bwanajim

One thing to note about the Rycote WS AE is that it allows you to quickly transition from an mkh30/40 mid side rig to a pair of mkh8040 in ORTF very quickly. You simply loosen the two knurled plastic set screws, at the bottom of the windshield, slide out the complete handle with the 30/40, replace with the ORTF 8040s, and tighten the set screws. Same windshield works for both and transitioning takes just a minute. And carrying the extra handle with the 8040s all set up and ready to go is not at all burdensome. I just wrap the whole thing in a big Domke wrap, and keep it in my ThinkTank. in our case, we’re doing music and video recording In faraway places, so weight and bulk are limited. A separate windshield for the m/s vs the ORTF rig would not be possible. With the Rycote, we can be outside run/gun with the mid side rig, then quickly transition when an ORTF rig is better suited…quiet ambiance, larger ensembles in a good acoustic, etc. having the m/s and ORTF rigs in an assembly, complete with handle is very convenient. For example, you’re recording in a church in a tropical environment. You’re ok in the morning with bare mics until the heat builds up. So you open the doors. Next, the wind comes up, blows though the church, and the foamies aren’t cutting it. You can slide the WS AE right over the mics without even dismounting them from the stand, regardless of which array your using. The Cinelas have many benefits, but the Rycote WS AE does offer excellent utility: We have just gotten a Cinela Cosi L, which can fit our DPA 4017, the Sanken CMS-50 m/s mic, and the mkh50. Switching is very quick, if you have the right adapter for each mic. Could be a nice solution! No ORTF, but it means you can boom in or outdoors with the 4017, and having stereo capability with you is just a matter of having the little CMS-50 stashed in the bag. It doesn’t sound as good as the mkh30/40 obviously, and it’s no replacement for a pair of 8040 in ORTF, but hey, it’s stereo in a pinch when you need it but didn’t think you would.

We use the Manfrotto Nano stands a lot in the field, but I’ve never seen one with an integrated boom. I don’t see one in the catalog or on B&H. I wonder if it was an older discontinued version? If such a thing does exist, I’d love to know about it, because it would be perfect for our mkh8000 series mics.