Saramonic SR-TM1 Super-Cardioid Shotgun Mic Review - Basic Filmmaker Ep 198

[@RageStudios]

Saramonic it's just getting started! I got their lavalier system and the audio quality on it it's pretty awesome specially when consider the price.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

They do make great stuff for a great price. Thanks Rage!

[@maxcamman]

thanks for the comparison.I will be buying Samonic, because even though it doesnt have the low end that the comparison shows, for that price point....I'll boost it in post. Thanks

[@BasicFilmmaker]

In this day (2020 I would absolutely positively look into either Deity or Rode mics that are new. The Deity S-Mic 2s, the Rode NTG5, or, if 3.5 cable is OK, The Deity D4 Pro or the Rode VideoMic NTG. Tech as changed a LOT (as have prices).

[@360MIX]

Few things to consider.. for indoor use under controlled environment and for voice over as you have it only approx 30 inches from your mouth most microphones will capture this sound perfectly with a little (EQing in post).. but outdoor or in noisy environments the microphone might not stack up.. I noticed the people/viewers compare the sound of microphone but not take into consideration other aspects like (noise rejection, sound rejection, self-noise, and handling noise) a good test would be our door with microphone at a longer distance... at last 2 feet and then do the test.. I'll bet there will be a big difference between those two mics.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Cool. I'll check it out - I usually do these reviews as shown as most of the people watching are trying to do head shot stuff. I'll boom them both inn outdoor shooting environment and let you know.

[@360MIX]

Yes this would be great... and put them off frame not so close to the face as a normal interview would be....

[@kevinwalsh7287]

Nice job, thank you for the comparison. I would love to hear this mic compared to some other mic in it's price range. Like the 875R.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

I've been told the 875R is better, but haven't tested it.

[@ericlow6694]

Looks like a nice mic. If Saramonic wants to get really competitive they should introduce a whole blimp and shock mount package with it. Blimps are expensive and it'll be nice if there's a cheap good alternative.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

No kidding! This would be a brilliant idea.

[@RickSeigmund01]

Great review, just ordered one from Amazon using your link. Was about to order the Rode NTG-2. This review changed my mind!

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Thanks Rick. Don't forget to record the sound into a recorder - I don't know how this mic will hold up (or any for that matter) plugged into a DSLR. :)

[@RickSeigmund01]

Tin fur. In my office I'll be running this through my mixer into a Roland R-05. Looking to get a Zoom for future off site use. Love the channel, I'm learning a lot and thoroughly entertained!

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Thanks Rick!

[@franciscoaguilar9323]

Hi, good review, but noticed some ground noise when changed to Saramomic, and also the sound of the Rode is better (more warm sound). Maybe that is the pricing difference.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

For sure a pricing difference. The Rode will kill most other lower cost mics.

[@VicTilling]

Very good product. Great show as usual. However I would like to see a Curtis Judd review on the mic

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Thanks Vic - me too.

[@johnjackson8902]

The Saramonic is really nice. I prefer it over to the sound of the NTG3, which I think has a tad too much bass here.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Yep. These kind of differ depending on the person.

[@antoineinniss5586]

Honestly sir, what does this mic sound like, without the editing and processing in post......an honest microphone test, is done raw, straight from the box ... most mic reviews on KZbin are done in treated spaces and the audio is processed and edited in post ,before it's uploaded on KZbin ... it will sound good here , which in turn, will fool the viewer , on to thinking that the mic actually sounds awesome , until it's purchased , only to realize , that the test and review were misleading .... So , what does this saramonic shot gun really sound like sir?....thank you

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Did you not watch this? It says on the left hand side when it's raw straight out of the mic.

[@antoineinniss5586]

@@BasicFilmmaker I asked, not to knock your tests and reviews sir, but to find out the true sound of that mic, before processing and editing in post... I viewed two other ''tests and reviews'' of the said mic, along with yours... funny thing is, there was hissing, coming from the audio of the other two reviews , but not yours. One of the guys apologized for the hissing. So sir, that's what led me to question the true audio identity of the tm1. My question to you sir is, would you recommend that I purchase this mic for indoor dialogue ?

