GEAR GROUP TEST
SARAMONIC SR-VRM1 £130/$125 saramonic.com
Saramonic offers a great range of audio products, including recorders, and while it has some traditional-looking field recorders with built-in stereomics, the SR- VRM1 is arguably its most eye catching: a compact XLR plug-on linear PCM recorder. It’s very small and light, and therefore a highly portable unit, with a single XLR connection letting you plug a mic into it directly and run it without wires getting in the way. In fact, it’s so small it feels more like you’re plugging it into the mic. There are nomounting options other than its XLR connection. Unusually for such a small unit, the SR-VRM1 can provide 48V phantompower, meaning you’re unlimited in terms of mic choice, and it runs off a couple of AA batteries. Next to the battery compartment is a covered card slot and 3.5mmheadphone jack, and the SR-VRM1 will take up to 32GBmicro SDs. Top-rate recording is 48kHz 24bit WAV, though lower levels are selectable, and it has a frequency response
Beachtek’s DXA-Micro Pro+ has been a hit with run-and-gun videographers for some time, and the new Pro+ version looks to build on that with the same basic advantages alongside some useful improvements. The DXA-Micro Pro+ is a pre-amp adapter that sits between your mic and DSLR/CSC, achieving a cleaner audio than you’d otherwise get; the separate pre-amp means the camera itself doesn’t need to boost the signal. This it does very well, with an almost total reduction in hiss compared to our test camera alone, and also provides the advantage of not needing to sync audio and video in editing if you want it. There’s a two-channel input, with independent control of gain on both, allowing you to monitor and achieve a certain level of mixing control when shooting. In terms of inputs, there’s a reasonable level of choice, so you can expect to plug in whichever mic you need at the time. There’s a single XLR connection with a 48V phantom power supply for using mics that need it, and on the opposite side of the unit, two 3.5mmmono and one 3.5mm stereo mini-jacks as well as a mini-jack out that connects to the camera. If you connect one XLR mic and another via mini-jack they’ll be split across the two channels; but from one source you of 20Hz to 22kHz. Sound quality is very high quality, and there’s a low-cut filter if required. The all-metal design is very simple and easy to navigate. There are three coloured LEDs at the top, including a phantompower indicator (it can be turned offwhen using dynamic mics), the regular power light and a recording light. Below that is a decent- sized screen and four buttons. The screen is clearly laid out and backlit for working in low light, but again this can be switched off to conserve power if not needed. The four buttons let you navigate menus and options such as gain, and while there’s no arguing it’s less intuitive than a dial, it works just fine through a mix of long and short presses. For example, plus andminus keys navigate menus and the rec button is the OK. The length of time you touch the rec button tells the unit to pause or to stop entirely. Similarly, long presses of the + button cycle through options like the low-cut and headphone volume. Nominally
can achieve a ‘bracketed’ recording by lowering gain on just one of the R/L settings, which can supply a safety net when the signal is unpredictable. For powering mini-jack mics, there’s also a power port. Controls on the front are clear, and without an LCD display and menus to dive into there’s not much to get confused by. Next to the L and R pre-amp switches and knobs there are indicators to show good or peaking. There’s also a headphone out for monitoring. At 400g (14oz) the DXA-Micro Pro+ weighs little enough to make it a good fit with hybrid bodies such as the A7 III, and it is easy to mount – you can place it on your hotshoe, screw it to the tripod mount under the camera, or using the cheese plate easily add it to a cage via threaded 1/4in and 3/8in mounting holes. There are mounting feet on either side of the unit, too. Unlike the previous version, the Pro+ uses a built lithium polymer battery giving up to ten hours of life, and it can be run from an external power source. PROMOVIEMAKER RATING: 8/10 The DXA-Micro Pro+ is a superb solution for cleaner audio, and if you don’t need the add-ons the regular Pro version will save you £70. the pre-amp level is adjusted using the plus/minus buttons andmonitored using headphones and/or the level on screen. The SR-VRM1 is a little lacking in features, such as dual recording or multiple channels, and it’s limited to a single XLR connection, but that certainly doesn’t offset its good points. PROMOVIEMAKER RATING: 8/10 A small, light and very affordable recorder for XLRmics. Options are limited and handlingmight offend some, but what it does, it does brilliantly.
BEACHTEK DXA-MICRO PRO+ £235 /$229 beachtek.com
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PRO MOVIEMAKER SUMMER 2019
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