By site editor Dan Chung:
Juicedlink have quietly taken the wraps off the latest in their line of low-noise preamps. The BMC388 is targeted at users of Blackmagic’s Cinema Camera and Pocket Cinema Camera, but could also prove useful for users of other DSLRs and large sensor cams. Similar to the existing RM333 model, it adds LED audio level meters and locking balanced outputs. Somehow it manages to do this without adding much weight or size. Like the RM333 it has three XLR inputs as well as 48V/12V phantom power. It runs from a single 9V cell.
In-camera audio has been problematic for Blackmagic users for a long time – mainly due to the cameras lacking audio level meters and to somewhat noisy amps in the camera itself. My solution to date has been to use a RM333 with a Cineroid Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) that has audio level meters built into it. The BMC388 should be a much neater solution, keeping the setup more compact.
Many DSLR users are now using cameras with on-screen audio meters – but even they may benefit from getting a BMC388 over a competing audio adapter. The Juicedlink low noise preamps are probably the best for the price and when working solo the LED meters are a great visual confirmation that audio levels are not peaking. They are easy to see from the corner of your eye when doing interviews and not looking constantly through the finder. For this reason I would take the BMC388 over a RM333 for DSLR work, despite the slightly higher cost.
