Interesting new Wireless Lav System from RODE: RODELink

At NAMM, RODE just announced their new wireless lav system targeted at filmmakers called the RODELink. Looks like an interesting system that competes with the Sennheiser G3 system but comes in at $399 USD. Also evidently comes with a RODE Lavalier which typically retails for $250 USD on its own. I'll see what I can do to get my hands on one when they're released in March.

Atomos Shogun XLR Audio Inputs: Decent Preamps

http://youtu.be/wJyUwa_RT6w There have been a ton of reviews and “first impressions” and “test footage” videos covering the new Atomos Shogun 4K recorder. But what we have not seen is much coverage of the XLR audio inputs on the Shogun. In this episode we have a quick listen to the preamps of the Shogun and compare it to the Tascam DR-60D audio recorder for reference.

Comparison of Aspen HQ-S and JK MicJ 044 Lavalier Microphones

I'm getting started on a comparison review of the Aspen HQ-S and the MicJ 044 lavalier microphones. They're both sub $50 USD lavaliers with 3.5mm plugs. The MicJ has a TS plug while the Aspen has a TRS. The Aspen records the same mono signal to both right and left channels on stereo recorders like the Zoom H1. In my initial tests, the MicJ produces a slightly stronger signal by about 3dB when looking at average RMS aptitude for this one-line clip, though only to the left channel. Not a big deal, I just drop the right channel and then convert to a dual-mono (stereo) track.

Here's a comparison of one line of dialogue where all I did was some compression and then loudness normalized to -21 LUFS.

What do you think in terms of audio quality so far?

First is the Aspen HQ-S with 3.5mm TRS plug.

[audio wav="http://learnlightandsound.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/10-Aspen-Sample-1-Normalized.wav"][/audio]

Next, the JK MicJ 044 with 3.5mm TS plug.

[audio wav="http://learnlightandsound.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/11-MicJ-Sample-1-Normalized.wav"][/audio]

Audio Technica AT2005USB & ATR 2100: Good Starter Microphone for Voice-Over and Screencasts

If you record voice-over, narration, or screencasts and are looking for an affordable microphone to capture your audio, the Audio Technica AT2005 USB may be a good option. It is incredibly versatile because it can record directly to your computer via the included USB cable or if you grow into a more professional audio interface or field recorder, it can also output to an XLR cable. It is a cardioid dynamic mic which means you have to work pretty close to it but it also does a very nice job rejecting most room reverb (known by non-audio types as “echo”).

Inicdentally, the Audio Technica ATR2100 microphone is almost identical to the AT2005. The only differences I could see is their finish color, the shape of the grill/pop filter, and the switch is slightly different. Otherwise they appear to be the same—same capsule, both with USB and XLR output.

Let’s take a closer look and listen and see whether it is a good option for your projects.

[embed]http://youtu.be/EHgSC3C0pTw[/embed]

Affordable Shotgun Microphone: Audio Technica AT897

B&H has got some nice pricing on a good mid-level shotgun that sounds great in the samples that I've heard: The Audio Technica AT897. If you're in the market, looks like their Black Friday price is about $175 USD through November 30th. Pretty nice deal for a good shotgun mic.

Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Tascam DR-60D Deal Today

Looks like B&H has the original DR-60D on sale for $129 today. Amazing price on a good recorder/preamp.

MicJ 044 Lavalier Microphone Review: Good Sound, Small Price

We have reviewed a bunch of rather inexpensive lavalier microphones over the last few years so I wasn’t sure that we should review yet another, but several of you asked for a review of the $29 USD MicJ 044. So, here it is. And to my surprise, it is quite impressive for only $29. But how does it compare to my longtime favorite cheap mic the Giant Squid? Tune in to hear the difference! http://youtu.be/RBxOLnVxg3A

Tascam DR-60DmkII Audio Field Recorder Review

Tascam recently released an update to their DR-60D field recorder. The DR-60DmkII is a great little field recorder and pre-amp with two XLR inputs, one 3.5mm input, lots of clean gain to produce very nice audio and a good limiter to prevent distortion from clipping. I really like the original version of this recorder, so let’s take a look and see what has changed in the mark II. http://youtu.be/TRoIMPHS91U

Tascam Announces the DR-70D Field Recorder

Now I get why Tascam priced the DR-60DmkII at $200 USD. Turns out they had the DR-70D in the wings--a 4 XLR input, bigger brother to the DR-60D and priced at $300 USD!

So the Tascam DR-70D is very similar to my favorite little DSLR audio recorder but it adds two additional XLR inputs, reference sound mics, and a different form factor. Interesting. I would think this would be a great recorder for those that need more than two mics. My only question is, how's the battery life on this thing? If the DR-60D only gets 3 - 3.5 hours, I can't imagine that this lasts more than about 2 hours when recording with 3 or 4 mics and phantom power...

I'll have the review of the DR-60DmkII up in the next 24 hours. Interesting little device. In addition to a discussion about its pros and cons, we'll answer the question, "Should I upgrade from the DR-60D to the DR-60DmkII?"

HMNSound MicroLav Review

So it was the HMNSound MicroLav that I bought and compared to the Audio Technica AT899 in the last episode (see below) And in this episode, we review the MicroLav. In short, I really like this microphone - great sound, less expensive than the Audio Technica AT899, similar build quality. Fewer accessories. Boutique mic so it comes with all the good and bad that entails. Have a listen!  

http://youtu.be/afEpEwUATPE