Jump to content

Rob Stalder

Members
  • Posts

    446
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    5

Everything posted by Rob Stalder

  1. Hi Eric, interesting topic for a lot of people that might be researching this discussion group. A few things and then I will add my 2 cents worth about sound acquisition. Firstly – the info from T-Will regarding the gain structure of your set up: from microphone through the MM1 to the H4N, is in my opinion a critical component of your sound acquisition outcome. Secondly – BUY Jay Roses book and read it all, blind Freddy could tell you that. Thirdly – Maybe convince your wife to do a sound training course at a film/video school. Fourthly – If you buy a Sennheiser 416 microphone, beware, they have a very narrow pickup pattern. It could take your wife a very long time to learn how to use it successfully. Sound acquisition, like picture acquisition, is like an iceberg, only about 20% is obviously visible. However the sound iceberg is probably 10 times the size of the picture iceberg. If you point a camera at someone, select your frame size, then everything outside that frame ceases to exist. If you point your microphone at that frame size, it doesn’t mean a thing. The microphone hears everything – in and outside that frame. The issue with microphones is they hear, but they can’t listen. If you are talking with someone in a noisy environment, your brain steps in to help out. It does this by having the ability to focus/concentrate on isolating words from the background noise. There’s even a bit of visual help here from the eyes watching the speaker’s lips forming words, helping the brain confirm what the ears are hearing. Microphones don’t have brains. In radio, one takes time selecting a microphone designed to capture the outstanding qualities and depth of feeling being delivered by the human voice. Attaching it to a sophisticated articulated arm and placeing it right in front of a speaker’s mouth – where it sounds absolutely fabulous. In the visual medium, nobody wants to see the microphone. It takes SKILL to select the right one and manoeuvre it around the cameras visual interpretation process of varying shot sizes, lights and movement. Unlike the radio announcer situation, you are faced with many compromises in quality along the way. So in my opinion you have to do the brainwork for the microphone, by placing it in a position where your sound acquisition outcome is what your (or anyone else’s) ear expects to hear. You do this by getting the microphone as close to its acquisition source (mouth) as you can. So you can artificially increase the ratio of the person speaking to the background noise. We call this, signal to noise ratio. The aim is to keep that consistant. However, then there is perspective. But that's another story... So as someone has already suggested – and with the basic sound equipment (& skill set) you have – Give your sound interpretation PRIORITY and shoot around it. I apologize if I have replied to this at a very basic level, however this is the elemental, elephant in the room. Best, Rob Stalder.
  2. I'd like to add my congratulations as well. Hard fought & well won. Thank you Richard as well for that link to the 695 quarterly. Just reading about the logistics of the setups did my head in, let alone contemplating how you would go about doing it. Rob stalder
  3. Jeff if you want to cut aluminium cleanly (including this rack frame) all you need is a drop saw, the type you see carpenters use. Not too cheap, but it doesn't need to be expensive. You buy an aluminium cutting blade (about AU$90), to replace the existing blade. It has very fine teeth and is a bit thicker. If you buy one that has the facility for the blade to slide forwards & backwards, that will enable you to cut up smaller sections of sheet aluminium. You do need to be a bit careful with them when cutting aluminium. These are high speed saws, bits have the potential to fly around. You just need to wear good face protection, a drop down visor is what I use. Also generally I don't ever use the blade on a vertical angle. I never cut at a horizontal angle to the side I am holding on. Nor do I cut off small pieces of about 1/4 inch. These offcuts can get airborne. With that small amount I usually shave it down in increments. Hope that helps, Rob
  4. Yep - why are you building a new cart??? Well very interesting you are using the Star Case aluminium (aluminium) rack kit. I have had my eye on that since they bought it out, it has a lot of potential. I will be scrutinising your progress if you don't mind. Cheers, Rob
  5. Hi Tim. Congratulations on your new cart, I can tell it rocks your boat. Also impressed by its adaptation to your style. So congratulations to Simon & Stuart also - very, very impressed, not something I would have thought of. On a technical note, what size are the Rotacaster wheels. I have looked at them a few years ago, but was not game to give them a go. I rang them yesterday, apparently they are looking at adding some wheel sizes - one at 80mm (3 1/8") diameter, which I might find usefull. However the game changer for me would be one @ 200mm (8"). That apparently is a long way off. Well keep up the good work. Rob Stalder
  6. Jeff, please also accept my deepest condolences. Rob
  7. Hi Mark, glad someone was looking over your shoulder. I wish you well in your recovery. By the way just had a blood test & my LDL was higher than yours... guess I had better do something about it. Rob
  8. Well we uplifted RastOrder and us out of Sydney on Monday 2nd November - (finally) I am back here cleaning up & will be gone by Fri. It is right up there with some of the worst shoots I have been on. But like a lot of those worst shoots, you only remember the best parts & this will be the same. So 10 Su carts, 10 VK carts, 10 Mb carts and 20 Foldups are being made for me by a sophisticated metal fabrication company. I will have to finish up about 10% of each cart. They will be available from us early in the new year (to be determined), from somewhere around Canberra. The web site will be updated. Best, Rob stalder
  9. Nothing like a video of oneself to come to terms with ones aging. Oh well, such is life. hope it provides some amusement for you. Clinton was very patient with me... SEMPTE show was a great success for us. Still in the moving process, looking for a new house & workshop and have finally started to make some more carts.
  10. Nicks VK on Goldstone - no we didn't make the cover.
  11. Rob Stalder

