Category Archives: Information

GoPro HERO4 Session is Now $199

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GoPro HERO4 Session 199GoPro has lowered the price of their HERO4 Session, just in time for the holiday shopping season. It was first released in June of 2015 with a price of $399. In September of 2015, the price was lowered to $299. Now, you can purchase a GoPro HERO4 Session for just $199.99

The HERO4 Session packs the power of GoPro into the company’s smallest, lightest, most convenient camera yet. It features a rugged and waterproof design, an easy one-button control, revolutionary battery efficiency, 1080p60 video and 8MP photos.

At the time I am writing this blog, the GoPro HERO4 Session is being sold for US $199.99. In addition, GoPro is offering a free GoPro Gift Bag, free 2-day shipping, and a 30 day money-back guarantee with every GoPro camera order. It is likely that at least some, if not all, of these offers could change as time goes by.

GoPro points out that the one-button simplicity and waterproof go-anywhere versatility of the HERO4 Session makes a perfect holiday gift. The camera is about the size of an ice cube and weighs only 2.6 ounces. It is also Bluetooth and WiFi enabled, which makes it easy for people to use their smartphone to view, edit, and share content from their GoPro to social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and more.

Astra Bluetooth Communications Module from Litepanels

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900-3519_ASTRA_BlueTooth_Communications_Modulef-600x600Litepanels is the market leader in LED lighting systems for the television, broadcast, video, and film industries. Their ground-breaking, award-winning lighting products are developed with a clear focus on performance, reliability and efficiency to deliver the very best results for all of their customers.

Litepanels Astra 1×1 Bluetooth Communications Module allows you to control your lights wirelessly with the Bluetooth Communications Module and Litepanels SmartLite app. It is great for independent content creators or studios. The Bluetooth module and Smartlite app together are a convenient way to control your lights with your Apple device.

The Litepanels SmartLite app is available for a free download via the Apple App Store. It allows you to control your lights from your Apple iPhone or iPad via Bluetooth and simple pairing process. Once the handheld device pairs with the lights it will remember the light until it is cleared.

The Bluetooth module allows users to do a variety of things. This includes control of color intensity, control color temperature, to have multiple groups of lights, and to group lights together to be controlled all at once. You can view the operating temperature in real time and view the system information such as the firmware version.

The Litepanels Smartlite App requires iOS 7.0 or later. It is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The app is optimized for iPhone 5, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus.

SUPERcase Provides All Day Recording for GoPro Hero

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SUPERcase by Si JexThe Si-Jex SUPERcase takes your GoPro and supercharges it with 5X the battery life and 8X the storage capacity. It is currently on Kickstarter, and has 19 days left to go.

The Si-Jex SUPERcase is the ultimate solution for adding power and storage to your GoPro Hero 3 & GoPro Hero 4. Choose from 128, 256, or 512 GB of space. You won’t have to worry about running out of juice when the going gets good.

The Si-Jex SUPERcase is the first and only all-in-one GoPro accessory case that combines battery power and storage into one simple component. Simply plug your GoPro into the SUPERcase and you’ve instantly added hours of power and video to your adventure.

It has a sturdy waterproof design for any environment. The case is clear and made of a rugged polycarbonate exterior. It is tested to endure shocks, drops, vibrations, wind, rain, sand, and dust. This makes SUPERcase ideal for extreme working conditions.

The case also gives you up to 10 hours of extended battery life. SUPERcase has a dual 18650 Li-Ion battery pack. With the 5200 mAh battery, you get over 6 hours of unattended recording at 4k, 30fps.

BOOMR – The Most Comfortable Camera Strap Ever

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BOOMR by StatGearBOOMR is a bungee camera strap/sling that is designed for professional photographers. It was designed to be worn any way you normally carry your camera. BOOMR is currently on Kickstarter. At the time I am writing this blog, it has 38 days left to go.

Inspired by the popular bungee cord rifle slings used in the military, StatGear has designed the patent-pending BOOMR to be the most comfortable camera strap/sling on the market. The bungee cords are extremely strong and durable and are incorporated into the design of BOOMR to act as shock absorbers which significantly decrease the weight load of carrying a camera around your neck or shoulders.

