Usi Pro Microphones by LOM

[@markjonua3770]

Hi Ollie Loops! Just wanted to say that the name Uši might be pronounced as [oo-shie] in Slovak as well as in some other Slavic languages including mine (Russian), and it simply means “ears” ;) Thank you for your videos, I always appreciate it!

[@OllieLoops]

Thank you! Wonderful info. Thanks for sharing.

[@Sonoquilibrium]

Slovenian USI is spoken as is written and it's funny, USI in Slovene language it means "aphids", while ears are translaed as "ušesa".

[@bestvideos4ever1]

@Sonoquilibrium oh, realy you smart *. thats why the brand called USI [oo-shie] and not "usesa". aphids ofcause that have alot to do with sound and ears ! Very smart. !😂

[@rhalfik]

works in Polish too

[@europeanambience]

Nice one. Greetings from Germany. I use the Micbooster clippy em272 matched stereo pair with the zoom f3 32bit float for my binaural recordings. Basically they are the same mics (primo em272 capsules)

[@OllieLoops]

Thanks! Good info, thanks for sharing.

[@christophermacgregor3668]

I am in Australia. I am looking forward to being able to purchase a pair of these microphones as soon as they are available again. Stay safe and well everyone. Regards CMac

[@christophermacgregor3668]

PS. I wish had already purchased a pair to record the world during these more nature sounding times.

[@Nekubi]

They are available today again at LOM website! :)

[@Joachimton]

Thanks for the video! But!!! Why didn't any of you audio enthusiasts notice that the file is consistently mono? There is not a single second in stereo! I think something went wrong.

[@OllieLoops]

Thanks for you comment. That has come up before, if I were to do this video over, I would get 3-4’ of separation for the mics. I think that would help the stereo image.

[@Joachimton]

@@OllieLoops Ok, I didn’t see that in the Comments. It doesn't make sense to angle omni directional microphones, and the distance between the microphones doesn't do much either, unless there is something in between, like a dummy head. But, I've now downloaded the audio file and looked closely. The left and right channels are absolutely identical and not even delayed in time. That isn´t possible and leads me to suspect that something went wrong while editing.

[@OllieLoops]

Thanks for your careful analysis. Although I’m only human and there could be an issue that occurred during editing, I’m confident that the issue is the lack of spacing of the mics. Yes, baffling the mics would help. But the larger the sound source, the further the Omni mics should be apart. Thus, everything recorded in nature during this video could have benefitted from physical separation. Some people suggest up to 12 feet apart. When I did follow up research and testing, I noticed that the mics performed better once they were at least 3’ apart. Lastly, I haven’t tested it directly, but I know that audio is heavily processed when you uploaded to KZbin. I’m not sure if that includes summing to mono, but heavy compression does occur.

[@bullhead242]

Excellent video! Lots of helpful overall info, with personal use info/ details that is applicable to total newcomers, or those with some knowledge looking for specifics. Thanks for making it! 🙌

[@OllieLoops]

Thanks, glad it helped.

[@lelandbobpalmer]

Thanks for the video! What a tiny and wonderful sounding piano at 3:25 (and the player also)!!

[@OllieLoops]

Thanks!

[@quedecree]

These are outstanding value for money mics. I get good stereo separation around 30cm apart or from using a baffle. It might be also worth mentioning that you can buy the stereo minijack cable for these mics and they will work with recorders that only have the stereo mini jack in and plug in power. They work excellently with my Zoom H2N as well as my Mixpre 3.

[@OllieLoops]

quedecree thanks for your comment. So with the mini jack cable, they will work without phantom power correct? Thanks for the info.

[@quedecree]

@@OllieLoops Yes, providing your recorder has pip (plug in power) available. I believe all the usual contenders - Zoom/Sony/Tascam have this. If I've got this right, the Lom's are designed to run from a smaller pip voltage. In the 'Pro' version with the XLR jacks, there is circuitry in the XLR jack to reduce the phantom power voltage - so you cannot use a third party XLR cable. Using the XLR inputs on my Mixpre 3 gives a very small increase in quality over using the stereo jack input - but you only really notice if you're critically listening to the two recordings back to back. There's a nice recording of Wattlebirds squawking and flying around the mics on my Soundcloud channel with a photo of the setup.

