OtoPro Impulse Communicator "The Camera Dude"

Custom-fit in-ear monitors for the cinematographer who needs to hear the camera, hear the world, and still be protected when the shot goes off. Made in partnership with ACS, fit from impressions of your own ears, and wired to plug directly into the camera's headphone jack.

Why this product exists

Outdoors cinematography puts you in the same field as the shot. You need to monitor audio coming from the camera. You need to stay aware of what is happening around you, both for the work and for safety. You also need protection when a firearm goes off three feet from your ear. Conventional earmuffs handle the third problem but kill the first two. Wired earbuds handle the first but make you deaf to the field. Generic foam plugs handle the third badly and the first two not at all.

The Camera Dude solves all three at the same time. The same Impulse filters used in OtoPro custom shooting plugs sit inside a high-fidelity ACS in-ear monitor, with a 3.5mm cable that plugs into the camera's headphone jack.

How it works

The Impulse filter is mechanical, not electronic. It does not require a battery, a switch, or an app. When sound enters the filter at normal levels (voices, footsteps, camera audio coming through the cable), it passes through clean. When sound enters at impulse intensity (the muzzle blast of a firearm), the filter closes and attenuates it down to a survivable level. The reaction is faster than the brain registers the shot.

The IEM portion gives you high-fidelity audio monitoring, the same class of hardware used by stage musicians and audio engineers. You hear your camera's input with the same clarity you would through a good pair of mixing headphones.

Fit and materials

Each set is manufactured by ACS from impressions taken in person by a licensed hearing care provider in our Preferred Provider Network. The impressions capture the canal shape, the bends and ridges of the concha, and the canal angle. The finished IEMs seat once and stay. No falling out, no readjusting between takes.

Who they are for

Outdoors cinematographers documenting hunts, fishing trips, range work, and outfitter operations. Audio engineers who also shoot. Anyone who has to be in the field with a camera and with a working firearm nearby. Anyone who has tried over-the-ear muffs over IEMs and given up on the combination.

How to order

The Camera Dude requires an in-person ear impression appointment. OtoPro's Preferred Provider Network of licensed hearing care providers spans many cities across the US, Canada, UK, and Australia. If you have OtoPro impressions on file, the lab can use those. If you have current Starkey or SoundGear custom products, the fit profile is in the manufacturing system and can be reused.

Available in seventeen color options. Manufactured and shipped within four weeks of the impression appointment.