Sennheiser AVX Dynamic Range and Outdoor Distance Tests

https://youtu.be/uUSd_ulXdno Sennheiser recently introduced their new digital wireless system called the Sennheiser AVX. There are various kits available and in this episode I used the kit with the transmitter, receiver, and MKE2 lavalier microphone (their higher-end pro lavalier microphone).

We did a few tests to see how well the AVX does in terms of outdoor distance (keeping its signal without dropping out), and the dynamic range feature Sennheiser touts as preventing clipping and distortion when the sound gets much louder.

The outdoor distance test was as expected: Solid up to 50 meters, and my first dropout occurred at around 75 meters. You need to pretty much be in line-of-sight to get a solid signal at 50 meters. I never shoot this way, but it is good to know the limits of one's tools.

The dynamic range feature was way more impressive than I expected. It really works and sounds good! I feared it might be like Automatic Gain Control like they include in many of the DSLRs and that AGC feature is awful in those cameras. It stupidly pushes the gain up through the roof during silent sequences and that just makes an unbearably noisy mess of the audio. But on the AVX, it sounds very transparent and clean. I really like it!

Final review should be here later this week. Let me know if there are other things you'd like me to test before I have to send it back to my friends at B&H Photo.

RODELink News Shooter Kit Pricing

RODE's new RODELink News Shooter kit has gone on pre-order over at B&H Photo and it looks like pricing will be $499 per kit. That strikes me as a fair price for the quality and value we're accustomed to seeing from RODE.

Looking forward to getting a copy for review some time in November.

Sennheiser AVX Wireless Microphone System: Battery, Distance, Interference Tests

Sennheiser recently introduced their new digital wireless system which they call AVX. There are various kits available and in this episode I used the kit with the transmitter, receiver, and MKE2 lavalier microphone (their higher-end pro lavalier microphone). Here we did a few tests to see how well the AVX does in terms of distance (keeping its signal without dropping out), managing WiFi and RF interference from phones, and how long the included Li-ion batteries last for the receiver and transmitter.

Sennheiser is clear to note that the AVX does not replace their G3 analogue wireless system (because it has more flexibility for professionals) but that AVX is aimed at videographers that are running solo and want to feed the audio directly into their camera.  It is aimed primarily at those using pro-level camcorders with XLR inputs but also comes with an XLR to 3.5mm adapter for those shooting with DSLR or mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras.

In this video, we compared it to the RODELink in the distance and interference test and found that the AVX was able to hold on to a signal a little bit longer than RODELINK. Though admittedly, I never shoot with my talent out of sight of the camera or audio recorder so they're both fine.

Full disclosure: I own two RODELink kits and have the AVX on loan from the good people at B&H Photo.

Zoom F8 Safety Tracks (vs. Limiters)

So as we discussed in the last episode, the limiters on the Zoom F8 are not as effective as you'd get on a Sound Devices recorder or mixer. This is because they're in the digital stage which can be too late if distortion results in the analogue stage. But there is another option on the F8 if you're recording 4 tracks or fewer: Safety Tracks.

The way this works is you set the gain on say input/track #1. Then a safety track of the same thing coming in on input #1 is recorded to track #5 but at a lower gain level.

I was afraid that this safety track might suffer from the same issue as the limiter but I am happy to report that the safety track feature works brilliantly with absolutely no clipping on the safety track!

And it works because it appears that the F8 routes the signal to two different preamps, with different gain levels. So there's an alternative to the limiters if you have a critical shoot that you can't afford to mess up due to unexpected volume from the sound source. It isn't as simple as a limiter, but its much, much better than nothing!

Zoom F8 Limiters

When I first saw the Zoom F8 audio field recorder prototype at NAB 2015, I was a little skeptical. How could they make a pro level field recorder for only $1000? Most of the pro level devices are priced at least twice that, and those with 8 mic inputs are often 3 to 4 times that. But the specs looked really, really good on the most important things: the preamps and analogue to digital converter.

So I put in my preorder and took a chance. What I did not realize at the time, is that the input limiters that should prevent clipping when things get really loud are digital instead of analogue limiters. This is usually a serious disadvantage and render the digital limiters useless because the clipping and distortion damage are done before the audio gets into the digital part of the recorder.

