RM333 Riggy Micro

3XLR inputs low-noise preamp with 48V/12V phantom power.  "Riggy-Micro" means that it is super small/light/power efficient and has numerous mounting and accessory options (patent pending).  Audio output bracketing (patent pending) for camera overload protection.  Alkaline/LiPolymer operation (patent pending).  Selective power-down mode (patent pending).

Questions?  Check out the Preamp Comparison Table, the Online User Manual, or Contact Us directly.

The Riggy-Micro RM333 is a feature rich low noise preamp, built tough, and refined to provide the best power efficiency, smallest size, and lightest weight.  It's small size and light weight also makes it unique in terms of flexibility for mounting it to your gear.  Additionally, it has features that make it even more useful, allowing you to mount other accessories (mics, wireless receivers, etc) to the preamp:

It's RIGGY !!!  It is more than just a low-noise preamp with sweet audio features.  It takes advantage of the valuable real estate when mounted to your camera to be able to mount more accessories to your camera (mics, wireless receivers, etc.).  The preamp is a part of your rig ... it's RIGGY !!!

First, the Riggy-Micro has Riggy mounting points (patent pending) allowing you to mount a RB401 Riggy Bracket, which has 4 cold shoe mounts and lots of mounting holes for attaching more accessories to your camera, like microphones and wireless receivers, etc.

The Riggy-Micro is also so small and light, that it can be mounted on top of your camera in the hot-shoe.  It's quite nice to get the preamp off of the bottom of your camera.  Now, you can attach a battery grip, or just cradle the camera/lens in the palm of your hand, like a DLSR is traditionally held.  You will seperately purchase a cold-shoe to 1/4-20 male to mount to the 1/4-20 female on the bottom of the Riggy-Micro.  While mounted on top of your camera, you can add cold shoe mounts (one on the top, and another on the right side) directly to the Riggy-Micro enclosure, using the RB101 Riggy Cold Shoe Attachment.

Learn more about how to "rig-itize" your Riggy-Assist by watching the videos on the RB401 Riggy Bracket, RB200 Hot-Shoe Mounting Kit, and the RB101 Riggy Cold Shoe Attachment product pages.

Camera Overload Protection - Audio Output Bracketing:  The Riggy-Micro incorporates Audio Output Bracketing (patent pending) for camera overload protection.  All of the microphone signals are combined (by setting the MONO/STEREO switch to MONO), and sent to both the the left and right output channels.  The copy on the right output channel is then attenuated to a safe lower signal level (about 16dB lower, by turning ON the Rpad switch).  So, if you blow out the main audio channel on the left, you have a back up that you can pull from in post on the right.  

This approach has advantages over other types of overload protection, such as limiters.  First, Audio Output Bracketing consumes no power from the battery, and also adds no noise or distortion to your audio.  Second, every camera gain setting (and, every different camera) will have a unique signal level at which clipping will start to occur.  So, if you were to attempt to use a limiter approach, you would need to re-calibrate the point at which the limiter would kick in for each different gain setting of the camera (and, each different camera).  

Be careful, because not all manufacturers even provide you with the ability to set the limiter threshold setting.  Audio Output Bracketing needs no calibration for different cameras or different camera gain settings.  The backup channel is always there at ~16dB lower signal level, regardless of the camera or camera gain setting.

Designed for Battery Life Efficiency:  The Riggy-Micro uses a 9V battery.  Since it is designed for cameras which already have meters, manual control, and headphones, it can achieve very long battery life (longer than the Riggy-Assist series).  Additionally, the Riggy-Micro has a number of features to allow you to optimize your battery life.  Portions of the preamp can be selectively powered down if not being used (patent pending), to reduce the current and extend the battery life.  If you are doing a fair amount of running-gunning with only one mic, you can power down 2 of the XLR channels (patent pending).  Also, many modern mics will run down to 12V phantom power, so phantom power is selectable between 48V or 12V.  Furthermore, there are very high capacity lithium-polymer batteries on the market, which also have the convenience of being rechargeable.  The low-battery indicator can be switched between alkaline or lithium-polymer threshold, so you can use either chemistry without leaving unnecessary capacity in the battery (patent pending).  Battery estimates below.

Need for the Riggy-Micro Series of Preamps:  Thank you Nikon and Canon for adding the features to the D800 and 5DMKIII that we have wanted for quality audio ... manual control, headhpones, metering visible during recording.  Now, we can rip out all of the crap that is not needed anymore (AGC Disable, headphones, metering), and make the smallest, lightest, and most power efficient low-noise preamp ... plus, adding some new goodies ...

It is time for you to upgrade your camera:  Videographers whose time is money, doing mission critical work (ie, paid gigs), and whose gear bag is their money bag, should be upgrading their cameras to the 5DMKIII or D800 ... NOW!

