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URSA Straps Review


Chris Durfy

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URSA Strap – A better mousetrap aka THIGHstrap!

I’ve recently had the chance to play with the full line of URSA straps.

Let me bluntly say that they are a total gamechanger in the world of wireless bodypack straps.

They are thinner, more breathable and simply better built. They also have some ingenious design features that take them leaps and bounds above the existing market leader in straps, Neopax.

Let’s take a look at the differences: URSA vs NeoPax

  1. Material – The URSA strap is a 1 mm thick fabric that is much thinner than NP, yet still feels strong and stretchy. It can be easier to hide and is much more breathable. Costume department members and actors will be fans! They also take up a lot less space in the kit, which is an added bonus!
  2. Pouch – The pouch is sewed together with a much higher quality stitch than the Neopax, which, in my experience, are sometimes prone to come apart. Each ankle and thigh strap have an oval of nonslip gripper inside the pouch to keep the transmitter securely in place. URSA Pouch Protector straps are also available for absolute security.
  3. Nonslip – Ever had an actress hiking and pulling up her thigh strap over and over in between takes? Well URSA has applied the same nonslip strip in each pouch on the thigh strap which highly minimizes / eliminates the issue. Again, happy actors and costumers is a good thing!
  4. Cable Management – URSA has added a special cable Management pocket to effectively manage excess wire. There is a technique for using it, check out the URSA video: https://www.facebook.com/ursastraps/videos/386809564997907/
  5. Velcro Alignment – The velcro on the URSA strap is curved and also doesn’t go edge to edge. This, again, is for actor comfort. And it also won’t threaten to ruin a pair of tights like the Neopax thigh straps, which have velcro from edge to edge, have in the past. The curved velcro also can be helpful to blend in under wardrobe without the stark lines that can telegraph through wardrobe like with the Neopax. The velcro on the thigh strap is also of a lower profile to further reduce possible snagging and bunching up.
  6. Color Coded Identification – Again, a simple design idea that allows for easy identification of which strap is which. The color also quickly identifies the pouch’s top side orientation.
  7. Strap Colors – URSA comes in three colors: Beige, Brown and Black. Brown is a welcome addition for our darker skinned actors.
  8. Strap / Pouch Sizes – The URSAs come in five sizes: Ankle, thigh and waist (small, medium & large). Each strap also has two pouch sizes available to accommodate smaller and larger transmitters.
  9. Chest Strap – Chest straps have always been a difficult beast. I’ve never come across one that really worked. They’d slip, be visible under wardrobe and cable management was difficult. URSA’s Chest Strap manages all of these problems. Like the rest of the line, it is extremely thin for hidability. Similar to the thigh straps, it has the non-slip strips to keep the strap in place. And it incorporates cable management guides along the strap to guide the microphone cable in place under the strap.
  10. URSA Case – URSA also has a nice clear pouch available to keep your straps together in a neat orderly package along with the color-coded identification chart.
  11. Availability  – Until recently, you couldn’t get URSA Straps in the US, but I’m hearing reports that the hurdle has been overcome with some design changes and you should be seeing them in stock around April or May of this year!

All in all, I think URSA is going take over the market for its segment of the production sound world.  I for one, will be using them exclusively from now on!

Find out more at http://ursastraps.com/

 

You can see my original blog post and loads of comparison pictures here: http://blog.chrisdurfy.com/?p=711 

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I have to second the glowing reviews. And someone was criticizing the fact that the protector straps weren't included with the belts. That's true enough, but the tx pockets are sewn in such a way that they close a bit around the top and to me even the Lectro SSM is quite secure in the pocket, and the protectors aren't even really necessary. They come in two different versions, regarding the pockets. Large and small.

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Here you go:

 

folgende URSA-Produkte sind am Lager. Die Waist Straps sind voerst nur als Big Pouch am Lager.

 

Artikelliste

Art.Nr. 

Typ 

VK 1 

USC 

Ursa Soft Circles (Pack of 18) MIXED COL 

13,00 

UCSBe 

Ursa Chest Strap BEIGE 

29,00 

UASBl 

Ursa Ankle Strap BLACK 

34,00 

UASBe 

Ursa Ankle Strap BEIGE 

34,00 

UWSMBPBl 

Ursa Waist Strap Medium / BP BLACK 

35,00 

UWSSBPBl 

Ursa Waist Strap Small / BP BLACK 

35,00 

UWSMBPBe 

Ursa Waist Strap Medium / BP BEIGE 

35,00 

UWSSBPBe 

Ursa Waist Strap Small / BP BEIGE 

35,00 

UTSBe 

Ursa Thigh Strap BEIGE 

35,00

 

 

Mit freundlichen Grüßen,

Dana Kurenz

KORTWICH
Film-Ton-Technik

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Here you go:
 
folgende URSA-Produkte sind am Lager. Die Waist Straps sind voerst nur als Big Pouch am Lager.
 
Artikelliste
Art.Nr. 
Typ 
VK 1 
USC 
Ursa Soft Circles (Pack of 18) MIXED COL 

13,00 

UCSBe 
Ursa Chest Strap BEIGE 

29,00 

UASBl 
Ursa Ankle Strap BLACK 

34,00 

UASBe 
Ursa Ankle Strap BEIGE 

34,00 

UWSMBPBl 
Ursa Waist Strap Medium / BP BLACK 

35,00 

UWSSBPBl 
Ursa Waist Strap Small / BP BLACK 

35,00 

UWSMBPBe 
Ursa Waist Strap Medium / BP BEIGE 

35,00 

UWSSBPBe 
Ursa Waist Strap Small / BP BEIGE 

35,00 

UTSBe 
Ursa Thigh Strap BEIGE 

35,00

 
 
Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
Dana Kurenz

KORTWICH
Film-Ton-Technik

I'm wondering how long it will take them to copy these...
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