Teenage Engineering CM-15 wireless microphone

[sal paradise]

Beautiful.

“A tiny studio microphone with a large-diaphragm capsule and groundbreaking features.

we call it CM–15. the latest addition to our field system. a versatile studio quality, ultra-portable microphone that comes with a built-in professional usb-c audio interface with built-in preamp. add a 3.5 mm jack and a 48v phantom powered mini xlr, and you have a truly one-of-a-kind battery-powered studio microphone.”

Teenage engineering cm-15

[øøøøøøø]

If it’s a wireless usb mic with battery power and built in adc, it seems a bit odd to call it a “studio microphone,” doesn’t it?

ADC, power, and comprehensive I/O are essential in any studio, so you wouldn’t need economical versions included on the mic itself. Cabling is also never in short supply in studios.

Seems this product’s natural use cases would be things like podcasting, journalism and field recording. I wonder why it isn’t being marketed as such?

[marqueemoon]

It seems that it can be used as a standard phantom powered condenser or as a USB mic, but there’s no onboard recording capability.

[Telliot]

I’m a fan of Teenage Engineering, but I don’t understand this at all and am confused whether TE’s product planning team has an actual plan. If it was being marketed as a recording solution for a mobile rig it might make more sense, but I honestly can’t think of a use case that would fill a need for me.

[øøøøøøø]

It seems that it can be used as a standard phantom powered condenser or as a USB mic, but there’s no onboard recording capability.

I see.

So "built-in professional(?) USB-C audio interface with built-in preamp," but no on-board data storage (card slot, etc)?

I'm not the target market, but I'm frankly not sure who the target market (or what the target application) is.

The tradition of flexible powering in microphones is long (even the U87 initially had the option of being battery powered in addition to P48), so I could understand "hey, here's a mic. You can power it with P48, you can power it with USB, you can power it with a battery." Maybe the onboard preamp and ADC is what throws me.

[sal paradise]

It’s an overpriced hipster mic that would look nice when doing some sort of mobile recording. I’d almost buy one to look at.

But really: most likely to be seen used by social media content creators.

[marqueemoon]

It is not a thing I want or need.

A pocket sized high quality (and stereo) dockable and USB rechargeable field recorder is something I would pay money for, particularly if it had good automatic gain control and an onboard limiter.

[Telliot]

It is not a thing I want or need.

A pocket sized high quality (and stereo) dockable and USB rechargeable field recorder is something I would pay money for, particularly if it had good automatic gain control and an onboard limiter.

Something like the Zoom sounds right up your alley.

[Larry Mal]

I don't quite know what I'm looking at. They talk about their "field system" and I don't know what that is, I looked at the product list, also.

I guess this microphone will interface with your phone or other devices like that? Is that the idea? That's pretty cool, I guess.

[Embenny]

Seems like they basically took the Zoom concept, and subtracted out the field recorder aspect without really making a compelling argument for it in any particular scenario.

I agree that I don't fully understand the target demographic. It's basically a USB microphone with defeatable USB/ADC/preamp features. For people who do field recordings, the defeatable features wouldn't need defeating. For anyone at home, they're either in the market for a USB microphone so they can skip an external interface, or they've got an interface already.

I'm having trouble picturing the ideal use case for this thing. Maybe someone who sometimes does field recordings, but also has a home studio, and wants to be able to use it as a regular condenser with their interface when they're at home?

I mean, I guess it could be cool for that person, provided that the mic itself sounds good enough that they still want to use it when they're back at their studio. But they'd be in a narrow demographic where they care enough about preamp and ADC quality to have a higher end option at home than the one included in the mic, but not enough to already own nicer-sounding condenser mics for studio use.

[marqueemoon]

It is not a thing I want or need.

A pocket sized high quality (and stereo) dockable and USB rechargeable field recorder is something I would pay money for, particularly if it had good automatic gain control and an onboard limiter.

Something like the Zoom sounds right up your alley.

I’m only familiar with the H4N, but I see they have a smaller one.

Maybe someday, or maybe Apple will be forced to drop their proprietary connectors by the EU and we’ll get some better options for USB C.

[Maggieo]

I bet they're looking at OP-1 Field owners. Make your entire podcast on it.

[Marc]

It reminds me of those beige PC speakers that people through into landfill. Except it’s £1000!

[Maggieo]

Now we know what this mic is for!

[enrikagolli]

The CM-15's features are seriously impressive! However, I'm curious about its battery life and how it holds up in extended recording sessions. Overall, the CM-15 seems like a unique and innovative addition to the Teenage Engineering lineup, and I'm eager to see how it performs in real-world scenarios. Speaking of innovations, I've recently discovered the benefits of ASMR microphones, and I'm amazed by how they enhance the experience. As someone creating ASMR videos, I'm currently exploring the Best ASMR Microphones for all budgets to select the perfect one. They offer fantastic sound quality and transmission, and given the current trends in the video industry, they seem like the ideal choice for my needs.