However, there's a reasonably happy ending: because the Zoom F8’s pre-amplifier and analogue to digital converter produce a dynamic range of 120dB, I’ve found that things generally work ok until you get the most extreme screaming, as far as dialogue is concerned. In this episode we take a closer look with an audio sample you can hear to assess how well the F8 does in cases where dialogue suddenly turns to screaming.

Zoom F8 Initial Impressions [video]

When I first saw the Zoom F8 audio field recorder prototype at NAB 2015, I was a little skeptical. How can they make a pro level field recorder for only $1000. Most of the pro level devices are priced at least twice that, and those with 8 mic inputs are often 3 to 4 times that. But the specs looked really, really good on the most important things: the preamps and analogue to digital converter. So I put in my preorder and took a chance. I’ve now been shooting with it for almost four weeks and I’m quite impressed with most aspects of this recorder. It looks like it will meet my needs quite nicely - corporate videos with a one or two person crew.

One of the big features for me, though some will scratch their heads when they hear this, is the DC power hirose input. That means I can power the F8 for over 25 hours with my Anton Bauer Digital 90 battery. Yes, it and its accompanying charger are ridiculously expensive but I have no regrets. Shoots go so much more smoothly and end up coming out better when I'm not constantly changing batteries on everything. That's one of the big drawbacks of consumer and pro-sumer gear. Their batteries aren't made to last through an entire shoot in so many cases.

What really impresses me on the F8 is the clean, higher dynamic range of the recordings. You cannot appreciate that difference until you've worked with a proper preamp like the F8's (and Sound Devices and Zaxcom, etc.)

RODE's New Audio Gear at IBC 2015

Of the new products RODE announced today at IBC, the two that are most intriguing to me are the i-XLR and RODELink News Shooter kit. I haven't seen prices on any of these yet.

The i-XLR looks like a pretty nice way to record with an XLR based microphone into an iPhone or iPad. Depending on how well its preamp and analogue to digital converter work, it may be a nice, low-cost choice for someone that is just getting started and don't have a big budget for an XLR based audio recorder. Not sure whether it can provide phantom power so that would limit it to dynamic and self-powered microphones but that's often what you're using when in a reporting situation. But it should work with something like the NTG4+ or NTG2.

The RODELink News Shooter looks even more interesting to me. The obvious use for this is on a reporter's handheld microphone. And that's great, but it can also be used on a Shotgun or boom microphone as well - it supplies 48v phantom power. That's an interesting scenario. It can also still be used with a lavalier microphone and...it can be powered by two AA or a Sony NP-F style battery! Nice work RODE! You guys are cranking out some interesting gear for the film and sound enthusiast crowd!

The carbon fiber Boom Pole Pro looks interesting as well. It is not internally cabled off the shelf but evidently you can remove the top cap and cable internally yourself. Though I'm not sure on two things: 1) if you put a straight cable inside the pole, you'll run in to potential noise when cuing the pole between actors as the cable slaps against the inside of the pole and 2) Not sure where the cable exits on the bottom of the pole. Do you just remove the bottom cap? In any case, will be interesting to see this up close.

Zoom F8: Good Enough for Pros?

Zoom's new F8 eight input field recorder seems to be aimed at professional recordists, location sound engineers, and professional sound designers. This seems to be the message from Zoom's marketing group.

And indeed, the Zoom F8 has many of the features a professional sound engineer would expect in a modern digital field recorder. But not all of what they'd expect.

First, let's define "Pro" for the purposes of this piece. By pro, I mean a person who makes the majority of their personal income as a sound engineer or recordist, or designer.  By this definition, I am not a pro sound engineer. I'm a semi-pro.

Also, I'm only putting these thoughts down to help clarify things for myself and perhaps for other curious audio for film enthusiasts. I'm not setting myself up as the definitive word on this matter or any other. These are just my thoughts, from my semi-pro perspective.

From the perspective of this definition, most pros will probably not choose to use the Zoom F8 as their primary field recorder. This is not a criticism of Zoom and I am not saying that the F8 is a bad device that has no use for anybody. I'm just saying that most pros will find this device lacking in a few key areas that make it less than the optimal tool for their jobs. They are better served by Sound Devices or Zaxcom recorders and mixers.

