Here is a link to my thoughts on the new Rycote Invision Video hot shoe mounting system for a shotgun microphone on a camera and the simple modification I've done to it, with explanatory pictures, to make it MUCH easier to slide on the camera hot shoe.

Invision (http://www.shootingimage.co.uk/Invision/Invision.html)

Below is the thread about the Rode NT-SM3 shock mounts (that I was previously using but which were starting to disintegrate) which resulted in the suggestion that I tried the new Invision Video.

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/all-things-audio/479727-another-rode-ntsm3-shock-mount-broken.html

It's a great system and I hope this information (especially my simple mod to the Invision Video) is of some use to some of you!

Interesting review thanks.

I like your suggestion of the little spring.

Regarding your complaint about the clip - I use the Rycote S-series XLR tail with all my mounts. Vibration easily travels up the cable to the mic. and the thin and flexible S-series tail effectively eliminates this noise - and the clip is perfect for that cable - retails at only £15 +VAT in the UK so is pretty cheap.

Thanks John. That's very good information about the flexible Rycote cable and the little clip on the mount. I've updated that point in my mini review so anyone who reads it is now fully aware of this.

Also, even though it's Saturday, Tim at Rycote has been in touch thanking me for the customer feedback and to tell me that they will be reviewing my little spring idea next week.

Thanks John. That's very good information about the flexible Rycote cable and the little clip on the mount. I've updated that point in my mini review so anyone who reads it is now fully aware of this.

Also, even though it's Saturday, Tim at Rycote has been in touch thanking me for the customer feedback and to tell me that they will be reviewing my little spring idea next week.

As I know people at Rycote I sent them the link to your review and mentioned that I thought the spring a good idea.

I had a reply last night and it looks like the spring idea will be incorporated into the product quite quickly. The one thing I really like about Rycote is that they like and listen to customer feedback. They often ship out pre-production samples to a list of users before putting into final production - funny that you were the first to suggest a spring, though. Though the best ideas always seem to be the simplest with that "why didn't I think of that?" response.

Actually - looking at your pictures, you probably have done it the best way if you are using that thick cable. If you have a thick flexible cable, you can easily use a releasable tie-wrap or double-sided Velcro strip to hold the cable to the grip.

Wow those Rycote S-series XLR tails are expensive! 60.00 is too rich for my blood.

Wow those Rycote S-series XLR tails are expensive! 60.00 is too rich for my blood.

They are only 15 in the UK.

Following the comments I made in my mini review (linked to at the start of this thread), I met with both Tim Constable and Simon Davies (the MD of Rytcote) at ProVideo 2010 in Coventry today.

They tell me that they are currently implementing 2 small improvements to the Invision Video on camera microphone mount, namely;

(1) A new design of cable clip that has more flexibility to accept thicker cables - if desired. Of course, the advantages of using a thin, highly flexible cable (as mentioned by John earlier in this thread) is now well understood, i.e. it allows the Lyre suspension system to do its job without fighting a thick (potentially more stiff) cable.

(2) My spring idea will be used (they are looking at either leaf or coil spring), so aiding much easier/less fiddly mounting to the camera's hot shoe.

These changes should be in the product very soon as the small component parts needed are manufactured locally to Rycote.

I must say I've been thoroughly impressed by Rycote's whole approach to my suggestions and comments on this product. Nice to see such a customer focussed company here in the UK, making great products and always keen to make them even better.

Enough said!

I wonder if we can get them to send out a spring to retrofit our mounts?

Hi Andy,

congratulations on the Rycote mod, good work. I don't want to pour cold water on your achievement but mentioning it on a public forum before this new stock is at all the dealers will likely kill sales of current stock on their shelves.

From my experience .. as Rycote haven't started yet this new mod can take many months to filter through and reach the stores and you don't know who picks up your post here and passes it on via other forums. Just so you're prepared if dealers complain.

Don't worry mate, the royalties should still come in :)

Cheers.

Good point Allan.....Gulp!, and Chad.

But don't worry, Simon told me that the small parts will soon be available for those that have already bought the Invision Video (and can be easily retrofitted by the user). New stock will also see these changes very soon.

I'm sure some owners might not even see or feel the need for these "tiny upgrades", after all the product works pretty damn well already - and certainly won't fail in the way my 2 previous Rode shock mounts did....

Bottom line, the spring only really helps if you're frequently mounting/dismantling the shock mount to/from the camera (as I do). My EX3 is so blumming big to pack away after a shoot it won't fit in the Petrol bag I use without taking all the mic assembly off.