It features a 1.5-inch polypropylene shoulder strap, a 1-inch heavy duty bungee covered by 1-inch polypropylene, and anodized iron carbiners and riggings. It has an adjustable length from 44 to 58 inches long. The StatGear logo on the strap comes in three colors – red, pink, or grey.

PrimeTime Lighting Systems has Legendary Fluorescents

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PrimeTime 1SL255PrimeTime Lighting Systems manufactures broadcast lighting systems, video conference light fixtures, and LED and fluorescent studio lighting for the broadcast industry. Their legendary fluorescents have defined their legacy of high performance, lasting durability, and quality PrimeTime luminaries.

Their famous 1SL255 fluorescent set the industry standard for broadcast studios, places of worship, and educational facilities. It has a powerful throw and can be used for key or fill lighting. The secret is in their reflector technology. Other lighting companies haven’t been able to duplicate it. The legendary 1SL255 is manufactured in the United States with PrimeTime’s unmatched build-quality, lasting durability, and rigorous engineering standards.

PrimeTime 4BL455

PrimeTime’s legendary 4BL455 is their most powerful soft fill light source. It is a favorite for strong wash and cyclorama wall applications. Each lamp is surrounded by their exclusive parabolic reflectors, handcrafted from a mirror finish aluminum, the highest reflective material in the industry.

PrimeTime MSL155

The MSL155 is PrimeTime’s famous low-profile MSL fluorescent. It can be used as an accent light in a low ceiling or low grid height environment. It can be used as a side-fill or back light on chromakey or interview sets.

Line 6 USB Drivers Incompatible with Mac OS X El Capitan

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Line 6 LogoLine 6, the California-based manufacturer of popular musical instrument and audio production gear, made an official statement last week about a problem that users have been reporting for awhile. Spend even a short amount of time on any public forum dedicated to Line 6 gear and you’ll see multiple posts complaining about issues using Line 6 products with the latest build of Apple’s Macintosh operating system, OS 10.11 (“El Capitan”).

Line 6 sent an e-mail to registered users late last week acknowledging the issue. It’s the first time any official word has come from the company regarding the problem:

We have discovered an incompatibility of the Line 6 USB audio driver version 7.3.8 and Mac OS 10.11 El Capitan. After updating to Mac OS 10.11 the Line 6 USB audio driver will no longer connect to hardware devices. Line 6 applications that rely on this driver, for example Line 6 Monkey, will therefore not process audio or allow hardware configuration changes.

We apologize for the inconvenience and we will publish an updated driver soon.

The e-mail also provided a list of the affected Line 6 products. The list is rather long and contains most of the company’s popular products, including its PodHD line of effects processors and the M20d digital mixer. The only advice Line 6 is providing on the matter is to hold off on upgrading to El Capitan:

We highly recommend you do not update to Mac OS 10.11 El Capitan in order to maintain correct Line 6 USB audio driver functionality.

It’s not much of a solution, especially for those who’ve already upgraded their machines. Overall, it’s unfortunate that Line 6 customers have had to face this inconvenience. But it also shows why it’s a good idea to exercise patience in the face of these kinds of upgrades, especially for mission-critical gear.

Neat Microphones Creates Widget Series

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Neat Microphones Widget SeriesNeat Microphones has a futuristic, colorful, line of microphones that look like something that would not seem out of place in The Jetsons cartoon. Each one is a little, functional, sculpture. Together, these three visually interesting mics are the Widget Series.

The Widget Series of microphones are uniquely styled, USB ‘plug and play’, high-definition microphones. The three mics look very different from each other, but each uses the same proprietary capsule and circuit design that delivers remarkable sonic character, regardless of the Widget’s shape. These microphones are for podcasters, musicians, or even for people who need to take part in an internet conference call.

Microphone A is the green one with the yellow highlights. Microphone B is the red one with yellow highlights. Microphone C is the blue one with yellow highlights. Each one is a desktop microphone with clear, full-range 96kHz/24 bit audio. Each has a custom capsule, integrated internal pop filter, shockmount, and adjustable height.

All the microphones are easy plug-and-play with either Mac or Windows. These microphones are for use with Skype, conferencing, videos, blogs, voiceovers, music, and more. Gizmodo reports that the Widget Series of mics by Neat Microphones will hit stores like Best Buy, Walmart, and Amazon starting on November 15, 2015, and for a price of $99 each.

