GEAR GROUP TEST
TASCAM TM-10L £69.95/$89.99
The TM-10L is a condenser-type lavalier mic that comes with a clip, windshield and zip-up pouch, and it’s available in black or white, which can be helpful inmatching it to clothing colour, thereby making it as unobtrusive as possible in the frame. It’s a small mic, though it feels very robust, especially in places like the link between the cable and the 3.5mm jack. Speaking of the cable, it’s 1.6m long, making this a mic that’s best suited to use withmobile recorders and transmitters rather than plugging into a camera directly. The jack has a screw lock for use with transmitters, but needed an adapter to fit properly into our test recorder or camera. The TM-10L’s included windshield is of the moulded type, essentially a small cap with a foam inner that mounts neatly and securely to the mic. Its clip is very good, too, though you need to remove the windshield
Coming in the formof a kit and including multiple accessories, the Rode lavalier immediately presents itself as pro level. It comes in a sturdy hard plastic case, and includes two types of windshields: a regular foam version and a furry. The mic itself is very small and therefore useful for more discrete applications where visible gear isn’t an option. to fit the mic to it, which is a potential problem for the butter-fingered out there. The clip gives a decent grip, if a little short in the lever, and the mic is held by a sprung catchmechanism, which is both secure and easy tomodify, but it can’t be angled. The TM-10L gave a very nice performance in sound. The signal was clean and well balanced. Turning the mic away from the face, it was just as good, and there was little drop in pickup when speaking away from the central position.
The cable is 1.2m long, so only suitable for recorder or transmitter work, and the mic needs screwing into its 3.5mm adapter – as it can also be twinned with an optional XLR connection, as part of Rode’s MiCon system. The cable claims to be shielded and Kevlar reinforced, so it should be highly durable (it certainly seemed to be in testing) and the mic itself is metal. The regular foam and the furry shields have a cuff that makes mounting them easy and secure, while the clip also has a practical feel. It’s all metal with a non-slip surface that gives plenty of purchase, with a sprung clip that makes mounting the mic quick and easy. The clip also has a dedicated notch for looping the cable, and small jaws for precise mounting. Neither of the windshields had a problem when the subject was moving, and the mic had no problems when inverted. Overall, sound quality from the Rode mic was excellent, with great clarity. In the wind test, the foam shield did okay, but the furry version removed all wind noise completely, and with only a fractional drop in clarity. Background noise was minimal. PROMOVIEMAKER RATING: 9/10 A great mix of performance, accessories and value for money, it’s an investment to your kit that you won’t regret. However, performance against the fan was not the best, with obvious interference, as the included shield didn’t seem to offer the level of protection required. Obviously, an aftermarket windshield would improve this at little expense. Even so, ambient noise was well controlled. PROMOVIEMAKER RATING: 7/10 A good performance and nice features mean the TM-10L certainly doesn’t disappoint at this price point.
RODE LAVALIER MICROPHONE KIT £149.99/$249.99
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
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PRO MOVIEMAKER AUTUMN 2019
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