Don't worry mate, the royalties should still come in :)

LOL

I don't get any for the stereo MS mount I designed for them - by putting standard bits together in a different way.

But Rycote are great chaps and always listen to customers comments.

They certainly do! One other thing I discussed with them was my desire to fit my stereo Sennheiser AT825 mic inside my Rycote S330 wind shield system. It works great with my (mono of course) Rode NTG-3 using the supplied short flexible "tail" cable but the thing that prevents me using it with the AT825 is the narrow hole in the S330 assembly, complete with dog leg (to reduce drafts/gently clamp the cable at the desired point I suspect). This cable exit hole is too narrow for a typical stereo mic cable like the thick one I have for the AT825 - which I well understand might have compromised the Lyre suspension system's effectiveness even if I'd got it through anyway. See the pictures in my little summary review here:

http://www.shootingimage.co.uk/RycoteSSeries/RycoteSSeries.html

So discussing this with Simon last week and guess what. For a very modest price the've made me a special short stereo cable using the thin, highly flexible Mogami W2893 cable they use for the S300 Series. This cable has an outer jacket of 4.8 mm and will comfortably fit through the S-series cable channel and will have 5 pin XLR plugs on either end (one make, one female, so I can just hook up my existing AT825 cable using the handle "plug grip" as usual).

Got a call this afternoon that it's in the post to me. Been meaning to sort this out for so long now - at last - wind shielded stereo ambient sound here we come! I expect I'll be out and about with the Fostex and this little rig over the next few weeks!

PS, I have n't had any hate mail from Rycote dealers yet.....;-)

Andy,

Thanks to your review I am now the proud owner of the Universal Camera Kit (I had to go one better!), complete with the mini blimp. An excellent piece of kit, although it does make my HMC41 look a bit scary. Construction is excellent, I will be testing the performance at the weekend, including comparing it to the regular Rycote Softie.

I am now the proud owner of the Universal Camera Kit (I had to go one better!), complete with the mini blimp. An excellent piece of kit, although it does make my HMC41 look a bit scary. Construction is excellent, I will be testing the performance at the weekend, including comparing it to the regular Rycote Softie.

The Windshield supplied in the Universal Camera Kit is actually better than the Softie if you use it with the supplied Windjammer.

I just had the opportunity to take out my Universal Camera Kit with my NTG-3 mounted on the camera for some B-roll. The wind protection is great! BUT..... The mount itself constantly comes loose and flops around. It's got two knobs to tighten, one to tighten it to the cold shoe, and one to tighten the elbow of the arm, and the main one came loose many times no matter how tight I adjusted it, and the elbow knob came loose a few times. I'm a little bummed about that. Perhaps there is another way to configure it. I just wanted to share this feedback to see if anyone else has had the issue. When you have a mic mounted on a camera, you need to pick up the camera often and move around, so I would think they would have expected that.

Any thoughts?

Can you fit washers to tighten on?

Cheers.

Probably on the main one that slips...

Hi Chad,

I occasionally had that problem with the NTG-3 on my EX3, at the start. As you know the all metal bodied NTG-3 is a fairly heavy mic for it's size/length. I've just got used to tightening the Invision Video assembly with a bit more force and it's rarely an issue. In fact I like it this way - if the mic gets knocked during run-n-gun or carrying the cam around I know it will "give" (at least in one direction, horizontal) and so lessen the risk of damage to the mic.

However, Allan's idea is a good one. Just had a quick look at the assembly and I reckon there is about 1, maybe 2mm extra thread length available on the two main adjusting screws which should allow the addition/insertion of "high grip washers" on the touching surfaces to reduce this "slippage", if needed. As you know, the whole thing can be taken apart with ease so it should not be too much trouble to add these as a DIY retrofit.

As to what these high grip washers should be made of/where you would get them I don't know what to suggest...anyone got any ideas? Maybe some kind of fiber washer?

Not withstanding that, I suggest you contact Rycote directly with you observations/concerns. I've found them to be very, very responsive to customer feedback.

EDIT: Also, in answer to your question "Perhaps there is another way to configure it?" - On my Invision Video there are TWO positions for the bolt hole, one at the back near the clip and one under the Lyre suspension. Maybe switching the bolt position will help. I originally used the one at the back (see photos in my mini review) but have now switched to the "under Lyre" pivot point. Hope this helps!

