Saramonic Smart Rig Review - Preamp for DSLR or Smartphone Requiring Phantom Power | 10 Months on

   The SmartRig from Saramonic is an easy solution to connect any professional microphones to iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad and Android devices. As a high-quality microphone preamp, SmartRig allows you to use professional stage microphones or high-end studio microphones to create music with your mobile iOS or Android devices. Power provided by 9V battery.

In this review we cover.

• ·         Specifications

• ·         Quality

• ·         Longevity

• ·         Usage

• ·         Battery times

• ·        Ease of use

• ·         Connectivity

• ·        Availability and accessories

• ·         Cost Now

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 Specifications

• Xlr microphone input connector

• +48v phantom power for use with condenser microphones

• 3.5mm (1/8") headphone monitor jack

• +48v / on / off switch. 

• Gain control Knob (Sound Level Control )

• Power / phantom power by 9v battery (not included). includes free app

 Quality

  When I first received the saramonic smart rig I was quite impressed with the build quality for the price. For the low price I paid I would have expected a very cheap quality plastic this was not the case. Buttons,knob,cable and Jack are all well made also the assembly screws are also hidden showing a nice clean look. The battery door is also well made and the fastening clip that fastens the door, this holds in a small 9 volt battery that supplies the phantom power to your XLR microphone. The 3.5 mm headphone jack also feels solid with headphones plugged in, there was no slopping around in the socket.

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 Longevity

Longevity of this product is difficult as it has not been out very long, I believe the release date was around 2016 therefore this reviewed item is approximately 1 year old. So far unit has performed well and all the switches knobs and connectors or function as they should. I am still using the same battery that I installed in the unit when I first had it back in 2016. In terms of build quality I would imagine this unit would last for years provided the battery was removed when not in use, as this could leak if left for long periods and caused damage to internal components of  the unit.

 Usage

The use of the saramonic smart rig is to power and adjust the levels of a XLR microphone. If the unit is being used for what it was intended the item works very well. I have also used this smart rig to adjust the levels from a lav mic using an adaptor. This also works extremely well. To see how I did this you can read it in the link below.

Setting-up-your-saramonic-smartrig-for-DSLR

 Battery times

Battery times vary dramatically as the make and age will determine there longevity. You should expect at least 99 hours from a good battery. If this is not the case it may be worth investing in some new batteries. still available. HERE

 

Ease of use 

Saramonic smart rig is very easy to use, it's basically a case of plug and play. Once you have made your relevant connections and switched the unit on for either plug in power or for phantom power for your microphone the unit performs as it should. To get the best results you may have to search for various apps on the app store or google Play as the app recommended I found to be rubbish.(others have found this also). With your headphones plugged in you can easily monitor your audio and adjust to suit with the gain knob.

 Connectivity

Saramonic smart rig is a very easy to use it's basically a case of plug and play. Once you have made or your relevant connections and switched the unit on either plug in power or for phantom power for your microphone the unit performs as it should. To get the best results you may have to search for various apps on the app store or google Play as the app recommended I found to be rubbish.(others have found this also). 
(One of the apps I do use is the PCM recorder for google play. this gives you the ability t monitor the levels with a meter while recording and also ajust the input gain if you wish.) Others available on the app store.
With your headphones plugged in you can easily monitor your audio and adjusted to suit with the gain knob.


You may find you would like to attach the demonic smotret two other recording devices that have a tRS Jack connection. If you wish to do this you will need to get a adaptor like the trrs to TRS converter. You can also check out the link below that shows you how I did this.

Setting-up-your-saramonic-smartrig-for-DSLR

trrs to trs converter

 Availability and accessories

As this is pretty much a stand alone unit there are really no extra accessories to purchase. Obviously you may want to buy a small bag box or packet to store it in or in with your other camera equipment in your camera bag. You may also wish to purchase a set of headphones to use with the saramonic Smart rig or purchase a TRRS to TRS (also known as a phone connector)    converter lead.

 Cost Now

The prices now for the saramonic smart rig still extremely reasonable and I think are still around the same price as they were on their release in 2016. A list of the items for sale can be seen below on either eBay or Amazon.

