[REVIEW] Audio Technica BP896

The BP896 is truly one of the tiniest microphones available today in the (non-spyworld) open market. It is only one tenth of one inch in diameter at its thickest part! It compares in size to the older Countryman B6 lavalier, which is also one-tenth of one inch around.

The BP896 is an omnidirectional, electret condenser lavalier. It is available in black or beige.

Omnidirectional, of course, means that it picks up equally well from all directions, which is exactly what you want for film and video production. When you rig a lav onto an actor, you cannot assume that the mic will always be mounted center chest, pointing up towards the mouth. There will be many times when the mic must be secured off to one side, or perhaps under a collar, or pinned to the underside of a hat brim, or even taped to the inside frame of eyeglasses. Not to mention taping the mic directly to the sideburns or forehead of an actor (more commonly done in live theatre than video, but you never know). My point being, that a lavalier may end up pointing in any direction, so you would not want to deploy a mic that was directional, since keeping it aimed towards the mouth may not always be practical option.

Electret condenser means that the mic element is extremely sensitive, compared to a dynamic microphone. The mic capsule requires a nominal voltage in order to function, generally around 2.5 volts. This voltage is routinely provided by wireless mic transmitters, when the BP896 is plugged in directly to them. If the BP896 is used as a stand-alone XLR mic, then it the capsule plugs into an XLR power module (the AT8539, which is included with the standard BP896 package), and receives its power from standard 12v or 48v Phantom mic powering. The BP896 will function with any Phantom power from 11 to 52 volts.

One of the nice touches of the BP896 is that it comes pre-configured with the standard Audio Technica 4-pin locking connector that is found on all of the Audio Technica wireless bodypaks; and the AT8539 power module that mates with this 4-pin connection at one end, and outputs to a standard XLR mic connection at the other.

It should also be noted that the BP896 can be ordered without the XLR adapter; and it can also be ordered factory pre-wired for use with: Sennheiser lemo, Sennheiser locking 3.5, Shure TA4, or Lectrosonics TA5 connectors.

So besides being tiny, what does the BP896 do for you?

I would best describe the pickup characteristics of the mic as being "proximity". That means, although the mic is omnidirectional in its pattern, it does not reach out very far in any direction. You need to deploy the mic reasonably close to the mouth, compared to some mics (such as the AT899) that can actually be a few feet away.

The BP896 was derived in concept from the BP892 headset mic which was worn over the ear and draped across the cheek on a short boom. The BP892 was designed for clean, crisp vocals during live performances, with minimal feedback or background noise.

The BP896 is an extension of that technology, but modified so that the mic functions a body-worn lavalier rather than a cheek weld. It has a little more reach, but should not be mounted further than the upper chest, lapel, or on the head itself.

However, the BP896 does a fantastic job of isolating the voice from distracting background noise in a film/video environment, and minimizing the chance of speaker feedback in a live sound application.

In addition to defending against background noise, the BP896 is an excellent choice when multiple actors need to be individually wired in the same scene. Otherwise, your soundtrack may suffer from unwelcome overlaps recorded when actors are in close physical proximity to each other.

Although I would be hesitant to routinely use the BP896 as a hidden plant mic, due to its lack of reach beyond several inches – there are times when that same lack of reach can be an asset. For example, if you were trying to mic an actor speaking into a phone or handset, it would be child's play to hide an 896 at the base of the phone or phone cord. Held up near the mouth, the 896 would be in a perfect spot to clearly pickup and isolate the voice of the actor.

Ditto, the BP896 works great with bandanas, surgical masks, and various helmets. The mic can sometimes be worn under the face mask, or can be attached to the sideburn or cheek if the faceguard hollows out the voice too much.

The BP896 comes with a wide array of mounting hardware, all of which intended for traditional outside of clothing style rigging. Although the mic itself is so tiny as to near invisible, the clips themselves are what tends to be noticed. Not a problem for ENG or documentary, where there is no need to completely hide the presence of a mic.

However, when we want the mic to be as inconspicuous or invisible as possible – then put away the little mounting toys and resort to good old fashioned safety pins and sticky tape (e.g. camera tape, surgical tape).

Let's examine some options for hiding the mic.

Using clear surgical tape or clear toupee tape, you might be able to attach the mic directly to the cheek, sideburn, earfold, or forehead of the actor.

If the actor is wearing eyeglasses, the mic can be taped inside the side frame.

If the actor is wearing a hat, then the mic can go under the brim. I like to use a safety pin, and then a small strip of self-adhesive Moleskin to attach the mic cable to the pin. Make sure that a layer of the soft Moleskin insulates the mic from directly touching the pin, so as to avoid contact noise.

Similar mounting under a head scarf or pirate bandana.

Depending on the wardrobe, you may be able to poke the head of the mic up through a small button hole on the lapel or chest; or up through a knit sweater. The mic itself is so small that no one will notice it. Secure the mic cable via Moleskin and safety pin underneath the clothing.

Finally, feel free to take advantage of any frontage accessories. For instance, a pen can readily serve as an in-pocket mic mount. A small broach or decorative pin can anchor the mic, and provides a pathway for the cable thru an existing hole.

With a list price of $479, but a street price in the mid-$300's – the affordable BP896 miniature lavalier from Audio Technica is an excellent product that fills a specialty void. Its limitations of reach are both its pro and con. The extremely small size is handy when hiding inside eyeglasses or jewelry, or if you ever need to attach directly to the actor's head. Although I would not describe it as "the one lavalier to own if you can only own one lavalier" – it is definitely a unique and very useful microphone that I would add to my kit.