BOYA BY-M1 Lavalier Microphone

The appearance of the microphone is very beautiful, the packaging is exquisite, the sound effect is good, and it is particularly clear, which is very suitable for me to use when broadcasting! The price is also very affordable. It's very convenient and compact, not heavy, it can be put in a bag, and the radio effect is also good. First I used it on my mobile phone. The effect is more obvious. The human voice is clearer than the built-in microphone. The effect of using the camera is more obvious! Also, the seller service is really good! Very professional!

I was stunned and delighted when I saw Rubber Monkey offering this for less than half the price being charged by 2 major tech retailers. Physical & fiscal limitations mean that a bridge camera is my only practical choice, so I was looking for something that would maximise the recording quality within my budget and be easy to use. This ticked both boxes in style. On a VERY windy promontory, the mic reduced the wind to a barely audible whisper, while providing very clear capture of human voices, even from an unplanned and surprising distance. Thanks Rubber Monkey

So this is going to be a story about my experience with the BOYA BY-M1 from ordering to getting it set up. I'll add a TL:DR at the end if anyone wants to just get the point.So here's why I bought this microphone. For a long while, I have needed a mic since my headset one died and was making do with the built-in of my webcam. My expectations were low since all I needed was for it to sound decent when talking in voice chats and live streaming.For a while, I was looking at a full-size USB mic with a boom arm for $160 + other fees until a friend suggested Lavalier mics and how they are even used in large shows, meaning there has to be some magic in being that small and still used at the high end. After some quick research, I find this, think about it for a bit and ... MoreSo this is going to be a story about my experience with the BOYA BY-M1 from ordering to getting it set up. I'll add a TL:DR at the end if anyone wants to just get the point.So here's why I bought this microphone. For a long while, I have needed a mic since my headset one died and was making do with the built-in of my webcam. My expectations were low since all I needed was for it to sound decent when talking in voice chats and live streaming.For a while, I was looking at a full-size USB mic with a boom arm for $160 + other fees until a friend suggested Lavalier mics and how they are even used in large shows, meaning there has to be some magic in being that small and still used at the high end. After some quick research, I find this, think about it for a bit and jump on the purchase a day later.One of the first things that impressed me was the service. I didn't need to make an account here at Rubbermonkey so the process was easy for the first time. Then I get updates after ordering and I know how quick they are moving to get me the mic. After ordering on a Monday the package arrives on Wednesday the same week which was awesome, AND you guys put a Pascall milkshake & Banana fruit burst candy in with the packaging. They gave me bonus candy for a $30 mic, clearly an excellent service.With the product in my hands' things were simple enough. Open it up, pop the bubble wrap and plug it into my PC. This, unfortunately, is where things go downhill a little bit. I could not figure out why any of my software didn't detect the device and I was really confused. A little bit of research later and I found that you need to plug the battery in for a power source which is weird because the manual said this was NOT the case. After that and some more jumping between different PC ports, I got the audio going into Discord and OBS.When testing the quality of the BY-M1 there was a great jump for the best from the awful, echoing, and clipping mic of the webcam. Now things were better as I could hear. The mic quality isn't amazing for the $30 as you can hear a slight static and the sound of my keyboard clicks, but it was still decent and the price justifies this. Also, I could actually take those negative sounds away after spending some time in OBS by adding a noise gate and noise suppression filter.TL:DR. The guys at Rubbermonkey made an amazing, and fast service so I had it quickly. The mic sounds decent for the $30 paid after getting through some technical issues and can be made clearer with a little bit of software.I would recommend the BOYA BY-M1 to anyone looking for a decent first mic on a budget and are able to play around with some easy tweaks.

Get what you pay for, i guess?

Maybe I’m just audio-illiterate but I didn’t notice a difference at all (and yes I’m using the correct cable). I use my iPhone to record relaxing little ambient Voice Memo sounds I come across like crickets or birds chirping and the only noticeable difference is a loud pop at the beginning of each recording. Other than that the sound quality seems exactly the same. The only reason I haven’t given it 1 star is because I have yet to test it out on any of my digital cameras. Im hopeful that l’ll hear a difference when it comes to that

Good mic for the money

After receiving this mic and making a quick test I can conclude that voice quality on the record is very good compared to the built-in microphone (I use Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera). It has pretty good voice selectivity and directionality (for the money). I also liked the metal construcion and a furry windshield, that, to my surprise does not affect the sound quality (I tested with and without windshield). The good thing is that it includes a cable for the smartphone/laptop and can be used to imporve the quality of your Zoom sound.What I didn't like is that the plastic shockmount was attached loose to the shoe base, so the mic was vobbling and I had to tighten the screw to make it feel solid.

