AWARDS GEAR OF THE YEAR
Audio recorder/adapters Beachtek DXA-Micro Pro+ Panasonic DMW-XLR1E Saramonic SR-PAX1 Sony XLR-K3M Sound Devices MixPre-3 II recorder Tascam Portacapture X8 Zoom F3 Zoom H8 Microphone XLR Audio-Technica BP4029 Rode NTG5 Sanken CS-3e Sennheiser MKE 600 Sennheiser MKH 416-P48U3 Microphone DSLR Tascam DR-10L Tascam DR-70D Rode VideoMic Go II Rode VideoMic NTG Sennheiser MKE 200 Sennheiser MKE 400 Shure VP83F Lenshopper Sony ECM-B1M Wireless mics DJI Action 2 Hollyland Lark 150 Joby Wavo Air Rode Wireless Go II Saramonic Blink500 Pro Sennheiser AVX-MKE2 Sennheiser XSW-D portable lavalier set Sony UWP-D27 Dual Channel Sound Devices A20-Mini Azden SMX-30 Canon DM-E1D Joby Wavo Pro
AUDIO Getting serious about sound is something that marks out a true professional. Ruin the audio and your film is unsalvageable. Luckily, manufacturers continue to launch better products every year. Everyone needs a high-quality microphone. Shortlisted are some of the very best XLR, DSLR and lavalier mics, audio recorders and wireless kits. In the audio recorder/adapter category, radical 32-bit float technology has seen a flurry of products change the lives of filmmakers. These devices capture a range of audio so wide that you don’t even need to set levels. It’s like super-high dynamic range for your sound. The Tascam Portacapture X8 is incredibly popular, thanks to affordability and ease of use, although the Zoom F3 is a slimmed-down version that’s also in demand. Beachtek’s DXA-Micro Pro+ lets you use quality XLR mics on any camera, while Panasonic DMW-XLR1E and Sony XLR-K3M adapters do the same, with brand- specific benefits like connection via multi-interface shoe.
For XLR mics, the Rode NTG5 is joined by two classics from Sennheiser, the MKE 600 and MKH 416-P48U3. For DSLR, the Canon DM-E1D and Sony ECM- B1M use multi-interface hotshoe technology to get rid of wires. Joby has entered the audio market with the noise-cancelling Wavo Pro DSLR mic. Sennheiser has the compact MKE 200 and MKE 400, while Rode’s new Wireless mic systems continue to boom. The Sound Devices A20- Mini is an impressive performer, but so it should be; this is really high-end kit, with a price to match. The Sennheiser AVX-MKE2 and XSW-D portable lavalier set each continue to deliver excellent results at a lower cost. Many two-transmitter wireless kits have launched, enabling easy recording of two talking heads at once – via a single receiver. Check out the DJI Action 2, Hollyland Lark 150, Joby Wavo Air, Rode Wireless Go II, Saramonic Blink500 Pro and Sony UWP-D27 – which doesn’t even need a lead to plug into suitable Sony cameras. VideoMic Go II and popular VideoMic NTG both feature.
SOUND SUPERSTARS Canon’s wireless mic, Tascam’s recorder, the DJI Action 2 kit and Azden mic are all worthy kit
24
PRO MOVIEMAKER
Powered by FlippingBook