[@OllieLoops]

@@quedecree Thanks for that info. I would assume that the increased gain of a phantom power enabled XLR input would provide more sensitivity and gain to the mic than a plug in power method. This may be a strategy for situations where delicate recordings are not the objective such as dialog or general sound recording. But it's nice to know the mics could be used either way.

[@BeMeCam]

I did another listen... then grabbed the file. There is no stereo difference at all in this video. It has two channels of audio, but they are essentially the same, a goniometer shows but a vertical line. How did you edit and compile this video, what editing software did you use? Maybe it got summed to mono (even with two channels) on export / render. BTW: I received my Usi Pro pair yesterday, and have already made some recordings with it. Even if there is no shadow between the two microphones, if you have them set apart, there should be a time difference present in the recordings. And I do get that when recording ambiences. It just seems to have gotten lost in this video for some reason.

[@OllieLoops]

Thanks for your comment and thorough research. I don’t want to be on trial here. I’m pretty sure everything was fine except there wasn’t enough physical separation in the mics. The mic’s pick up pattern is large and having them 4-5 inches apart is not enough. The recording went straight into premiere without editing. The video’s rendering was in stereo. I don’t believe YT sums up to mono but I’ve seen some odd things with other videos due to their compression. I did a test after this video where the mics where 3’ apart and there was decent stereo separation in the mix. Enjoy your USIs.

[@BeMeCam]

@@OllieLoops You could put a baffle between the two microphones (a specific type of this is called a Jecklin disc), which puts a sonic shadow between the two mics, eliminating or reducing crosstalk. This should introduce a nice stereo difference, even if the mics are only 10 cm apart (which only makes a 0.29 ms phase difference - that should be noticeable in a goniometer though), and omni (so they don't reject off-axis). Corrugated cardboard is a cheap and easily available material for this.

[@BeMeCam]

​@@OllieLoops I sure am enjoying my Usi Pro pair and I didn't mean to put you on trial or anything, I just got curious: if the distance between the mics is that small, does it really not give any stereo difference? I tried it in a DAW: I ran a mono sound and delayed the right channel by 0.3 milliseconds (which is what mics 4 inches apart gives you). The audible difference is small (a Haas delay), but it's quite visible on the goniometer, definitely not a vertical line. So... something has indeed happened during the rendering / output / editing / conversion / upload of that video, that has downright eliminated the stereo difference. I'd be curious to give your original ambience recording wavs (or at least short cuts of them) a listen, just to see how their stereo image is.

[@TheValibuck]

am i loosing my mind or all those ambiences are MONO ?

[@OllieLoops]

Interesting. It was in stereo before it was uploaded to KZbin. I wonder if it's being converted to mono in the process. I'll have to research this further.

[@dar2dar2]

I think it's due to the ortf setting which is great with cardioids microphones but not so with omnidirectional ones. Moreover as the Usi pro is very sensitive you have to space them at least one meter from each others, or at least have some sound masking surface between them to have a good stereo field (advices from an Usi lover ;) )

[@OllieLoops]

@@dar2dar2 Thanks, thats great info.

[@TheValibuck]

Yeah it could be that, but i have actually measured the audio and there is literally none difference between left and right channel so I really thing it has been somehow converted into mono during some video processing

[@linelevelmedia7357]

Really excellent review, exactly what I was looking for. Thanks so much!

[@OllieLoops]

Glad it was helpful!

[@zigzager]

Hello Ollie. Nice video! Watched it till the end and noticed a nice tripod with a magic arm. What are these? Cannot recognise the model from the stills.

[@niki2386]

Wow- great tip! Souding really good for incredible price! And: thanx for loads of really nice ambis! going straight to my library ;) keep on good work, stay healthy, grreetings from germany.

