Creator Tools
Razer Launches Seiren V3 Chroma and Seiren V3 Mini
Razer has launched two new additions to its audio lineup: the Razer Seiren V3 Chroma and the Seiren V3 Mini. These microphones are a fusion of Razer’s iconic aesthetics with cutting-edge functionality, tailored to be the centrepiece of any gaming setup, streaming studio, or content creation space.
“We are thrilled to launch the Seiren V3 Chroma and Seiren V3 Mini, showcasing Razer merging top-tier audio quality with the dynamic flair of Razer Chroma RGB,” says Nick Bourne, Head of Razer’s Mobile, Console & Streaming Division. “These microphones are designed to cater to the multifaceted demands of modern content creators, offering unparalleled customization, control, and clarity that truly stands out.”
The Razer Seiren V3 Chroma sets a new standard for USB microphones in the gaming world, blending impeccable audio clarity with a visually stunning RGB experience. With its Stream and Game Reactive Lighting, powered by Razer Chroma RGB, it elevates the art of showmanship, responding to in-game events and stream alerts with vibrant lighting effects.
The heart of the Seiren V3 Chroma is its Supercardioid Condenser Mic, which captures every nuance of the user’s voice with an exceptional level of detail, backed by a tighter pickup pattern that effectively minimizes background noise. Whether communicating with teammates or engaging with an audience, the Seiren V3 Chroma ensures every word is heard with crystal clarity.
The Seiren V3 Chroma’s Multi-Function Tap-to-Mute Sensor is more than just a button – it’s an intuitive command centre at your fingertips. With a simple tap, users can control audio output including mute/unmute, adjust lighting, and toggle the microphone’s digital gain limiter or check mic monitoring levels with lighting indicators, ensuring a flawless audio experience even during the most intense live streams or gaming sessions.
The Seiren V3 Mini builds on the foundation of its predecessor by incorporating additional functionalities into its compact form factor. New advancements include an intuitive tap-to-mute sensor with an LED indicator that provides instant control and feedback, onboard audio mixing via Razer Synapse, and an improved bit sampling rate for superior audio performance. This makes the Seiren V3 Mini an optimal solution for streamers and gamers seeking high-quality audio without the bulk.
For content creators and gamers alike, background noise can be a persistent challenge. The 14mm Condenser Mic at its core is tailored for clear, detailed voice capture, especially effective in higher frequency ranges. The Seiren V3 Mini’s Supercardioid Pickup Pattern expertly isolates the speaker’s voice, ensuring that only the intended audio is captured. The addition of a Tap-to-Mute Sensor with an LED Indicator provides instant control and feedback, a crucial feature for live streaming or during heated in-game communication.
Razer Seiren V3 Chroma is priced at $129.99, while the Razer Seiren V3 Mini is priced at $59.99.
Creator Tools
Sennheiser Intros Profile Wireless Two-Channel 2.4 GHz Wireless Microphone System
In content creation, being prepared and adaptable is crucial, as is having a reliable wireless audio system that ensures easy and quick sound capture without compromising on quality. For creators and videographers, Sennheiser has launched Profile Wireless, a two-channel, 2.4 GHz wireless microphone system. This system connects to mobile phones, cameras, or computers, and can serve as a clip-on mic, handheld mic, or table-top microphone, depending on your needs.
“We cannot imagine content creation today without compact 2.4 GHz mic systems, and I am proud that Sennheiser is adding an all-in-one microphone system to its portfolio that truly makes a difference for creators and videographers,” says Hendrik Millauer, Product Manager, Broadcast and Film, at Sennheiser. “We’ve outfitted Profile Wireless with many exciting features that will help users to capture audio more reliably, longer, and more flexibly than was possible before.”
Unzip the case to reveal a rugged, multifunctional charging bar, the heart of the Profile Wireless system. This versatile device not only stores and charges the key components but also doubles as a handheld or desktop microphone. The charging bar securely holds a two-channel mini-receiver with an OLED touch display, two pre-paired clip-on microphones, a 3.5 mm jack coiled cable for camera use, a USB-C to USB-C charging cable, magnetic clips, adaptors, and windshields, ensuring you’re always prepared for any recording scenario.
“It was important to us that Profile Wireless can master a diverse set of recording requirements while being as compact and portable as possible,” says Callie Blake, Category Marketing Manager, Creators. “The range of use cases for Profile Wireless is impressive.” The included adaptors allow the receiver to connect to your preferred filming device, while a dedicated headphone output enables you to monitor the audio. The compact mini-mics can be easily clipped onto clothing or secured with the provided magnetic mounts, offering flexibility in various recording situations.
“While the clip-on mics ensure signature Sennheiser audio quality and are quite unobtrusive, there may still be instances where a creator or videographer would like to work with separate lavalier mics, so there’s a lockable 3.5 mm TRS jack for connecting external mics,” adds Blake. When using a mobile phone for video recording, the Profile Wireless receiver can be connected via the included Lightning or mini-USB adapter. A built-in gyro-sensor ensures the receiver’s display automatically rotates 180 degrees, maintaining optimal visibility.
