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If you want something that is high quality, look elsewhere. It's an okay sounding microphone for an okay price (actually i think if they lowered the price to 14.99 or 19.99, people might complain less.)
The quality not bad enough for me to get a ModMic while the MD Minimic it's still working, but if and when it breaks, I wouldn't buy another to replace it.
Massdrop Minimic
01 / 09
Massdrop Minimic
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Product Description
Modular microphones have become popular in recent years for a few reasons. For one, they allow you to use your audiophile headphones as a gaming headset, making the transition from music to in-game sounds as smooth as possible Read More
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keyboard_arrow_downYanboWu
8490
Collaborations
Jun 1, 2017
Hey Everyone,
Thanks for your interest in this product! Many of us at Massdrop are audiophiles who game. Speaking from experience, it feels pretty silly to invest in a great headphone system and use a gaming headset out of the necessity to communicate.
In recent years, a couple companies have delivered solutions to this problem but in our experience, testing, and discussion analysis, we found major drawbacks in every solution. Mic quality sounded like a phone conversation, so passable, but it could be better. The positioning solutions aren’t as flexible as they could be. The booms are made of materials that are too stiff to smoothly adjust while attached. These are all small details that together make a big difference in the quality of your experience.
When we embarked on the Minimic project last fall, the community mandate was clear: Create an affordable microphone solution that addressed the problems of fidelity, usability, and durability. After months of iteration, we arrived at the Minimic. Here are some of the features we’re most excited about:
Fidelity For the microphone capsule, we tested several and went with the one we felt provided the best mixture of quality and isolation. Here are two recordings we did, one is the Minimic, one is the Modmic 4, take a listen and tell us what you think:
Minimic: https://soundcloud.com/user-982825557/massdrop-mini-mic-sound-test ModMic 4: https://soundcloud.com/user-982825557/comparable-mic
Additionally, it’s worth noting that both these recordings were taken with music playing at moderate volume on speakers about 10ft from the microphone, both capsules isolated the noise well.
Usability Instead of using a plastic housing over a metal frame for the boom arm, we went with an aluminum solution with no plastic sheath. Putting a plastic housing around a metal frame, (in our testing) meant the metal frame had to be more stiff to account for the plastic flexing back to its initial shape. You want a stiff boom arm so the microphone stays in the position you set, but if it’s too stiff, you won’t be able to adjust it while attached to your headset. It’s a question of the fastener strength vs the stiffness of the boom vs the necessary stiffness of the boom to keep the microphone optimally positioned. By skipping the plastic housing and utilizing an aluminum frame, we’ve struck the optimal balance of stiffness to maintain the desired position, while allowing for adjustment without breaking the attachment to the headset.
The fastening mechanism is another critical point to discuss around usability. We wanted a solution that would hold the mic firmly in place, but still allow for a variety of mounting positions and flexibility of angle once attached. After reviewing magnetic solutions, and traditional velcro solutions, we found a great product by 3M called “Dual Lock”. It’s a special kind of velcro that uses hard plastic stems on both sides, here’s a close up picture of the material: http://i.imgur.com/EXuqCLL.jpg
The Dual Lock solution allowed for the right amount of grip to keep the microphone attached, while also allowing for full 360° rotation of the attachment point. Instead of having to attach your headset at one angle, or choose from one or two provided by the attachment system, this Dual Lock solution provides unlimited positioning options. In our testing, we found that after prolonged aggressive adjustment (rubbing the two pieces together very quickly with significant force) one or two of the plastic stems came off the edges (1-2 stems of the ~85 on each contact point) so we’re including several extra contact patches with each Minimic.
Durability To increase the longevity of the product, we opted for a removable cable solution. Not only does this mean you can replace the cable if it breaks, it also allows you to use after market cables to reach the length or termination style that works best for you.
Overall, we’re really excited about this product. We feel that we’ve answered the community’s mandate for an affordable microphone solution and we can’t wait to get these out into the world.
Finally, we’re going to record some additional microphone comparisons today and tomorrow in an effort to show how the capsule performs at different distances. If you have strong feelings about what we should saying during these tests, or if you have specific test requests, post them here and we’ll incorporate what we can.
