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Glen Trew

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About Glen Trew

  • Birthday January 1

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  • Location
    Nashville and Los Angeles
  • About
    TV/Film sound mixer since 1976. Still at it.
  • Interested in Sound for Picture
    Yes

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  1. The options are either ON or OFF. The selection you want if not needing locked sync is OFF.
  2. Looks like someone managed to instal an internal crystal and an on/off switch. Seems well done except for the label. Factory, maybe? It should pretty obvious by opening the deck and taking a look inside.
  3. Hello Lookout. Looks like you are in Chattanooga, which is about 1-1/2 hour drive from the Nashville office of Trew Audio, which is likely the last remaining Nagra service center in the US (and beyond?). During this Covid-19 downtime, last week I went through and dialed in a nice IV-L that I'm willing to sell. Contact me directly to discuss it if you like at glen@trewaudio.com.
  4. Jeff's birth is certainly something worth us celebrating! Visionary, mentor, trailblazer, and advocate for our profession. Happy Birthday Jeff Wexler!
  5. Hi Bud. I downloaded the AES paper your link references, and it seems to be in conflict with your except about grounding pin 1 to shell. Can you post the excerpt in detail? After all, it's only been 7 years. Glen
  6. I've heard this rationale before, and while it's an interesting theory, I don't think it has value in the real world... First, for the talent to be shocked by holding a microphone with accidental voltage potential, they would have to be grounded to complete the circuit, such as standing barefoot on a wet surface, or possibly by touching a metal part of a set that was inadvertently grounded. Even in that case, most microphones have pin-1 grounded to the body of the mic, and those that don't, ground the body through a low value resistor. So, when the XLR is plugged into the mic, an annoying shock is just as likely with or without pin-1 grounded to the XLR shell. This mantra around production trucks (which I recall being to ground the male end only) is sometimes known as "_uck the Truck". But there is a big difference: Sensible grounding schemes are easy in permanent installations like a studio or production truck, as those XLR cables connect one device to another, and it never changes. But XLR cables used in production sound can be used very differently from day to day, and even differently in the same day from location to location. We use them for extensions, for line devices, for microphones, and reverse the direction with gender bender adapters. This is why, when making 3-pin audio XLR cables that we use in location sound, the odds are much more in our favor by always grounding pin-1 to the shell.
  7. The right angle exit atomically gives some degree of strain relief...not that it's sufficient, but it does mean that an actual strain relief doesn't have to be as strong as one with a straight exit. Beyond that, the Conxall/Switcraft strain relief occurs by the cap squeezing against the wire when it's tightened; there is a ridge inside the cap for this purpose. When the wire is within certain diameters, it should be very effective. With the Remote Audio connectors, in addition to being a 90-degree exit, the strain relief is the metal end cap squeezing against the sides of the cable where it exits, which also requires the wire to be of sufficient diameter. If purchased with a cable assembly, a miniature zip tie is also used on the inside to further prevent any pull against the conductors -- very effective. It's true that the commonly used Neutrik and Switchcraft XLRs don't fully enclose the back of the connector with metal shielding, but they still give more than the shaved down right angle modifications with plastic cap. With line level signals this is of no concern. With mic level signals it can be a factor, particularly on the end of a boom pole, and particularly when a digital transmitter is mounted at the mic end of a pole.
  8. Here is some info and comparison photo of the new Conxall (Switchcraft's Korean made economy brand)... Conxall is Switchcraft's economy brand, made in South Korea. These Switchcraft part numbers all begin with AAA. They have both straight (regular) and low-profile (right angle) types. The right angle type are of interest here because of how compact we work, especially when working with a bag. The Conxall brand: Right angle (low profile) type are plastic from half way up the body to the back where the cable exits. This means no shielding around the solder connections, which could be a problem for in induction into mic-level signals, particularly on the mic end of a boom pole. Has has a cool system for indexing (the angle at which the cable exits), which gives almost limitless angle possibilities. Can be re-indexed. Serviceable. The strain relief system is not bad if the proper diameter cable is used. Predicted to eventually have optional colored backs for color coding. Changing the color code will require re-soldering. Male version slightly taller than the Remote Audio brand. Best feature: Inexpensive. The Remote Audio brand: All metal brass shell construction for complete shielding. Very strong (will not be bent oblong). Lowest profile. Female uses standard Switchcraft contacts insert for ultimate grounding to the shell. Color coded with buttons, easily changed. Completely serviceable and re-indexable. Has four index positions. More expensive. The photo below shows the Conxall brand on the left and right. The Remote Audio connectors are the two in the middle with colored buttons.
  9. Samples are on there way to me. The "AAA" part numbers are all from the Switchcraft's Korean brand Conxall. This brand also makes economy versions of straight XLR connectors. I'm told that while they are lower quality, the straight XLR connectors are suitable for permanent installations where there is no trauma and nothing moves, which is the opposite of how the work of location sound mixers would be described! But I'm holding out judgement until I get some to evaluate.
  10. These are the "Conxall" Korean-made, economy brand owned by Switchcraft. I have some on order to check them out. Not as well made as Swtchcraft...sort of an equivalent to the Rean economy brand of Neutrik. The most robust ones I know of are the Remote Audio brand, but if these compare favorably with their low price, I'll switch in a heartbeat! We'll see soon...
  11. Speaking of Nagra finds... The Trew Audio Atlanta store has an outstanding Nagra IV-L for sale on consignment. It is officially listed as "very good condition", which matches our protocol for that description, but considering its age, and compared to others I've seen, I consider it to be in excellent condition. Even the 7-inch lid is in great shape. I can't vouch for it's operation (I haven't powered it up), but I visually inspected it inside and out. It looks great and the action feels right. I bet it would take very little for us to dial in the tensions, which nearly all need after sitting unused for a while. Time sensitive notice: Now that I've seen it, I'm considering recommending a higher price (seriously). https://www.trewaudio.com/product/nagra-iv-l-recorder/
  12. All true, if we know exactly what the source (actor) levels are going to be, which we never do, even with rehearsals. Therefore, we set the trim (which controls the iso track level) lower than we think we'll need, to allow for the occasional surprise peak, which means the iso tracks will usually be low, then making it up in the mix with the fader and our ears.
  13. If the analog input module levels are aligned with the recorder iso track levels, and any links in the chain in between (i.e. proper gain structure), then the possibility of one distorting while the other is largely unused is not a concern, whether or not it's a Zoom or Sonosax device. Of course, riding gain in an attempt to keep levels at or near maximum would not only be way too risky, but also in poor taste with regards to natural dynamics, so no one is suggesting riding gain to keep all levels near 0dBfs. But what seems to be happening more often - recording levels pointlessly low - is because of some being needlessly uncomfortable with peaks going much past -20dBfs or -10dBfs, because of the incorrect assumption that it's starting to sound bad. Then there's the opposite problem I've seen with some who mix and record with their peak meters often pegging at full scale, with the assumption that there's useable headroom beyond zero, like was sometimes the case in the analog days. But that is a problem now because, with digital, if the meters are calibrated correctly, there is nothing useable beyond full scale. The assumption should be that a professional user knows their recording chain and will have all the links properly align and configured.
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