[@OllieLoops]

Thanks! Stay healthy.

[@nacs]

Love the video footage. It's like a post-apocalyptic movie out there :D Stay safe!

[@OllieLoops]

Thanks! Stay safe!

[@LPRod95]

@@OllieLoops What camera do you use?

[@kenwest00]

Awesome review! Since these mics are so difficult to get, I was wondering if anyone knew of a comparable set of mics. Any suggestions?

[@OllieLoops]

Thanks! I’m not sure of any comparable mics.

[@harshsingh6692]

Micbooster Clippy em272 ?

[@ourlinkzrelaxingmusic1219]

Thanks for recommending these excellent mics which is also value for money especially during this difficult times. Unfortunately it is sold out till October 20, probably supply chain disruptions in play.

[@NihilNovi]

Their whole product range is heavily sought after. I just have successfully managed to acquire the Geofon from LOM after the 4th attempt. It sold out in 3 minutes! It is worth to sign up for their newsletter as they usually announce a restock 2 days in advance. You still have to be quick tho.

[@BeMeCam]

The ambiences sound quite mono... did the recorder M/S matrix them maybe? Maybe a Jecklin disk could help getting a bit more stereo separation.

[@OllieLoops]

Due to the proximity of these omnidirectional mics, there was a lack of separation in the stereo field. It would have been better to get the mics apart 3’ or more. A Jecklin disk could have helped as well.

[@BeMeCam]

@@OllieLoops Yeah - it would have made the capture from the omni mics a bit more 'directional' - omnis can't be used like an XY pair, and if you place them apart you only get stereo as time difference between left and right. The Jecklin disk will help introduce some occlusive volume difference between the sides. I just ordered a pair of Usi Pro mics, I'll try something like that when I get them.

[@nicholasburrage1853]

This video convinced me to purchase the Usi Pro, so thank you for that. May I ask which tripod you're using near the end during the beach shot?

[@OllieLoops]

Thanks! The tripod is a MeFoto Roundtrip in Aluminum. They also have a carbon fiber version. Enjoy your new Usi Pros! I think you'll like them.

[@BaroudeurAventure]

I'm not convinced that uzi pro are really more sensitive than other basic mic, I mean the white noize is so loud that it seems to me I could get the same result with a rode videomicro. I would be interested in a comparison between Lom Uzi pro and Rode MP5 or NT5. What is the signal to noize ratio of the Uzi pro?

[@devtank]

Another Seattlite! I got my Usi's yesterday!

[@OllieLoops]

Awesome! Enjoy those mics!

[@camielpovel6290]

Hi! I'm having some trouble understanding why they need to be in a 90 degree pattern since they are omnidirectional. That's the ORTF, not AB right? Or is it to get the least amount of reflections from the mic itself?

[@OllieLoops]

In my experiments, they can be 90 or even ideally 180 degrees apart. But another important factor is how far they are apart. If I were to redo this video, I would have them at least 3 feet apart and facing 180 degrees apart.

[@camielpovel6290]

@@OllieLoops Thanks for the reply! I do get the spacing between the mics, but not the angle since they are omni. Was there an audible difference between angled vs non angled? I'd love to hear the results :)

[@OllieLoops]

It’s a good point. Traditionally and ideally these recording techniques use cardioid mics. In using Omni mics, you don’t get the same effect or quality. In which case, you have to improvise. Distance and separation is likely to yield the best results. I may experiment with further recordings in the future. Thanks for your comments.

[@IsiahKendall]

Awesome video! what mount are you using 9:39 (for the Usi mics) that is attached to your tri-pod?

[@OllieLoops]

Thanks! The mount is what is sometimes called a magic arm with a clamp. You twist a knob tight and it will hold that position. Loosen the knob and it can be posed. www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1332409-REG/pluto_magic_arm.html/?ap=y&gbraid=0AAAAAD7yMh14_t5ieTJO5GSk5KjV93eQX&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4IjAgKiy_wIVogKtBh0V2Q-wEAQYByABEgLFNPD_BwE&lsft=BI%3A514&smp=y&smpm=ba_f2_lar

[@IsiahKendall]

@@OllieLoops Thank you so much!

