Circom Mojo Training- story 2 by Janneke

This package was shot by Janneke Niland from RTV Oost in the Netherlands on an iPhone using FilmicPro and edited on a MacBook Pro using Final Cut. This was the final piece produced at the end of the 5 day course

Circom Mojo Training- story #1 by Patrik

This package was shot by Patrik Samuelsson from SVT Sweden on an iPhone using FilmicPro and edited on iPad using Pinnacle Studio. This was the final piece produced at the end of the 5 day course

I had high hopes but alas Im dissapointed | RØDE Microphones – SmartLav

RØDE Microphones – smartLav.  Im just back from a week long Mobile Journalism training course in the beautiful Santiago De Compostella, Galicia, Spain. This is the second Circom Regional Mobile Journalism course Ive led with my colleagues Karol Cioma from Circom, John Inge Johansen from NRK Norway and Darko Flajpan from HRT Croatia. Im really looking forward to sharing some of the stories that the participants shot. As soon as Circom posts them to their YouTube channel Ill embed them here also.

Anyway that preamble brings me to the purpose of this post. I was really excited to try out my theory of a budget MoJo kit consisting of just a Glif+ and a Rode Smartlav while on the course. There was a substantial array of different holders and audio accessories ranging from Owle Bubos, Phocus Accents, Makayama iPad holders, Glifs and Fostex AR4i. During the interview excercises I asked a number of the students to try out the SmartLav with the simple holder. The results were very disappointing. I had tested the Smartlav in one of our radio soundbooths and under those controlled conditions it performed pretty well, but when in a moderatley noisy environment – a shop for instance, the audio quality was abysmal. The audio was distorting on several of the interviews and no matter where we positioned the mic the level was always too loud or too much ambient sound. (We were using FilMicPro as our camera app and the SmartLavs were plugged directly into the iPhones (4s/5) ) I will email Rode to ask if we were doing something wrong but Im already anticipating their response. On the website the SmartLav is shown in use with the Rode Rec App which has an integral gain control for the mic. When used with FilMicPro no such audio gain is possible though of course you can see the audio level on the screen you cannot hear it as A. A split adapter would be required and B. FilMicPro currently doesnt support realtime audio monitoring while recording. (Though I am reliably informed that this is something Cinegenix are working on for a future update) Anyway the up shot of all this is that the students themselves refused to use the SmartLav for their actual stories preferring instead to use the IK Multimedia iRig Pre  with pro-grade lavalier mics like the AKG C417.

One other surprise was with the iPhone 4s using the Fostex Ar4i . If you are using the Ar4i as your audio interface via the Apple 30pin dock connector you will know that it can support two separate audio inputs. We were using the latest version of FilMicPro (V.3.2.1) which will show two separate audio meters / audio channels when connected to the Fostex -However, every time we clicked into the media review button to check back a clip and then closed it to go back to the FilMic Camera the App would loose its connection to the Fostex, showing only one audio track and in some cases defaulting back to the iPhone mic. This issue caused some problems for some of our interviews which was quite annoying. I need to investigate the issue further to identify if its a particular version of iOS, a version of FilMic or a firmware update with the Fostex Ar4i – but watch out for it! ALWAYS CHECK BACK YOUR AUDIO BEFORE LEAVING THE INTERVIEW!!

Olloclip, makers of the popular 3-in1 lens introduce Quick-Flip™ Case – via @olloclip

Quick-Flip Case – olloclip.

If you have even just a vague interest in iPhoneography or iPhone Video then you will undoubtedly have heard of the Olloclip – a clever 3-in-1 lens system that features a Wide Angle Lens, Macro lens and Fisheye lens. I wrote about it previously when I discovered that it could be used with the Fostex AR4i.

Now the clever team behind Olloclip have previewed a new product: the Olloclip Quick-Flip™ Case. Its a case that protects your iPhone (4/4s and 5 versions available) and yet allows you to use your olloclip without removing the case. You can add the Pro-Photo Adapter to give your case horizontal and vertical tripod mounts as well as a cold shoe slot for a light or microphone. One feature I think looks quite clever is that when you flip the lens cover open it then acts as a shutter release button (for apps that use the volume + button as a trigger. I haven’t tried the case as its not actually shipping yet – its only available for preorder but it certinainly looks the part. Expected retail $49.99 ex shipping etc. Click here to visit the Olloclip webstore

Sorry about the product shot from their website but there are no PR shots online as yet.

ZOOM announces the H6 Portable audio recorder with interchangable mics via @dandpproducts

ZOOM. Zoom have been one of the leading manufacturers of portable audio recorders for a number of years now. The Zoom H4n is one of the most popular field recording devices for our radio journalists and the H4n has also been a popular choice for dslr film makers looking to record quality audio for post production re-sync. Tommy McManus from camerakit.ie tweeted a link to me last last night about the latest iteration of the Zoom recorder: the H6. This looks like a very diverse solution with multiple “heads” each with different mic arrays. Heres the blurb from their press release:

The world’s first handy recorder with interchangeable mic system
• XY mics capture remarkable stereo depth and clarity
• Mid-side mics provide continuously variable stereo width
• Four XLR/TRS inputs for external mic/line connections
• Up to six channels of simultaneous recording
• High-definition audio of up to 24-bit/96kHz
• 6-in/2-out USB audio interface
• Over 20 hours of operation with 4 AA batteries
• Supports SDXC memory cards up to 128GB
• Optional Shotgun mic and external XLR/TRS inputs available
• Optional Hot Shoe Mount to attach your H6 to a DSLR video camera

No RRP as yet or confirmed release date but check the Zoom website for updates or follow  on Twitter @zoomfx.

