GEAR
BUYERS’ GUIDE
JOBY WAVO BOOM ARM £86/$99 joby.com
The AW-UE150 was the first 4K/60p PTZ camera from a major manufacturer. Even though it has now been usurped as the flagship of the Panasonic range by the UE160 model, the AW-UE150 makes a significantly more cost-effective buy. The AW-UE150 has a one-inch sensor, 12G-SDI, Optical Fibre and IP connections for control and an optical 20x zoom. The camera also features a function that prevents colour overloading from blue LED lights, making it ideal for live events and stages with strong blue lighting. Its speedy pan and tilt performance allows for rapid capture of the target, with a low level of noise for quiet environments. PANASONIC AW-UE150 £11,712/$11,400 panasonic.com
RODE PODMIC USB £199/$199 rode.com
The Podmic USB from Rode is a broadcast- grade dynamic microphone. It offers the same quality as the popular Podmic, but has both XLR and USB connectivity. When using the analogue XLR output, the Podmic USB works exactly as the original, though it comes with a studio- grade pop filter. With the digital USB output, it offers a Revolution Preamp and high-quality analogue-to-digital conversion for improved audio capture, advanced Digital Signal Processing for adding Aphex voice processing to any recording and smartphone compatibility. It also features a zero-latency headphone output and on-board volume control. The mic is compatible with Unify, Rode Central and Rode Connect software.
With the set-up for many podcasts being talking heads chatting into huge condenser mics rather than boom or lavalier mics, an articulating boom arm that clamps to a desk is a useful option. Joby’s Wavo Boom Arm comes with a desk clamp and has a 1kg/2.2lb load capacity and 1/4in-20 mounting screw for compatibility with almost any mic. An integrated ball head can adjust the mic angle and the arm height reaches up to 87cm/34.3in. The arm attaches with a padded clamp and features holders for cups and headphones for convenience. A hidden cable channel with interchangeable rubber strips keeps the cables safe and out of view.
RODE STREAMER X £319/$399 rode.com
The Rodecaster Pro II is a fully integrated audio production console for podcasting and streaming, offering wired and wireless connectivity. Rode created the all-in-one podcasting console category with the original Rodecaster Pro in 2018 and, since its release in 2022, the Rodecaster Pro II raised the bar with ultra-low-noise, high- gain preamps. Its four combo inputs for mics and line-level devices, as well as two further inputs, allow recording from any Series IV wireless transmitter – including the Wireless Go II and Wireless Me. This console is kitted with eight smart pads, dual USB-C interfaces, four headphone jacks, a 5.5in touchscreen and Bluetooth to allow smartphone connection. RODECASTER PRO II £619/$699 rode.com
JVC KY-PZ400N £2257/$1995 jvc.com
Rode’s useful Streamer X combines a professional audio interface and video capture card in a compact streaming console. It features audio inputs for XLR and line-level devices, headsets and Rode wireless microphones, with a low-noise preamp and powerful audio processor. It also offers streaming in 4K/30p and 2K/60p, as well as up to 2K/120p and 4K/60p pass-through. Two USB-C connections allow for dual PC set-ups and four customisable smart pads enable triggering of sound or voice FX and other actions on a computer. It is also compatible with Rode’s software including Unify, Rode Central and Rode Connect to provide broadcast-quality video and audio capture.
JVC’s 4K KY-PZ400N camera is equipped with NDI HX and SRT streaming, H.265/ H.264/MJPEG encoding and VITC-camera synchronisation. It includes SRT, HTTP, RTSP, RTMP/RTMPS as well as all the standard protocols. Advanced streaming SRT technology adds automatic repeat request (ARQ) and forward error correction (FEC) to prevent signal loss. It also offers stream encryption for content protection. Remote control capabilities are via JVC’s RM-LP100 controller, JVC’s KM- IP6000/4000 live IP production suites or others from vMix, OBS Studio and Newtek.
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