Tag Archives: Holiday Gift Guide

Holiday Gifts Guide for Media Creators

Leave a reply

By Brady Betzel

If you’re tasked with buying a gift for the hard-to-please professional editor, colorist or creative in your life, you may have a hard time finding something they will love. In this year’s Top 5 Holiday Gift list, you will find some odds and ends to help elevate their creations and even bring them to the next level. Whether they need professional mix level headphones, color charts for accurate color or a high-functioning port expander, you’re sure to see something in this list that they will love.

KRK Systems KNS8402 Pro Studio Headphones 
Whether you are a video editor who loves to sound design or a mixer who needs the most discriminating sound isolation possible, KRK is widely known for its high-quality studio monitors. From the GoAux 4 portable nearfield monitors to the ROKIT 10-3 G4 10-inch tri-amp mid-field studio monitor, KRK delivers the impressive sound.

But sometimes you may just want to throw on a pair of headphones that will produce a consistent output much like KRK monitors. This is where the KNS8402 pro headphones come in. Not only are the KNS8402s light and comfortable enough to wear for hours on end, but they have amazing sound isolation produced from their closed-back circumaural (“around the ear”) design.

One of the most unanticipated (and greatly appreciated) features of the headphones is the up to 30dBA of isolation from outside sounds. This not only helps to limit any bleed when recording on a microphone nearby, but also helps to limit outside noise. That means if your 5-year-old is playing a crazy Roblox game at the top of the audio spectrum, the KNS8402 will help to eliminate that distraction, at least temporarily. This is a true story that happened during my testing! They really helped keep my focus on the editing at hand, while not being completely noise canceling. I could still hear my kids yell, asking for a snack.

When pushing the KNS8402s through a DAC, I could turn the gain all the way up without the audio falling apart. What was even crazier was when I was listening to songs on Spotify, when boosted I got the same SPL tickle in my ears like I had with some high-end subwoofers. This comes to us courtesy of the 124dB Max Peak SPL, 5Hz-23kHz response and 97dB SPL sensitivity. These headphones connect via ⅛-inch locking jacks and come with an in-cord volume control slider (which is removable), ¼-inch adapter, soft bag, antimicrobial cleaning cloth and user manual.

Any complaints, you ask? Sound quality-wise, no — definitely not. The wide dynamic range with little to no distortion set these studio quality headphones apart from gaming ones picked up at Best Buy. And while the ultra-light weight of them is nice (weighing in at .54lbs), I tend to like beefier headphones… something with some heft.

If you are like me, then the KNS8402 will take a little while to get used to. This personal preference has no bearing on the build quality. In fact, I may have dropped the KNS8402s a few times, including once when my French bulldog was carrying them around the house, and they still held up. If your dog chews the ear cushions, don’t worry (as long as it doesn’t hurt the dog), they are completely replaceable for $30.

You can pick up a pair of the KNS8402 headphones for $149 from the KRK website.

Sonnet Technologies Echo 20 Thunderbolt 4 SuperDock 
Every year, new connections and storage needs increase. From Thunderbolt 3 (or 4) to HDMI 2.1 to easily replaceable M.2 NVMe SSDs, there are a lot of I/Os to remember. One of the most trusted names in professional-level docks and PCI-e I/O cards is Sonnet. The Echo 20 Thunderbolt 4 SuperDock has more connections than I have seen in other Thunderbolt docks at a low retail price of $299.99. If you’re like me and you move between remote and in-person work, you may use multiple computers throughout the day. KVM switches are ok, but most don’t offer the connection variations that pros require.

The Echo 20 is not only compatible with Mac, Windows, Chromebook and iPad Pro, but contains a combo audio jack (i.e. mic and headphone on one cable), four USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports; four USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C charging ports; fast UHS-II SD card slot (SD 4.0); HDMI 2.1; Thunderbolt 4 computer/100W charging port; two Thunderbolt 4 peripheral ports; 2.5Gb Ethernet port; audio line-out jacks (a.k.a. RCA); ⅛-inch microphone jack; and an M.2 SSD slot on the bottom.

