MINI TESTS
SENNHEISER AMBEO SMART HEADSET £259.99/$299.95 www.sennheiser.com
Here’s a novelty, a set of headphones that doubles as amicrophone. And not just anymicrophone at that, but a specialist Ambeo device which captures 3D sound that appears to be coming fromdifferent directions. It’s the perfect accompaniment to VR films. I tested these headphones out in Piccadilly Circus, where a convenient gathering of football supporters gave me the chance to see what they could do. The results were impressive: not only was it clear where the fans were, and they were distinctly in a different place to where the sound of passing traffic was coming from, but a noise cancelling facility alsomeant that I could play back what I had in the field to check I had exactly what I was after. You can also use a smart slider to adjust themic sensitivity, to suit the environment you’re recording in.
The concept of adding a microphone to a headset for Ambeo sound actuallymakes complete sense, since the idea is that you want to record sound froma position where your ears are so that you hear things back in the same way. This headset also doubles as a great device for listening tomusic, and the sound is amazing. Only an iOS version is available at themoment, although an Android compatible product is said to be on the way. And youmight want to have some wipes available if you plan to share the headset with others, since they fit very snugly inside your ear and could pick up some wax. Gross! TH PROMOVIEMAKERRATING: 8.5/10 Pros: Cutting-edge Ambeomic that would be perfect for a VR filmmaker Cons: Only available for iOS
SPECIFICATIONS Mics: 2x omnidirectional in earpieces (one per side), 1x inline in remote Type: In ear, dynamic Frequency response: 30Hz to 20kHz Sensitivity: Lowgain: -35dBFS @94dB SPL, 1kHz/High gain: -18dBFS@94dB SPL, 1kHz Bit depth: 24 Connector: Lightning Cable length: 1.2m/47.2in Weight: 33g/1.2oz
ABOVE 3D sound
recording and earphones in one neat kit.
HAGUE CAMSLIDE DRIVE AND POWERSLIDER £240 & £249/$332 & $344 www.haguecamerasupports.com
of this or set it to deliver a completely straight sliding action. And it worked really well in practice. The slider itself is made from lightweight carbon fibre, so it’s easy to carry around and silky smooth in action. It comes supplied with its own transit bag and the finish and styling of the product belies its budget price. The carriage has a larger seating area as well as 1/4in screw and 3/8in adapter, whichmakes it ideal for mounting ball heads or video heads and it incorporates four roller bearings The Hague Powerslider is designed to partner the Camslide Drive, as well as other Hague sliders. It tookme a while to fathomout how to attach it but it all came good in the end and again this accessory offers remarkable value for money. It’s powered by four AA batteries and so it’s equally at home in the field as the studio. for a smooth slider movement. There’s also a useful spirit level.
Sliders are one of themost useful accessories, and Hague has a long tradition of supplying well-priced models. The Camslide Drive, for example, features a decent length of 80cm/31.4in and is priced at just £240/$332, and there’s an added, clever twist. A central bar can be adjusted at either end to set an angle that enables the camera to pan as it glides, and you can alter the strength
BELOW Taking the effort out of sliding, the
SPECIFICATIONS Max Load: 8kg/17.6lb Material: Carbon fibre Colour: Black Length: 80cm/31.4in Weight: 1.7kg/3.7lb
Camslide Drive and Powerslider.
I loved the idea that you could take away all the little human imperfections that would occur through pushing the slider by hand, but was less impressed by themotor noise. If you’re recording audio at the same time it could give your sound engineer nightmares! TH PROMOVIEMAKERRATING: SLIDER: 9/10 POWERSLIDER: 8/10 Pros: The pan function on the slider is genius. Cons: The noise of themotor on the Powerslider can be distracting.
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SUMMER 2018 PRO MOVIEMAKER
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