Despite the MD42 mic head being omnidirectional, we can still hear the reporter above the background noise, and with some sweetening, this clip could be ready for broadcast. The video world might currently be enchanted with Ultra HD, but skimp on sound and all the pixels in the world won’t save you. After those very loud moments, AVX takes a few seconds to jump back to normal sensitivity. AVX is powered by proprietary, rechargeable Li-ion battery packs, or what Sennheiser brands as “Accupacks”. The Sennheiser AVX Camera-Mountable Digital Wireless Handheld and Lavalier Set is suited for film and video production, as well as electronic news gathering (ENG) and A/V rental houses. Decent wireless microphone systems aren’t cheap, but the Sennheiser AVX does command a premium for its convenience. So we lent our AVX system to several camera owner/operators who used it around the country for ENG, documentary, and web projects. Sennheiser includes a USB-AC adaptor in every AVX set, but consider using your own AC adaptor that has two or more USB output ports. float: left; Each AVX product only has 2-3 controls, and there are only three buttons on the EKP – Power, Pair, and AF Out. I gravitated toward the AVX-835 handheld mic for most applications because it had that slight edge in sound quality. This is a one-to-one system, so one transmitter to one receiver pairing only, and it all operates on the license-free 1.9 GHz band. These battery packs are removable, and charge via a micro-USB port built into the battery itself. margin-left: 0; BA 20 - - - Sennheiser Discover True Sound. Getting started is straightforward. There are pros and cons to both, but this is what you get at the $1000 range. Think of it as a “NeverClip” (don’t tell Zaxcom). If you want to use AVX for reference “hop” audio, you’ll need a transmitter for every wireless channel and camera, which would be more costly and less mobile in multi-camera productions. When a camcorder with 48V phantom power support turns off, the EKP automatically shuts down to save power too. The EKP receiver’s runtime is much shorter than a standard production today, so we highly recommend to keep it plugged into an external USB source, such as a battery power bank, camera USB port, or other DC source. #gallery-1 .gallery-item { Speech is its forte, with Sennheiser’s super cardioid capsule nicely directional to minimize background sounds as long as you’re on the ball with where you point it. #gallery-1 .gallery-caption { The specs are all there for a good run ’n’ gun option: 24-bit/48k sampling, 10-hour transmitter battery life, five-hour receiver battery life, AES 256-bit transmission encryption, and lithium ion battery. Because the EKP receiver doesn’t have numerical display or tone calibration, installation and setting levels on your camera the first time may require some guesswork. A swiveling XLR port protrudes from its body, which fits snuggly into a camcorder XLR input. The CX 150BT wireless headset provides the perfect balance of audio quality, comfort and durability. AF Out, represented as four LED lights, adjusts audio output level from 0 to -30 dBu, in 10 dB increments, which can accommodate both Line and Mic Level inputs. It has mostly automated control, functionality, and adjustment, for those who need “hassle-free” operation. For the North American variant, up to eight (8) AVX frequency pairs can operate in the same area simultaneously. But Senny has hit the mark in designing a product series that is very easy to “set and forget”. AVX is powered by proprietary, rechargeable Li-ion battery packs, or what Sennheiser brands as “Accupacks”. Unfortunately I did not have that to test. All the same, by making sure I switched off when I wasn’t using it, I got through a couple of days of on/off shooting without having to recharge. Other compatible heads, such as cardioid types, can also be installed onto the SKM. text-align: center; } Left to its own devices, the handheld microphone made sure speech could be heard over background noise, but without over-exaggerating things to the point where the audio track distorted. } As for range, Sennheiser suggests typical video applications should see around 30 meters or 100 feet, but line-of-sight will improve that. Interestingly, if you’re closer, the receiver and microphone will opt to cut transmission power themselves, with the aim of saving battery life. These battery packs are removable, and charge via a micro-USB port built into the battery itself. Designed for the lone videographer in mind, AVX is advertised to eliminate the chore of installing and configuring a wireless microphone system onto a camcorder.