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May 2012

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Audio Review: Audio-Technica BP893 Headworn Microphone

by John F. McJunkin

Audio-Technica have introduced a new short-boom headworn intended for theatrical, house-of-worship, and broadcast applications. As a user of Audio-Technica headworn mics with long booms, I’ve always been very happy with the performance of these mics. Among my pastor’s various concerns on Sunday morning, audio is not high on the list – nor is the placement of his mic. I’m lucky if the mic’s element is anywhere near his mouth – usually it kind of dangles off his ear bobbing around in space. The good news for me is that the omnidirectional pattern and consistent sensitivity across the spectrum allow for a lot of leeway in this regard. When I saw the new short-boom mic, I became very curious as to how it would perform by comparison. Obviously, with an omnidirectional pattern, proximity to the mouth of the speaker or vocalist is of little concern. With enough gain, the signal is captured clearly. But on the other hand, with the mic element a bit further from the mouth, more gain is necessary to present the same level, and feedback begins to become a concern. I took away my pastor’s trusty Audio-Technica long-boom headworn mic recently, and replaced it with the new Audio-Technica BP893 and put it through its paces.

The mic is very small and unobtrusive, one of the aesthetic intentions of its designers. In theatrical settings, the mic would be easily concealed beneath a performer’s hair or hat or headwear of any kind. The mic is also available in black and skin-tone beige. So if discrete, aesthetically unobtrusive mic placement is required, it’s not hard to accomplish. Also, the entirety of the mic is quite small. Most of it is concealed behind the user’s ear. So with a little consideration as to running the cable, this mic essentially becomes invisible. The main body of the mic is plastic, and shaped roughly like an abstract artist’s representation of the letter “C”.

The one-inch boom is located above the user’s ear, and juts out straight from the plastic main body. It’s made of metal, and due to the way this microphone is used, is not really intended to be bent or moved in relation to the rest of the mic, as would be the case with a long-boom headworn mic. The mic grasps the ear nicely, and as a result of the shorter-than-usual boom, does not have as strong a tendency to “flop around” as its long-boom counterparts. Foam windscreens are included, as are element covers, a donut-shaped moisture guard, a cable clip, and a power module with a belt clip. The mic’s cable is permanently attached, and runs 55 inches to its terminal. There are numerous choices available from Audio-Technica in terms of connectors, including the four-pin configuration associated with Audio-Technica’s own body-pack transmitters, Sennheiser-type connectors of both the Lemo and locking 3.5-mm variety, Shure’s TA-4F type connector, the TA-5F type connector associated with Lectrosonics products, and the cable is also available unterminated to facilitate custom wiring by the contractor, dealer or end-user.

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John McJunkin is the CEO of Avalon Podcasting in Chandler, Arizona, which offers high quality podcast production and consultation services to a broad range of clients. He’s also the host of the Podcast Pro Tech & Tips Podcast at www.avalonpodcasting.com.