BUYERS’ GUIDE GEAR
EVERYDAY CARRY
I t’s common knowledge that audio is 50% of any movie – at least. So it’s crucial to get it right and prevent your finely crafted handiwork coming over all iPhone-like with rubbish sound clarity and horrid wind noise. You might need to record lots of inputs, so a multichannel recorder is essential. Or you may need a lavalier mic to hide on your subject’s lapel. Maybe a boom to get up close, a windjammer to mask blustery conditions – and a wireless kit is a must-have, naturally. We take a look at some of the finest kit you can purchase. Listen up, you need more than just a mic! We look at the best buys to boost your soundtrack “You may need a lavalier mic to hide on your subject’s lapel, a boom to get up close or a windjammer to mask blustery conditions”
HOLLYLAND LARK M1 £139/$129 hollyland.com Hollyland’s Lark M1 is a compact, well- priced dual-channel wireless recorder – around half the price of the Lark 150. This lavalier mic system has a tiny body and charging case, uses Hollyland’s HearClear noise cancellation tech and has a 200m/650ft line-of-sight range. Each Lark M1 transmitter has an omnidirectional microphone that works at up to 48kHz/16-bit. The noise cancellation filters out ambient sounds, though can be turned off if you need to. But the M1 does not have a 3.5mm input, so there is no way to use a wired lav mic. The portable charging case juices up the kit in 90 minutes, giving an eight- hour runtime for each unit.
Every serious filmmaker needs a boom pole. Rode makes one of the finest, the professional, carbon-fibre Boompole Pro, alongside a range of cheaper aluminium poles. Weighing only 535g/1.18lb, the Boompole Pro extends to 3m/10ft and collapses to 810mm/2.8ft. Each of the five pole sections is comprised completely from carbon fibre, making it incredibly light while maintaining high levels of strength. The sections are easily extendable with one hand thanks to an intuitive twist-lock mechanism. It’s designed for use with professional shotgun microphones as well as the Blimp windshield system. RODE BOOMPOLE PRO £199/$299 rode.com
The latest audio adapter from Beachtek is the DXA-Max, which allows you to connect any mic to any camera. That includes wireless systems, on-camera mics, handheld or boom XLR mics for adjustable, multichannel audio. Preamps are much better than in-camera amps, so turn the camera gain down and rely on the DXA-Max to deliver quality audio. It has a built-in audio level meter and can be used on a mixing board with an adapter plug, plus it works with mobiles and for recording two-channel audio. Runtime is a healthy ten hours from its internal battery, which is charged by micro USB with the included cable. BEACHTEK DXA-MAX £229/$229 beachtek.com
Pros: Universal solution for great audio Cons: Adds bulk to small set-ups
Pros: Small and affordable Cons: No way to use a plug-in lav
Pros: Light and long! Cons: Not the cheapest
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