Hi again Chad. I contacted Rycote about your concerns and this is the reply from Simon Davies which he's happy for me to share with everyone - direct quote pasted below.

Within the Universal Camera Kit there is a quick & easy solution to the issue of rotation of the main cradle on the InVision Video. The bolt which passes through the bar is a Metric M6 thread, and as you've pointed out can be position forward or back depending on the weight distribution required. The lever ratchet arm (the part with the Orange button) used on the "boom swivel" fits the M6 thread. If you remove the M6 thumb wheel from the bottom of the InVision Video, and replace it with the lever that will cure the issue of heavy mics loosening the thumb wheel. We originally design it with thumb wheels rather than levers or knobs to allow maximum rotation & therefore flexibility. Here's a link to the Boom Swivel image on our Flickr site:

Rycote Universal Camera Kit - boom swivel | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rycote/4028841857/in/set-72157622626059416/)

The other thumb wheel is a slightly more difficult issue that we've not had before. The thread on the brass shoe is 3/8" BSW, and we don't have a lever or knob with a 3/8" insert. However, I've tried the mount here now with a fibre washer the same we use on the top of our boom poles, and this does add some grip over the thumb wheel alone. I've attached a shot of the set up.... the lever + nylon washer on the left, and the pink washer on the right. It would be great to hear the general feedback, so please feel free to share this to the forum if you'd like.

[End of quote]

Hope this helps.

Thanks Andy!

I will check this method out. But when you say "Fiber" washer, what is the fiber? The pink washer looks like rubber. Would that work? I have some rubber I could cut out, or I can go down the street to the hardware store and get something. Like I said the part that slips the most is the part that in the photo above has the pink washer and brass bolt.

Thanks.

I think (from my many happy times of working in the good ol' USA) you guys call it fiber? I think we tend to spell it fibre. But both spellings are correct and often interchanged (according to a quick web search I just did). Basically, I was referring to a fibrous (rough textured) washer that will partly compress under pressure and provide more friction to movement. Typically these are made from some kind of polymer. Does that description help?

Rubber or a rubber 'O' ring should work pretty well if you have something you could try easily to hand, I imagine. (We won't get into US versus UK various meanings of the word rubber!)

Yes "Rubber" has multiple meanings here too.....

I'll hit up the hardware "shop" (as you say in jolly old England) and see what they have for me.

Thanks Andy!

I will check this method out. But when you say "Fiber" washer, what is the fiber? The pink washer looks like rubber.

A fibre washer is a thin washer made from a stiff fabric sort of material. It is thin, compresses very slightly and gives good grip.

It is not like a rubber or polymer washer and made from a natural material.

Yes "Rubber" has multiple meanings here too.....


In England a rubber is used for erasing mistakes made by a pencil - you often find a small one on the top of pencils.

In the USA you have your rubber on another straight object I think. ;-D

Well I went with the rubber washer, and it seem to have given me more grip. The fiber ones seemed too stiff. I'll live with this a while and see how it goes. Next thing is to find out how to counter the front heavy drupe of the mic.

I have a mini to XLR mogami 2330 cable that fit the mic clip (albeit very tight) and after putting it on and taking it off a few times, the mic clip just snapped off. It's not a huge deal but if anyone from Rycote is reading this, I hope they make a more flexible mic clip.

I have a mini to XLR mogami 2330 cable that fit the mic clip (albeit very tight) and after putting it on and taking it off a few times, the mic clip just snapped off. It's not a huge deal but if anyone from Rycote is reading this, I hope they make a more flexible mic clip.

Rycote clips are very good - but I think the video mount may be different from the rest as the clip on this one is part of the base.

Actually thick cables are very bad as they tend to transmit handling noise direct to the mic. bypassing the shockmount.

I always use a thin and flexible cable (Rycote S-series XLR tail in my case) from the mic. through the clip and only use another cable after that point.

I think it's more you using an inappropriate cable rather than the clip and, personally, I would change the cable to a thinner and more flexible one (even if you use the Mogami after this point).

But Rycote to have absolutely superb after-sales and customer service and I am sure they will see your post.

And just to add to John's response I've heard today that Rycote will VERY soon (next week!) be releasing a small attachment which enables thicker cables to be clipped to the Invision Video Mount, should you wish to go that route, having taken on board John's comments about sound transmission etc. The CAD picture below was sent to me by Simon at Rycote and attached here - see the new clip made from Hytrel on the right hand side.

