Sorted for Sound with Rode
MAKING MOVIES
Let’s talk about the RØDELink Filmmaker kit first, which is the system I use more when I have a single subject talking to camera. This means that it will get more use should I be interviewing the CEO of a business, who might be presenting to camera, or when I’m out in the field shooting content for a motoring channel that I work for, where the presenter will be talking at a distance from the camera for longer periods of time.
The Filmmaker Kit comprises a receiver (RX-CAM), that fits onto the hot shoe of your camera, and I use this on both DSLR models as well as cinema cameras, such as the Canon C70 and C100 Mark II. There’s also a transmitter (TX-BELT), a TRS cable and a RØDE omnidirectional lavalier microphone, which is basically everything you need to be able to rock up to a location and very efficiently record great audio.
There’s so much to love about this system, but one of my favourite elements has to be the great build quality of the units. The TX features a belt clip so you can get subjects mic’d up in seconds, which is often a necessary evil in corporate productions where CEOs have very little time to give you for filming. Another huge plus for me is how fast the TX/RX units pair and link up on start-up. You don’t have time to waste on an important assignment, and the Filmmaker’s kit holds this connection superbly and the range on this system is massive – up to 100 metres!
On the TX unit, the subject just has to press a button to mute the unit, which is hugely useful if you’re filming all day and the talent needs to take a break from the camera. What’s more, the Filmmaker Kit is powered by AA batteries – though a USB option is also provided – so it doesn’t matter where in the world I’m filming, I can easily get more power if I need to.
With the TX unit weighing 190g and the RX unit tipping the scales at the same weight, this is very much a lightweight and portable system – thanks in no small part to the internal antenna in the units – but it definitely punches above its weight when it comes to audio quality. As a really useful extra, the clip-on lav mic comes with a pop shield and a windshield, meaning that you’re able to achieve great sound even if the wind picks up while filming outside.
I have to confess that on occasion I’ve inadvertently pushed the build quality to the max as cameras have tipped over while filming on location. In short, the Filmmaker’s Kit has taken a beating at times, but it’s still never let me down.