Broadcast Audio Anywhere with iRig Mic Lav

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IK Multimedia iRig LavIK Multimedia has created the iRig Mic Lav. It lets you broadcast quality audio anywhere, at any time, and on any mobile device. It is designed for people who do web, film, television, or other broadcasting types of recording.

The iRig Mic Lav is a chainable mobile lavalier microphone for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Android. It features an omnidirectional condenser capsule for crystal clear audio, on-board headphone monitoring output for monitoring live stream or recording levels, secure mounting clip, generous cable length and durable roadworthy design.

What sets the iRig Mic Lav apart is the ability to use two of them with one device to record two audio sources simultaneously. No additional hardware is needed. The iRig Mic Lav features an 1/8” TRRS output that can be toggled to an input for monitoring or used to connect to a second iRig Mic Lav.

Not all lavalier microphones come with on-board monitoring, but the iRig Mac Lav does. It is the first mobile lavalier microphone to offer this feature. To monitor a dual iRig Mic Lav setup, you just need to set the switch on the second iRig Mic Lav’s jack to “monitor”, and then plug in your headphones.

The iRig Mic Lav is available at the IK online store (or music and electronic retailers worldwide) for the low price of $49.99 (excluding taxes). The iRig Mic Lav 2 Pack, a bundle that comes with two iRig Mic Lavs, is available for preorder for $79.99 and will ship early November.

The iRig Pro DUO Offers True Mobility

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iRig Pro DUOIK Multimedia has created something very useful for those who need to quickly record something when inspiration strikes. The iRig Pro DUO can be used anywhere you happen to be.

The iRig Pro DUO offers true mobility. IK Multimedia describes true mobility as: “completely self-contained… unhooked from the grid and free to create anytime and anywhere the inspiration strikes you on any device.” The iRig Pro DUO is compact and easy to carry with you.

The iRig Pro DUO can be powered with two AA batteries. It does not draw any power from a connected iPhone or iPad. When using the included USB or Micro USB to OTG cable connected to a laptop or Android device, iRig Pro DUO can be powered by the attached device or by onboard batteries. When you return to your studio, the iRig Pro DUO can be powered with an additional DC power supply for powering extended recording sessions.

The iRig Pro DUO delivers high-quality 24-bit audio on the go or in the studio with plug-and-play simplicity. It features 2 channels with XLR/TRS combo audio jacks and phantom power that can accommodate everything from high-end condenser microphones to guitars, basses, keyboards, and more. Its crystal-clear ultra-low noise high-headroom preamps ensure that you get professional grade sound everywhere you go.

The iRig Pro DUO comes with every cable you need to connect your iPhone, iPad, Android device, or Mac/PC. You get a Lightning, USB-OTG and USB cables so no matter where you are or what device you have with you, capturing audio is always enabled. It also comes bundled with over $450 worth of software and apps for every platform.

Watershot Updates their Underwater Camera Housing

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Watershot PROWatershot Incorporated, a California company, has created its 7th Camera Housing for Apple iPhone. It is intended as an all-day underwater Camera Housing for use in, around, and under water. It is currently on Kickstarter and needs to gather more funding in the 23 days left of its Kickstarter campaign.

Watershot Incorporated has created waterproof camera housing for years, starting with Watershot for iPhone 4. That one is now more than 3 years and multiple generations in the past. Watershot PRO for the iPhone 6 and 6s Plus will be Watershot’s 9th injection molded Smartphone Housing and 7th Camera Housing model offering for the Apple iPhone. Wathershot’s interchangeable Optical Quality Glass Lens Port system will maximize multiple opportunities for visual quality.

The Watershot PRO for iPhone 6 Plus and 6s Plus will feature their largest rear frame opening to accommodate the massive 6 Plus and 6s Plus touch screen surface. This requires exceptional engineering and special material integration to ensure the required “stiffness” to keep the main-body gland seal symmetrically and circumferentially “squeezed”, a hallmark of Watershot’s watertight performance. They have preformed comparative FEA (Finite Element Analysis) on the rear frame and they are on track to achieve a 195ft/60m depth rating.