One of the hardest things about content creation is finding products that match your specific needs. For many a 2-person microphone system is more than enough, but with the rise of podcasts, and the like, many find themselves needing a larger system. Since this is an atypical need, solutions are usually complicated, limited, or simply non-existent. To make things easier Saramonic created Blink 500 T4, a 4-person microphone system designed to give excellent performance on a budget. With a number of features designed to make larger group content creation easier, is it a must, or a weird niche that falls short?
Saramonic Blink 500 T4 Review Overview
Unboxing
Saramonic used the same packaging as Blink 500 B2+, which has a good balance between design, and information.
The front showcases the product, along with a brief overview of what it can do. One side highlights a couple features, with the back detailing specific functions. Some notable features include Intelligent Noise Cancellation, Separated 4-Channel Mixed Output, up-to-100m operating range, and much more.
Inside is nothing besides a carrying case holding Blink 500 T4, and wide array of accessories.
Accessories
Included is a soft-shell case that feels quite nice. It features a woven diamond pattern that feels nice to the touch, along with making it extremely easy to grip. The top sports a small incline with the Saramonic name proudly branded in the middle. Beyond that there isn’t much to see besides a leather feeling strap for holding the case, and invisible zippers to give it a cleaner look.
One thing that might stand out is the branded zipper pull. On one side is Saramonic, with the other featuring the Chinese characters 枫笛. Unsurprisingly, it relates to their Chinese name, Saramonic枫笛. It’s actually a rather clever design that captures their name in a way most people wouldn’t think twice about.
Another Fantastic Case
Inside is a couple documents, and Blink 500 T4 neatly arranged in a secure holder. I didn’t take it apart, but as near as I can tell there is some hard foam that helps hold each securely in place. A bit of pressure caused some light warping, so I’d expect it to last long term.
To make things easier Saramonic included a gap on each side of Blink 500 T4. This makes removing/inserting each unit a breeze. Below is another sizable gap to prevent the clip from being damaged.
Secret Compartment
On the reverse is a small divider held securely in place by a hook and loop fastener. When removed the divider drops revealing a secret compartment for accessories. These include four lavalier microphones, a 3.5mm TRRRS to TRRS cable, a 3.5mm TRRRS to TRS cable, a 3.5 mm TRRRS to four 3.5mm TRS cable, and two USB-A to triple head USB-C charging cables.
With Blink 500 T4 I genuinely like the included accessories because a lot of thought went into them. I don’t just mean giving the “camera,” (black) and “smartphone” (grey) 3.5mm cables a distinct look, but rather the included accessories are specialized for 4-person content creation. In fact, I couldn’t find a replacement for the four 3.5 mm TRS male cable without going through Saramonic themselves. While I am sure other options exist, it’s nice to not have to track them down.
So Many Accessories
The included lavalier microphones are also quite nice. These come completely assembled with a clip, and windscreen. They also have a roughly 3′ range making them perfect for most recording situations.
While I appreciate Saramonic’s incredibly thoughtful cases, it’s something of a mixed experience. In terms of design it’s fantastic. Even basic things like the pouch on top is situated so the ends are not visible making everything look extremely professional. However, it’s rather large.
Blink Me vs Blink 500 T4 vs Blink 500 B2+
At roughly 9.75″x 7.5″ x 2.75″ it uses considerable space. In situations where players utilize its full functionality it’s great; but in any other situation it can be a dealbreaker. To help visualize the size I put it against my Blink Me, and Blink 500 B2+.
Design
At first glance I was surprised by how the size of the transmitter. This isn’t a problem per se, just something that stands out. Since they work with included lavalier microphones they can be hid in favor of a simple microphone clip.
As for the design itself, these are rather straightforward units. There is a charging port, microphone input, increase/decrease buttons with a Noise Cancellation option, power button on the front that doubles as a mute, and a microphone on top. The only thing I dislike are the side buttons.
This is supposed to indicate gain increase/decrease, along with tell owners pushing both activates noise cancellation. With that knowledge I think it makes a lot of sense, but I don’t think it’s an intuitive design. I asked a couple people I talk to what they thought this did, and the most common response was Noise Cancellation increase/decrease. Unfortunately, I don’t think the Quickstart Guide does a much better job explaining it, but at least Saramonic created a full manual that explains this, and anything else you could want to know.
