Audio Technica ATR25 Stereo Condenser Microphone
Ideal for use with video cameras, Audio-Technica’s affordable ATR25 offers the convenience of a high-quality stereo pickup in a single, easy to position microphone. The mic’s professional condenser circuitry ensures excellent sound quality, while its on/off switch gives you a convenient method for conserving batteries. (The mic’s internal preamplifier uses a single AA battery, included).
Each of the mic’s two recording capsules offers a unidirectional polar pattern, rejecting off-axis sound for clean, focused pickups. The ATR25 comes with two cables: a short camera cable with a stereo minijack .125-inch plug and a long recording cable with dual mono minijack plugs and .25-inch adapters for use with recording or public-address equipment. A camera-mount and an interchangeable microphone-stand adapter base are also supplied.
What’s in the Box
Microphone, 1 AA battery, 1 short camera cable with stereo mini-plug, 1 long recording cable with dual mono mini-plugs, two .25-inch adapters, 1 camera mount, 1 interchangeable microphone stand adapter base, a user’s manual, and warranty information
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Great item for the money
I’m a semi-pro videographer and I bought this mic as a cheap solution for side projects. Another videographer friend of mine said “oh don’t get that one, it’s a piece of junk” but once I got it out and used it a few times it’s actually a decent mic for the money. I’m really pleased with the quality of sound it gives out. I just wished it hooked into my shoe bracket easier, but I modified it so it would work better. If you’re tight on money but want professional results, this is the mic for you.
3 Stars Good microphone that works for line in recorders, but it is cardioid
This is a good mike, with nice stereo recording, and it works on my iPod, voice recorder, which is line in only, supplying no phantom power for external microphones.
However, this mike was clearly intended for use by someone holding it directly up to his mouth, instead of in, say, a lecture hall to take notes.
For that type of application, you will want to switch from this type (cardioid or directional) to omnidirectional.
Still, this would be an excellent mike for recording an interview, or for applications where you are trying to avoid ambient noises from interfering with your recording.
Amazon got it to me in exactly the time promised, so I have no complaints.
4 Stars External Sound for Canon
The external mike for my Canon Optura 300 is great — compared to the built in mike up over my eye that picks up my breathing and sniffling vs. the sounds of those I’m trying to video tape. I tested it on my grandaughter (3) and she launched into a song and dance routine. Now if I could just get her to stop twirling the wind screen … it’d be perfect
I highly recommend this mike to all.
5 Stars Well pleased with the results
At first, I was concerned with the quality for the price on this mic, but
after using it on a few videos, I’m very pleased with the results.
Instead of using the camcorder, I ran it into a portable digital recorder
and then synced the audio and video. The results were very clean.
It has a narrow pick up pattern which is what you want from a boom mic.
For those who have a tight budget for gear, I find this an excellent value.
1 Star Good while it lasted…
Tried the mic out of the box, recording into a computer, and it gave me a much better quality sound than a standard “computer” mic (albeit about 3 db less sensitive, but that’s almost unnoticeable). Then, the mic was stored for about a year and a half. When I tried it again, I was getting barely any volume out of it at all. I actually benchmarked it vs. the aforementioned cheap computer mic, and, recording an A440 signal at the same distance and volume, it gives only 9db over silence vs. 42db with the other mic. A fresh alcaline battery was used in each test. Basically, I’m now stuck with an out-of-warranty piece of trash. Bye bye, $25 (at least it was that cheap!).