Here is a list of features that the Zoom F8 has or does not have at present that may cause many pros to take pause:

• Cannot gang groups of inputs together aside from simple stereo or M/S pairs
• Headphone pre-amp produces colored sound that does not match what is recorded (fortunately the recording is much better than the headphone amp)
• No switch or menu option to toggle an input between line and mic level
• Pots only control gain trim, not fader. Cannot currently be set to control faders (though this could potentially be addressed with a firmware update)
• Pots are very small. Probably ok for setting up gain but not great for mixing
• Both the limiter and high pass filter are post fader and in the digital stage (this is possibly, though not absolutely, a problem depending on how much dynamic range is available in the pre-amps and analogue to digital converter)
• Not sure that Zoom has a service and repair department like Sound Devices and Zaxcom, two of the main designers in the pro field recorder/mixer market

These factors are things that are generally important to pros. Remember, these guys spend a lot of long days with their recorders and mixers. That they sometimes seem so picky makes a little more sense when you consider how much time they spend using these devices and the fact that their careers are on the line when they miss too many takes.

However, does that mean that pros won't buy Zoom F8s? I think that some of them would consider having one for backup purposes. Lots of pros already have one or another of the Zoom Handy recorders. They don't use the Handy recorders all that often but they can be useful sometimes.

And for those of us that are semi-pro, or one-man-production-crews, doing smaller budget projects like corporate videos, is this thing useful for us?

I think yes, absolutely!

The pre-amps on the Zoom F8 seem very good to me after the subjective tests I've done. The build quality is quite good. That I can use a proper pro-level battery like an Anton Bauer to power the F8 via its hirose input for well over 20 hours even when phantom powering multiple mikes is great. Timecode on the F8 is seemingly as good as a Sound Devices 744T.

So in short, just because this device isn't totally up to par for most pros as a primary field recorder, doesn't mean that it isn't useful for semi-pros and enthusiasts. I have no regrets spending $1000 for mine.

More to come...

Azden SGM-250 Shotgun Microphone Review: Great 1st Shotgun Mike

In this episode, we have a look at and listen to the Azden SGM-250 shotgun microphone. This is a good choice for a first XLR based shotgun microphone that holds up quite nicely against other microphones in this price range like the RODE NTG2. We take a rather in-depth look at the Azden’s features and let you hear how it sounds as the episode was recorded with the SGM-250. If you’re looking for your first XLR based shotgun mike, this would be a very good option.

When paired with a recorder like the Tascam DR-60DmkII, you have a very solid combination that can capture professional quality sound.

Also a quick reminder, if you're interested in learning to record great sound for your video and film projects, we have a $30 discount on our online sound course through the end of September.  You can see the details here: Production Sound Fundamentals for Film and Video.

Recording with Shotgun Microphones in the Wind

When recording dialogue for my video projects, I prefer to use a shotgun mic when working outdoors. But up until this point, I have not had a proper wind cover for my shotgun mics, just the foam wind covers and furry covers that fit over the foam. And while these help, they don't stop all the wind so I still end up with plenty of distorted bits when the wind makes its way through all of the fur and foam.

B&H Photo was kind enough to loan me a couple of things to evaluate and see whether they would solve this issue. Specifically, they sent over the Rycote Modular Windshield Kit and the K-Tek Avalon KEG 1550 CCR carbon fiber boom pole.

So I put an Azden SGM-250 shotgun microphone into the windshield kit, put it on the boom pole and tested it out in aproximately 15 mph wind for an interview.

And I was pleased to find that it cut all of the distortion that you normally get in the wind when the wind hits the microphone's capsule directly.

The K-Tek boom pole was a pleasure to use with its carbon fiber tubing, internal, coiled cable, and the 90 degree XLR connector near the bottom of the pole (so that you can rest the end of the pole on the ground between takes). The carbon fiber adds a bit to the price but makes for a lighter pole and when you're holding this thing overhead for more than a couple of minutes, every ounce really counts. I plan to buy this one as my first proper microphone boom.

A couple of days later, I met up with my friend Levi Whitney who runs a small production company here in the Salt Lake City area and he happened to have his RODE Blimp wind cover with him. So we had a look over both of them to compare:

It's very similar in design to the Rycote Wind Cover but the first thing I noticed is that it is larger in diameter so it offers a little more space between the diffusion material and the microphone and according to Levi, he hasn't experienced any distortion from wind with it yet. It also comes with the furry cover that RODE calls the Dead Wombat. Cheeky. In any case, I really like them both and they both seem just as effective at eliminating noise. Here's Levis piece demonstrating the RODE Blimp:

So I think I have some pretty good options here in terms of wind covers!