{"id":34365,"date":"2021-02-04T11:45:39","date_gmt":"2021-02-04T16:45:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/?p=34365"},"modified":"2021-02-04T12:04:54","modified_gmt":"2021-02-04T17:04:54","slug":"creators-rejoice-this-amazing-transformable-mic-does-it-all","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/creators-rejoice-this-amazing-transformable-mic-does-it-all\/","title":{"rendered":"Creators Rejoice! This Amazing Transformable Mic Does It All"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Serious audio capture in one compact form factor \u2014 Traxshot by Comica Audio<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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I\u2019ve just fallen in love with Traxshot by Comica Audio<\/a>, a compact little super cardioid microphone that covers probably 95% of my needs when out in the field. It\u2019s now the only one I grab as I leave for a day of shooting on location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The first question you may ask yourself is, \u201cHow can one mic do it all,\u201d and that would be a good question to ask. Don\u2019t you need a lav mic (or two lavs) to do an interview or podcast?\u00a0 Don\u2019t you need a shotgun for action sports? And how about a second mic to pick up the crowd cheering?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Traxshot is cleverly built with two separate mics on flexible pivots. Combine that with a selector switch and you have four distinct, and highly effective, shooting modes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Four distinct audio mic modes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mono mode \u2013 is ideal where you want to pick up sound in only one direction. It does a great job of blocking sound from behind the mic. Ideal for capturing one person doing a demonstration or speaking in a crowded area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Stereo mode 1 \u2013 is 30\u00b0 wide and ideal for a two-person interview where they are seated facing each other. (Think Pre-COVID times when they would typically sit close together.)\u00a0 It would also be my first choice when shooting a party\u2026after this pandemic is over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Stereo mode 2 \u2013 separates the capsule to working range 90\u00b0 wide and would work for that two-person interview Post-COVID, where they are sitting 12\u2019 apart.\u00a0 It\u2019s also ideal for the pickup of sounds in nature, where you want to capture as much of the environment as possible.\u00a0 I can\u2019t wait to get it to the seashore to try waves rolling ashore in stereo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bi-directional \u2013 if you do interviews where you are behind the camera and you are talking with the subject, this is perfect, as one mic can be pointed directly at you, while the other perfectly faces your interviewee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Simple, efficient mic controls<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Notice in that illustration above that each mode is selected by cycling through them with a simple push button next to the power button. A hi-res IPS display shows both power levels and sound pickup modes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An audio jack on the left allows you to use either one of two audio cables supplied with the microphone. There\u2019s both a TRS cable for typical camcorder or DSLR, and a TRRS cable for smartphones. Each has a coiled section so it fits snugly to the camera without flopping around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Next to the audio out is a USB-C port that you use for charging the microphone, as well as for updating the firmware. I\u2019ve never reached the limit of the battery, which is supposed to go 20 hours on one charge. But, I love that it recharges by USB, so a battery pack will do if you are backpacking for a week or so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An audio jack on the right side allows you to monitor recorded sound through your headphones. The variable gain knob above lets you continuously adjust sound levels on the fly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See Traxshot in action<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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