- Portable and easy to use
- Rugged build quality
- Omnidirectional or Cardioid Sennheiser condenser microphone, with or without line input feature
- Mic only or Mic/Line versions
- High quality microphone preamplifier
- Manual or automatic gain control (AGC)
- 1GB Internal Flash memory
- Maximum record time of over 18 hours (see table, right)
- LCD display with backlight
- USB-Interface
- Headphone amplifier with volume control
- 9 externally configured user templates
- FlashMic Manager PC/Mac software supplied
- Real time clock, time-date updated by host PC/Mac
- Uses 2 x primary or rechargeable AA batteries
- Battery remaining indicator with low battery warning
- Battery life greater that 8 hours (1500mAh primary cells)
- Pre record buffer adjustable from 0-10 seconds
- Records linear 32, 44.1 or 48kHz, or MPEG 1 Layer 2 encoded audio (128- 192 kbps) broadcast wave (.wav) files including time stamp
- Expert mode of operation where all variables are accessible on the FlashMic
- Record time remaining indicator with low time remaining visible warning
- Switchable high pass filter, 12dB/octave @ 100Hz
- Now with Line Input option
| HHB FLASHMIC DRM85
| specs | pdf1 | pdf2 | pdf3 | accessories | buy |
 The Recording Microphone
If what you need is a simple yet professional digital recording microphone and you only require mono recordings, then the FlashMic fits the bill. It combines a high-quality, Sennheiser condenser capsule with an inbuilt, broadcast-quality flash recorder. Four versions are now available: two omnidirectionals (DRM85 & DRM85LI) and two cardioids (DRM85-C & DRM85-CLI), with or without a line input. Whichever version you need, FlashMic is a convenient, easy to operate and durable recorder that’s perfect for general use mono voice recording applications, including press and broadcast journalism, radio interviewing, podcasting, meetings, etc.
With no messy cables, just one button press is all it takes to start recording in either linear (PCM/WAV) or MPEG 2 formats. Simple ‘drag and drop’ file transfer at up to 70x real time to a Mac or PC for editing or onward transmission is enabled by a ‘plug and play’ USB connection.
Two AA batteries provide more than 8 hours continuous power and, with up to 10 seconds of pre-record buffer and 1GB of flash memory, you can be sure that you’ll never miss a word of that important interview. With a total capacity of 999 tracks and several hours recording to 1GB of internal Flash memory, there is little need to worry about running out of capacity. Holding the record button down for more than 2 seconds locks the FlashMic in record mode for complete security during, for instance, podium recordings, and visible warnings of low battery life and low recording memory add further peace of mind.
Pressing the record button briefly during a recording inserts a location marker which can be read by popular editing applications. • FlashMic Manager Software for streamlined workflow
With AA batteries included as standard, the FlashMic operates ‘straight out of the box’. However news organisations will welcome the included FlashMic Manager PC/Macintosh software to configure the FlashMic for specific applications and streamlined workflow. With the latest version of FlashMic Manager PCM or mp2 recordings can now be converted by the to mp3 files – the preferred workflow format for some broadcasters.
In an organisation with multiple users, every FlashMic can be given its own name which appears in every track name recorded by that microphone. Alongside the major recorder functions (see panel right), the 9 user presets can be used to store a session name which also appears in the track names. So, when FlashMic JOHN is interviewing Oasis in the morning and the ENO in the afternoon, track file names can be preconfigured as JOHN_OASIS_TRK001, etc., and JOHN_ENO_TRK020, etc. A Company Name, Reporter Name and Reporter’s Notes can be stored with each preset, which is embedded in every file along with the Date and Time stamp, providing users with an unrivalled range of facilities for the naming and organisation of files. • Drag and Drop File Transfer
Downloading recordings to Macintosh or PC computers is extremely straightforward. Connecting via USB with the cable supplied, files are transferred from the FlashMic using Windows Explorer or the Macintosh Finder. The FlashMic mounts as a USB mass storage device, and the audio files appear in a folder in the root directory. • All the presence of a serious broadcast microphone
Alongside the obvious advantages of pristine sound quality, ease-of-use, dependability and enhanced workflow, FlashMic also brings the additional benefit of an imposing physical presence – which, as experienced journalists know, can be invaluable in a ‘media scrum’! 
• Connectivity
FlashMic has a built in USB port for fast transfer of recorded data to a computer. Both USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 protocols are supported.
The headphone socket accepts a standard 3.5mm jack. The mono signal from the A/D converter is buffered and sent to both channels of the headphone jack. The output from the headphone socket can also be connected to the analogue line-in on any soundcard, should external recording be required.
The DRM85LI and DRM85-CLI versions have the useful addition of a line input (see picture above) so journalists can enjoy the flexibility of being able to record a press conference feed, then switch quickly to recording interviews or adding their own commentary to the piece. This is achieved via a bantam TT jack input on the base of the microphone body. An XLR to bantam jack cable is supplied which, when connected, switches out the microphone signal, recording only the line input signal.  • Shockmounted capsule
The high-quality Sennheiser omnidirectional or cardioid microphone capsule is specially shockmounted to minimise the transference of mechanical and handling noise through the microphone body. The omnidirectional versions are easily the more popular because their wide polar pattern makes them more flexible for a greater variety of recording applications. The cardioid versions have a narrower polar pattern and is thus more suited to interviewing in environments with high ambient sound levels. • Recording Times | Record Mode | Audio Format | Sample Rate | MPEG Bitrate | MPEG Bitrate |
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| LIN48K | Linear PCM | 48 kHz | – – | 3 hrs 00 mins | | LIN44.1K | Linear PCM | 44.1kHz | – – | 3 hrs 15 mins | | LIN32K | Linear PCM | 32 kHz | – – | 4 hrs 30 mins | | MP48K | MPEG1 Layer 2 | 48 kHz | 192 kbps | 12 hrs 15 mins | | MP44.1K | MPEG1 Layer 2 | 44.1 kHz | 160 kbps | 14 hrs 40 mins | | MP32K | MPEG1 Layer 2 | 32 kHz | 128 kbps | 18 hrs 25 mins |
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