Intellijel MEMS Mic packs a “smartphone” microphone in a compact 2HP module, perfect to bring new sounds into your rack.
With a simple microphone, you can hear the world, and with a field recorder, you can even capture all these sounds, like voices, animals, nature, etc., forever.
A microphone in a Eurorack module is a rare find. Famous modules include the Music Thing Modular Mikrophonie v3 or Mutable Instruments Ears. Intellijel has released a new module called MEMS Mic, but it is not a contact microphone like the others.
Intellijel MEMS Mic
The MEMS Mic module uses a MEMS omni microphone with a flat frequency response. You can find them in smartphones, tablets, or other mobile gadgets.
It is constructed with a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (aka MEMS) component, placed on a printed circuit board, and protected by a mechanical cover.
This type of mic has a very flat response across a larger frequency range (~6Hz to 20kHz), which makes it very suitable for musical applications.
Thanks to the different microphone types, the new Intellijel MEMS Mic opens up a distinct field of use. It provides a kind of field recorder for the Eurorack case without the instant recording function, but with a direct pipeline to the other modules.
The MEMS Mic is a very straightforward module. It has an audio output with a dedicated level control via slider and/or CV input. There is also a fixed 180Hz, 6dB/oct low-frequency roll-off switch that can be activated, and an LED for visual feedback of your signals.
The module can be used in a variety of ways. Of course, it’s a tool for instantly making sounds hearable and then forwarding them to other modules. You can also use it as an exciter for a resonator.
In the demo video, two MEMS mics are installed in a Pallette case, and by tapping on the sides of the case, you can excite the resonators of the Rainmaker module. Not to forget is that when you modulate it with CV, the slider becomes an attenuator.
First Impression
Putting a traditional microphone into a module is a clever idea. Especially when combined with live samplers or effects, you can create an exciting field recording-style modular synth setup.
This lets you turn your voice, instruments, environmental sounds, or even feedback into audio for your Eurorack system. Since our world is full of sounds, you have endless fun.
Intellijel MEMS Mic is available now for $99/109€.
More information here: Intellijel
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Hey Tom, thanks for your articles. I enjoy reading them. This MEMS module looks interesting. Do you have any recommendations for modules where you can record and sample into? Thanks 🙂
thanks, there are not that many, the Sebsongs Modular SAMPLER has an instant capture feature but it’s only 3.5 seconds of audio.
Disting can do that 🙂
Thanks Tom and Ad. Have a good one!