Click on the image or link at top of post to see the press release.

Shure previews new VP83 and VP83F LensHopper camera-mount microphones at NAB 2013

 

 

Shure previews new VP83 and VP83F LensHopper camera-mount microphones at NAB 2013. Shure microphones have joined the DSLR microphone market, with the launch of their VP83 and VP83F “LensHopper” shotgun mics. The VP83F has a built in flash memory recorder (Wav at 24bit/48kHz). Both have a custom isolation suspension systems which were developed with Rycote as were the optional accessory A83-Fur Windjammers to complement the mics. I cant find any indication of price point as yet but these mics will be competing with the Sennheiser MKE400 and the Rode VideoMic range, including the VideoMic Pro and the Rode VideoMic HD recorder (which is not yet shipping) Click the photos or links to get more info.

Source: www.cheesycam.com

 

iAudioInterface2 | A professional grade audio I/O interface for iOS products with 30pin dock via Studio Six Digital

iAudioInterface2 | Studio Six Digital. Hat Tip to Darren Keogh for sending me a link to this…

The iAudioInterface2 ( I might have shortened it to iAud.I.O.2) from Studio Six Digital is a very powerful iOS In/Out product. It features an internal battery, Bal/Unbal Line IN,  Bal/Unbal Line OUT, Optical Interface and an XLR input with up to 50db gain. Retail price on their website is $399 but the build quality looks good – albeit industrial. Click image or link at top of post to visit the studiosixdigital website for more info

iPhone 4s and 5 have separate mics for video and they are not where you (or I) think!. You Learn Something New Everyday – via @marcsettle

So on Friday 19th May I gave a 30min talk on Mojo at the Journalism.co.uk conference News:Rewired in London.

I was advocating the use of some form of Tripod holder and and external microphone to augment the quality of the video content you can create with the iPhone. At the end of the session my good friend Marc Settle from the BBC College of Journalism gently called me aside and politely said – “One of your slides in factually incorrect” I blushed, took a deep breath and asked which one. “The one about the iPhone microphone for video”

Can I say at this point that when I get embarrassed I turn a gentle shade of pink, however at this point I was a deep velvety crimson. Marc (again politely) took out his iPhone 4s and recorded a clip and then while speaking proceed to cover the speaker and microphone elements on the bottom of the iPhone, he then asked me to cover the headphone socket, which I did, albeit slightly incredulously. When he played the video clip back the audio showed no change when the mic and speaker on the bottom of the phone was covered but was almost mute when my finger was over the Headphone socket. He then pointed out the PINHOLE beside the headphone socket – which it turns out IS the video mic.

For fear of suffering the humiliation of this epiphany a second time at some future date, as soon as I got home I tested the iPhone 5 – which remember has the headphone socket on the base, with the mic and speaker – and low and behold I discovered that on the iPhone 5 the video mic is in fact BETWEEN the lens and the led flash.

So you see we can all be wrong and we can all learn something new everyday. Im just thankful that Marc chose to call me aside to teach me this valuable lesson and that someone else didn’t  ask about this during the session. Im suitably humbled and better informed -Thank you Marc.

 

Video Microphone placement on the iPhone 4S versus iPhone 5

Nuevo rig Edelkrone Pocketshot – YouTube

Nuevo rig Edelkrone Pocketshot – YouTube.

I just noticed this video on my youtube channel and thought Id share it.

Credit: 
http://www.cinedigital.tv
(note: Spanish website)

Its a new mini camera rig from Edelkrone which hasn’t picked up a lot of attention at NAB however it is competing with the Movi gyro-stabiliser and all the other big chip camera announcements, so maybe thats not surprising. I think its very clever and my experience of Edelkrone products is that they are well build and clever so this might actually be a handy device for the VJ or MoJo market – have a look and decide for yourself.- (PS the video is narrated in spanish)

The PocketShot is not showing on the 
http://www.edelkrone.com/
 yet

@RaydioMaster Bluetooth Wirless DSLR Remote Control system | Advanced Radio Photographic Devices Limited Innovative technology Quality Manufacturing

Advanced Radio Photographic Devices Limited Innovative technology Quality Manufacturing Raydio Master RDM. via cheesycam.com

Previously Ive blogged about the CamRanger DSLR remote  and Tryggertrap both of which give you iOS control over your DSLR for shooting in a range of different scenarios. The latest product to hit the market for Remote Control of your DSLR is the RaydioMaster which consists of a small bluetooth transmitter/receiver which connects to your dslr (via the appropriate cable) and an App for your iOS device to drive the Bluetooth receiver.

The price is listed on the www.arpdevices.com website as $119.99 for the RaydioMaster Bluetooth controller and the DSLR cables are all listed at $11.99. Note cables listed Canon, Nikon and Sony.

Click the link at the Top or the image to go to the ARPDevices website for more info. Alternatively you can see the source article via cheesycam.com

RaydioMaster is on Twitter : @RaydioMaster