Thanks for your interest in this product! Many of us at Massdrop are audiophiles who game. Speaking from experience, it feels pretty silly to invest in a great headphone system and use a gaming headset out of the necessity to communicate.
In recent years, a couple companies have delivered solutions to this problem but in our experience, testing, and discussion analysis, we found major drawbacks in every solution. Mic quality sounded like a phone conversation, so passable, but it could be better. The positioning solutions aren’t as flexible as they could be. The booms are made of materials that are too stiff to smoothly adjust while attached. These are all small details that together make a big difference in the quality of your experience.
When we embarked on the Minimic project last fall, the community mandate was clear: Create an affordable microphone solution that addressed the problems of fidelity, usability, and durability. After months of iteration, we arrived at the Minimic. Here are some of the features we’re most excited about:
Fidelity For the microphone capsule, we tested several and went with the one we felt provided the best mixture of quality and isolation. Here are two recordings we did, one is the Minimic, one is the Modmic 4, take a listen and tell us what you think:
Minimic: https://soundcloud.com/user-982825557/massdrop-mini-mic-sound-test ModMic 4: https://soundcloud.com/user-982825557/comparable-mic
Additionally, it’s worth noting that both these recordings were taken with music playing at moderate volume on speakers about 10ft from the microphone, both capsules isolated the noise well.
Usability Instead of using a plastic housing over a metal frame for the boom arm, we went with an aluminum solution with no plastic sheath. Putting a plastic housing around a metal frame, (in our testing) meant the metal frame had to be more stiff to account for the plastic flexing back to its initial shape. You want a stiff boom arm so the microphone stays in the position you set, but if it’s too stiff, you won’t be able to adjust it while attached to your headset. It’s a question of the fastener strength vs the stiffness of the boom vs the necessary stiffness of the boom to keep the microphone optimally positioned. By skipping the plastic housing and utilizing an aluminum frame, we’ve struck the optimal balance of stiffness to maintain the desired position, while allowing for adjustment without breaking the attachment to the headset.
The fastening mechanism is another critical point to discuss around usability. We wanted a solution that would hold the mic firmly in place, but still allow for a variety of mounting positions and flexibility of angle once attached. After reviewing magnetic solutions, and traditional velcro solutions, we found a great product by 3M called “Dual Lock”. It’s a special kind of velcro that uses hard plastic stems on both sides, here’s a close up picture of the material: http://i.imgur.com/EXuqCLL.jpg
The Dual Lock solution allowed for the right amount of grip to keep the microphone attached, while also allowing for full 360° rotation of the attachment point. Instead of having to attach your headset at one angle, or choose from one or two provided by the attachment system, this Dual Lock solution provides unlimited positioning options. In our testing, we found that after prolonged aggressive adjustment (rubbing the two pieces together very quickly with significant force) one or two of the plastic stems came off the edges (1-2 stems of the ~85 on each contact point) so we’re including several extra contact patches with each Minimic.
Durability To increase the longevity of the product, we opted for a removable cable solution. Not only does this mean you can replace the cable if it breaks, it also allows you to use after market cables to reach the length or termination style that works best for you.
Overall, we’re really excited about this product. We feel that we’ve answered the community’s mandate for an affordable microphone solution and we can’t wait to get these out into the world.
Finally, we’re going to record some additional microphone comparisons today and tomorrow in an effort to show how the capsule performs at different distances. If you have strong feelings about what we should saying during these tests, or if you have specific test requests, post them here and we’ll incorporate what we can.
aliquis
3
Dec 3, 2017
ModMic spec show much higher sensitivity so .. :). That's totally expected.
Use minimic and get lower signal -> increase gain -> get more noise. That's how it works.
The minimic support a wider frequency range though, even more so against the modmic uni-directional.
I know some said something about like peaks / what I understood as more uneven recording levels over frequencies with the minimic too and the character of the sound is definitely different but I thought the minimic sounded better.
For those who want the bassy mellow radio-voice the modmic 5 and stuff like the AT2035 may be better. But stuff like those large diaphragm microphones exist for that. For communication I thought the more upfront/clearer sound-style of the minimic sounded better.
aliquis
3
Dec 3, 2017
It's because of both.
If you use a less sensitive microphone you of course need more gain to get it up to the sound level you want. The more gain the more noise.
