THE WINNERS AWARDS
EDITOR’S CHOICE: BEACHTEK DXA-MICRO PRO+
AUDIO T he biggest news in audio for many years is the of audio captured is so wide – from the loudest explosion to the quietest whisper – that you don’t really need to set audio levels. Instead, you can just bring the levels up or down in post and have incredible, clear, distortion-free sound with no clipping. In fact, some 32-bit float recorders don’t even let you adjust the gain since there’s no point. So it’s perhaps no shock that the winner in the recorder category is the Tascam Portacapture X8, one of the first to bring 32-bit float to the masses at an affordable price. The X8 can capture up to six audio inputs plus a stereo mix – totalling eight tracks. It comes with introduction of 32-bit float technology, where the range two adjustable condenser mics in a stereo pair on top, which can be removed if you want to use the standard 3.5mm inputs instead. For the second year in a row, the tiny Rode Wireless Go II kit has been voted best wireless system. Consisting of a small receiver and two transmitters with their own integrated broadcast-quality lav mics built in, plus the capacity to plug in an external lav, the Wireless Go II features a standard 3.5mm analogue TRS output cable
Beachtek’s DXA-Micro Pro+ connects any kind of mic to just about any camera – which is especially useful for mirrorless and DSLR machines without XLR inputs or adjustable, multichannel audio. It features an XLR connector with 48V phantom power, plus one 3.5mm stereo and two 3.5mm mono mini-jacks with plug-in power, ideal for DSLR-specific mics. The Pro+ has a built-in battery good for up to ten hours plus a micro USB jack for charging or external power. A removable cheese plate and optional baseplate are designed for use on a rod-based camera rig. A big bonus is Beachtek’s powerful, low-noise preamps, which have dual gain settings – and are leagues better than most standard in-camera amps.
for cameras – and a digital audio output via USB-C for phones and computers. Both input channels can be combined and recorded as a single channel or kept separate for more control in post. The system also has onboard recording, as each transmitter can capture over 40 hours of audio to its internal memory as a backup recording. This feature is activated via the Rode Central app, which gives access to firmware updates and activation of a safety channel. For XLR mics, Rode came out on top again with the NTG5 – a tiny shotgun microphone weighing just 76g/0.17lbs (a dream for boom operators), offering perfect acoustic transparency and extreme amounts of directionality for avoiding background noise. It comes in a location recording kit that includes a pistol grip shock mount, wind shield, pro cable and everything you need to use it on an XLR mount or boom. In the category for DSLR mics, the second-generation Sennheiser MKE 400 directional shotgun gives great sound quality, even in noisy environments, without having to use a windscreen and suspension system. It offers three-stage gain control and a low-cut filter. With integral wind protection, built-in shock absorption, a
long battery life and headphone monitoring port, it employs a supercardioid polar pattern that’s enhanced by an acoustic interference tube to focus on sound sources in front while ignoring noise from the side and rear.
Audio recorder/adapters Tascam Portacapture X8 Editor’s choice: Beachtek DXA-Micro Pro+ Microphone XLR Rode NTG5 Microphone DSLR Sennheiser MKE 400 Wireless mics R o de Wireless Go II
GLORY DAZE Sennheiser, Rode and Tascam all scooped audio awards from readers of Pro Moviemaker
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PRO MOVIEMAKER
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