GEAR OF THE YEAR AWARDS
AUDIO
There is adjustable gain control via a large knob at the back, which is so useful. An auto-sensing output automatically switches between TRS and TRRS to differentiate between cameras and phones also. The USB-C socket is used to charge the internal lithiumbattery, which lasts for up to 30 hours, and also provides the audio output for streaming. It comes with Rycote Lyre shock mounting, a sliding rail to adjust the position, and a dB peak warning light to prevent clipping. The mic is a shotgun type with a directional, supercardioid polar pattern, using the same acoustic design as the NTG5 XLRmic. It has a ‘safety channel’ option. This allows one track to be recorded at a set level, and a second track to be recorded at -20dB. If there is a sudden increase in noise, you have usable audio. The mic also has a selectable high-pass filter at 75 or 150Hz, to filter out lower frequencies such as hum from appliances.
Aussie soundmaster Rode once again scoops two awards in our audio category, with the impressive new second-generationWireless Go II kit, as well as the Videomic NTG in the mic category for DSLR and mirrorless cameras. The Rode Videomic NTG can be used on cameras or smartphones as a boommic, or even as a USBmic for live streaming or podcasting via your computer. And it has a headphone socket, too. “TheWireless Go II is ideal for small cameras, vloggers, or anyone looking for a no-fuss system withwhich to record two interviewees”
Last year, the Rode Wireless Go won our award, and this year it was almost a given that the much- improvedWireless Go II kit would rule – and it has. Like the original, there is a very small receiver, but the new version comes with two transmitters with their own integrated, broadcast- quality lav mics built in, as well as the capacity to plug in an external lav if you want. The kit has a transmitter (TX) and two receiver (RX) units, a 3.5mm lead for connecting to camera or recorder, USB-C cables for charging the units, two furry windshields and a neoprene slip case. The Wireless Go II features a standard 3.5mm analogue TRS output cable for cameras, plus a digital audio output via USB-C for smartphones and computers. Both input channels can be combined to be recorded as a single channel, or kept separate for more control in post. You can alsomute each
SOUND BUYS The Tascam recorder and Sennheiser XLR mic came out top in their respective categories
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