Part of the popular Redbox Series, the RB-DS2 audio delay synchronizer from Sonifex (dist. by Independent Audio, www.independentaudio.com) is used to resynch audio to video following delay processes such as standards conversions and transmission lags. The stereo/dual-mono unit features XLR balanced analog and AES/EBU digital I/Os and up to 10.5 seconds of delay at 24-bit/96 kHz or 42 seconds at 16-bit/48 kHz. An internal Compact Flash expansion adds up to 2 GB of memory to delay times of more than 3.5 hours, delay program output across different time zones or shift a broadcast by an hour for satellite rebroadcast. Delay times can be selected in samples, fields/frames (NTSC or PAL), milliseconds and, with the Compact Flash expansion, in hh:mm:ss.

The MPS-1611P from M&K Professional (www.mksound.com) is a more compact, less-expensive monitor based on its popular MPS-2510P. The bi-amplified 6.5-inch, two-way, near- to mid-field MPS-1611P is suitable for stereo or multichannel applications, has internal mag shielding and can be used stand-alone or with any of M&K's powered subwoofers. The driver complement is a 6.5-inch polyproplyene woofer with a 1-inch fabric-dome transmission line tweeter with an aluminum faceplate. A tapered cabinet port has a removable plug for converting the system to a sealed box or a ported design for adapting the monitor to different room and/or subwoofer configurations. Inputs are XLR/TRS balanced and unbalanced RCA; all are buffered, allowing simultaneous connections of pro (console, DAW, etc.) and consumer (DVD, surround decoder, etc.) gear without switching or repatching.

The VideoMic from RØDE Microphones (www.rodemic.com, $249) is a professional-grade shotgun mic designed specifically for use with prosumer DV camcorders. This supercardioid condenser model is powered by a standard 9V battery (providing more than 100 hours of operation) and features a low-battery LED indicator, a switchable -12dB/octave 80Hz lowcut filter, a foam windscreen and an integral elastic suspension shock-mount. The VideoMic attaches to any camera with a standard hot-shoe fitting and has a stereo mini jack output cable. Optional accessories include a mini tripod mic stand, ⅛-inch-to-XLR adapter and the RØDE DeadCat, a fur-style windsock for use in high-wind conditions.

Now in pre-production — deliveries begin later this year — is the Holophone Mini from Holophone (www.holophone.com). Housed in a smaller, less-expensive package than the original, the Mini is a 5.1 mic (six discrete outputs) designed to mount directly on a camcorder. A Pocket PME unit encodes the discrete 5.1 audio streams from the mic in real time into SRS Labs' Circle Surround (Dolby Pro Logic and Pro Logic II — compatible) format and outputs a matrix-encoded, 2-channel stereo signal that can be recorded via standard L/R stereo input jacks on any camera. The Mini/PME pair is slated to be priced around $2,500.

Gallery Software (www.gallery.co.uk) announces an upgrade to its Metacorder software that turns your Mac OS X laptop and favorite Core Audio interface into a full-function location recorder with sample rates up to 192 kHz. Version 1.2 adds OS X Tiger support and the ability to record/play up to 96 simultaneous tracks. Other features include dual-media recording and the ability to back up completed sound rolls to DVD-R or CD-R drives (via FireWire) while recording continues. Also standard are M/S decoding, an LTC reader and the writing of iXML and Avid/Pro Tools — compatible “bext” metadata.