Teenage Engineering CM-15 review: The ultimate portable studio mic

In the context of phones, Teenage Engineering is best known for its collaboration with Nothing; the Phone 1 and Phone 2’s unique design identity was created by the Swedish brand. And while it teams up with plenty of other brands to design eye-catching products — such as the Playdate handheld console — its main focus is music production gear.

I’ve always been a fan of Teenage Engineering’s Pocket Operator series of miniature synths, and a decade after its launch, the OP-1 continues to be a standout synth. The brand rolled out its field system at the start of last year, introducing a range of devices that are designed for portable use. The CM-15 is a part of that range, which includes a field recorder, mixer, and a lighter OP-1 dubbed the OP-1 Field.

The idea is to be able to create music on the go, and each of the products is designed to work in conjunction with the rest. The CM-15 is particularly notable because of its sheer versatility; you can use it as a traditional studio mic to record vocals or instruments, and there’s the ability to connect it to your phone and use it to record audio — this is handy during interviews — and so much more.