[@GuilleFunes_]

Thanks for the amazing review. Where did you get the little windscreens? Nice sounds

[@OllieLoops]

Thanks! They are from Amazon, they are a brand called Movo.

[@studiotime6671]

@@OllieLoops Any chance you could provide a link or model #?

[@OllieLoops]

@@studiotime6671 store.lom.audio/products/usi-pro?variant=4542168039456

[@tasteapiana]

I'm interested in what the audio from these clips would be like with the phase flipped on one side then panned 50-L/50-R. I've never heard locations sound this heavy 100-500hz with a m/s set up. It seems a lot of low mid information is being doubled L+R that shouldn't be.

[@tasteapiana]

These are omni mics, granted, but they are still frequency directional - ie anything below 500hz is effectively omni but most above 2.5k is cardioid, over 8k is pretty much hyper cardioid. Since there are no in-depth graphs plotting the response patterns (or sensitivities) at set frequencies I would like to know where frequencies begin to stack in such a close x/y. Using these with a dummy head or even aside a thick rubber partition might greatly diminish the increase in low mids.

[@tasteapiana]

I've been to many locations nearly identical to those in this video and my ears never boosted the diesel engines of boats or buses from 1,000ft away to that over the flapping or bird wings only 20ft away. That's the mics doing that. They sound great, not knocking them, but this is not how to use them.

[@OllieLoops]

Thanks for your detailed comments.

[@markorodokopljev9224]

Hi, Are the tascam and usi connected to a device you're recording the video with? I'm trying to connect my tascam with my android phone and I don't know if it's possible to get it done...

[@OllieLoops]

The tascam was not connected to the camera. The audio was sync’d in post. I’m not sure how to connect the recorder with a tascam, but you could use a usb audio interface.

[@carlpasha]

Hi. Just discovered your channel from Reddit Field Recording, now subscribed, and bingeing on your videos! I see an older Tascam DR-100 MkII in this video... Is there any chance of your getting hold of the MkIII and putting it through its paces? There's relatively little in-depth information about the MkIII except for one KZbin poster who put up a comprehensive features and usage video. The pre-amps of the MkIII are supposed to be SO much better than those of the previous 2 iterations and I, and I'm sure quite a few others, would be very interested to see a comparison done PROPERLY. Many thanks, keep up the good work, and stay safe!

[@OllieLoops]

Thanks! I got the Mkii and about a month later the mkiii came out. I should have swapped it, but I was outside the exchange period. At any rate, yes the mkiii is supposed to have better preamps. And has a better screen. If you were considering it, I would recommend getting the mkiii over the mkii. Although I would love to review the mkiii, the channel is self financed and I have the MixPre6 which I am extremely happy with. I would also recommend checking out a MixPre3. You might be able to get a used mki MixPre, which would be a good investment. I hope that helps.

[@carlpasha]

@@OllieLoops Thanks for that. much appreciated.

[@nonlimitmusic]

Hey Ollie, Great Videos all time! I've gotten my Deluge just yesterday. Do you think, the Usi (not Pro) are as good as the pro version and working good directly with the Deluge?

[@OllieLoops]

Hey, Thanks for your comment. I haven't tried the Usi (not pro), so I can't speak to that comparison. Additionally, the mic on the Deluge is quite good and it's similar in performance to the Usi Pro, just mono. I hope that helps.

[@nonlimitmusic]

@@OllieLoops That helps alot! Thank you very much!

[@OllieLoops]

@@nonlimitmusic No problem.

[@zigzager]

@@OllieLoops Usi and Usi Pro are the same capsules. The only difference is that Pro version comes with XLR and Usi uses standard mini Jack plug.

[@VFXManiac]

The sound is very sharp and digital in my opinion. I think quality dynamic microphones would give a much better and more natural feeling.