The ability to quickly and easily install an M.2 SSD in the Echo 20 was what initially grabbed my attention. When working on different projects, I find myself wanting to isolate projects using different SSDs. With the Echo 20, I can finish up a project, remove the M.2 SSD and install a different SSD without having to reboot my computer. What makes it even better is if I have to switch machines but still need access to the projects on the SSD installed in the Echo 20. It’s quick and easy.

Sonnet claims an approximate 750MB/s read range when using an SSD through the Echo 20, and (all pun intended) I echo that sentiment. I was able to achieve 759MB/s read speeds and about 355MB/s write speeds. Not the fastest, but for backups and quick handoffs it works great.

You may be at the point where new HDMI version numbers don’t mean anything, and because of inconsistencies and lack of information, I don’t blame you. However, HDMI 2.1 is one to pay attention to. The Echo 20 has an HDMI 2.1 port allowing for up to 4K resolution video at 240Hz as well as up to 48Gb/s speeds. Compare this to HDMI 2.0, which allows for 4K at 60Hz and up to 18Gb/s speeds, and you can see what the big deal is. You can even connect up to two 6K displays at 60Hz or one 8K display a 60Hz.

And for those of us who need their phones or tablets charging while working (with emails flying nonstop), there are plenty of device ports. All of this can connect and charge your laptop (100W) from one passive Thunderbolt 4 cable. If you want to leave the charging cable in the dock without worrying if it disconnects, Sonnet includes a ThunderLok 4, which includes a container clip to avoid the cable slipping out.

Monoprice Power Bank with Wireless Charging
While a power bank isn’t necessarily a production-type product, there is always something that needs charging. Whether you need to run a GoPro for multiple hours, wirelessly charge your phone or make sure the iPad runs all day to keep the kids busy, it is a necessity to have a reliable power bank at all times.

Monoprice’s 20,000mAh five-port + wireless power bank has run for months with no problems. From keeping a GoPro running over multiple baseball games to keeping ALL of the family’s phones charged, I could probably not get by without it.

If you have a new-ish phone, the 15W wireless charging works amazingly well, but if you need to charge through a cable, the power bank’s QC3.0 and PD3.0 fast charging standards work through USB-A up to 22.5W and USB-C up to 20W. Micro-b USB cables are also supported. On paper, Monoprice touts four to six full phone charges per one charge of the power bank, up to five devices simultaneously, and even includes a USB-A to USB-C charging cable.

The only downside is charging the actual power bank. Monoprice says it takes about six hours to fully charge the power bank. This was more-or-less verified in my real-world experience. The LCD screen on the Monoprice Power Bank is infinitely useful. From the percentage of power left to whether or not the power bank is charging using Fast charging technology, the Monoprice Power Bank 44371 is one of the easiest, cheapest and longest lasting wireless power banks I have used. And at $24.99, the Monoprice 20,000 mAh power bank is a must have holiday gift for anyone who uses technology.

Datacolor Spyder Checkr Video
Datacolor gets two spots on this year’s holiday list. First, is the Datacolor Spyder Checkr Video. Whether you’re a proud enthusiast who wants the most accurate color and contrast in your video creations or a professional who needs a quick way to get accurate color in your shots, Datacolor has what you need. A color reference chart is a great gift because it’s something that creators forget often to use.

The Datacolor Spyder Checkr Video is a pocket-sized Rec.709 color and exposure reference chart enclosed in a durable and lanyard-capable case. Whether you are shooting an interview and want to quickly dial in your color and exposure settings, or are color correcting footage shot with the Datacolor Spyder Checkr Video, you will be able to get a lot closer to the true color of the scene. The Spyder Checkr Video measures 3.84-inch-x-4.81-inch-x-0.53-inch and weighs .22lbs. It ships with five replaceable/interchangeable cards: patent-pending color pattern card (Rec.709), conventional color patch card (Rec.709), greyscale card (white, 50% grey and black), 22-step grey scale), solid/neutral grey (for white balance), and Focus Star.

