Tula is a new company founded specifically with the aim of developing easy-to-use hardware and software for sound recording. The debut product Tula Mic is now being delivered after a successful crowdfunding campaign last year. Tula Mic is both a USB-C microphone input for computers and mobile devices as well as a dedicated recorder with integrated memory and its own rechargeable battery that enables continuous use for up to 14 hours. It’s a strong intro offering that meets many user needs at an attractive price.
Basics
The Tula Mic is small – it is definitely best described as a “handheld” and is roughly the size and surface area of a deck of cards. The physical design includes microphone capsules on top with control buttons on either side and a USB-C charging port in the middle of the back of the hardware. The top left side also has a standard 3.5mm connector that can be used not only for headphones for monitoring and playback, but also as an input for lavalier microphones, effectively turning the Tula into a bodypack.
There are two lights on the front of the Tula Mic directly under the grill with the receptacle capsule. These include a gain / peak indicator and a record indicator that give you simple but effective visual feedback. There is 8 GB of built-in memory on board and the built-in battery provides up to 14 hours of continuous recording. Inside there are not just one but two pickup pods, including one with a cardioid pickup pattern for picking up audio from a user speaking to the microphone and one with an omni pickup pattern for picking up room sounds, best for events or interviews .
The Tula Mic comes with a stand that can be folded up and magnetically attached to its middle section for easy transport. This is also removable and can be exchanged for a standard attachment point with microphone attachment. It’s a simple and elegant design that comes in very handy in active use. However, the proprietary mounting method means that if you ever lose one or the other of these accessories, you can’t just pick a generic one, as you could if it used a standard tripod mount, for example, instead.
Design and performance
Credit: Darrell Etherington
The design of the Tula Mic definitely has a retro aesthetic, and its flat oval shape is instantly noticeable and recognizable. The unique look also offers excellent hand hold and in stand mode it is immediately clear how a user should address the microphone being used. The folding stand is elegant and holds the microphone firmly in position thanks to its weighted metal construction.
The controls on either side of the Tula Mic are each labeled, but I found that I definitely had to refer repeatedly to the included user guide before I could consistently remember what each control did. The icons are helpful, but not necessarily immediately intuitive. However, it’s nice to have physical controls instead of having touch-sensitive surfaces or a screen for input.
The most important thing about the Tula Mic’s performance is that it sounds great in both wired USB-C and standalone recorder modes. The ability to switch between omni and cardioid is also of great benefit in terms of the versatility of the microphone as a one-size-fits-all solution, as you can use it for podcasting, recording a class or lecture, and recording a two-person interview, everyone with the same ease and very high quality results.
Finally, Tula includes a built-in local noise cancellation algorithm that allows you to capture a brief recording of the spatial sound to automatically remove it from your subsequent recording. It’s a very convenient and surprisingly effective feature that should offer great advantages in terms of using microphone recordings later with transcription services like Otter.ai.
Bottom line
At $ 199, the Tula microphone is already on par with many of the leading USB microphones on the market today. The fact that it is also a full-featured, standalone digital recorder, many of which are also offered at or near this brand, makes it an obvious choice for anyone looking for the flexibility of portable recording in a compact package.
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