[@OllieLoops]

Thanks. I wonder if that has anything to do with the compression on YT.

[@VFXManiac]

@@OllieLoops YT compression can also destroy sound a lot. But also the picture, unfortunately :)

[@bolttracks]

If world renowned globe trotting field recordist Thomas Rex Beverly swears by them I’m not gonna argue with that

[@sladelellock]

Hi Ollie Loops. Can you please tell me exactly how you modified that drawing triangle?

[@OllieLoops]

Thanks for your question. I think all I did was drill a hole at the bottom center of the triangle, to allow for a 1/4” - 20 screw. That allows it to be installed on a tripod.

[@OdjoAdja]

thanks for sharing the test, but hear constant rumbling sound in the background maybe need to set the gain or perhaps the mic not really match with the preamp of the recorder, just guessing or maybe no rumblings..😊

[@OllieLoops]

I’m not sure. They have a wide range. So it would pick up the low frequency. The preamp is really good, so I don’t think it’s that. I’m not sure what that would be other than atmospheric noise.

[@OdjoAdja]

maybe the microphone is quite sensitive, need special treatment for outdor ambient recording but for indoor use with quiet enough as in the beginning video the mic performance is great..

[@jochisfx]

Hey what are the windjammers you are using called?

[@OllieLoops]

I’m not sure the exact model. But I remember the brand is Mojo. I got them off Amazon. I put a link in another comment.

[@MUVMNT]

Great video! Thanks!.. What is the name of the windjammers you mentioned?

[@OllieLoops]

They are Movo. I can't remember the exact model. But they are relatively cheap, like 5 for $10. They seem to work fine.

[@CariSuasana]

@@OllieLoops i believe it's Movo WS-RD10

[@OllieLoops]

@@CariSuasana That looks right. Thanks for the info.

[@bulb74]

Did you try to connect these Usi Pro microphone directly to the MPC Live line entries, what's the gain available then? since it's Phantom powered but the MPC Live I and II doesn't have any Phantom power included, will it work anyway?

[@OllieLoops]

Thanks for your question. It won’t work without phantom power. But, if you have an external mic preamp with phantom power, you can then run that into the MPC.

[@bulb74]

@@OllieLoops Thanks for the reply. That's what I thought. Too bad the MPC Live I/II and One don't have an hybrid jack/XLR mic input with Phantom power like the X thought. Did you try some USB powered Mic like the Shure MV7? I'm curious. The best microphone I've tried with batterypowered was the Sennheiser ME64 + the battery module K6. I was able to get some decent gain without a preamp but the price of both module was like around $400! Mmh…

[@Ryezn5057]

Would this be good as a lav mic? The low self noise is desirable

[@OllieLoops]

Thanks for your question. So these mics are a bit large compared to a typical lav. Lom makes the MicroUsi and MicroUcho which are much smaller. Additionally, you may be able to use them as lav mics, but keep in mind they are very sensitive and they can pick up sound from a distance.

[@juanofrbucketliz4176]

9:38 Hi I love this setup

[@kosmikmusa]

Is that compression coming from youtube?

[@OllieLoops]

Yes, all videos and their audio are reprocessed when they are uploaded.

[@va941]

Is there are difference between the Usi pro and mikrousi pro except the size?...might be a question stupido but cant find the info on my own 🙃

[@OllieLoops]

Yes, they are technically different mic capsules with slightly different specs. The Usi Pros have lower self noise and higher SPL sensitivity. Check out their specs for more info.

[@va941]

@@OllieLoops I thought as much but good to hear. Thanks for the reply!

[@Antoniofbsa]

Cmon I'm craving this!

[@frequencyfading6253]

What are you using on the mics for a windscreen?

[@OllieLoops]

These are some inexpensive Movo windscreens. I recall them being $20 for 5. I don’t recall what size.

[@frequencyfading6253]

@@OllieLoops are you happy with them?

