Boya BY-MM1 Review; An Excellent Budget Microphone For Content Creators

The Boya BY-MM1 is a universal cardioid microphone designed by Boya as a budget entry-level external microphone option aimed at new and intermediate content creators. 

I have had my Boya BY MM1 microphone since October 2020 (3 years and counting) and today I’m going to do a thorough review of it. And tell you its strengths and weaknesses, its price and competition as well as how it has held up over the years. 

So if you are considering getting the Boya BY-MM1 cardoid microphone or you are just researching external microphones, you’ve landed on the right post. 

My name is Dennis Ohuru, I am an online entrepreneur, YouTuber and professional cinematographer possessing over 4 years of experience. And so I’d like to think that having used the Boya BY-MM1 that long. I know a thing or two about it. 

Let’s get into it, here’s the review of the Boya BY-MM1, an excellent budget external microphone for content creators. 

What Is A Cardioid Microphone

A cardioid microphone like the Boya BY-MM1 is designed to capture voices directly in front of the microphone and a little to the sides but to reject voices coming from behind the microphone.  

Study the picture below to understand how a cardioid microphone works; Everything in the bean/heart shape is captured and everything behind the bean/heart shape is rejected.  This assumes that the microphone is facing 0 degrees. 

Other microphone options aside from the Cardioid microphone are:

1. Bidirectional (Captures sound from both sides of the microphone and rejects sounds coming from the sides)
2. Omnidirectional (Captures sounds 360 degrees around the microphone)

Key Features Of The Boya BY-MM1

• The Boya BY-MM1 is universal in its compatibility; that is to say, it is compatible with Smartphones, Tablets, DSLR Cameras, Camcorders and Audio recorders in general.
• It is compact and lightweight, weighing just 86 grams when set up
• The Boya BY-MM1 doesn’t require a battery, instead, it uses power from the device it is connected to.
• A professional furry windshield is included when you purchase the Boya BY-MM1

The Boya BY-MM1 Specifications

The Boya BY-MM1 has the following specifications straight out of the box.

1. Cardioid polar pattern (The directionality of the sound capture)
2. The Boya BY-MM1 has a frequency response of 35 – 18 KHz
3. It used a 3.5mm TRS and TRSS connector (If you have a 3.5mm port in your device, it should be compatible with the Boya-BY MM1)

What Is In The Box

When you purchase the Boya BY-MM1, these are the things you should expect to find in the box.

• A Furry windshield (To minimize wind noise)

• The Boya BY-MM1 Cardoid microphone

• A shock mount to hold the microphone on the camera

• A 3.5 mm to TRS audio output cable (Works with Cameras, camcorders and audio recorders)

• A 3.5 mm to TRRS audio output cable (Works with smartphones, tablets, PCs and Macs)

• A user manual
• A warranty card

How To Use The Boya BY MM1 With A Smartphone

So maybe you are thinking of getting the Boya BY MM1 microphone to use with your smartphone device when recording videos to clean up your audio or to make voiceovers. 

That’s okay because the Boya BY MM1 is compatible with any smartphone or tablet that has a 3.5 mm audio port (Where your wired earphones/headphones plugs into)

So how to use the Boya BY-MM1 with your smartphone or tablet:

1. First, connect the 3.5 mm TRRS connector (Picture below) to the Boya BY-MM1 microphone as shown in the picture below;

2. Plug the 3.5 mm TRRS connector into the audio jack of your smartphone or tablet as shown in the picture below;

1. Open the camera app or the sound recording app on your smartphone and begin recording. 

Below is an audio recording with the Boya BY-MM1 microphone attached to a smartphone as well as a smartphone audio recording without the Boya BY-MM1.

How To Use The Boya BY-MM1 With A Camera

To use the Boya BY-MM1 with a camera, the camera must have an external microphone input port. 

