NAB Event News
HOLOPHONE’S PORTAMIC 5.1 DELIVERS GRAB ‘N GO SURROUND
By
Apr 15, 2008 - 2:32:57 AM

By Carl Lindemann

Holophone continues to expand and enhance its lineup of surround sound microphone systems with three new products for NAB 2008. The PortaMic 5.1 is a basic surround mic for grabbing ambient sound. The N-CODE and D-CODE are portable Dolby ProLogic II units, and as the names suggest, an encoder and decoder.

“Simple surround” is Holophone CEO Jonathan Godfrey’s promise, and the PortaMic 5.1 fills an important hole in the Holophone lineup alongside the H4 SuperMINI introduced last year. It is a lightweight, low-cost, no-frills unit that delivers for entry-level enthusiasts looking to make a first foray into surround sound with a camcorder. It can also be deployed in numerous professional applications, for example gathering ambient sound by wireless interconnects. It contains a Dolby ProLogic II encoder. Surround encoded audio outputs to a stereo 1/8” plug and six-pin balanced mini XLR. The big difference with the H4 is the tiny form-factor – smaller than a softball. The tradeoff is that there’s no input for an interview mic, a key feature for the H4.  This is “grab ‘n go” surround that, at $599, rises to the challenge of getting ambient sound cheap and easy.

The D-CODE compliments either the H4 or the PortaMic 5.1 by taking the two-channel surround encoded audio and splitting it into six discrete audio channels.  This simplifies workflow by bringing the Dolby ProLogic II into popular production environments. The tracks can be edited in any pro editing package such as Apple’s FCP, Sony Vegas or Adobe Premier. The D-CODE lists for $599.

The N-CODE is adds Dolby ProLogic II’s two-channel utility to Holophone’s H2-PRO or HD-3 mics. With it, any stereo recorder can capture 5.1 surround without the need for a multi-channel recorder.

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