[@divinolariosa5654]

I love this mic

[@lucassolorzano5657]

Sold out :( any other microphones you would compare to these at the same price range?

[@OllieLoops]

I’m not sure what other mics are comparable. Regarding LOM, I would recommend getting on they email stock list for their mic. They’re handmade in small batches. So their stock does fluctuate, but I think they’re worth the wait.

[@icecorebaby]

@@OllieLoops micro booster clippy em272 are just as good.

[@OllieLoops]

@@icecorebaby Thanks for the info!

[@SceneArtisan]

What microphone options do I have if I wanted to just LISTEN to ambient audio and ONLY wanted to use a USB connection and no amplifier?

[@OllieLoops]

Do you mean with a computer or with a phone? Check out the shure mv88 and mv88plus.

[@SceneArtisan]

@@OllieLoops Sorry, I'm completely new to these notions,.. hm,. via PC, (Windows 11) over 30ft of USB powered extension cables.

[@OllieLoops]

@@SceneArtisan no problem. Check out the Shure MV88plus. That could work for you.

[@SceneArtisan]

​@@OllieLoops Thanks Ollie. 👍🏽 The mic's not particularly cheap, but nor is it expensive (in terms of quality audio hardware, I mean). The mic is good for passively listening (think: ASMR) to wind, rain, thunder, trees, birds etc? It'd be fitted on the exterior wall under a pretty small eave and wouldn't get wet - I had a cheap-ass Logitech webcam out there for several years, no issues except for awful image quality and dreadful audio). You think the Shure would be a good replacement/upgrade (for audio, obviously)?

[@SceneArtisan]

I can only find videos about it and they only mention Apple iOS (or iPhone),. nothing to do with Windows PC.

[@jarrahdrum]

Subscribed, thank you 🙏

[@OllieLoops]

Thanks.

[@roentv8464]

Ang gnda ng klase pla yan microphone nyan..

[@OllieLoops]

Thanks for your comment. I don't understand your comment however.

[@pangrawit1]

Sorry for a silly question, but what city is this?

[@OllieLoops]

Seattle

[@Kloketenproducciones]

I want to buy it, but I can't find any ! :(

[@OllieLoops]

Yeah, they sell out instantly. I would recommend getting their email list, they announce in advance when they go on sale.

[@thewiddler1746]

stereo pair but all the recording examples are in mono

[@OllieLoops]

Yes. I learned later that my editing software sums stereo audio tracks to mono. Sorry about any confusion.

[@itsoundsgoodfr]

Beautiful !

[@OllieLoops]

Thanks.

[@francejhenricktemina5975]

Wow love to have this

[@Promikes]

What recorder did you use to capture it?

[@OllieLoops]

Sound Devices MixPre 6 ii

[@sonicmaniacs]

Amazing stereo)

[@OllieLoops]

Thanks.

[@philippeheritier9364]

It looks that I have mono sound

[@OllieLoops]

Negative. The mics did not that enough separation. Ideally it would have been about 3’ apart.

[@rolardnb]

I use this mikes with mix pre 3

[@OllieLoops]

Nice! How do you like that set up?

[@rolardnb]

Ollie Loops , it’s great minimalistic setup for capture ambience, you can attach mics to the shoulder straps of the backpack for stealthy recording :-)

[@OllieLoops]

@@rolardnb Nice, I've heard about that technique. I'll have to try it sometime.

[@megaanne]

This is dope.

[@OllieLoops]

Thanks!

[@shanalaedrnl4115]

What a cool vid 👍👌🌝

[@OllieLoops]

Thanks.

[@takkyutube]

All microphones sold out meh...

[@SkeleMusic]

They just refilled! Subscribe to their mailing list, they email when they release new preorders like they just did

[@tony_d]

These are pronounced 'oo-sh-i' pros. Not 'oo-z-i' pros.

[@OllieLoops]

Thanks for clarifying.

[@jamesaloyisius6210]

yeah... great if you can find them.

[@OllieLoops]

They can be hard to get.