[@BasicFilmmaker]

I misunderstood, I took no offense, making sure you watched. If I were going to buy a shotgun mic in 2019, I would buy one of these these in order of price from highest to lowest. All are VERY good: Rode NTG-3 Shotgun Mic: amzn.to/2GY9cPO bhpho.to/2HxxL75 Deity SMIC-2 Shotgun Mic: amzn.to/2WkjJzS bhpho.to/2OqwGkf bit.ly/DeitySMIC2Adorama Deity V-Mic D3 Pro Shotgun Mic: amzn.to/2VLUQ0c bhpho.to/2MVMonu bit.ly/DeityVmicD3PROAdorama

[@antoineinniss5586]

@@BasicFilmmaker Can I ask if the saramonic is noisy ...I really wanna buy one, but I need to know before hand, if it's noisy, because it didn't sound noisy here in your tests...and to add, I'm on a budget for now , so I can't spend on a high end mic...Can you recommend a reasonably priced , but an acceptable performing mic, that I can purchase for voice over ?.....thank yoi

[@BasicFilmmaker]

For voiceover? Get a dynamic mic, like this one: amzn.to/307eVMs NOTE: I haven't used this one so don't know how good it is. Shop around. For voiceovers I use this: amzn.to/2LyC8Dd

[@AmritVatsa]

Thanks for this review / comparison. It would be interesting to find out, how usable is the internal phantom power (and how it affects the sound quality). Could you give that a shot when you have time? I use a NTG2 (which has internal phantom power possible too - but doesn't work if I have to feed directly to my DSLR). I use a Tascam DR 70D to phantom power my Rode NTG2 and then after lowering the DSLR's gain to it's minimum, directly feed the Tascam out to my DSLR. The audio (synced with video) that I get this way, sounds amazing (almost as good as the audio that gets recorded on Tascam). But well, all this adds weight to my setup and it would be awesome if a shotgun microphone like NTG2 (or this Saramonic that you have reviewed) could power itself, powerfully enough to be directly fed to a DSLR (set on lowest gain).

[@BasicFilmmaker]

OK, I'll check it out. I think I turned off phantom power to this mic and saw no difference, but I'm not sure so I'll have to try it again. Thanks!

[@WORTHITORNOT]

Nice, IMO, the Saramonic has a bit more "crispness" in the high frequency range, which I kind of like over the RODE as in this comparison the Rode seems a bit more low end muffled. But with saying all that, the Saramonic seems to have a bit of a low freq noise floor hum that I noticed. Just my .02 but then it late and I need coffee. :-)

[@BasicFilmmaker]

True story. There is a switch to take away the low frequency rumble on the mic, I didn't test it out.

[@DavidRFIT]

Always spot on, kind sir. This thing is pretty nice for its price. Too bad they're pretty hard to find around here (Italy).

[@BasicFilmmaker]

I agree. I was planning on getting a few more NTG-3's, but now I can get three of the Saramonic models for the same price and still have $100 left over.

[@WandaWong11]

Hi David, please try to contact RaMaidea.it and they almost have all the Saramonic microphones and adapters ;)

[@DavidRFIT]

Wanda Wong That's cool to know, thanks.

[@iskendersisman]

It looks Rode gives more bass sound but i am not sure do you need it so much. There is another cheap option takstar sgc 578 too(around 60usd) spesifications looks like saramonic , if you would compare between them I would appreciate

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Thanks. Dont have that one, and since I dont need it, well... :)

[@scottlamp3097]

To me, the sound from the SR-TM1 would be classified "good enough for most" it's not as detailed, and sounds a little thin especially compared to the NTG-3. It sounds like the NTG-3 is getting a little low end boost from "proximity effect" or something. The Saramonic mic might mix better with some lavs than the Rode... another video idea BFM?

