Brian Kaurich

*UPDATE* It has been about a year since I first built my 80/20 cart and I just wanted to give an update on how it has been working out in the field. I also wanted to answer some questions that I have been receiving. Everyone has been so kind & encouraging and it's nice to receive all the comments and questions. When it comes to loose bolts, I have only had to tighten the ones on the handles and on the bar the handles are attached to. Every time I check the rest of the bolts, they are secure. A couple bolts have fallen off from underneath the right handle because I forgot to check them, but the handles are still secure enough to move the cart up & down stairs safely. The rear axle consists of a 1/2” diameter steel rod held in place inside the center space of a 2” x 1” profile bar. The center space is slightly larger than 1/2”, so I wrapped some tape around the rod to make it fit in place. The 2” profile bar is secured in several spots to ensure that it doesn't come loose. I am constantly putting my foot on the bar so I can lean the cart back to move and it remains solid. The 16” wheels were purchased at http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200199574_200199574 I have been very happy with how quickly the top module of the cart comes off to be placed inside the cab of a process trailer and the drivers have been very happy with its size. The entire cart is so small that I have even had it in the back of a follow van. I would highly recommend 80/20 to anyone thinking of building a cart. It is lightweight, versatile, and can be much cheaper than purchasing a new sound cart from a company. Thanks again everyone and please keep those questions coming if you have any.

I have been using my 80/20 cart for a few months now on several different projects and I have really put it through its paces. It's been up and down stairs, on and off camera trucks, in and out of my car, and on all types of terrain. It has also been used outside on hot days and into cold nights. I just checked all the bolts (took a little over 5 minutes) and everything is still tight and secure as when I first built it. I'm sure over time several bolts will loosen, but I can't imagine all bolts coming loose and causing a problem. When I was researching 80/20, I had read that the bolts would need to be tightened occasionally, but that didn't seem like a major concern for me. 80/20 is very flexible and easy to reconfigure. I could easily lower the height of the mixing board table and the top module stand by sliding it down the corner posts. If I wanted to make it taller and turn it into a standing cart, I would just need to buy four longer corner posts and replace the current ones. 80/20 is a very versatile system and it allowed me to build the perfect cart for myself.

The latency is minimal, a few frames or so, and generally it feels like there is almost no latency at all. The powerline extender works surprisingly well and I've used it with about 200 feet of stinger to get the signal around a beach house, which worked perfectly. The extender unit can be set to duplicate the Wi-Fi signal from the router, or it can be set to act as a separate hotspot with a different SSID and password. The encoder unit stays in the bag, connected to the router with an Ethernet cable, and the tranceiver unit gets plugged into an extension cord. As long as the power cable for the bag and the extension cord are on the same power line, usually connected with a cube tap, the Wi-Fi signal gets sent down the line. A photo of the setup is below. My favorite thing about the TeraView app is that I can take screenshots of my boom operators when they happen to be in front of the camera, or screenshots of wide & tight setups for dialogue scenes so I can laugh about them later. Some examples are also below.

I used the 80/20 online store to order everything and they charge $2 per cut. I studied the catalog and then used the online store to search for parts in the 10 Series (1" profile) to see what I could work with. I only had a tape measure and my imagination when I was designing the cart, so I made a bunch of sketches to figure out what I would need. An early sketch of the base module is below. I had other sketches that used circles to map out all of the screws that would be needed. It was all very unscientific but thankfully my measurements were correct and it all worked out.

@Philip Perkins: I used the 80/20 ABS haircell panels, which have a smooth side and a textured side. I used Velcro to attach everything to the textured side. @Derek H: No issues with the camera department because the Cubes are not transmitting wirelessly, just the Wi-Fi router is. The Cubes use Ethernet cables to connect to an Apple AirPort Extreme router in a bag. The router is flipped so the fan is at the top and the two Cubes are attached with Velcro. The other side of the bag holds the power cables. Photos are below.

That is the Teradek TeraView app. I have a router connected to two Teradek Cubes, which connect to the monitor outputs at video village. My iPad connects to the router and the TeraView app displays the video signal from each Cube. I'll use a Wi-Fi powerline extender if range becomes an issue.

Thank you all for the kind words. @Mirror: The top module cost about $300 for the 80/20 parts and the base module was about $800. @Wandering Ear: Four T-knob screws secure the top module to the base. Each nut has a set screw to keep it in place, which makes it very easy to line up and tighten quickly. The photos below show how it works.

