Hollyland LARK M3 Review: A Tiny Wireless Microphone That Means Business
Hollyland LARK M3 review – By Rachel Ducker
As a content creator myself, I have learnt that half of the battle is creating the video content. You can have great shots, well-composed shots and a compelling storyline but if your audio is muffled, windy or noisy, people will turn off pretty soon.
That’s why I was curious when I had an opportunity to test the new Hollyland LARK M3 wireless microphone to see if something this tiny can actually make a difference.
Spoiler: it can.
Small, lightweight and refreshingly discreet
Wireless mics have been shrunk down a lot over the years, and LARK M3 transmitters are only about 9g each. They can even be magnetically clipped to your clothes, so that there’s no obvious clip-on mic suddenly dominating the shot.
That does. When I’m putting together a Reel, doing an interview, working a press trip, or just snapping normal family pics, I don’t want the equipment to be a part of the story.
The entire system also collapses down and fits inside its charging case, which is something I can take along to be thrown into my camera bag or handbag without the dilemma of whether or not I can be bothered to carry yet another bit of kit.
Setting up the Hollyland LARK M3
You don’t have to be a pro to begin. Up to 15 meters away in open areas, it may be used to enhance sound quality with smartphones and cameras based on the setup and device. The receiver and the transmitters are also paired with each other, providing a straightforward setup.
I have the luxury of much more flexibility here than I require for my day-to-day contents, however this makes it a lot more fascinating for journalists, interviewers and manufacturing teams.
The LARK M3 can be used with a receiver and the maximum number of transmitters to a receiver is four. This means a group of individuals can be recorded. One transmitter can also be used with multiple receivers.
That allows it to expand as you do, rather than being restricted to the typical 1 to 2 person arrangement.
But how does it actually sound?
Finally, all of those features are irrelevant if the audio isn’t great.
LARK M3 features 48kHz audio & 32bit float output and a S/N ratio of 70db and max SPL of 125dB.
Dialing down the engineering talk, the thing that struck me most was clear, precise speaking without having to try.
The benefit of 32-bit float is more flexibility in how you work with levels when you’re editing. If someone suddenly says something far louder or quieter than usual, there’s a lot more there to work with.
There is a caveat to keep in mind: 32-bit float output varies depending on which device and app you are recording with, so you should not automatically assume all phone recordings will be in 32-bit float.
Testing the AI noise cancellation
I probably found this the most fun feature.
Nobody ever records in a silent studio. There are children, cars, wind, air conditioning, people talking and about 900 other sounds that seem to happen the moment you hit record.
The LARK M3 features AI noise cancellation, that is tuned to detect and block out noises such as wind, traffic, running water and ambient noise.
It works between 10dB to 20dB reducing noise to different measures between the various preset options – there are three levels to choose from – 10dB, 15dB and 20dB.
But the crucial thing was comparing each setting to the same room noise, and it’s all too easy to hear the contrast. The other thing I like is that at least you have this option rather than having an on/off switch, as maybe there is a time when you want some ambience, and a time when you just want the sound of the room to not be there at all.
Made for modern content creation
One of the greatest strengths of the LARK M3 is that it is designed to accommodate the way that people now produce content.
Don’t assume that you are always filming through a single camera from a single position with a single person. Maybe you are filming an interview with a camera, using a smartphone, capturing social content, or two or more people simultaneously.
4-is-the-4bit-LOD 4. With support for multiple transmitters and receivers, four independent audio tracks and custom voice tuning, there’s room to upgrade to a more sophisticated setup without discarding the whole system.
Is the Hollyland LARK M3 worth it?
Personally, the fun thing about the LARK M3 is it can bring cool audio tech on the market, but doesn’t make the act of recording all that complicated.
Small, unobtrusive and portable enough to be suitable for everyday creator use, its multi-user capabilities, 32-bit float functionality and multiple tracks mean it’s also perfect for far more serious production work.
Want Superior Reels and Tik Tok sound? There’s lots of it. Shooting with multiple people, events, or in-person interviews? There’s even more you can do with it.
Most importantly, though, it has the worst and most unsexy part of creating good content: making sure folks can hear you.
And if life refuses to stop making noise, that AI noise cancellation could just be your new best button.
