Sennheiser shows smart audio solutions at RTÉ MoJoCon

posted:

27/04/2016

At RTÉ Mojocon, one of the leading conferences for mobile journalism and mobile content creation, held on 29 and 30 April, Sennheiser will showcase its current and future audio solutions for smart devices. From inconspicuous clip-on microphones to rugged handhelds – Sennheiser’s digital products deliver the high-quality audio that producers working with smartphones and tablets have been waiting for. Participants will also be able to experience the future of mobile 360° content production with an early look at a prototype of Sennheiser’s AMBEO virtual-reality microphone.

Dublin‘s Aviva Stadium is readying itself for the hundreds expected to attend the sold-out second RTÉ Mojocon. With a successful mix of workshops, expert talks and an exhibit area for new technologies, last year’s inaugural RTÉ Mojocon hit a nerve and immediately established itself as the go-to event for mobile journalism, mobile content creation and filmmaking in Europe.

“For Sennheiser, RTÉ Mojocon is the perfect platform to show our solutions for mobile productions,“ said Achim Gleissner, Commercial Director Broadcast and Media at Sennheiser. “That’s why we’re proud to have joined the conference as both an exhibitor and a sponsor. We are also very excited to be able to be sharing expertise as well as solutions – inviting conference participants to a dedicated seminar that will reveal the secrets of achieving great audio recordings.”

“Demystifying Audio“ seminar
The audio component of a production is often underestimated. Experience has shown that many users find it easier to successfully record video than capture good audio – despite the importance that audio has for professional news reports and videos. Proper equipment and a few simple rules for wired and wireless audio recording will pave the way to a high-quality soundtrack: That’s what visitors to RTÉ Mojocon will learn from Sennheiser’s “Demystifying Audio” seminar, which will be held on 30 April, 11:15 a.m. in the Aviva President’s Suite.

Shape the future of audio: AMBEO virtual-reality microphone
360° will be a central topic at RTÉ Mojocon – a perfect fit for Sennheiser, which announced 3D Audio as a strategic focus at the beginning of 2016, with the launch of its AMBEO program.

AMBEO represents a truly immersive audio experience, encompassing the recording, mixing, processing and reproduction of sound. Sennheiser will showcase and demonstrate its virtual-reality microphone – a key innovation within the AMBEO program. Describing its development, Achim Gleissner explained:

“This microphone has been developed in cooperation with VR producers and we are currently collecting further valuable feedback from the participants in our ‘Creators Program’“. The AMBEO VR microphone will be available from December 2016.

Smart audio products
“The built-in microphone is the natural enemy of a good sound recording,“ said Gleissner. “Owing to the principles involved, the audio quality of such microphones is limited. To lift your productions to a whole new level of quality, you should use an external microphone.” Good audio recordings with a smartphone or tablet can, for example, be achieved with the digital microphones that Sennheiser developed in cooperation with the A/D conversion specialists Apogee Electronics.

The most portable solution for mobile journalism and video production is the ClipMic digital clip-on microphone and its professional variant, the MKE 2 digital. Simply clip on the mic, connect it to the Lightning port on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch and begin recording – the combination of a high-quality microphone (omni-directional pick-up pattern) and a professional A/D converter will capture excellent sound, even when the speaker is moving. The perfect companion to these microphones is Apogee’s MetaRecorder app, the full version of which is automatically unlocked when a ClipMic digital or MKE 2 digital is used.

Users who prefer a dynamic handheld microphone will find their ideal audio partner in the HandMic digital. The latest product from the cooperation between Sennheiser and Apogee is an ideal choice for mobile journalism and podcasting but is equally at home with vocal and instrument recordings.

This all-rounder (cardioid pick-up pattern) is highly resistant to cell phone interference and delivers great sound quality, while easily cutting through high levels of ambient noise. The microphone features high feedback rejection and reliably suppresses handling and wind noise. The HandMic digital comes complete with a USB cable, a Lightning cable, a microphone clamp and a solid table stand. The microphone will be available from the third quarter of 2016 and can be used with common media production programs and apps, such as FiLMiC Pro, Luci Live, Periscope, Logic Pro X, Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere, Pro Tools, GarageBand and Apogee MetaRecorder.

Also fitted with an Apogee A/D converter, the MK 4 digital true condenser microphone is ideal for producing voice-overs and podcasts – and for recording music, of course. This large-diaphragm model lends itself to any mobile recording task requiring great sound quality with the typical warmth and detail of a true condenser microphone. The microphone capsule is shock-mounted internally, which allows the MK 4 digital to efficiently suppress handling noise and structure-borne-noise without requiring a typical external shockmount. The MK 4 digital is supplied with a USB cable and a Lightning cable for connection to iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. Delivery also includes a microphone clamp and pouch. The microphone is available from summer 2016.

Wireless sound for smartphones and DSLRs
Pristine wireless interview sound without having to worry about frequencies? This is why Sennheiser developed the compact AVX wireless microphone systems, which come with ‘built-in’ wireless expertise and operate in the license-free 1.9 GHz range. Connect the small AVX receiver to the smartphone or camera, check the recording level once and begin recording audio with a choice of handheld or bodypack transmitter with clip-on microphone. Selecting a free frequency, matching receiver and transmitter, and levelling disturbing volume fluctuations – all this is automatically taken care of by AVX.

Content creation with DSLRs
The MKE 440 stereo microphone for DSLRs, which was launched recently at NAB, will also be presented at RTÉ Mojocon. Thanks to its front focus, this compact microphone solves a typical problem of conventional stereo microphones: The MKE 440 lets filmmakers capture comprehensible dialogue with just enough ambient sound to preserve the atmosphere of a scene. This is possible thanks to a new stereo principle, which uses two mini-shotgun microphones mounted in a V-shape arrangement. The super-cardioid pick-up patterns of the capsules overlap, resulting in the MKE 440 predominantly picking up the sound from within the direction of filming. The MKE 440 stereo microphone will be available from June. At RTÉ Mojocon, it will be on show with the MKE 600 shotgun microphone and the MKE 400 mini shotgun microphone.

Visit Sennheiser in the atrium of RTÉ Mojocon 2016.
The Sennheiser seminar “Demystifying Audio, hands-on tips and tricks for using wired and wireless microphones” will take place on 30 April, 11:15 a.m. in the Aviva President’s Suite.