Audio equipment maker Tascam has announced a dedicated broadcast sound recorder for users of lavaliere mics.
The DR-10C is designed either to replace the transmitter for a wireless lavaliere mic, or to work alongside it, to provide a high quality, or a backup, recording.
In standalone mode, the DR-10C replaces the radio mic beltpack. It then records 48kHz audio at 24 bits on to microSD cards, and runs for up to nine hours on a single AAA battery. The recorder has a limiter and low-pass filter, as well as the option to use auto gain control. Recordings can be checked using the in-built headphone socket.
For use with a transmitter, the recorder comes with a connector for the lavaliere mic transmitter, which passes through the audio after it has been recorded. The DR-10C comes in two versions, for Letrosonics and the industry-standard Sennheiser system. Tascam is also making conversion kits for Sure and Sony mic systems.
The DR-10C could solve several sound recording problems for video or audio producers.
The unit can be used in set-ups where radio mic transmission could be unreliable, where more mics are needed than the available radio spectrum allows, or where a camera lacks enough audio inputs for both radio mics and to record a sync or backup track via an on-camera mic. It could also be used as an alternative to wired lavaliere mics and cabling.
When used with a transmitter, the DR-10C should give protection against any drop outs or interference during transmission, and, depending on the camera used, provide a higher-quality audio recording. In either mode, the DR-10C can be set to record a master track and a lower gain track, to protect against clipping.
The units, which are similar in size to a radio mic beltpack, are expected to cost around $200 when they go on sale in November.
Tascam has also announced the DR-10X, which works as a clip-on audio recorder with XLR mics. Settings can be copied between DR-10C and DR-10X units over an infra-red connection.
