Instamic is a new mobile audio recorder + mic, designed to be ‘the GoPro of microphones.’
It’s a wireless portable audio recorder that can be controlled via a smartphone app.
Here’s the official video intro:
Production of the Instamic is being funded via a IndieGoGo campaign, which is already fully funded. The Instamic is available to project backers, starting at US $99. See the project site for details.
I hope they crash and burn,along with every other half decent idea that thinks the best way to get our money is to have yet another bloody identikit aspirational promo video with twee indie guitar music all over it.
If you look like the most boring, cynical corporate entity on the face of the earth, I’ll treat you like it and take my money elsewhere. Shame, as the product looks useful. Some more info rather than puking trite nonsense about passion and rhythm all over the video might have persuaded me.
Admin: Personal attack deleted. Please keep comments on topic and constructive.
“Please keep comments on topic and constructive.”
Like the post above?
why are you against a company that is able to communicate the vision of their product in an emotional and (yes!) stylish way? this is a professional video in every aspect. they even sold their idea to you (as you admit). so what is wrong with this video? this is not entertainment. this is information. you are not expected to like it. it is about getting the idea.
There’s a difference between communicating so-called “information” and marketing. In this case it’s the latter, and as such packaged in a specific way.
There is a lot of info that would be needed for anyone seriously considering this mic for anything other than fun. None of that was present in the vid. It’s like when products are advertised as having “HiFi” or “HD” sound. WTF is that supposed to mean?
It might be a great product, but I agree with the top poster that this is selling emotion, not a product. I know that’s how it’s done these days, but it’s crap, and it gets crap into the market that shouldn’t really be there.
Thats a bit harsh, but I know what you mean – I’m sick of this post Apple marketing where the thing is sold as a conceptual piece of “lifestyle”. It’s a small recording device. If in your ad you’re going to ask me; “can you ride the wind forever?”, the only normal response is; “don’t be a fucking idiot”.
If I limited my purchases to products with marketing that doesn’t make me want to strangle a puppy, I’d starve to death.
I hope this works out. Could be very useful for capturing audio for video.
Thanks for your support Ame! We really appreciate it. Look forward to sharing with your our Instamic.
who would want this? I love the chart showing that the zoom h1 is better in every way except in the bathtub.
Yea. Trying too hard, wasn’t it?
There was some mention of necessary buffering because of the high bandwidth.
If the audio has decent signal-to-noise, dynamic range, frequency range, and ability to adjust gain in a useful way, it will be a very useful product.
They could even sell their nicer mic to Apple.
Hi Stub,
there will be a lot of improvements in the next weeks. Please, follow our Indiegogo page for new updates. You can control input gain using your mobile app and control multiple Instamic at one in sync. Kind regards,
Michele Baggio
Michele – thanks for responding to reader questions!
looks cool to me
I like the idea, but without the possibility of monitoring the signal, how are you going to place it properly?
That is one mega flaw, if you ask me.
maybe you can monitor it over bluetooth?
You can monitor it via bluetooth.
Hi Michele, I wish you great success! I think personal recording/archiving is going to be a big thing.
Can you tell us, with regard to monitoring and/or using instamic as a real-time wireless mic over BT4.0 — what is the latency you get between the mic and the phone app? Or the end-to-end latency of signal in the air, through instamic->phone app-> audio output of phone app , i.e. the monitoring latency? Last time I played with measuring BT latencies, it was around 40-60ms. What BT profile is being used for this monitoring on the phone use case? Can you associate more than one instamic with the app?
Reason I’m asking is that I work in voice conferencing, and had always figured I was doomed to wires or DECT wireless, because of the irreducible latency of BT. Getting people to wear lavalier mics has been difficult in past, but having such a small, friendly device is a potential break in that dam. I understand that this is primarily a voice recorder, rather than a wireless mic, but am very interested whether the latencies can make it feasible in that application.
Mille grazie! kevinconnor ATATAT mac.com
the waterproof feature is good
Ironic catchphrase is ironic.
The “GoPro” of microphones doesn’t work with GoPros.
Any object made in white upsets me greatly and makes me think of that company apple.
A real turn off that they have ripped of the most tedious design ever.
Man that has always bothered me but i don’t care if apple slaps white on every one of their products, they don’t own the color. If your product looks fresh in white then it cant be helped. that’d be like writing off every color scheme ever because some other annoying company or sports team uses it. damn thing could be turd brown, if it works it works. But for real… to hell with apple.
I applaud what these guys are trying to do, but Synthtopians are a tough audience. For one thing, from experience we have learned that one type of microphone does not fit all applications.
This is an omni and appears to be optimized to replace a traditional lavalier, which is a microphone type that few of this crowd ever uses. Also, I cringed when they tried to mic a guitar amp with this thing in one of their demo videos. And guitarists would cut off my ear if I tried to stick this mic on the body of their prized Martin acoustic.
Nice try.
Hi JT,
we love to work with tough professionals like you.
Instamic wants to be a plus to your audio gear, not replace an expensive boom + field recorded. We can’t compare a $99 mic/recorded with a 10K gear.
I personally work with an M/S configuration setup (Sound Device 633 and Shoeps CMIT5U + Neumann KM 120), but sometimes I need to capture sounds that need to be flexible and fast. Instamic can definitely help you to enrich your storytelling.
About the Martin Guitar, we placed Instamic with Neodymium Magnet that works great without scratching the surface. More mounting options coming out soon.
And a hearty greeings to my new friends at Instamic!
As I said, your mic design looks promising. Videographers have probably been screaming for something with this sort of toughness and portability. Make the video gang happy and you guys will make a boatload of money.
That said, you guys should study the example of IK Multimedia. Their business model feasts on gadget-crazed prosumer users. They have come up with some neat gadget concepts to get A/D signals in/out of iOS devices. But their devices are made like crap and IK charges some high prices, given their mediocre performance.
Try not to go down this path.
I wish you guys well.
This would be perfect for recording your doctor so yo can sue him when he comments how stupid you are.
I like the idea of walking through the street recording all the absurdity that happens there. I couldn’t possibly count the number of times I’ve heard people say hilarious/evil/idiotic/profound/profane things and wished I’d been wearing a microphone. Not to mention all the wonderful incidental sounds of this post industrial dystopia we’re living in.
Time for some seriously weird neo-concrète!