By features editor Mat Gallagher:
***This is of course an April Fool***
Ahead of NAB, Rode have released a new video demonstrating their latest product. The new Rode i16, the video claims, offers surround sound recording for iOS units with “sixteen discrete microphone capsules to capture the user’s surrounding audio environment in broadcast quality”. Rode have produced a range of Mics for iOS devices, including the recent smartLav, lapel microphone and the IXY stereo Mic. The i16 takes this to a new level with its sixteen individual gold-sputtered cardioid condenser capsules. Rode’s founder and president Peter Freeman, explains in the detailed product description: “When developing the iXY we were focussed on providing the ultimate in stereo audio capture for iOS devices. But during the project it became that there was a large proportion of the market who wanted to record in complete surround. We’ve taken that seriously and produced the i16.”
Introducing the RØDE i16 – Surround sound recording for iOS from RØDE Microphones on Vimeo.
Rumours of a 24-microphone unit are already rife, as is a larger version for digital cinema cameras, nicknamed ‘the helicopter’. Other iOS products expected to be announced at NAB this month include an 8k module to turn iPhones into a Raw cinema camera. The buffer is currently limited to 1.04min, though the iPhone 5s may double this. Also expected is an adaptor to allow PL mount cine lens to be attached in front of the in-built lens, this uses a system similar to the Metabones Speedbooster but due to the small sensor size it results in a five f-stop speed gain.
