Aja Mini KiPro

[Lydia Kim]

Hi. Jon!

I know that the video cameras have two audio recording channel and AJA ki pro mini has two audio inputs for recording. I just wonder is it possible to use 4 inputs(from the camera and AJA) at the same time? (four channel recording?)

How about audio recording quality like?

If it does, I don't have to do all the things in editing :)

And, when does it come out? I heard that it came out last year, as a pre-order but not in the market :(

[Jon Thorn]

Bill B. - While you could use Ki Pro Mini to record high-quality 24-bit 48kHz audio, I personally don't think it replaces dedicated audio recording devices like the Sound Devices 702 Portable Audio Recorder; that device features more extensive audio inputs, audio-specific file types, a wider range of sample choices (32kHz to 192kHz), etc. Ki Pro Mini was designed to produce high-quality audio recordings alongside high-quality video, not act specifically as an audio recorder if that's your goal.

Having said this, one way you can record audio, without worrying about supplying an external video source, is by using the Video SG (signal generator) within the Ki Pro Mini to produce the video source and then elect to record the input audio signal via the balanced XLR connectors.

Even if you did use the Ki Pro Mini as an audio recorder, you might also want to keep in mind that you would be producing a video track along with the audio track. The recordings produced are QuickTimes with audio and video tracks; there is no provision for creating audio specific containers on Ki Pro Mini like Audio Interchange File Format, Broadcast Wave Format, etc.


Lydia K. - Ki Pro and Ki Pro Mini both support either 2-channel or 8-channel audio recording; 8-channel audio recording is only possible with embedded SDI audio. You could, I suppose, elect to use an analog to SDI audio embedder, like AJA's own HD10AMA mini-converter, to produce a multi-channel audio recording from multiple sources; camera, microphones, etc. Ki Pro and Ki Pro Mini do not support mixing two audio sources - such as SDI audio and analog audio - to produce recordings; only one source can be selected at a time.

Ki Pro Mini is not yet shipping. I do not have a ship date to offer at this time, but it is in QA and will be shipped when that process is completed.

Hope this is helpful,
Jon Thorn
Product Manager
AJA Video Systems, Inc.

[Scott Elkins]

Looks like the Mini started to ship today !

[Matt Gottshalk]

Originally Posted by Scott Elkins

Looks like the Mini started to ship today !

From where? All of the normal retailers still say they are backordered.

[Scott Elkins]

From AJA
Link to AJA:
News - AJA Video Systems

[Dan Luke]

Started shipping Monday Jan 31. Who gets the first one?

[Jim Tittle]

I ordered one from Abel CineTech in Chicago in early January. Last week, they said mine would ship by the end of the week. When I emailed them yesterday to find out where it was, they told me that AJA only shipped them 2 units. (I think they said their initial order was about 100 units).

All of this would bother me a lot more, if I had the Sony PMW-F3 I was supposed to have. Unfortunately, that's back ordered, too.

[Ned Soltz]

I received a KiPro Mini for review from AJA on Friday 2/18. I have unpacked it but will not do any actual shooting until Sunday.

Very solid unit. My test unit shipped with the optional mounting plate and AJA sent me one 600x CF card.

Impressed with the dual XLR inputs and gain controls on front of unit. Note that the gain controls are for analog only-- no effect on SDI or HDMI embedded video.

I will experiment powering it from one of my Tekkeon batteries. I had already made a Tekkeon to 4-pin XLR cable.

Despite the fact that my 420X Delkin CF cards are not supported officially by AJA, I'll give them a try anyway. But I always note in my articles to take manufacturers' qualifications seriously.

Ned Soltz

[Danny Fracasso]

Can't wait to read your opinion and learn from your tests.

[Andrew Stone]

Hi Ned,

Lookiing forward to your report.

Two burning questions I have about the unit is how is the fan noise on the unit and how warm/hot does the unit get in normal operation.

I understand there is a way, like in the Ki Pro, to ramp down the fan through the web gui, if noise on set is going to be an issue. But as has been reported the Ki Pro gets hot and I am truly wondering how they have managed to pack all the goodness they have of the Ki Pro into this small frame and get a near silent unit out of it.

If you wouldn't mind doing a few whip pans as well to see if the fan makes funny noises assuming you have the unit mounted to the camera package somehow. As well placing a mic on the camera, like a hypercardioid, would be good as a real world test to see if fan noise makes it into on camera audio recording.

Thanks!

[Ned Soltz]

Some very initial and preliminary reports-- My test unit shipped with 2 side plates. I know that Anton Bauer is working on a mount to a gold mount battery. What I did just for initial testing was attach a Noga arm to plate and then into hot shoe of EX-1.

The web config feature is great. Set the Mini to DHCP and plug into the network (no wireless feature as on the Ki Pro). Look in the config menu for the IP address assigned and just type that into browser. Full GUI set up.

Just testing for read/writes rather than for image, the supplied SanDisk Extreme Pro (90 Mbps) card kept up with ProRes HQ without dropping frames.

I find it a big bulky and heavy. Construction feels rock solid.

What I would like to see (and pardon me Jon and other AJA folks if the feature is there and I'm just missing it) is a way to lock the buttons. I always have a fear of hitting a button accidentally. Just a small point.

I like the 2 XLR inputs. There definitely might be times when one would want external audio. Headphone monitor jack on front is good positioning for it.

As I noted above, I made a custom power cable to connect the Tekkeon MP3450. Cable worked (and yes, Jon, I tested my homemade cable before applying power to AJA's KiPro Mini!) and the Tekkeon with its 50 watt capacity can power the KiPro Mini for a tad over 3 hours.

4-pin XLR power connector is very stable and I applaud he use of this locking connector.

One recommendation from Jay Ignszewski, our NE regional AJA rep, is to use the rod adapters from the KiPro exoskeleton to mount on rods (mock up that Jay showed was on Zacuto baseplate with the Zacuto gold mount battery plate and tap).

Next set of tests will be image quality tests.

Impression so far-- very sturdy and worthy product for those who want ProRes up to 422HQ.

I'm not one to do head-to-head comparisons and generally my editors really don't want to publish those types of comparisons. Decision of which unit to use is largely going to be based upon the codec that works for you in your project.

I strongly believe in taking manufacturers' card ratings seriously. Particularly with writing such relatively high data rates as ProRes HQ, the card needs a controller capable of sustaining that rate. Since manufacturers sometimes change card controllers and other on-board chips, AJA will continue to test and post qualified and non-qualified cards. Follow the AJA website.

Ned

[Shaggy Franks]

I need to know when this thing is going ship???

[Jon Thorn]

Shaggy F. - The Ki Pro Mini began shipments the week of January 31st. AJA fulfills its orders by our resellers on a "first come, first serve" basis. Therefore, not all resellers may yet have units depending upon when they initially placed their order with AJA. There is also a sizable backorder of units at this time and it is being fulfilled as quickly as possible.

Regards,
Jon Thorn
Product Manager
AJA Video Systems, Inc.

[Dale Guthormsen]

Good Afternoon,

I am debating between the two, nano and the MINI. The mini will do what I desire and that is capture via hdmi from my sony.

However, I am not an apple user. I use Vegas as my primary editor and Edius 5.0 for my rough cut editor.

I am slightly worried about the pro res quick time codec.

I would very much like a bit of pro res footage available to put through the hoops on my computer systems.

Is that posssible or out there to be had?!!!

[Tim Kerigan]

Just got our Ki pro mini's this week. Shooting our thesis film this weekend with a PMW-350 and one of these, should be interesting!