AWARDS
GEAR OF THE YEAR
AUDIO I t’s hardly a secret that choosing the right microphones is essential, and the heart of most professional set-ups is an XLR mic. This year’s winner, as voted for by readers of Pro Moviemaker , is the Sennheiser MKE 600. Its latest victory now makes it a four-time winner in these prestigious awards, a testament to this legendary shotgun mic. It is a highly directional mic due to its advanced design which isolates sound and rejects noise from the sides and rear. While the MKE 600 can accept phantom power, it can also be powered by a standard AA battery, and an on-off switch makes sure the battery isn’t drained when not in use. In the category for DSLR-type mics, the Joby Wavo Pro came out on top as it’s easy to use and has great audio quality. A broadcast-level shotgun mic equipped with an intelligent hybrid analogue/digital system to power onboard active noise reduction, it also comes with shock mount and fluffy windjammer. A large LED on the rear by the on/off button lights up green, and is mirrored by a small LED on the front to show that it’s working. There is also a 3.5mm mic input socket which allows easy two-person interviews or dual-channel recording. So you can plug in a separate mic, lav mic or even a wireless mic system to record the main audio from the shotgun as well as the wireless mic. It’s a fully featured pro mic with all the bells and whistles for a decent price.
To cut yourself free of wires, radio mics are the way to go – and it’s no surprise the Rode Wireless Go II is the clear winner. By adding a second mic/transmitter, internal recording and extending the wireless range to the previous Rode Wireless Go system, the Wireless Go II is a huge upgrade. It is designed to solve the problem of recording two subjects into a camera via a single wireless receiver, while keeping the equipment as compact and simple as possible. The Wireless Go II includes two separate transmitters that have built-in mics. These come already in sync with each other and the single camera-top receiver, which has an LCD display that shows levels and peaks for both mic channels. The receiver has a 3.5mm analogue TRS output for cameras, plus digital audio output for smartphones and computers – ideal for vlogging. The system also has onboard recording, as each transmitter can record seven hours of uncompressed audio to its internal memory as a backup. This is activated via the Rode Central app that gives access to firmware updates and advanced features like activation of a safety channel which records a second track at -20dB in case the main channel distorts. It switches between mono and stereo, has a mute button and rechargeable li-ion batteries that last up to seven hours, with a two-hour recharge. And the signal range is a huge 200m/656ft. Windjammers clip onto the TX units to cut down wind noise.
The Shure VP83F Lenshopper takes the Editor’s Choice for DSLR mics. It works as a camera-top mic for top-quality audio direct to your mirrorless, but also records direct to a microSD card in the mic unit that avoids your camera’s preamps. A switchable low-cut filter reduces pickup of low-frequency background noise and an integrated Rycote Lyre shock mount system cuts mechanical noise. EDITOR’S CHOICE: SHURE VP83F LENSHOPPER The Tascam DR-70D takes the top award for audio recorders/adapters as it has a wide range of inputs as well as two built-in mics. The unit is designed for mounting between camera and tripod, though it can sit in the hotshoe for mobile work, or be slung from a strap. A mix of omnidirectional as well as external mics, which can be recorded to four separate tracks, means you should be able to cover several sources as well as an ambient ‘wild track’. Inputs include four XLR connections and a 3.5mm stereo mini- jack. Like the XLRs the latter is powered, so there’s no compromise on choice of mics. There’s also connection to and from the camera so you can run a reference track.
Audio recorder/adapter Tascam DR-70D
THE WINNERS
Microphone XLR Sennheiser MKE 600
Microphone DSLR Joby Wavo Pro
Wireless mic Rode Wireless Go II
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