʃɪ:/ is a pair of stereo-matched, high quality omni-directional electret microphones. Compared with regular built-in microphones supplied with many recorders, Uši have exceptionally low noise and high sensitivity. They are especially useful for recording delicate sounds and environments."

These Uši mics were pointed out to me by a sound designer and friend of mine who was using them to surreptitiously gather atmos in places and scenarios that it would be awkward to put up a boom with a pair of mics to capture a stereo field.

The mics are very small, but larger than your typical lapel mic. The are powered by either plugin power from an appropriate mini jack input, like those found on DSLR cameras or small video cameras, or indeed seen on the side of most portable handheld recorders, like the ubiquitous Zoom H4n. New purchases also ship with a small mic clip for easy attachment to cloth-like surfaces. The exact model is actually a Sennheiser one that they specify for the ME-2 lapel mics that come with G2, G3 and AVX radio mic kits. An optional, 35 EUR, extra allows you to plug these into an XLR mic input and convert 48v Phantom into the voltage required to run these electret mics. A "Pro" version of these mics is also available. The mics remain the same but the have the the XLR's hard wired to the mics for greater reliability of connection. 

For me, the ability to switch between interfaces with these mics makes them that bit more versatile, hence why I went for the standard model plus adapter, which ends up being 5 EUR more expensive than the Pro model anyway.

This pair of little electrets are so convenient to carry around that they always make it into my bag, whether i'm out on a paid shoot or just hopping on the train to meet friends. Their portability and quality means that you can always have something of high enough quality to capture those unique little sounds you hear when you're out and about. The mics also fit perfectly into the larger size of Bubblebee mic windshield, which means you can keep using them in moderate winds and light breezes, without too much or even any of the associated.

I'd also never rule them out of being a very handy plant mic on set that could be used in a car or somewhere it might be impossible to otherwise get another mic placed.

And how do they sound? Well for me they provide a step up in quality over the Omni mics built into my handheld recorder (Roland R26). They can also be placed in a more versatile way, with correct spacing and with some sort of baffle between them in order to make more accurate stereo recordings. They are up there with the best electret mics around, with a low noise and fairly high sensitivity.

Lom mics and accessories are available direct from LOM here: https://zvukolom.org/product-category/microphones/

Follow me on:
Twitter: @chazhurst 
Instagram: @charlie_soundunit