Holophone, a maker of surround microphones, introduced at NAB2008 the PortaMic 5.1 camera-mountable surround microphone.
The PortaMic 5.1 offers professional-grade discrete 5.1 audio quality and is ideal for sports production. It features a 2.5in by 1.5in mic head with six separate mic elements arranged to correspond with the typical 5.1 speaker setup in a studio or home theater.
Measuring only 1in, the PortaMic’s encoder, equipped with Dolby Pro Logic II encoding technology, provides a low profile when connected to the camera. It allows 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. The surround encoded audio is output to both a stereo mini plug and six-pin balanced mini XLR.
For transition from the field to post, the encoded recordings of the PortaMic 5.1 can be converted back to six channels using the company’s new D-CODE multichannel decoder or Dolby Pro Logic II decoder. Additionally, the PortaMic 5.1 is fully compatible with the installed base of approximately 60 million Dolby Pro Logic II consumer decoders, allowing the PortaMic’s recordings to be broadcast in stereo and decoded to surround in viewers’ living rooms.
For more information, visit http://www.holophone.com/.