Don’t worry if you aren’t a professional colorist, color charts are a standard used in film production. Nonlinear editors like Blackmagic Resolve and Adobe Premiere Pro all work with color charts. Essentially, as long as you record one frame of a chart, you can view the Datacolor Spyder Checkr Video chart inside of your NLE, go into color correction mode while enabling your vectorscope, and align each color in the scope to the proper box. So red to red or magenta to magenta.

If you’re using Datacolor’s patent-pending color pattern card, you will see a circular pattern connecting the points in both the 100% saturation and 75% saturation zones. Once they are lined up on the vectorscope, your color hues will be generally accurate. For the greyscale card, you will see a ladder-style stepping on the waveform scope, aligning each step and the three large bars to the waveform will generally mean you are properly exposed.

The Datacolor Spyder Checkr Video costs $129.99 — and look for a more in-depth review coming soon.

Datacolor Spyder Cube 
Last, but not least, is one of the more interesting products I’ve seen in a while: the Spyder Cube. The Spyder Cube is small, around 1-inch square with a reflective ball on top — it would make a great Christmas tree ornament, actually. Joking aside, the Spyder Cube retails for $54 and produces the essential information for on-set exposure using a three-dimensional object allowing for primary and secondary light sources.

Chrome ball for catchlight and reflected images, white faces to adjust highlights, neutral grey for white balance, black sides to adjust shadow and mid-tone exposure with my favorite feature in the middle a black hole that acts as a light trap to set a true black point on an image.

The Spyder Cube is constructed of ABS Cycoloy (a hybrid resin) that is touted as fade-proof, shock proof, water resistant and spectrally neutral. While this is specifically advertised to be used with RAW image editing software, when combined with the Spyder Checkr Video color chart above will give the ultimate in exposure and hue accuracy in two small products.

Look for a more in-depth review to come soon.

Other Ideas
If you’re still stuck searching for a unique gift for the media creator in your life and live in the Southern California area, grab your car keys and head to FilmTools.com’s retail store in Burbank where I’m sure some bolo-ties or clamps will fit the bill.

Or try a screen printing and vinyl store like McLogan.com. This is where I go to grab my wife’s supplies for her business, but always end up looking at all the machines and even the tape aisle… it’s more interesting than it sounds. Really!

Holiday Gift Ideas for Post Pros

Leave a reply

By Brady Betzel

Editors and post pros are notoriously hard to shop for. Some don’t have the patience to wait, so they buy everything they want themselves. Others are so introverted that it’s hard to get ideas out of them. I fit firmly into the latter group, but thanks to the reviews I do for postPerspective, products that help improve workflow and efficiency pass my desk all the time. So now it’s a little easier for me to come up with a wish list than it used to be.

With that in mind, I’ve put together a list of products I have been using this year that really improved my efficiency and health while working a hybrid of 80% at home and 20% in an office. They might not seem like the sexiest of products, but they are integral to professional workflows. If you’re like me and have a hard time knowing what gifts to ask for, then pass this list on.

  1. Upgraded HDMI Cables

If you’ve been working from home as some sort of multimedia creator, you might be working with old HDMI cables. And while things might be going “fine,” you might not be hearing or seeing the best output. There are multiple versions of HDMI cables, from standard HDMI, which will transmit 1080i/720p effectively, to the latest Ultra High Speed HDMI, which transmits up to 8K at 60Hz with bandwidth support of up to 48Gbps.

If you aren’t planning on going up to 8K signal transmission, most certified Premium or higher cables support all signals, including Dolby Vision. So go ahead and upgrade the HDMI cables for the editor or post pro in your life!