Amazon Links http://tinyurl.com/yba93e4c

Ebay Links Saramonic smart rig

 

Conclusion  

8/10

In conclusion I have decided to give the Saramonic smartrig a rating 8 /10. The reasoning for giving the smartrig eight out of ten opposed to 10 out of 10 is I believe the unit could be made better if it had come with a converter, to convert the TRS connector to make this unit Trudy compatible with any recording device. This said as the item is listed and sold for a smartphone then I guess it does do exactly what it says.

If you wish to see how I converted this, please read the article HERE.

🖊️ Wacom Bamboo Pen & Touch Graphics Tablet Secondhand Used Review

RATING  3/10

This is basically a graphics tablet for use with a graphics tablet pen included and touch sensitive Track pad and with shortcut keys like a standard trackpad. 

It was originality shipped with wacom bamboo pen driver and some software.

In this review we cover.

• ·         Specifications
• ·         Quality
• ·         Longevity
• ·         Usage
• ·         Battery times
• ·        Ease of use
• ·        Connectivity
• ·        Availability and accessories
• ·        Cost Now
•              Conclusion and Rating

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 Specifications

• Two sensors for pen and multi-touch input

• Support of multi-touch gestures to scroll, zoom, rotate and more

• Pressure-sensitive pen tip and eraser for natural feel

• Battery-free and ergonomic pen with two buttons

• Paper-like tablet surface with 16:10 aspect ratio

• Reversible tablet design for left- or right-handed use

• Four customisable ExpressKeys for quick function access

• Attached pen holder for convenient storage

• Easy USB connection

• Interactive tutorial to make the most of Bamboo

Latest version now available on amazon

  Quality

The  Wacom Bamboo Pen & Touch Graphics Tablet Feels well made. The item is made of all plastic and is very lightweight, it grips male to the desktop and does not slide around in use. The shortcut buttons all have a very good positive feel to them and overall this tablet feels well made.

Longevity Usage Battery timesEase of useConnectivityAvailability and accessoriesCost Now

This item was purchased on eBay and I think I paid around £35. I would imagine buying second hand on places like eBay you pick up a bargain.

 Conclusion Rating

RATING  3/10

     Unfortunately I could only give this tablet a 3 out of 10 due to the fact I could not get it to work at all. I thought as I was using Windows 10 that a driver would be available for this tablet. I think as this tablet is no longer in manufacture the driver's are maybe out of date for Windows 10. Saying that I could not get the tablet to work at all I guess is unfair as it did work seamlessly as a touchpad and Trackpad with multiple gestures, and the use of the shortcut key buttons was also very useful. Unfortunately as stated previous I did purchase this graphics tablet to use as a graphics tablet with a pen and unfortunately I was unable to get it to work. I did some research on the Internet and did find that many other people like myself did experience the same issues, due to this I have given it a 3 out of 10.

Related Searches.

wacom bamboo tablet driver

wacom bamboo pen graphics tablet

wacom bamboo uk

wacom tablet bamboo

wacom bamboo ctl-470 driver

wacom tablet intuos

wacom drawing tablet

wacom intuos pen

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🔝 Top Professional Sound Recorder Under £$100 - Tascam DR100 Long Term Test Review

The rugged TASCAM DR-100 offers high-end recording features to musicians and engineers who demand more from their portable recorder. It features four built-in microphones, two cardioid and two omni directional, with analog limiting and filtering for great-sounding recordings. A pair of XLR microphone inputs with phantom power welcomes pro-grade condenser microphones, and line in and out connectors are also provided.
The DR-100 includes a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery, but can also be powered by AA batteries or an optional AC adapter. A built-in speaker allows for instant playback, and the metal enclosure includes a tripod mounting hole for recording flexibility. A wireless remote control is also included for remotely starting the recording, as well as a windscreen and carrying case.

In this review we cover.

