GREAT SPEC Azden really impress with two DSLR-style mics, a dual-powered shotgun mic and a wireless system (above)
opposed to the standard Pro-XR for the rest of the world. The Azden system intelligently scans for interference, sending out three signals from transmitter to receiver – the best signal is chosen as the audio channel. It’s constantly monitored by the clever electronics, so any potential interference means a cleaner signal is chosen automatically. We had no signal issues at all, despite trying to provoke drop-outs by using it around corners and in busy, built-up places. They have an external antenna rather than a much smaller internal one, which puts it ahead of its peers. Each Pro-XRe comes with a smaller, flexible antenna and a high-gain antenna for increased performance. The rechargeable internal battery works for up to 21 hours, charged by USB. A decent-quality lav mic is included in the kit, and the receiver has a 3.5mm headphone jack for monitoring. There’s also a 3.5mm line-level aux input you could connect to an audio mixer, and six- step adjustable output gain for tailoring to your camera. For smartphones, it comes with a mount and TRRS cable for devices with headphone jacks, and a lighting- to-headphone adapter for iOS devices. Azden’s entire range is calculated, robust and inexpensive for high-end kit. azden.com
The mics run on AA batteries, and as well as the on/off setting, there’s an auto switch that turns the mic on and off when it detects the camera’s status. That’s a great feature for those of us who sometimes forget to turn the mic on or off, killing the battery. Both come with a shock-absorbing shoe mount and a standard thread to mount the mics to a light stand. The mic can be aimed 30° left or right to more accurately point it at the speaker – a really cool feature. In terms of sound quality, both are crisp and clear and not particularly bassy. It’s a very neutral, natural sound. For use on cinema cameras, recorders or mirrorless cameras using an XLR adapter, the Azden SGM-250 is a £324/$249 dual-powered shotgun mic. It’s part of Azden’s Ni-Go-Maru series – ‘250’ in Japanese – and is a range of four professional XLR shotgun mics featuring top-class build at an affordable price.
We tested the flagship SGM-250, which has a newly-designed mic element and can be powered by phantom power or an AA battery. There is also the SGM-250P, slightly cheaper, but not battery-powered – it’s phantom only. The SGM-250 is just 250mm/9.8in long to suit smaller cameras, and has a solid build quality thanks to an all-metal casing. It comes complete with a shock mount and windshield – and a high-pass switch cuts out hum. In practice, it is simplicity itself, producing a really tight pattern, ideal for isolating the speaker from ambient noise. The audio is clean and sharp, as you would expect from a professional XLR mic. It’s a solid performer and well-built. Azden’s £294/$249 Pro-XRe wireless system uses a 2.4GHz frequency, employing Azden’s own technology to avoid the line-of-sight dependency of some rival units. The ‘e’ designation means it’s a European-spec unit, as
“In terms of sound quality, the SMX-30 and the SMX-30V are crisp and clear, and not particularly bassy. It’s a very neutral, natural sound”
21
PROMOVIEMAKER.NET
Powered by FlippingBook