Monoprice is one of the most economical sources to find pro-level equipment and accessories, including certified HDMI cables. The Monoprice 8K Certified Ultra High Speed HDMI cable, measuring 10 feet with a bandwidth of up to 48Gbps, retails for just $12.99 but is on sale now for $10.99.

There are many other options, including active HDMI cables starting at $23.99. Active HDMI cables are typically used for cable runs of longer than 10 feet, when signals can degrade. Active HDMI cables amplify the signal using an internal processor that is powered by the HDMI source, while passive HDMI cables typically work well under 10 feet and do not amplify signal.

  1. USB-C Multiport Adapters (aka USB-C-Powered Hubs)

Monoprice not only sells affordable cables, but they also sell affordable USB-C multi-port adapters — a fancy way of saying a USB-C-powered dock (no external power). With USB-C finally feeling like a standard that will be around for years, it’s a solid assumption that a USB-C multi-port adapter is a great gift. And if you’re not sure you need the speed increase from USB-A to USB-C, consider this: USB-A can transfer at around 480Mbps if USB 2.0 and 600MBps if USB 3.0. USB-C can not only carry 100W of power but also transfer at a rate up to 10Gbps. The main difference between multi-port adapters is the inclusion of memory card readers. (I will talk about an externally powered dock next that adds charging capabilities and multiple-monitor support.)

If you just want expanded USB-A selections with a single HDMI port that supports up to 4K/UHD at 60Hz, then you can purchase a multi-port adapter for $24.99. Or if you want an upgraded six-in-one USB-C multiport adapter with a MicroSD and a standard SD card reader, you can purchase this one for $29.99 (on sale now for $23.99). Funnily enough, the six-in-one is currently cheaper, so it might be a worthwhile upgrade. You never know when someone will run in the room with an SD card full of footage to copy.

  1. IOGear Dock Pro Universal 4K Quad Docking Station

If a bus-powered USB-C multiport adapter doesn’t have enough juice, then an externally powered docking station will do the trick. IOGear sells the Dock Pro Universal 4K Quad Docking Station with plenty of ports and multiple power options for $399.99. The style of the Dock Pro is very reminiscent of the older cheese grater style of the Mac Pro, but miniaturized. It has tons of ports:

  • Four dual HDMI/DisplayPort outputs
  • One USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps)
  • Three USB-A 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps)
  • One USB-A smart charging port (QC 3.0)
  • One Gigabit Ethernet port
  • One 3.5mm combo audio port
  • One SD/MicroSD slot

Power Options:

  • DisplayLink chip allows for Windows and macOS compatibility
  • Power button
  • Fast role swap of PD3.0
  • Dynamic power distribution
  • Dual power options include DC jack — max 120W (60-100W for host) — or Type-C PD charging — max 100W (20V/5A)

The Dock Pro has a solid construction with a space-gray, solid aluminum exterior. The power brick is large, almost as large as the Dock Pro itself, which is kind of ridiculous. One of a couple of amazing features on the IOGear Dock Pro is the ability to power the dock with either the DC jack or a USB-C high-powered cable. Unfortunately, charging with Type-C PD only slows the charges (at least on the laptop I was using), but it still works as a great dock.

Another interesting feature is the ability to take the display signal from the computer plugged into the Dock Pro via USB-C and expand the output to four 4K at 60Hz displays via HDMI and/or full-sized DisplayPort connections. The DisplayLink uses the built-in CPU/GPU to compress the signal to transfer over USB and is compatible with Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, Android and Linux.

  1. IOGear KVM Switches

Since I’ve been working from home, I’ve come to realize that a KVM switch is a necessity when moving between multiple computers many times a day. Trying to push and pull mice and keyboard cables can get old and potentially leave room for damaged connections. To fix this, a KVM switch will allow the user to plug in one monitor, one mouse and one keyboard and use them on two computer systems. You can switch between the two connected systems with either a keyboard shortcut (i.e., hitting the control button twice) or an external button.

