comica have released what might be one of the smallest dual wireless microphone systems on
the market the vd live 10. it's a consumer two channel wireless system with features that seem
to be well above its competitors g'day my name is gary and on this channel i focus on the technical
solutions for you as a part-time creator so you can focus on making inspirational video content
for full disclosure comica have sent me this sample at no cost to me but they haven't paid
me in any other way the comica vd live 10 is available in two basic versions a universal
usbc model and an ios version with a lightning output and that's called the vd live 10 mi the
usbc version is priced at US$179 and the ios version with the dedicated lightning output called
the vd live 10 mi is US$199 there's a link in the description that will show you your local pricing
these are the items that come in the box you get a protective hard case with built-in charging
a true two-channel receiver and two transmitters with built-in microphones
there's a usb a to usbc charging lead included to charge the battery bank via the usb socket
there's also an analog connection cable which is a four pin plug to connect the receiver to your
mobile phone's headset input this is an option that you may use if you don't connect digitally
included with the universal usb model is a little adapter that slides onto the usbc output of the
receiver and this converts it to a standard usb that can be plugged directly into your computer
or laptop as an audio interface now that makes the system quite versatile a cold shoe adapter is in
the kit to attach to the top of a camera rig and on the bottom of the cold shoe there's a quarter
metal thread insert to mount on a bracket of your choice the receiver just magnetically clips
into the holder two fluffy windscreens for when you're working in a windy environment
and i'm going to assure you when you're using these mics you certainly need it outside
last of all along with the instructions you get a cloth storage bag that fits absolutely
everything in the kit let's have a closer look at the main components the compact case for the gear
incorporates a battery bank to recharge your components so they're always ready for a shoot
and comica says it takes four hours to recharge the battery bank the power level
indicator clearly shows the battery life of the charging case the specifications note that the
components take two hours to recharge and you get about three recharges from the storage case
initially you'll see the battery charging status red in charge mode and blue when it's complete
a quick walk around the receiver first on the front of the receiver there's a an ips screen
that's quite readable in daylight the power switch is on the right hand side along with
a toggle switch for stereo or blended mono mode now this is one feature that sets the compact
system apart because many of the competitors only output a blended mono signal even though
they've got two wireless microphones the digital output option on the receiver is a universal
usb-c plug and comica has an mi version with a dedicated ios lightning plug like i suggested but
the usbc universal model can be used with an ios phone with the right adapter now a link to the
adapter is in the description on the back of the receiver there are charging terminals which sit
nicely over the sprung terminals in the charging case the receiver is held in place with a magnet
on the bottom there's an analog output to connect it to a headset connection on your mobile phone
if you're intending to connect the receiver to a dslr you'll have to use a trs to trs lead
i've placed a link in the description if you want to find out more about the lead that you need
on the front of the transmitter there's an led indicator that flashes orange when it's
seeking a connection to the receiver constant orange means it's successfully connected
the status light turns red when the mic is muted now on the left side there's a three
position power switch by switching it to s you'll select simplex mode
this is the setup that gives you the option to plug in a lav mic via the 3.5 millimeter input on
the bottom if you want to use the system in duplex mode so you can monitor the audio for example if
you're using zoom or skype or something like that select the side that says d the duplex mode
now you can see the little indication that shows two-way communication in duplex mode the 3.5
millimeter jack on the bottom of the transmitter becomes an output for headphones so you can hear
the sound wirelessly from your computer or apps on your phone if they're compatible
now below the power switch is a mute button which doubles as a sensitivity adjustment
by pressing it momentarily you can select four levels of sensitivity on the mic and by holding
it in you can mute the audio signal now if you're recording outside these types of inbuilt mics are
very susceptible to wind noise comica has supplied these dinky little wind socks unlike some others
i've seen comica has put some thought into the way the sock is fitted the manufacturer has
designed a shaped soft rubber surround that effortlessly slides over the top of the mic
look how easy it is to fit it's done it seems to hold well too considering it's only a slip-on now
you have to admit it must be quite difficult for manufacturers to settle on a method of holding
on these wind socks when the mic is so small the mounting clip is made of plastic and for its size
it feels robust enough to hold up 14 grams of weight yes the transmitter only weighs 14 grams
so far you've been listening to the comic of vd live plugged into my sony rx10 via
an analog cable the only adjustment i've made is evening out the loudness of the recording
now i haven't colored the sound in any way and there's not a lot you could do with my
thin voice anyway so i'll stop talking for a moment and later listen to any background noise
now let's get outside for a couple of audio samples with the gear digitally plugged into my
iphone 12 pro using the little usbc to lightning adapter how are we going bud fantastic mate it's
good to be here in toowoomba yeah yeah it's the first time i've been to the carnival for
at least five years or so well gary it's been about never for me it's the first time so it's
a real privilege and you've been in toowoomba a little bit haven't you yeah well i was a young
fella yeah they're only here for six months oh did you live here yes we did i didn't know that
i've known you this long i never knew you lived in toowoomba there you go oh goodness
i love the red and gold ones goodness remember the name of these i planted them once summing
up the vdlive 10 i've got to say that as a consumer compact wireless system it really
packs a punch to have the extra features of true 2 channel as well as the duplex transmission for
streaming is quite amazing the ips screen is very intuitive and easy to read and adjust the settings
there weren't too many things that i could pick up as being negatives considering it's a consumer
product but there are a few to bear in mind now there's a couple of other accessories that
its competitors often include like lav mics and trs cables for the dslr cameras but in fairness
a lot of these components that are supplied are not the best of quality anyway in my opinion the
vd live 10 has some great features for the price that you're paying for it now let me know what you
think in the comment section i read them all and i reply as soon as i can i've taken some time to
pick out a few videos that you might like to watch over here and in the meantime i'll catch you later
you