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RYCOTE HC-15 AND CA-08 MICS £738/$799 and £690/$649 rycote.com
SPECIFICATIONS HC-15 Type: Hypercardioid condenser shotgun Capsule: Back-electret condenser Modes: Mono Interface: XLR Frequency range: 50Hz-20kHz Self noise: 8.5dB-A Output sensitivity: 45mV/Pa Output impedance: 100 Ohms Signal-to-noise ratio: 85dB Dimensions (dxl): 19x155mm/0.75x6.10in Weight: 90g/0.2lb CA-O8 Type: Cardioid condenser shotgun Capsule: Back-electret condenser Modes: Mono Interface: XLR Frequency range: 45Hz-20kHz Self noise: 13dB-A Output sensitivity: 24.3mV/Pa Output impedance: 100 Ohms Signal-to-noise ratio: 80dB Dimensions (dxl): 19x78mm/0.75x2.95in Weight: 69g/0.15lb to your subject. It’s ideal on a pro camcorder for ENG use up close, as an example, while the hypercardioid pattern of the HC-15 is used at medium distances, like a regular shotgun mic. Pro sound engineers select a different mic for each shooting scenario, which is why these mics are all built slightly differently and with distinct specs. If you are at that level of audio recording, you’ll be impressed at the range and affordability of the Rycotes. If you are a more all-round filmmaker looking to up your audio game, these mics are a great way to do it. The sound isolation is excellent and results are neutral. As Rycote says, they are a tad warm – always a good thing especially for recording voices. The build quality is fantastic, and so is the sound they produce. If you are ready for the big time when it comes to incredible audio, these could well be your way in. PRO MOVIEMAKER RATING: 9/10 Mics that produce excellent sound quality for professional use
When you open a new bit of kit and are faced with a beautiful custom hard case, lined with faux red silk, covered in fine tissue paper, you know you’re in for something special. Unboxing one of Rycote’s mics feels more like you’ve spent a load of cash on a fancy, designer knick-knack than a professional-quality XLR mic. But one look at this microphone and you notice the exquisite design, smooth black exterior and gold-coated pins. Rycote now offers a range of compact condenser mics, each with a low-noise capsule and preamp design. There are different lengths and looks to do slightly different jobs, with a choice of supercardioid, cardioid and omnidirectional patterns. All are built to deliver a similar tonal quality, and are available in matched stereo pairs accurate to within 0.5dB. They’re about as far from cheap, DSLR-type plug-in mics as you could get. These are designed for high-end professional use, with back-electret condenser capsules and machined brass preamps. They also have gold- plated Neutrik XLR connectors and are designed to be resistant to RF interference. The build is beautifully machined aluminium, and they deliver a consistent sonic signature to give a uniform sound to any film. We tried the CA-08, which is a cardioid mic from the short pencil range – which also features the SC-08 supercardioid, OM-08 omnidirectional and BD-10 bidirectional in the same compact size. The kit comes with a Rycote mic clip and 5cm foam cover.
We also had the HC-15, a hypercardioid shotgun mic. It’s 15cm long, although the HC-22 is available at 22cm for even more of a shotgun effect – and the 35cm HC-35 is massive! The HC range doesn’t come with any accessories; you can spec your own from Rycote’s massive range of foams, windshield kits and more. Rycote’s HC mics are designed and made in the UK, and Rycote says they have a self-noise level lower than almost any equivalent-sized shotgun mic – at any price. It is a bold claim, but we’re in no position to scientifically test every other mic in order to verify. But we can confirm the design offers precise recordings – crisp, yet with some additional warmth to avoid a sterile sound. Being pro mics, they are XLR-only and have no externally adjustable gain, pad, or even a light to show you they’re on. All control comes from whatever you have them connected to, like an external recorder or cinema camera. The small mic gives good directionality when used fairly close
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The HC-15 is ideal for use on cinema cameras with XLR inputs
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Even packaging is high-end and chic with Rycote
Pros: Top-quality audio gear Cons: No adjustment, XLR only
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