• MISSION CRITICAL WORK REQUIRES YOU MONITOR WITH HEADPHONES IN THE CAMERA:  If you are doing paid gigs, you can not afford a screw-up.  Monitoring with headphones outside the camera (like, in the Riggy-Assist line of preamps) means that you are not hearing what the camera is actually recording.  So, you wouldn't be able to catch something as simple as the cable not being plugged into the camera all of the way.  Now, you can GET THE CONFIDENCE OF KNOWING THAT YOUR SCENE IS "IN THE CAN" BY USING THE RIGGY-MICRO, WITH HEADPHONE MONITORING IN THE CAMERA PROVIDED BY THE 5DMKIII OR D800.
• YOUR TIME IS MONEY:  Before the availability of headphones in the 5DMKIII and D800, some people were not comfortable recroding audio in the DSLR which did not have headphone monitoring.  So, some used external recorders and synced in post.  It can definetly be done.  But, the pain and time increases exponentially with large numbers of short clips.  SAVE TIME (MONEY) BY USING THE RIGGY-MICRO AND RECORDING DIRECTLY TO THE CAMERA.
• YOUR GEAR BAG IS YOUR MONEY BAG:  Do you need to travel light with your equipment?  Carrying a large recorder and extra batteries means you can't take that sweet prime lens you love.  The Riggy-Micro is super small and light.  Plus, it sips current from the battery, so you won't need to pack more batteries or chargers than necessary. So, LIGHTEN YOUR LOAD BY USING THE SUPER SMALL, LIGHT, AND POWER EFFICIENT RIGGY-MICRO PREAMPS.

So, all of the people that meet these criteria should upgrade to the 5DMKIII or D800 and get the Riggy-Micro, and sell their old camera to a still photographer.  If you don't meet this criteria (on a budget, or student, perhaps), then that's fine ... you will need to add extra steps to your workflow to overcome the limitations of your camera (time), and you'll compromise on the features of your audio device (larger, heavier, less battery life) and use the Riggy-Assist line of preamps, which add headphone monitoring, AGC Disable, and meters.

Questions?  Check out the Preamp Comparison Table, the Online User Manual, or Contact Us directly.

Cameras and Recorders for the Riggy-Micro:  The Riggy-Micro is designed to be used with cameras which already have manual control, meters, and headphones.  The preamp does not have AGC Disable, meters or headphones.  For a preamp which has those features, then check out the Riggy-Assist line of preamps.  The Riggy-Micro can also be used as a XLR front end to digital audio recorders.  Here are some of the many companion devices used with the Riggy-Micro:

• DSLRs with headphones, meters, manual control: Canon 5DMKIII, Nikon D800, etc
• Camcorders with headphones, meters, manual control: Canon Vixia HD camcorders, etc
• Other cameras with stereo minijack mic inputs: Canon C300 (replacing the monitor attachment)
• Digital Audio Recorders with stereo minijack mic inputs: Zoom H4n, Sony PMD-50

​Questions?  Check out the Preamp Comparison Table, the Online User Manual, or Contact Us directly.

FEATURES/SPECIFICATIONS:

• 3XLR input low-noise preamp, amplified mic level output (3.5mm stereo minijack)
• Super small and light: approx 8oz, 3" x 3.5" x 1.5" in an aluminum enclosure
  • ​So small and light, there are numerous Riggy mounting options (patent pending)
    • ​Mounts to bottom of camera, and you can still access the battery compartment of the camera
      • ​Optional RB401 Riggy Accessory Bracket allows mounting of numerous other components, such as microphones, wireless receivers, etc.  It's Riggy !!!
    • Mounts to camera hot-shoe (with 1/4-20 adapter)
      • ​Optional RB200 Hot Shoe Mounting Kit mounts the Riggy-Micro to your camera hot shoe and allows mounting of 2 other components, such as microphones, wireless receivers, etc.  So, you get 2 cold shoe mounts back when mounting to the camera hot shoe.  It's Riggy !!!
• Sips battery power
  • Switchable between Alkaline and LiPoly 9V battery use (patent pending)
  • Selective power down mode to turn off portions of the preamp not being used (patent pending)
  • Battery Life Estimates
    • ​~12hr battery life (no phantom, all 3 XLR inputs active, Alkaline battery)
    • ~40hr battery life (no phantom, 1 XLR input active, Alkaline battery)
• ​48V phantom power, and power saving 12V phantom mode
• Camera overload protection - Audio Output Bracketing
  • Audio Output Bracketing (patent pending) duplicates the left channel on the right channel at lower signal level (approximately 16dB lower).  So, if the camera overloads on the main signal on the left channel, you have a backup at a safe lower level on the right chanel.
  • Accomplished by setting the MONO/STEREO switch to MONO (mixing all mics together and sending to the right and left outputs), then attenuating the right output by turning ON the Rpad switch.
  • Audio Output Bracketing adds no noise or distortion, in contrast to the noise and distortion created by limiters.  It also consumes no battery power.
• Approx 30dB max available gain
• Approx +0dB / -1.5dB frequency response from 20Hz to 20KHz
• MIC/LINE Switches for each XLR channel
• HI/LO Gain Switches for each XLR channel
• MONO/STEREO Switch
• Riggy-Micro Online User Manual
• Made in USA

Questions?  Check out the Preamp Comparison Table, the Online User Manual, or Contact Us directly.