When using a mobile phone for video capture, the Profile Wireless receiver connects via the included Lightning or mini-USB adaptor. The receiver display, equipped with a gyro-sensor, automatically rotates by 180° for clear readability. In scenarios where a handheld microphone is ideal, such as reporter-style pieces or interviews requiring more control, simply insert a clip-on mic into the charging bar, attach the provided large foam windshield, and you’ve got a ready-to-go reporter’s microphone.
All Profile Wireless components are equipped with mounting threads for standard creator accessories like table stands. This allows the system to be conveniently used as a desktop mic. To ensure reliable audio capture, Profile Wireless incorporates several innovative features. Each clip-on microphone boasts 16 GB of internal memory for backup recording. The Backup Recording Mode automatically activates internal recording if the wireless signal weakens. Additionally, the Safety Channel Mode outputs and records backup audio at a lower volume to prevent clipping.
“The clip-on microphone has 24-bit recording capability, and records simultaneously at two different audio levels”, notes Blake. “This not only reduces the risk of clipped audio but also maximises the usable dynamic range of the capsule.” The Profile Wireless system offers an impressive range of up to 245 meters line-of-sight and up to 150 meters when obstacles are present, ensuring reliable wireless transmission in various environments.
“Right from the start of product development, we involved seasoned videographers and content creators to see what they wished for from a compact wireless audio system, and how existing products could be improved upon,” shares Millauer. “So we’ve come up with a few exciting usability features that make Profile Wireless a gem among 2.4 GHz systems. Profile Wireless is the first and at present only compact 2.4 GHz wireless system that has a handheld option integrated, and this option gives you a real 15+ hours of runtime, while with other sets, you cannot use the mics when the system is being recharged. Usability features like the auto-rotating receiver display, the fact that no app is required, and the diverse mounting options – only Sennheiser has thread mounts on the components – make for smooth workflows in content creation. And while there may be lighter clip-on mics on the market, they do not have an internal recording or a connector for an external lav mic.”
Profile Wireless is available for pre-order starting October 30th, with shipments expected to begin in Q4 2024 and Q1 2025. The system retails for AED 1,199, inclusive of VAT.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated on 2/11/2024 at 11:29 am, with more details addressing clarity.
Accessories
CORSAIR to Collab with Call of Duty
CORSAIR has begun to release the first products in its multi-year, full cross-brand collaboration with the critically acclaimed Call of Duty franchise. This powerful new integration sees two of the world’s best-known gaming brands come together for the first time with the collaboration extending across multiple product categories at CORSAIR including Drop, Elgato, ORIGIN PC and SCUF Gaming.
“We are thrilled to be teaming up with Activision and have our world-class brands come together as CORSAIR is set to deliver premium performance for Call of Duty players across all platforms whether it’s playing Black Ops 6, capturing amazing content or streaming with friends,” said Thi La, President and COO at CORSAIR.
“Our goal has always been to fuel the Call of Duty fandom with best-in-class products built for today’s gamers and we couldn’t be more thrilled to partner with CORSAIR for the launch of Black Ops 6. The suite of officially licensed products will help elevate gaming stations everywhere in true Call of Duty Black Ops style,” said Brooke Carpenter, Senior Director, Global Consumer Products at Activision.
In addition to top-tier controllers from SCUF Gaming, CORSAIR headsets and keyboards and streaming equipment from Elgato, this collaboration will see the introduction of several high-end gaming PCs including the ORIGIN PC EON16-X laptop, ORIGIN PC NEURON gaming PC, and the CORSAIR VENGEANCE Gaming PC line. These high-performance gaming machines are designed for the ultimate gaming experience, featuring cutting-edge hardware, custom Black Ops 6-themed aesthetics, and superior build quality. With powerful processors, advanced graphics, and lightning-fast storage, Call of Duty fans will enjoy seamless gameplay and stunning visuals.
Beginning with the launch of the highly-anticipated Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, featured products launching today and throughout this holiday include:
CORSAIR
- HS80 RGB WIRELESS CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: A premium wireless gaming headset that delivers incredibly detailed sound through custom-tuned 50mm neodymium audio drivers with immersive Dolby Atmos. It features hyper-fast SLIPSTREAM WIRELESS and a broadcast-grade omnidirectional microphone that captures your voice with outstanding clarity.
- K65 PLUS WIRELESS CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: Stand out from the crowd with superior skill and distinctive design.
- The CORSAIR K65 PLUS WIRELESS is a 75% gaming keyboard that maxes out on performance and personality. Step up your Switch game with pre-lubricated CORSAIR MLX Red V2 linear switches that make each keystroke silky smooth and responsive.