Great Little Mic

I've been using this mic for a couple videos now and like the quality that I've seen so far. I'm mainly using this inside my studio on a boom which is about 12 inches above my head pointed at my face. At this distance the quality it great. Not as clear as a lav but it's nice to be able to have a mic setup on a more permanent basis.As other reviews have said, the red mic clip is a little flimsy and I've taken advice to be gently with it.Overall though, I'd recommend this mic and you can't beat it for the price.I paid for this mic and didn't receive anything in exchange for my review.

Great for video

Yes, it's composable with everything you want to use it for. I bought two of these. They are great mics for my video production. Nice tone, blocks noise to the sides like it should. The battery capsule has an on/off switch, but it can be hard to see. I always mark my lav mics with an identifying letter, and a strong mark for the ON position. It's easy to forget to turn the mic off and come up with a drained battery on the next shoot. The battery will last for a good long while, but turn it off when you're finished.Buy the corresponding batteries for this This uses the LR44, not the 303. I found that out by reading other sites. And by the way, even tho it SAYS that the battery compartment is marked on the + side, I haven't been able to find that. NOTE: the + side ... MoreYes, it's composable with everything you want to use it for. I bought two of these. They are great mics for my video production. Nice tone, blocks noise to the sides like it should. The battery capsule has an on/off switch, but it can be hard to see. I always mark my lav mics with an identifying letter, and a strong mark for the ON position. It's easy to forget to turn the mic off and come up with a drained battery on the next shoot. The battery will last for a good long while, but turn it off when you're finished.Buy the corresponding batteries for this This uses the LR44, not the 303. I found that out by reading other sites. And by the way, even tho it SAYS that the battery compartment is marked on the + side, I haven't been able to find that. NOTE: the + side of the battery goes against the spring. You're welcome.

Great mic for it's simplicity and price

After watching a review on Youtube comparing this mic to the RodeVideoMicro, at about half the price this little mic performs very well. I was, and still do, use a Rode Videomic Pro for vlogging, but the Rode has some caveats - I've forgotten to engage the on/off switch before, and it's a rather large mic, relatively. So, I enjoy using this Boya mic for more casual settings. It will work as a camera top mic for vlogging, it's great if you need to simply capture reference audio or wild sounds, and since it runs on plug-in power there's no need to worry about batteries and switching it on. I've used it with my Canon M50 and EOS R, and usually set the input gain on either of those cameras to just under 50% with this mic under most conditions. Of course the Rode ... MoreAfter watching a review on Youtube comparing this mic to the RodeVideoMicro, at about half the price this little mic performs very well. I was, and still do, use a Rode Videomic Pro for vlogging, but the Rode has some caveats - I've forgotten to engage the on/off switch before, and it's a rather large mic, relatively. So, I enjoy using this Boya mic for more casual settings. It will work as a camera top mic for vlogging, it's great if you need to simply capture reference audio or wild sounds, and since it runs on plug-in power there's no need to worry about batteries and switching it on. I've used it with my Canon M50 and EOS R, and usually set the input gain on either of those cameras to just under 50% with this mic under most conditions. Of course the Rode Videomic Pro has a more flattering sound, but it was initially 8x the price (had it four years) so I like having this Boya mic in my bag whenever I go out for those just-in-case situations, and I know that if something pops up that I wasn't planning, I'll be able to capture usable in-camera audio.One of my first outings with this mic, I was in the Florida Everglades with my EOS R with the intention of taking still photos, but ended up switching to video to catch a few animals that were hunting. Initially I wasn't using the Boya mic, and the fairly light breeze caused excessive wind noise in the camera's mic capsule. A few minutes later I added the Boya mic with the furry wind defuser and the difference was night and day.When the situation calls for it, I have more expensive, specialized professional microphones from Sennheiser and Rode, and external audio recorders. But this Boya mic has become my go-to mic for capturing in-camera audio.

High Quality, Low Priced Clip-On Microphone

If you are in need of an afordable clip-on microphone then check this little puppy out. It has a long cable in case you need to move about. The battery is a simple LR44 button cell that is easily replaced and the sound quality is very good. It comes with a storage pouch, adaptor for the larger plugs and the main housing is made of high quality aluminum. With so much distance learning going on, every teacher should have one of these. Great for You tubers, Screen Castify or any other recording device. I use mine on my i Phone and on my lap top while preparing videos for class. YES I do recommend it. You do not have to flip the power switch when using it with a Smartphone but do remember to turn it on when using it with your laptop or other types of video recording ... MoreIf you are in need of an afordable clip-on microphone then check this little puppy out. It has a long cable in case you need to move about. The battery is a simple LR44 button cell that is easily replaced and the sound quality is very good. It comes with a storage pouch, adaptor for the larger plugs and the main housing is made of high quality aluminum. With so much distance learning going on, every teacher should have one of these. Great for You tubers, Screen Castify or any other recording device. I use mine on my i Phone and on my lap top while preparing videos for class. YES I do recommend it. You do not have to flip the power switch when using it with a Smartphone but do remember to turn it on when using it with your laptop or other types of video recording devices.