London-based audio and broadcast equipment hire company Richmond Film Services has upgraded one of its trio of SoundField ST250 portable microphones, replacing it with the recently launched ST450. The ST450 is the latest in a long line of compact SoundField battery-powerable microphones aimed at location sound recordists. Like its predecessors, the ST450 can generate audio in any format including mono, stereo, Mid & Side, and phase-coherent 5.1 surround and beyond, without the need for more than one microphone. In addition, it can produce surround and stereo simultaneously, while offering SoundField’s usual flexible control over front and rear width and continuously variable polar pattern selection. The mic weighs just 290 grams and may be used at a distance of up to 200 metres from its associated control unit. “We got one of the new ST450s, and it’s proved very popular amongst our rental clients so far,” explained Nigel Woodford, co-founder of Richmond Film Services. “It’s more convenient for many location recordists, because the ST450 can output four line-level signals, which suits users of some portable four-channel recorders better. We’ve retired two of our three ST250s, and if the interest in the ST450 continues, we will sell off the other one and get more ST450s.” www.soundfield.com
