Pro audio

A good XLR cable is one of the most essential accessories on the planet. Even though you may use them regularly, you still may not be sure what to look for when buying a new one. Pearstone recently unveiled a new line of XLR cables that offer a high level of quality at a surprisingly budget-friendly price. In this post I'll show you what to look for when choosing an XLR cable.

The laws of physics have always posed annoying challenges for capturing clear sound in film and video production. One such obstacle is how to focus a microphone on a sound you want to hear, while ignoring sounds you don't. The Schoeps SuperCMIT 2U Digital Shotgun has taken us one step closer to solving this problem. It may be expensive, but a tool that can improve the clarity of dialog and sound effects is worth its weight in Oscar gold.

Sound Devices has released a new firmware update for their 788T 8-channel portable recorder. It addresses an issue with the CL-8 controller. Check out this post for more information and a link to the free firmware download.

When people hear the name Sanken, they mistakenly think of decaf coffee, rather than a microphone company. While Sanken isn't as well known as Sennheiser or Neumann, their sound is everywhere. Any time you watch TV or movies, you're likely listening to Sanken's COS-11 lavaliers and its CS3e shotgun. Sanken recently announced the new CS-2 shotgun mic, which offers a longer pick-up pattern in a short body. Think of it as the world's first caffeinated short shotgun mic.

A new gadget is due in July that's sure to cause some excitement in the DJ world. It's called the Dicer from Novation, and it was designed to fully maximize the real estate in your rig by mounting on the corners of turntables, CDJ's, and laptops. Plus, like Twix candy bars, you get two Dicers for the price of one (a Dicer for each deck). Two for me, no dice for you!

Even if it looks like a prop from V, the Jellyfish Effect LED Light from American-DJ could become more than an alien visitor for the itinerant DJ shopping for a portable light show. The 5-pound, 12.5 inch-wide light generator, with handle for carrying or hanging, provides two types of effects: beams that drop down and bathe dancers (or an empty floor) in red, green, blue and white light and a color-changing, glowing case that can be admired from a distance.

Have you ever dreamed of becoming a professional sports commentator? Do you constantly chatter about the activity on the field when you watch sporting events? Do you drive your family and friends crazy with your armchair sportscasting? Maybe it's time you started taking your untapped skills more seriously. In this post I'll show you the most commonly used tool in sportscasting, and give you tips on how to train for the big leagues.