So having a less sensitive microphone will result in more noise in the end.
As for your result though having microphone input recording hardware with a lower noise floor of course also will result in less noise. Your noise is also increased with the gain but it may start at a lower level and hence be less noticeable. It would be even less noticeable on an even more sensitive microphone though.
YanboWu
8490
Collaborations
Sep 29, 2017
Hey everyone,
I wanted to chime in on a few notes regarding the Massdrop Minimic. We’ve had everything leave our warehouse already and people should be receiving them now.
I’d love to hear additional feedback everyone has and appreciate all the feedback we have been getting in discussion already.
Regarding the 3M Lock as a locking mechanism - we’ve done additional analysis on our end and have found some interesting information.
First, I want to address the claim that we swapped for a lower density contact disk during production. This is absolutely not the case. Production and hardware is tricky enough that things can go wrong without these underhanded tactics. In addition, any financial gains doing these type of things will just yield more problems down the line and is short-sighted. We would never swap for inferior components in production.
Second, we’ve noticed that due to the shape of the contact disk and how it’s cut from the sheet - disks will either have 4 or 3 interlocking pairs.
When two 4 interlocking disks are used with each other, the hold is great. In fact, you can hold the entire weight of headphones like the Fostex TH-X00.
10/26/17 EDIT: Quick update - getting a few new sticker samples from our supplier - we'll see if these prove to be more reliable.
When two 4 interlocking disks are used with each other, the hold is great. In fact, you can hold the entire weight of headphones like the Fostex TH-X00.
10/26/17 EDIT: Quick update - getting a few new sticker samples from our supplier - we'll see if these prove to be more reliable.
CaptNyan
28
Dec 29, 2017
YanboWu Overall pretty solid! Upon arrival though the sleeve from the mic isn't glued at all and just slides off the plug...
PigmonkeY
1082
Sep 19, 2017
@YanboWu
Quick review for you. Looks like I'm the first to get mine.
Great mic, JOKE of a mounting solution. You might as well have included a desktop boom stand for all the good this does as a headset. The glue on the back of the velcro refuses to stick to most surfaces. You used the wrong grade and too thin of an application of VHB. This is just fine though because the velcro can't hold worth crap. Just drops off my head every time adjust it, pivot my head to view a side monitor, encounter a stiff breeze from my desk fan, or simply think about it being there. Sometimes glue failure, sometimes velcro failure, always annoying.
Another problem mine had was that the mute slider was absolutely JAMMED in place when i got it. I had to place a flat bladed screwdriver on it and really push until it finally snapped and moved freely. Not indicative of quality manufacture.
I can't wait to see how this (doesn't) work with my HD6XX's.
There is NO way anyone tested this mounting solution for more than 30 seconds or with different kinds of cans. 5 out of 5 pairs of my headphones refuse to take the adhesive, even after thorough precleaning with alcohol. I'm sure not sticking this thing on the side of my cans with superglue, so it looks like it's going on with VHB gel tape, like Massdrop probably would have switched to in the first place, had they tested it thoroughly.
I really, really can't believe these were tested in actual use, either, judging by how easily the velcro comes undone. If anyone had been using one in the massdrop offices for more than 15 minutes, this would be the first complaint they had, as it was with both of the roommates I put it on.
In conclusion, to everyone who is sad that they missed out, don't be. The extra money for the modmic is worth it so you won't be picking it up off your lap and reattaching it every time you move your head. The voice quality is good for the price, though not anywhere near the modmic 5, but the convenience factor is a solid 0/5. Better luck next time, massdrop.
Update: VHB Gel tape is the way to go. Much better grab now, but the velcro mounting still leaves a lot to be desired as far as stability goes. If you bump the thing with your hand as you take a drink or somthing, it drops right off your head. I might just be putting vhb and the mic directly on my cans, losing adjustability.
Quick review for you. Looks like I'm the first to get mine.
Great mic, JOKE of a mounting solution. You might as well have included a desktop boom stand for all the good this does as a headset. The glue on the back of the velcro refuses to stick to most surfaces. You used the wrong grade and too thin of an application of VHB. This is just fine though because the velcro can't hold worth crap. Just drops off my head every time adjust it, pivot my head to view a side monitor, encounter a stiff breeze from my desk fan, or simply think about it being there. Sometimes glue failure, sometimes velcro failure, always annoying.