For awhile I was using a modified baby stroller as a sound cart (seen here) and recently I decided it was time for an upgrade. I liked the idea of a two-module sound cart, much like the RastOrder SU, so I built my own using the 80/20® framing system. I purchased the Chindha recorder brackets first, then designed the top module around that. I then built the base module from the measurements of the top module. I made it wide enough so I can add rack rails in the future if I need to. The top module connects to the base module with four T-knob screws. I purchased a 3' long steel rod at Home Depot for the rear axle but I did not have the tools to cut and finish it. I contacted Gene Martin at Audio Department in Burbank, CA (www.audiodept.com) and he was able to take my cart to Drew Martin, who finalized the rear axle. He cut the rod, smoothed the edges, and drilled holes for the cotter pins. I am very thankful that Gene Martin and Drew Martin were able to take the time to do that for me. The basket on the back contains an Anker 60W 6-port USB charger for crew cell phones. I added waterproof LED strips above and below the control surface table. I used Velcro to attach them to the bars so if I need to make adjustments later, the strips won't be destroyed. This proved beneficial when I needed to remove a bar so I could thread some cable through a slot. The LED strips are multi-colored so I can make the cart glow red when I am rolling. I added a power switch for the LED strips and placed it next to the Mix12. For travel, the antenna FlexiMount clamps get flipped and an all-weather grill cover that I purchased at Home Depot is placed over the cart. Next I will build a smaller base module that is more portable and will allow me to use a Mix8 control surface with the top module. I have already had to take the top module into confined spaces and it has worked out perfectly. The only cables that connect the two modules are the Mix12 cable that connects to the Zaxcom Fusion and a power cable that connects the top module BDS to the Remote Audio Hot Strip on the base module. The photo at the bottom was taken by Jeff Rosenberg and it shows myself using just the top module in the underground corridors of a sewage treatment plant.

I agree that the Mix12 has routing limitations related to having only four options for Fader Channel Assignment. It would be amazing to route any analog or digital input to any fader on the Mix12 but that is not an option I have found with my Fusion 12. Perhaps the Deva16 has the option for infinite routing of the faders? Many times I would have been happy with faders 1-6 for digital inputs and 7-12 for analog inputs, but that is not even an option! Only four options for fader routing (#1: 1-6A, 7-12D), (#2: 1-8A, 9-12D), (#3: 1-8D, 9-12A), (#4: 1-4A, 1-8D) and I find that very limiting. Despite these limitations, I have been using my Mix12 since 2011 on many films and I don't plan to stop using it anytime soon. -Brian

Here are some current photos of my always-evolving stroller sound cart. I listened to the comments about the chaotic appearance and made some changes to clean it up. I have added a Zaxcom Mix-8 attached to an adjustable arm and the Fusion keyboard was moved to a much more convenient spot on the stroller. I removed most of the Lectrosonics wireless from the setup but a Lectro SRb receiver is still available on the bag if needed. I moved the phone-charging USB hub to inside the organizer basket. No more cable mess. I was very impressed with the Sound Guys Solutions new quick-release system so I bought some for the antennas as well as the booms. For travel, the Mix-8 quickly comes off the arm and the keyboard is adjusted to a safe spot. When it needs to be taken off the arm, the Mix-8 sits safely in the stroller next to the bag.

The advantages, for me, are too many to list and I prefer to work this way. What works for me probably won't work for most. I also prefer to have two boom operators at all times, which the producers make room in the budget for, but again, that is just how I prefer to work and it's not for everyone.

The producers are generally the first ones to plug in their phones to get charged on the stroller, so I'm not too worried.

Here are a few photos of my updated stroller cart. The Fusion is the master recorder with the Nomad now recording a 6-track backup through AES as well as operating as a Zaxnet controller for the transmitters. A small 2.4GHz one watt booster is connected between the Nomad's Zaxnet RF connector and a 9dBi directional antenna. A fanless 175 watt DC to AC modified sine wave power inverter (yellow box) was added which is connected to the Remote Audio Hot Strip with the PSC Pelican LiFE battery underneath the sound bag. The inverter allows the 2.4GHz booster to receive power from the battery when external power is not available. With a cube tap attached, the inverter can provide battery power to my laptop computer as well. I also added a keyboard for the Fusion and a flexible LED light connected to the Nomad's USB port. I added a five-port 8A/40W USB hub for crew phone charging and an organizer basket to hold the phones in. Each port has an on/off button so I can stop the charging if needed when operating on battery power. The USB hub and power inverter are connected to the Hot Strip with 4-pin XLR adapter cables. To quote a Key Grip I recently worked with, “A sound mixer with his own umbrella...true professional.” The base for the umbrella was taken from the light stand that is now the antenna mast on the front of the stroller. During a setup I noticed on my iPad “monitor” that I was looking at myself on one of the cameras. I took this screenshot with the iPad running the Teradek TeraView app. When I need to record in a vehicle or a very small space, the sound bag comes off the stroller and the Pelican LiFE battery gets disconnected from the Hot Strip and connected directly to the BDS on the bag.

George, that is a great setup and I love how compact it is. I really like the shelf below for the battery. Here is a photo I took when I wrapped out on my last project, ironically in front of the exterior of Paddy's Pub.

Here are a few more photos of my stroller sound cart.