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Thanks Scott, yes. I think with very little EQ added that Saramonic could easily rival the NTG-3.

[@HAwk-bl7wc]

It would have been so nice if you ( and many other reviewers here) would just be silence for ten seconds to judge the difference in hiss/noise between the devices used..... Obviously 'silence' is not valued as much as background music and all this talking. But that is wrong ofcourse: when judging sound equipment you need to know how it sounds like when there is no sound present....

[@BasicFilmmaker]

True that. Good advice.

[@Q2k]

With some tiny eq you would get really really close to røde mic sound, just tested it with using your audio from this video. So 500 extra for no EQ needed on mic :) I own a Røde Vidmic Pro do you have comparison with videomic pro and the NTG-3. Would like to create a EQ preset to make it sound as close to NTG-3. :)

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Hey there! I haven't done a comparison between the Videomic Pro and NTG-3, just never thought that was fair, but I see what you mean - take the raw sound and see if you can create a preset that nearly matches the NTG-3, and is in fact a great idea. I make a video on this, thank you.

[@Q2k]

Your welcome sir. And thank YOU for your time and effort to make these Awesome videos. They are truly valuable for the great tips and information on making any type of videos.

[@TomasVillegas]

I may have a defective unit, as when the battery is completely depleted 48V phantom power does not power this mic. Mine has to have juice to work.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

I do love not using batteries - monitors, mics, recorders, cameras, lights, arrrgh. If I'm indoors, I have adapters and plug everything in. Did I mention I hate batteries? :)

[@irondrumwork09]

I might have to cope this joint. THANKS, BF OG triple OG!!!

[@BasicFilmmaker]

LOL! Thanks!

[@diazfilms]

I use the NTG-2 for short films. I'm interested in the NTG-3. Would you say this Saramonic is better than the NTG-2 for what I use it for? Thanks Mr. Basic Filmmaker🍻

[@BasicFilmmaker]

I really don't know if the Saramonic would e better than the NTG-2, but I'd have to say, if I was trying to save money, I would buy 3 of the Saramonics over the NTG-3.

[@jeffkaplan5987]

Thank you for your video -- viewers from China

[@jeffkaplan5987]

The microphone I use is also NTG2. I wonder if you have changed it.

[@TheFilmLook]

For $200 it seems like a steal! Do you know how long it takes to fully charge?

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Actually, I don't know. I'll check it out and let you know.

[@antoineinniss5586]

Do you have any shotgun microphone that you won't mind selling, that has a nice warm sound for internal dialogue ?

[@BasicFilmmaker]

I have a ton of mics, but I only recommend three I have and I am not willing to sell. The PITA of selling and shipping the other ones (that I DON'T recommend) far outweighs the time involved. As I said in my other comment, for the money, I recommend this: amzn.to/304ltez

[@IslandFilmMaker]

That sounds great raw! I know it's KZbin but it seems there's very little difference in these 2 mics!! 150 hrs... plus low noise and gain control, really? Wow that's a big bang for your buck at almost 3 for the price of one RODE!!! I'm in... which leaves me enough to save for your Basic Filmmaker University.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

LOL! Thanks. I do like this mic a lot, but remember, I'm running this into a separate recorder - I take no responsibility for someone running this into their crappy DSLR. Just sayin'. :)

[@IslandFilmMaker]

Agreed 😊

[@AnaloguePhoto]

Sounds like the Saramonic comes with a low frequency rumble, where as the Rode mic is quiet.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

A little bit, but easily corrected in post of using one of the on-mic filters.

[@AnaloguePhoto]

That's true Basic Filmmaker.

[@BicaSimion]

They sound identical, if you would show from what mic the sound comes I would't notice. As an indie wannabe filmmaker I think what it matters the is to DON'T PLUG your mic into the DSLR camera and you get the sound you want. I'm using an Rode Videomic GO its like $100 and I record with my old lazy ass phone with a good recording app and it gets the shit done...the hard part is to find someone to hold your mic, lol. I hope there's some sense...