Another problem mine had was that the mute slider was absolutely JAMMED in place when i got it. I had to place a flat bladed screwdriver on it and really push until it finally snapped and moved freely. Not indicative of quality manufacture.
I can't wait to see how this (doesn't) work with my HD6XX's.
There is NO way anyone tested this mounting solution for more than 30 seconds or with different kinds of cans. 5 out of 5 pairs of my headphones refuse to take the adhesive, even after thorough precleaning with alcohol. I'm sure not sticking this thing on the side of my cans with superglue, so it looks like it's going on with VHB gel tape, like Massdrop probably would have switched to in the first place, had they tested it thoroughly.
I really, really can't believe these were tested in actual use, either, judging by how easily the velcro comes undone. If anyone had been using one in the massdrop offices for more than 15 minutes, this would be the first complaint they had, as it was with both of the roommates I put it on.
In conclusion, to everyone who is sad that they missed out, don't be. The extra money for the modmic is worth it so you won't be picking it up off your lap and reattaching it every time you move your head. The voice quality is good for the price, though not anywhere near the modmic 5, but the convenience factor is a solid 0/5. Better luck next time, massdrop.
Update: VHB Gel tape is the way to go. Much better grab now, but the velcro mounting still leaves a lot to be desired as far as stability goes. If you bump the thing with your hand as you take a drink or somthing, it drops right off your head. I might just be putting vhb and the mic directly on my cans, losing adjustability.
David_R
110
Sep 24, 2017
Would the modmic base clip work with the Minimic? I would think that the ModMic's clip would need to be installed on the MiniMic for it to work. Or is the Mic-side clip the same as the base?
deftrance
138
Sep 24, 2017
David_RI believe you would be able to replace the disk lock on the microphone with the magnetic base. I do not know if they are the exact same surface area however. Still deciding if I want to order the accessory kit to test out.
the_television
33
Oct 9, 2018
Important note about using generic cables:
The stock cable is has the tip and ring wires shorted to each other. If you plan to use your own cable (like when the absolutely shit tier stock cables die) you will need to find a way to short those two connections. This can be done by cutting open your cables splicing the wires together, or by putting a little piece of aluminum foil on either connector to cover the tip and ring contacts.
(Edited)
Dr_Rodney_McKay
139
Dec 3, 2018
Oh, I see it now and it's pretty disappointing that they created such an odd compatibility problem. Thanks for the patient explanation.
CaptNyan
28
Apr 6, 2019
the_televisionYour post is a blessing, thank you. I accidentally ripped my cord out of the mute switch and the generic 3.5mm cable I bought from the dollar store didn't work. Holy fucking shit. Who designed this?
I just covered the tip of my connector with a piece of tin foil and it worked. You sir, are a wizard. I tip my hat.
VenoXj1
36
Jun 8, 2017
I saw them mounted on the TH-X00 at one of your pictures. Doesn't the Mic hurt the finish on those? I really need a mic for the TH-X00's and I'm too scared to put a ModMic on there since it might hurt the lacquered finish and I'm not willing to risk that. Is putting the Massdrop Minimid on there safe?
lkrasnov
29
Sep 23, 2017
The 3M dual lock isn't holding the microphone too securely on my headphones. It wobbles and falls off if you tug on the cable a little bit.
The microphone itself sounds great, but you guys really need to fix the mounting solution.
https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/all-3m-products/~/3M-Dual-Lock-Reclosable-Fastener-SJ3551?N=5002385+3293242268&rt=rud
I see that the microphone is using the type 250 dual lock (it is wavy). According to 3M, if we replace one of the sides with a type 400 dual lock, the bond will be even stronger. I might try this.
The microphone itself sounds great, but you guys really need to fix the mounting solution.
https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/all-3m-products/~/3M-Dual-Lock-Reclosable-Fastener-SJ3551?N=5002385+3293242268&rt=rud
I see that the microphone is using the type 250 dual lock (it is wavy). According to 3M, if we replace one of the sides with a type 400 dual lock, the bond will be even stronger. I might try this.
lkrasnov
29
Sep 28, 2017
See my post here
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-mini-mic/talk/1828467?utm_source=linkshare&referer=9H3KQH
Kind of hard to believe that either you or your manufacturer didn't decide to use the inferior dual lock. I'll give you guys the benefit of the doubt and assume it was an accident, but it did slip past quality control.