Always ensure that any Camera you are purchasing has a 3.5mm external microphone jack as that will allow you to use said Camera with any number of external microphones, not only the Boya BY-MM1.

If your camera has an external mic jack, you can proceed;

1. Using the Boya BY MM1 Shock mount (that comes in the box) attach the microphone to the Camera hot shoe
2. Connect the 3.5mm TRS audio connector to the Microphone like in the picture below.

3. Plug the 3.5 mm TRS audio connector into the audio jack/input of your camera

Begin recording

Here is a video I made comparing the audio you get straight from the camera and the audio you get when using the Boya BY-MM1 with the camera. 

Related: A review of my Canon M50 camera

The Design Of The Boya-BY MM1

In my opinion, the Boya BY MM1 is designed in a practical and fit-to-purpose way. 

The Microphone, albeit light, doesn’t feel cheap in the hand. And the Furry Windshield included in the box does a very great job of minimizing wind noise. 

Because of the Camera’s light weight, it doesn’t add any weight at all to your overall setup making it easy to carry and pack when travelling or commuting. 

The audio cables (TRRS and TRS) are made of a strong rubber material that is fit for purpose. 

The TRS audio connector, used with Cameras, is designed to reach even the furthest camera audio port. Its length is folded to make it easy to use but it can be extended when the need arises.

In addition, the fact that the Boya BY-MM1 doesn’t use any batteries means you never have to bother with buying battery cells to power it up or worry about running out of battery when recording.

As long as your device (Smartphone or Camera is powered up, The Boya-BY MM1 will work.

Durability Of The Boya BY MM1

Having used the Boya BY-M1 for a little over 3 years now. I can confidently say that the Boya BY-MM1 is built to last.

The rugged metal construction Boya uses on the Microphone’s body holds up to time and will not scratch or fray even under heavy use. (At least mine hasn’t and I haven’t babied it at all)

That said, the shock mount used to attach the microphone to the Camera hot shoe is made of plastic and will break if you drop the Camera with the microphone attached to it. (That’s exactly what happened to mine)

I have broken my shock mount and now every time I use the Boya BY-MM1, I have to be creative on how to mount it to my Camera. The Microphone itself works flawlessly though, so Boya if you ever read this, consider making a stronger shock mount in future)

Ease Of Use 

Ease of use is where the Boya BY-MM1 excels. The cardioid microphone employs a plug-and-play design feature.

The microphone doesn’t require a battery to power it up, so all you need is a compatible device, plug in the microphone and you are good to go.

I have used the Boya BY-MM1 all these years and never once has it failed me (Except the one or two times when I forgot to plug in the Microphone to the Camera input jack, it happens sometimes in the heat of content creation, trust me) 

In those occasions, the mistake was mine, not the microphones; So always check to see that you have plugged the audio connectors in before you press record. 

Pros and Cons

Not everything is rosy and soft and sweet with the Boya BY-MM1 though. As with all things, there are a few cons to the microphone too. 

Price

In 2020, I bought my Boya BY-MM1 for Ksh 3000, which was about USD 30 at the time. Today the Boya BY MM1 retails for about the same on Amazon. 

For USD 30, you will be hard-pressed to find a microphone that works as well as the Boya BY MM1.

Alternative Microphones You Can Buy

The only alternative to the Boya-BY MM1 is the Rode Videomic Go which is priced at about USD 90 to 100. 

That’s 60 to 70 USD more expensive than the Boya BY MM1, if you want to upgrade from your Boya BY MM1, then that is the way to go.

Final Thoughts

The Boya-BY MM1 is an entry-level, budget universal microphone that just works. For its price, there isn’t anything out there that can compete against it. 

And with its design and build, it will last many years of use. I have had the Boya BY MM1 for 3 years, and I absolutely recommend it to every content creator who needs an external microphone but doesn’t want to break the bank.

Related: Beginner-Friendly Guide On How to Start and Grow Your Vlogging Channel

Thank you for reading.