BUYERS’ GUIDE
RYCOTE OVERCOVERS £11/$16 rycote.com
RYCOTE SOFTIES From £84/$99 rycote.com
You may have a lav mic and a furry cover for it, but Rycote’s Overcovers are better for reducing wind noise and a stronger way of fixing the mic to your talent. They are designed to mount over a range of lapel microphones in windy outdoor conditions, reducing contact noise between mic and clothing. A kit comes with six black furry disc windshields for most standard lav mics, and 30 black sticky pads to fix them. They even stick to skin so can be hidden under clothing. Replacement pads are available.
Lots of mics come bundled with a deadcat designed to cut wind noise. But upgrading to a Rycote version can pay dividends, with all sorts of wind-deadening kit that uses high-tech fabrics. Many standard furry covers just stretch over the original foam, but two better options are Rycote’s cost-effective Classic Softie and Short Hair Softie. These are sold in different lengths and diameters to fit most shotgun mics. Both have synthetic fur covers over a specially designed acoustic foam, which cuts up to 25dB of noise without losing high-frequency audio.
Pros: Easy to keep a pack in the kitbag Cons: Fluffy cover doesn’t cut high wind noise
Pros: Superior wind-cheating
Cons: One size doesn’t fit all
RODE WIRELESS GO II CHARGING CASE £70/$79 rode.com Rode’s Wireless Go II system is a hit, with two compact mics and transmitters, internal recording and a strong wireless range. The transmitters have integrated lav mics built in and accept a plug- in external lav, plus the kit comes with windjammers included. They used to be charged separately, until Rode revealed the charging case. This juices up all three components in a single case with one USB-C lead. A rechargeable internal battery lets you charge your Wireless Go twice, giving up to 30 hours of use.
RODE NTH-100 HEADPHONES £121/$149 rode.com
Mic maker Rode has moved into editing headphones with the NTH-100 professional over-ear cans. These have ergonomic earcups with memory foam cushions and CoolTech gel. The earcup and headband cushions are made from Alcantara and the adjustable headband has a locking system for a custom fit that doesn’t slip. Set them once, and don’t mess around resetting every time. Audio is clear and well-defined, rather than providing a bassy thump for listening to music.
Pros: Simple power solution
Cons: No room to store leads
Pros: Better than consumer cans
Cons: Made of plastic
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