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JonG

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Everything posted by JonG

  1. While a III is a nice thing to have, unless you know someone that will service it, you run the risk of it failing at some point. Remember they stopped making IIIs in 1968, whereas the E was introduced in 1976 and can still be serviced. Your call, what’s more practical?
  2. JonG

    Long shotgun advice

    I don’t really have any advice for you in this regard. Every long shotgun that I’ve purchased has come with its own zeppelin since I’ve managed to get them used. They’re designed for outdoor use and therefore would require wind protection. You could use the mount without the basket, but know that the mount will also clip on the interference tube so that would make using any lighter wind protection difficult. I think you’ll have to bite the bullet and get a zep as I don’t see any other made to order options.
  3. Invite them out for a coffee/beer
  4. I’d say go for that. A 416 will last you a lifetime, and later on you may find that you use it less as you buy fancier mics, but it will never let you down. I never leave home without one even though I may intend on using fancier mics. The general rule tends to be that the fancier the mic, the more fragile it is. Sometimes you just know that conditions might not be right for the more expensive mics, but that 416 will handle anything. Try not to take too many baby steps when buying gear. Generally speaking, every time you buy something that is a small upgrade or half way point, you are losing money, and those cheaper options will be harder to sell when you want to replace them. Try to make the best moves you can. Just do some research, find the item that you need, and try to get a good deal on it. But if you really want to work in sound you may try reaching out to local pros in your market and see about booming or A2ing for them so that you can learn the ropes, make connections, and save money so that you can afford the good stuff when it’s time. This will also allow you to learn about rates and business because nobody wants a new guy on the scene who doesn’t know what to charge, and who may inadvertently be disrupting the established going rates for the local pros.
  5. A bit of a departure from the usual shenanigans. I’m watching this Netflix true crime show, and all the interview segments are framing so wide that they literally have lights visible for most of the time, but still see fit to have the boom so high above the subject that it would basically be useless. I’m sure that the sound mixer objected at this clearly aesthetic choice on the part of production, but seriously, the fact that these interviews only use seconds at a time of the video portions, they really should prioritize the boom. It just makes my mind explode that someone would hinge the quality of their production on such a trivial aesthetic. 🤯
  6. They really do. I see so many people asking questions online that they really should know before charging money for their services. Most of the time these people are already on set in a panic and somehow believe that asking a group online is quicker than consulting a manual. But if I bring it up man, they spit acid at you. Being a professional isn’t what it used to be. Apparently it’s ok to barely know your job and be unprepared, just as long as you do it with a smile.
  7. Using a Comtek basestation has been good for controlled drives. But when following in cities or on freeways I’ve also included a mini mite, which can be hidden behind one of the car seats. Clipping the receiving Comteks to the front visors, and even plugging them into the follow vehicle’s stereo has worked out really well.
  8. That’s a kind of interior design that some of us here might be ok with lol! ——————————- Medium S01E15 apparently the actors playing boom ops didn’t understand that the mic should be pointed AT the person talking and not just wherever!
  9. I haven’t personally but I know a mixer who did for years. Sadly I can’t give you any first hand experience or tips but if you’re struggling with level you may try using an additional pre amp. I believe Mozegear makes something small that would work for this sort of application.
  10. Yes I read your process. The thing is that I have my call sign printed on a number of things, including some very expensive letter press. So I don’t mind the cost, I just want them to grant me the renewal. It makes no sense why they would make this so difficult for so many people willing to go through with it. It is not as if it does anything for them one way or the other. In fact, drawing it out as they do is really only creating more work for themselves.
  11. Ok so my application has done some back and forths and I almost feel like I am at a stalemate. I do what they ask, then they ask some more without giving me any details into what it is they are actually asking of me. I just received an email after a couple months of “pending” that I must provide an amendment to my application. I have no idea what they want from me. It seems like they are trying everything in their power to deprive me on a renewal. Has anyone here successfully renewed their license after it expired? What did you do? I feel like I’ve tried everything but these guys don’t seem to want my business. If you would be so kind, please send me a message with the steps (and letters) that you’ve used to make this work. Thank you!
  12. Let’s just hope that SAG/AFTRA makes things difficult for any AI voice use, and hopefully synthesizing peoples voices becomes outright illegal worldwide. People really are taking AI too far. Sometimes I feel like people are self fulfilling prophecies of doom. Didn’t we learn anything from 1984 or Skynet?
  13. You could get a used 788T. They’re still bulletproof. Mine hasn’t left the cart since I purchased it new in 2011. Yes I’ve bought other devices since, but I have had no need to get rid of it or replace it completely.
