Holophone, a provider of surround microphones, is introducing the PortaMic 5.1 camera-mountable surround microphone to the European market at IBC2008 (Stand 8.C10).
The PortaMic 5.1 offers users a cost-effective, professional 5.1 audio recording solution. The PortaMic’s 2.5in by 1.5in mic head is made up of six separate mic elements arranged to correspond with the typical 5.1 speaker setup in a studio or home theater. This patented design allows users to simply capture from a single point source (a discrete surround recording) with no additional mixing required.
The PortaMic 5.1, first shown at NAB2008, is equipped with Dolby Laboratories’ Dolby Pro Logic II encoder, allowing the mic’s six audio channels to be encoded down to two channels so it can be recorded to any broadcast camera or stereo recording device. Recordings made with the PortaMic 5.1 can be output to a stereo mini plug. To ensure a high-quality recording even in loud environments, the mic features unity gain control and a 12dB pad.
The encoded recordings of the PortaMic 5.1 can be converted back to six channels using the company’s D-CODE multichannel decoder or Dolby Pro Logic II Decoder. In addition to being decoded in post, the PortaMic’s recordings can be broadcast in stereo and decoded to surround in viewers’ living rooms. Additional accessories for the PortaMic 5.1 include boom handles and pistol grips. The mic and encoder are powered by one 9V battery.
For more information, visit http://www.holophone.com/.