Kind of hard to believe that either you or your manufacturer didn't decide to use the inferior dual lock. I'll give you guys the benefit of the doubt and assume it was an accident, but it did slip past quality control.
Grendel
131
Sep 29, 2017
Yep, 250 dual-lock on mine as well -- very wobbly and prone to get bumped off. Sucks. :(
MasonicInc
9
May 7, 2018
Well there it is, the moment where I feel like a complete fool, reading all the reviews and paying about 1/2 or 1/3 of the Price of Antlions ModMic.
This thing is cheaply made, broke as I took the Velcro attachment off to mount to headphones. So I had to glue it even before I could use it for the first time.
Mic sounds decent, but the mute switch is garbage, and the Velcro attachment a joke.
I get cheap, and didn't expect much, but this is just not worth even 10 bucks.
Super disappointed Massdrop actually even continues to sell this with all these comments. They should be ashamed.
verdigris
28
May 10, 2018
MasonicIncI'm just glad these comments exist. I'm going to pass. Thanks for your comment.
Moory
16
Jun 2, 2017
As I have experience with the ModMics, both Omni and Uni-directional, the sound clips provided sound like the ModMic that was used is a Uni-directional model (with stronger rolloff in the high frequencies and stronger ambient noise cancellation) whereas the MiniMic is a clone, or a rebrand, of the ModMic 4.0 Omni-directional mic (which has clearer highs but picks up much more ambient sounds). I believe this test is not like-for-like. I think this needs to be clarified as mics with different directionality perform differently and therefore it would be misleading to present them as equal. Perhaps there should be another sound test with an Omni-Driectional ModMic 4.0 to give a more helpful and complete picture. It would also be helpful if the product specifications included what type of mic is being used, Omni or Uni directional (as I have mentioned, I believe this is a rebrand of the ModMic 4.0 Omni-directional mic). Otherwise, I would advise fellow members to search online for sound clips of the ModMic 4.0 Omni and Uni-directional mics in order to hear the difference I am referring to.
Kayzer
5
Jun 2, 2017
Clear answer ! Thanks you but you could add a test where you are typing on a mechanical keyboard while recording. I think that most of us don't listen to music on speakers while wearing the headset (except if you got an annoying little brother training pipo on your desk).
Even better, you could try some different type of switch... Most of us use (I guess) some Discord/TS/Mumble servers to communicate with our mate and we all know that those servers use voice recognition technologies that are very user friendly but so inefficient with some clicky switches like the blue or the green.
I hope I'm not asking for too much but a recording test while typing on brown or blue switches should definitely be a selling point for me.
YuanYu
62
Jun 6, 2017
It's a very good idea to do some testing, but since that Modmic's omni version sounds quite a bit better than uni version, it would only be fair for you guys to clarify on that.
je.june
105
Aug 11, 2018
If you want something that is high quality, look elsewhere. It's an okay sounding microphone for an okay price (actually i think if they lowered the price to 14.99 or 19.99, people might complain less.)
The quality not bad enough for me to get a ModMic while the MD Minimic it's still working, but if and when it breaks, I wouldn't buy another to replace it.
je.june
105
Sep 17, 2018
They're extremely overpriced. You can get better sounding headphones for less. But I highly recommend getting some used AE2s off ebay for 40-50 bucks if you want to be in headphone comfort heaven.
BrainFlush
6860
Sep 17, 2018
I can't comment on ear buds.
And yes. If style is an issue I understand.
They look good on me and if they didn't I still would use them but that's because of their quality overall to price ratio.
At least you know of them.
Take care and thanks for the response.
The Lab Geek
45
Jun 2, 2017
Hello!
Since I'm an old fart and my ears don't work as well as they used to, my game volume is usually somewhere around 80%-90%.. How well would this microphone handle the sound leakage from my open back headphones?
Since I'm an old fart and my ears don't work as well as they used to, my game volume is usually somewhere around 80%-90%.. How well would this microphone handle the sound leakage from my open back headphones?
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