  14. I honestly don’t recommend buying from companies that directly rip off other companies. This is an exact clone of the PSC RF Multi SMA. When the rip off needs service good luck getting someone to answer the phone. But PSC has always been a great company to work with.
  15. This has been asked ad nauseam on this board. Please read read read, it’s what the forum is for.
  16. @Johnny Karlssonthank you for your update. I’ll try what you did as well. Regarding payment, you have to go to a different page that they call CORES. I don’t understand why they make it so complicated. You have to re apply (and there are no instructions or explanations regarding the form), then you have to ho to another part of the site to make the payment, but both sections of the site do not link you to the other! It’s perfectly insane.
  17. No doubt. Denecke’s service is great. But the space the GR-1 takes up vs the GR-2 is also something to consider.
  18. To echo what has been said, I am a real fan of the 788T. It was my first professional machine, and it is still in use. I also own a number of other devices, including the 833, which does have exceptional features. But on a cart with a CL-9, the 788T really doesn’t have many rivals other than with track count. The quality and functions of it were really dismissed with future generations of devices, and they are barely catching up as people note what newer machines lack, that were available so many generations ago. If you can’t afford a used 788T today, you may as well wait a week and save up, as they are going for unbelievably low prices. I’d take a 788T over a MixPre or rival budget recorder any day of the week.
  19. Theres a pretty cheap GR-2 at Gotham consignment. Newer, and they take up less space on the cart. I have one and it fits perfectly between two comtek base stations (the ones with the readouts) on 1u 19” rack.
  20. I’m not a fan of the fact that our only option for recording while transmitting is Zaxcom. But I definitely believe in their right to hold the patent. Anybody here who claims to believe in Zaxcoms rights, and uses products from companies that have blatantly ripped off other companies equipment should look in the mirror. I can think of a few companies that have done so, and yet people in this community seem to wholly embrace their products. It doesn’t make sense to me thats for sure. That said, I would be very happy if Zaxcom would come to some agreement with other manufacturers to allow them to use their technology. I don’t hate on Zaxcom, I just don’t use their products.
  21. Blacklist s7 e13, the bad guy went insane from industrial noise, and sought vengeance to those responsible. A possible future?
  22. Consider, if you look through the “show me your bag” thread, how many people are powering their entire bags off of a single broadcast battery. Most of us use NP or eSmart batteries, but for some reason some of the younger crowd are going with V mounts, which seems to be a lot of excess weight and bulk, but to each their own.
  23. It sounds like you need to learn a little more about power, so you won’t need to ask about every piece of gear you get. Most items found in a sound bag are 12V, and can often operate on a range from 11-16V.
  24. I held onto my single band Lectros until the FCC repack made them useless, with no open frequencies across two out of three blocks I was on. I was able to sell off what I had and eventually ended up on Wisycom systems, and am very glad I did. There are some things that I miss with Lectro, but I feel like most things they’ve introduced with their newer systems are already available with other companies, and they continually go up in price, but always a few steps behind the rest, and in my experience, the quality and functionality isn’t quite up to where they were in years past. Just my opinion. That said, if you’re looking for deals, there are plenty to be had if blocks are wide open in your area. Where I live, wideband is necessary due to all the radio and cell towers, and flat terrain, so I’m being bombarded by all used bands from all sides with no geography to provide blind spots like Los Angeles has. edit: Whatever you do, do it as you can afford it. Do not go into debt unless you can realistically predict that you can afford to pay it off. I started out with my laptop running Pro-Tools and a wired boom, rented mic and home made boom pole. Within a few months a had a portable two-track recorder and my own 416. Within a few months I had my first set of Sennheisers. A few months later a portable multi track recorder, and more wireless. Within about a year and a half I bought my Sound Devices 788T new, as well as proper powering, real boom poles, and my first couple sets of Lectros. But I bought all that with money I made doing sound. I never got into debt until I was well established, and had good enough credit to get a credit card. But as a newb, it may be best to work your way up to mixer by booming/utility for more established mixers. That way you learn about the gear, experience the pros and cons first hand, and build a network that can guarantee a smooth transition into mixer in a few years when you can get your own gigs because you already have a network and clients, and you can afford to get the good stuff when it’s new. That’s been the best road to success that I’ve seen amongst my friends and colleagues. I wish someone told me that back in the day, but we didn’t have the social medias and communities like we do today.
  25. I’m just using some Shure 1/2 wave rubber duckies. They’re BNC, had to get adapters. They’re adequate for what I need. If I need more range I could hook up some fins and get range for days. Honestly, this system is absolutely fantastic. The fact that there are no cables involved, means that re routing one channel to any track without digging around and unplugging things in my bag is amazing. I can’t believe it took this many generations of machines to get that function back.
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