These clips will be available to any existing owners that wish to have them from early February - just get in touch with Rycote. It will also be part of the standard kit from then onwards too.

I contacted Rycote as soon as I saw the post and let them have the link so they could see.

I have just received a reply:-

You'll be glad to hear - we've got a retro-fit cable clamp made from Hytrel for the InVision Video arriving later this week. The first off-tool parts are due to arrive here from our injection moulders on Friday, so we'll be updating production as soon as they arrive, and be able to send replacements out free of charge in early February.

Andy has already posted the picture, so I won't duplicate it. But Rycote says to contact them direct and they will post you out a replacement new-type clip as soon as they are ready.

Rycote are one of the best when it comes to responding to customers and they obviously had this one sorted already.

Rycote's latest Open Day is tomorrow (27th Jan.)

I will be going over to network with sound recordists and see the latest stuff.

Are you going Andy? If so please make yourself known to me.

If anyone has any point they would like me to take up with Rycote in person please give me a shout pronto.

Hi John, I had really hoped to go but I've now got a client meeting scheduled for tomorrow afternoon to review a corporate Rough Cut. I'm sure will be a great day though!

Hi Andy,

The Rycote open day was great (as usual). Great for networking as the Editor and Technical Editor of Sound On Sound were there as well. Someone certainly drove all the way from East Anglia to be there, so it's well worth the trip.

I saw (and held) the new cable grip for the video mount which will be in production next week, I think. It's very well designed and I was told it was done because you broke your one as well.

I also saw lots of nice new stuff which is being planned.

I think they are planning another Open Day for May or June.

Thanks for the update John!

Actually, my cable clip did not break (because I never use it as it seemed way too tight for the thick cables I had when I got the Invision Video) but I will certainly look forward to trying the new clip once it's available.

May or June sounds great for a trip to the Cotswolds if that's when the next Rycote Open day is planned.

P.S. My client meeting in Cambridge went very well - and so I get paid the next installment on that project...should pay a few bills and allow me to buy a few more video/audio "toys" :-)

Could someone post or PM me the appropriate Email to get the parts for the new cable clip? I definitely need one, and I don't know who to contact.

Thanks!

This should get you through - just fill out the details.

Contact » Rycote (http://www.rycote.com/contact/)

If you have any problems, just contact Tim or Simon (both are "thatname"@rycote.com) and you should be all set.

If you're still having problems, let me know and I'll be happy to hook you up directly as soon as my work schedule allows.

Thank you Andy!

A small parcel arrived from Rycote this morning with the new cable clip attachment and a little screw (which will need a small allen key to fit). Just fitted it onto the Invision Video Mount - took seconds to do and works a treat with any cable, thick or thin!

Finally found time to take a couple of snaps in the conservatory of the new set-up. Chose the thickest XLR cable I have to demo.

Finally found time to take a couple of snaps in the conservatory of the new set-up. Chose the thickest XLR cable I have to demo.

I hope you don't really use it like that and that the photos were just for demonstrating how good the clip is.

The only way I would use a mic. like that is by using the Rycote S-series XLR tail.

John, those Rycote S-series XLR tails are $60.00 in the US. Though they may be superior than a cable of regular thickness, I don't think a regular cable us unusable. I wish their price point was more realistic, say, $20.00 - $25.00 US. Even with a non propitiatory cable, the Rycote clip assists in stopping the vibration from traveling up the cable to the mic does it not?

John, those Rycote S-series XLR tails are $60.00 in the US. Though they may be superior than a cable of regular thickness, I don't think a regular cable us unusable. I wish their price point was more realistic, say, $20.00 - $25.00 US. Even with a non propitiatory cable, the Rycote clip assists in stopping the vibration from traveling up the cable to the mic does it not?

You don't have to use an S-series tail if you don't want to.

What you should do, though, is to use a thin and flexible cable.

A normal cable tends to be too stiff and transmits sound along it to the microphone - yes, the cable grip is there to decouple the upper part of the cable from the lower part - so energy coming up the cable goes into the mount base. This is then stopped from going into the mic. by the shockmount itself and the thin and flexible cable.

If the cable is not thin and flexible (or at least flexible), then the energy in the mount base gets re-transmitted up the cable to the mic..

$60 is not expensive when when it prevents noise getting to the mic. But if you want it cheaper, just buy a male and female XLR and a short length of thin and flexible cable (I think Rycote use Mogami) and solder it yourself. Though the S-series tail does have heat-shrink along the lower part to minimise cable damage by the clamp.