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Made sense, and for sure, stay away from recording into the DSLR.

[@mbaksa]

They sound considerably different. Saramonic has less low and high end, so it sounds less beefy and less bright, less detailed at the same time. Also sounds more nazal. The difference in price might not reflect the difference in quality, but Rode NTG-3 is on another level quality wise.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Absolutely. $700 gets you $700 of Rode awesomeness in the NTG-3.

[@antoineinniss5586]

sir, what I find strange, is, I have viewed other tests and reviews of this saramonic TM1 shotgun microphone, here on youtube and they were all noisy audio coming from the mic...but here in your review, I'm not hearing noise. why is that?...you did state that no post processing was done and that the audio is raw...can you explain?

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Antoine, it’s been years since I made this video, and if I were looking at purchasing a mic in 2019, this would not be my choice. Many better mics have come since. If you would like a recommendation, let me know.

[@antoineinniss5586]

@@BasicFilmmaker yes sir, I would like some recommendations..but please understand, that I'm a newbie to the voice over craft and I'm looking to acquire a shotgun microphone and an audio interface , that's very affordable , but can.offer acceptable sound quality until I can afford to purchase a rode ntg3 and a high end interface .... thank you...but is that saramonic a hissy/noisy microphone?

[@BasicFilmmaker]

I do not remember. For the same price you can get this: bhpho.to/2MVMonu

[@antoineinniss5586]

when you first got the saramonic sr nv-5 (the red color microphone), was it a noisy mic...did it pick pop a lot of noises...was it thin sounding, sibilant, or full?

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Antoine, it’s been years since I made this video, and if I were looking at purchasing a mic in 2019, this would not be my choice. Many better mics have come since. If you would like a recommendation, let me know.

[@acewright]

Is it just me or did you never reach a conclusion? I like the lower cost of the new one.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

I did - read the slide in conclusions at 5:50 in the video. I like the mic too!

[@diazfilms]

wow! great product!

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Thanks!

[@Masterctube]

Sounds great but sadly not available for us in the UK

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Huh? I just checked in UK and it's available: www.amazon.co.uk/Saramonic-Professional-Super-Cardioid-Microphone-Camcorders/dp/B01KZPZFWW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474242114&sr=8-1&keywords=Saramonic%2BSR-TM1&th=1

[@Masterctube]

ohh wow i do not know how i missed that. Thank You

[@BasicFilmmaker]

No problem. The first time I checked, it was a different mic, then I saw all those clickable options for them.

[@robbyboyo]

Nice test.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Thanks Robby!

[@aaronwoodallphotography2280]

The Saramonic sounds light, like your voice is not as deep. i personally like the Rode much better.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Me too, but since it's so close, and very small amount of EQ could make these sound the same and it's $200 vs $700.

[@fadetounforgiven]

Super-Cardioid... that means you may use it in the gym to stay healthy? (Sorry, it's a bit after midnight here and my brain can't think of anything better than that. Not that it usually can, but I have an excuse now....)

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Just touching it makes you super healthy. The mic.

[@fadetounforgiven]

ah, the mic. That explains a lot.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Ba-da-bomp! :)

[@pierremytube]

Apparently you can connect the SR-TM1 on the TX-XLR9 Plug-on XLR Transmitter with the UWMIC9 Digital UHF Wireless Microphone System (picture) and you transform this shotgun into an interview handheld microphone. Did anybody try that? Not too noisy? cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0945/2678/products/81f92xRMJKL._SL1500_1024x1024.jpg?v=1529689183

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Yes you can. Haven’t tried it with this mic, but others sound fine.

[@Cactustone]

The Saramonic is significantly less clear. Is has a very muffled, woolly sound.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Yep. And extra $500 gets you better sound. :)

[@yudela1]

Basic Filmmaker Yeaaaaaaaah. Oooooonly $500. Thaaaaaaat's nothing!