IOGear offers multiple KVM solutions from 1920×1200 HD resolution to 4096×2160 DCI 4K resolution, depending on the monitor you have. The two-port, full-HD KVM switch with HDMI and USB connections retails for $59.95. The two-port 4K KVM switch with HDMI, USB and audio connections costs $99.95. Both models run at their respective resolutions at 60Hz.

The HD KVM switch from IOGear is a very basic model; it will allow you to run one keyboard, one mouse and one HD monitor between two USB-A connected systems with HDMI video outputs. It is PC- and Mac-compatible.

The 4K KVM Switch from IOGear has a little more to it than its HD sibling. In addition to using one keyboard, one mouse, and up to 4K DCI (4096×2160) at 60Hz, you can also use USB devices like a Dock Pro or multi-port adapter through the USB-A ports to expand your peripherals. It is Windows-, Mac- and Linux-compatible. It is powered through a USB connection, but you can also power it via a USB Micro-B cable if you need a little more power (or you can add a multi-port adapter). There is also a 2.1-compatible audio port as well as a mic input that can be shared between computers.

In my opinion, you should probably go with the 4K version regardless of the resolution you are using. Both versions come with a three-year warranty.

  1. FluidStance Level Balance Board

One of the most interesting items I found this year for is the FluidStance Level Balance Board. I work from home about 80% of the time and use an electric standing desk. Once I began alternating between standing and sitting, I could immediately feel my legs and hips adjusting to standing more. Supporting muscles started to strengthen, and the overall soreness, joint aches and muscle soreness started to diminish. Then I found FluidStance, a Santa Barbara-based manufacturer of balance boards made for people who enjoy stand-up desks.

Over the last four months, I have been using the Level balance board when I am stand-up editing. The FluidStance Level retails for $249 and comes in multiple color/wood variations. I am using the light natural finish, but there is a limited-edition black that looks really classy.

The Level is 26.5 inches long by 12.2 inches wide by 2.5 inches tall. It weighs 7lbs, 12oz and has a lifetime warranty. There are a few different models, but the Level seems to hit the sweet spot for me. After just the first day of use, I could tell my muscles were working differently. After a month, I was definitely stronger, and my hips began to ache less. Now the lower half of my body feels much stronger.

It’s actually remarkable how after working for over 15 years at a sitting desk my hips and knees had definitely weakened…  this after being a baseball catcher for 16 years. Now I feel much stronger when walking or exercising. FluidStance backs its claims with research, including from the Mayo Clinic. The FluidStance Level is not cheap, but if you are looking for a great gift for the stand-up editor, this is it.

FluidStance makes a few other products that are very helpful including the Slope, which is a whiteboard that also holds your phone and has room to put your keyboard under it so as not to take up too much desk space. It retails for $69. I’m a Post-it guy, so I had my wife use the Slope and she loved it. At first, we thought it would take up too much desk space but being able to store the keyboard (or even a Wacom tablet) underneath makes the Slope really useful.

In addition to offering great and unique products, FluidStance prides itself on sourcing local materials, being carbon-neutral and planting 10 trees per day through its partners. The company also donates 1% of its profits to the charity First Descents, which “provides life-changing outdoor adventures for young adults (ages 18-39) impacted by cancer and other serious health conditions,” according to the website. It’s an amazing-looking organization.

AudezeBonus Suggestion
If those ideas weren’t enough, and you have $1,699 burning a hole in your pocket, make sure to check out my recent review of the Audeze MM-500 professional headphones. They are expensive but whenever I put them on, I want to spread the word about them. That’s how much I love them.

Combine those with a Tidal subscription that streams MQA (Master Quality Audio), and you will be the hit of the holidays!

Brady Betzel is an Emmy-nominated online editor at Margarita Mix in Hollywood, working on shows like Life Below Zero and Uninterrupted: The Shop . He is also a member of the Producers Guild of America. You can email Brady at bradybetzel@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @allbetzroff.