Button annoyances aside, they’re missing a lot of the nicer touches found on other units. Some notable examples include the ability to attach a wind muff, optional magnetic attachment, charging case, or even a rubber patch to rest the clip on (the back of the clip towards the bottom has a small rubber patch though).
The receiver isn’t terribly different. There is a decided power/monitor mute button, line out, monitor in, and 4-channel toggle. In addition to having the same style of clip, the line out and monitor are front facing when connected via a cold shoe mount. This receiver also doesn’t lacks a screen, making adjustments slightly more involved, plus partially contributes to the aforementioned gain confusion.
Set Up
Despite looking rather complex, Blink 500 T4 is surprisingly easy to set up. Thanks to the larger size almost everything is clearly marked, and even the cables have tags indicating where that port connects.
Most of the issues will stem from one of three easily (in theory) solvable problems. The first is misunderstanding the gain button, though an initial test should resolve it in seconds. Next is connecting the cable the wrong way. Anytime I connected the TRRRS side to my device it would not pick up any sound. Simply swapping it resolved the problem immediately. Finally, there is finding the right adapter(s) to make your system work.
This shouldn’t apply to cameras, but will probably come into play with a phone. With the removal of the headphone jack players need to find an adapter, which is not included with this specific version. I tried Saramonic’s SR-C2011 adapter I had from a previous project, but captures would have a distinct buzzing sound in the background. In retrospect I am surprised it captured anything given the TRRS side didn’t work at all with the included connector.
It Really is That Simple
I used a couple USB-C to 3.5 mm adapters, and they generally worked fine. Odds are any existing solution will continue to work perfectly provided it’s an adapter over a set cable. Saramonic also makes adapters, so I’d start there if an issue arises.
Performance
Let me start by apologizing for the lack of a group recording. I was not able to find three other people willing to record, and publish for this review, but I was able to test it with my mom’s sewing guild. They hold monthly meetings where four or so members discuss things, and it’s live streamed to anyone not present. Previously they mentioned to me they had issues capturing everyone’s voice. I purposed trying Blink 500 T4, and after some calibration it offered a significantly better audio experience.
As for the sound quality itself, I think Blink 500 T4 does a pretty good job all things considered. Like Blink 500 B2+ it lacks a certain sharpness found on Blink Me, but outside of that it’s a clear recording without distortions, or other distractions.
Blink 500 T4 Noise Cancellation Test
The biggest negative I found was low gain. I recorded every capture at max gain, a far cry from what other systems in Saramonic’s line were able to offer. That being said, Blink 500 T4 does a surprisingly good job at eliminating unwanted noise. Not only did I have to increase my fan speed from two to six for it to actually leave noticeable pick up, this is without any additional microphone covering. That alone is a huge bonus as it eliminates another thing to deal with, and keep track of.
Beyond that I created a number of other audio samples that can be found below. These, like the cancellation test, are unedited audio created with the Saramonic official iOS application using the same settings. I also included a brief video using iPhone’s Final Cut Camera, which also features unedited audio.
Saramonic Blink 500 T4
Saramonic Blink 500 B2+
Saramonic Blink Me
Maono WM821
Saramonic Blink 500 T4 (w/Lavalier)
Saramonic Blink 500 B2+ (w/ Pop Filter)
Saramonic Blink Me (w/ Pop Filter)
Maono WM821 (w/Lavalier)
Saramonic Blink 500 T4 Video Test
Saramonic Blink 500 T4 Review Verdict
All things considered, Saramonic did a fantastic job with Blink 500 T4. Not only is this one of the most affordable systems that allows for 4-person content creation, it includes essentially everything you could want in a single package. It comes with a few distinct negatives, such as a larger case footprint, limited controls, and weak gain, but the core experience more than makes up for it. That being said, anyone between this, and a traditional 2-person system in the event they might “need it later,” is probably better off keeping things simple by either making something like Blink 500 B2+ work, or just having two different systems.
Editor’s Note: Saramonic Blink 500 T4 was provided to us for review purposes.
