This week Lectrosonics announced its new MTCR miniature bodypack digital audio recorder. Designed to travel with your subject, it records audio with time code in circumstances where a wireless transmitter is impractical, but high-quality recording from a lav microphone is essential. It is ideal for difficult audio capture in situations such as extreme sports, public events, complicated documentary shoots, or reality shows.
The MTCR is almost identical to the Lectrosonics PDR bodypack recorder. The only functional difference between the two models is that the MTCR’s headphone output jack allows for monitoring the signal input or listening to previously recorded files, though it cannot be used to send live audio to another device while recording.
The miniature size is critical to the MTCR’s appeal. The recorder weighs only 2.5 oz (with AAA battery) and offers a truly tiny form factor that is unobtrusive and easily placed in garments and costumes. It is also easy to conceal when used as a “plant” microphone to capture environmental or location sound.
The time code input allows you to jam sync the recorder to your time code input source at the start of production. The audio data file contents include a timing reference to make it easy to synchronize audio in the timeline. The industry-standard BWF/.WAV file format is compatible with essentially any audio or video editing software.
The input connector is the industry standard TA5M jack that accepts any mic- or line-level signal, and it provides bias voltage to power a wide variety of electret lavalier microphones. The input connection and wiring are compatible with microphones pre-wired for “compatible” and “servo bias” configurations to feed 5-pin inputs on Lectrosonics wireless microphone transmitters.
Setup and adjustment are made through an intuitive interface provided by the keypad and LCD. In keeping with typical Lectrosonics mechanical designs, the MTCR’s housing is machined from a solid aluminum billet for the ruggedness needed in field production. It runs for more than 6 hours on a single lithium AAA battery.
The MTCR comes with an M152/5P low-noise omni lav microphone, microSD memory card, belt clip, and AAA lithium battery. For more information, please visit us at our B&H website or at our SuperStore.
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