• ·         Specifications
• ·         Quality
• ·         Longevity
• ·         Usage
• ·         Battery times
• ·        Ease of use
• ·         Connectivity
• ·        Availability and accessories
• ·         Cost Now

 Specifications

• Four microphones - Stereo Cardioid and Omni Condenser Mics
• 44.1k to 96k sampling rates for WAV file recording
• MP3 and WAV file Recording and Playback
• XLR Mic Inputs with Phantom Power
• High-performance microphone preamp with 60dB of gain
• Premium AKM Audio4Pro™ A/D converters with over 100dB signal to noise ratio
• 3.5mm Line Inputs and Outputs
• Low Cut Filter, Analog Limiter and Auto Gain Control
• Built-in Speaker
• Integrated microphone stand mount
• Runs on Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery or AA Batteries
• Optional PS-P520 AC power adapter
• Dimensions: 3.2" W x 1.4" H x 6" D (80.5mm x 35mm x 151mm)

 Quality

This Recorder I purchased second hand and it does look like it has been used. The build quality is fantastic and the microphones on board are well protected. It has a solid metal feel to it and is surrounded by metal.

The two uni directional mics on the top are also well protected by metal bumpers to stop the mics getting damaged.

All the buttons feel well made and secure. the scroll wheel also has a good responsive feel to it and does not feel plastic like. The front is pressed metal and along with  the sides. The back is made of plastic and feels solid still and this also lids the plastic battery door for the AA batteries.  

   

  Longevity

From what i can tell this recorder was made back in approx 2009 and has gone through several model upgrades since. ( Currently while writing this its on the MkIII).  I have had Tascam products before but unfortunately they did not last very long. I managed to get through 2 DR05's and both the headphone and input jacks broke. This maybe why the V2 of the DR05 was produced. 

Firmware updates are still available for this model and the original firmware version that was shipped with the item is still current on the Item while testing. It has appeared to work with out any issues.

 Usage

The tascam can be used for multiple recording uses. From music, field recordings to even recording meetings, especially with the on board omni and unidirectional microphones no other extra equipment is required to record audio. The ability to also record using the line in jacks is also really useful for dub mixing,  for example you wished to record voice over on  a previously recorded music track. 

The use of the two left and right channel XLR input on the bottom of the unit make this a truly professional recorder. The two XLR inputs also have phantom power of 48 volts to power various microphones this feature can also be switched off if you wish to use smaller microphones with plug in power. 

To plug mini jack plug in power microphones such as lavier microphones require an additional adaptor like the rode vxlr adaptor which is a 3.5 mini Jack to XLR converter. 

These do not provide power so an inline power source would be needed if required.

The menu system and scroll wheel is a fabulous feature making it easy to scroll through any menus if required. 

A link to the users manual can be found lower down the page.

  Battery times

When I first purchased this item I had read that the battery times were very good and the fact that it had two battery sources helped this idea to stand up. Having two types of battery installed in the unit is a fabulous idea from tascam and it works really well. I have found that on long recordings the batteries hold up extremely well I have used the internal lithium ion battery as the main power source and used AA rechargeable batteries as backup. 

In tests with the Dr 100 I have found that recording times have been in excess of six hours, I have not tested past this time. 

With a full set of new batteries I would not doubt the unit could perform as specified in the specifications of up to 9 hours combined.

 Ease of use

The use of the Tascam dr-100 feels good in the hand and feel solid. The unit is larger than its counterpart the zoom h4 but still feels nice in the hand with easy access to all the buttons and features. Most of the buttons on the front of the unit can be operated single-handed with a single finger touch and this is extremely handy if you are multitasking with other input devices like microphones. Some of the other features that are not used frequently can be found as slide switches on the rear of the tascam DR100. 

The menu system and scroll wheel is a fabulous feature making it easy to scroll through any menus if required. 

 Connectivity

As this is a professional recorder connectivity is extremely good but unlike the zoom H2 it does not have plug in power for lavier microphones that said the zoom H2 does not have XLR inputs so it really depends on what you want. Connectivity to a PC is easy via the standard USB connection, if you bought this as a full kit you may get the USB cable supplied. When connected to the PC this acts as a flash drive only unlike the H2 that can be connected as a flash drive and an as a additional microphone

 

Availability and accessories

Most accessories for the Dr 100 are still compatible with both Mark II and Mark III models. And other non tascam products can also be connected to this unit.

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Cost Now 

Second hand prices on these stuck up very nicely now especially on the Mark 1 has the mark 2 and 3 have been out a while now already. I purchased this item from eBay for around £100.

 Here is a link to eBay for current listed items.

http://tinyurl.com/y7r5cmd9

Conclusion 8/10

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A manual Can be downloaded from here

Firmware upgrade are also available from tascams website.

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