- M75 WIRELESS CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: Sculpted by victory. Made for the spotlight. The M75 WIRELESS sports an expertly designed ambidextrous mouse shape and ultra-fast connectivity via SLIPSTREAM WIRELESS and Bluetooth.
- MM300 2XL CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: a high endurance cloth mouse mat for high-DPI gaming mice. Reinforced stitched edges guard against surface peeling, while the textile-weaved surface gives superior control for lethal in-game accuracy.
- VENGEANCE SERIES CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: Step up your game with a CORSAIR VENGEANCE gaming pc, built with a full range of award-winning CORSAIR components, and powered by the latest cutting-edge processors and graphics.
SCUF Gaming
- REFLEX CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: Stay unstoppable with ergonomically designed remappable paddles, adaptive triggers, and onboard profiles that allow you to quickly switch from one game to another with SCUF Reflex for PlayStation 5.
- INSTINCT PRO CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: Engineered for better performance and responsiveness, SCUF Instinct Pro for Xbox Series X|S provides four remappable paddles, interchangeable thumbsticks, and instant triggers that switch from regular to a mouse-like click at the flip of a switch.
- ENVISION PRO CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: Designed to deliver the best experience for controller PC gamers. SCUF Envision is equipped with 11 additional remappable inputs, ultra-fast wired/wireless connectivity, advanced software for macros and endless customization options.
- UNIVERSAL CONTROLLER PROTECTION CASE CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: This case has an impact-resistant exterior and a soft, padded interior to protect your controller from dents and scratches, even while travelling. It works to protect any Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PS4, or Xbox One controller.
Elgato
- STREAM DECK MK.2 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: Features 15 customizable LCD keys to control apps and platforms. Hit the store for app plugins, icons, tracks plus effects, and keep your setup fresh with interchangeable faceplates.
- WAVE:3 USB MICROPHONE CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: A premium microphone and digital mixing solution that fuses plug-and-play convenience with broadcast-grade circuitry.
- WAVE MIC ARM LP CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: A studio-grade boom arm for your premium microphone, Wave Mic Arm LP sits below the shoulder line for an unobstructed view.
Drop
ARTISAN KEYCAP CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: A 1u artisan keycap featuring a jet-black acrylic keycap with a bite jutting out to meet your fingertips.
ORIGIN PC
- ORIGIN PC NEURON CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: A gaming powerhouse engineered for intense action and precision. Equipped with cutting-edge hardware including powerful graphics cards, fast processors, and more. With fully customizable options and up to 8TB of storage, you’ll have the space and speed to dominate every game. Encased in a sleek design, the NEURON brings unparalleled power and style to your gaming setup.
- ORIGIN PC EON16-X CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: Experience unparalleled performance and immersive gameplay in a sleek, custom design. Fully customizable, add on a plethora of storage and high-quality DDR5 memory with components by CORSAIR.
Specific products are available now or open for pre-order. Additional categories, launch dates, and more details on this groundbreaking collaboration will be announced over time.
Audio Devices
Sennheiser Intros the MD 421 Kompakt
Sennheiser has introduced the MD 421 Kompakt, a versatile microphone that offers the legendary performance of its predecessor, the MD 421, in a more compact form factor. The MD 421 Kompakt features a cardioid pickup pattern, a remarkable dynamic range, and a redesigned mounting clip. It is designed to deliver crystal-clear sound reproduction in live sound and recording applications.
“The MD 421 is an incredibly versatile microphone. Since its inception in 1960, it excelled as a studio and a vocal microphone but was also used a lot in broadcasting, where it appeared with many celebrities of the time. Today, its successor, the MD 421-II, launched in 1998, is an all-rounder for multipurpose miking and well known to be used on drums, guitar cabs and horns,” says Bertram Zimmermann, Manager Live Sound & Studio. “It works on anything, capturing the sound source with precision, detail, and rich sound.”
The MD 421 Kompakt’s compact design is achieved by eliminating the bass roll-off switch found in previous models. This allows for a smaller microphone body without compromising on sound quality. The microphone’s frequency response of 30 Hz to 17 kHz faithfully reproduces both high and low frequencies, with a bass tube ensuring an accurate and extended low-end response.
“With the MD 421 Kompakt, we’re offering the same legendary sound and ability to handle high sound pressure levels, but with an incredibly compact form factor,” adds Jimmy Landry, Category Marketing Manager MI. The MD 421 Kompakt also features a new clip design that is integrated into the microphone housing for easy and secure mounting. The optional drum clamp securely screws into this clip, ensuring fail-safe mounting on drums.
The MD 421 Kompakt is designed to withstand the rigours of touring and heavy studio use. It features a rugged frame with a stainless-steel basket, a gold-plated XLR-3 connector, and a protective inner chassis enclosure. The MD 421 Kompakt is now available for AED 1099 with VAT, and the MZH drum clamp included is available for AED 1129 with VAT.