    VK cart cover

    Fred Enholmer's 2nd VK cart cover
  12. Rob Stalder

    Jan Deca

    Jan Deca and RastOrder SU cart
  13. Rob Stalder

    connell2

    John O'Connell and RastOrder VK cart
  14. Rob Stalder

    foldup

    Rob Stalder (holding boom pole) with first Foldup cart prototype...
  15. Hi Gavin. Some silly people in OB's - I have quite a few people wanting to buy a VK cart. And I have none... Anyway call by & see us at SEMPTE. Rob
  16. Yep - I am very familiar with the staring & wondering part. Re SEMPTE we will be exhibiting in our own right - stand A80 Rob
  17. Hi Nate - really nice job you have done. I am especially impressed with the way you have sealed the boom pole holder off. We (should I say not me) have been designing a lightweight cover and it should be ready for SEMPTE Sydney. Ours will be clear vinyl & not fold as easily as yours. I think you have a product there mate... Rob
  18. + Elle - thank you Mr Maysles.
  19. Way, way back, in the land of Nagras & 16mm film, the landline rang in the middle of the night in my home in Sydney, Aus. A thick NY accent asked if I would be interested in working on part of a documentary on Lizard Island off the Great barrier Reef in Queensland with Australian super model Elle Macpherson. I was about to say "pull the other one mate, it plays jingle bells", when the accent mentioned the name of the editor who had recommended me. Instead I said "no worries, love to". I flew to Lizard Island, boarded a boat and met the mob. It was not an especially major social comment film - but no problem - it was part of a docco about Sports Illustrated magazine - "The making of the swimsuit edition". Where they shot around the stills shoot of the girls in their native countries. It was Dec 1988. A 6 day shoot, in the cinéma vérité style. So Albert Maysles directed with Susan Froemke, although she seemed to be more the producer. Albert also did 2nd camera, sometimes. Main camera was the lovely Dyanna Tayler. Within 10 minutes of shooting with them, I was right at home. They were my kind of people. In the big picture of life, this was but a blip on the radar. However it was a coming together of like minded people and I hope they left with as much respect for me as I did for them. My condolences to all the family, friends and colleagues of Albert.
  20. It wasn't only film mixing that was done that way - almost everything was. I cant even remember the amount of documentaries I did, in real time. Let alone a year of Saturday night tonight shows, in real time, often with 2 bands. All on round faders too... Jeff's right - you had to be there. But by God it was wonderful.
  21. ASSG Committee and State Representatives President: Doron Kipen Vice-President: William Ward Treasurer: Adrienne Parr Secretary: Liam Egan Committee Members: Tony Murtagh, Nigel Christensen, Liam Price, Rhette Dufty, Brooke Tresize, Justine Angus, Yulia Akerholt and Alicia Slusarski. South Australian Representative: Des Keneally Queensland Representative: T’fer Newsome West Australian Representative: Ric Curtin Victorian Representative: Manel Lopez
  22. Sorry Eric we have no plans to make a drawer for the foldup cart - it would be a very expensive exercise and we are not geared up for it at the moment. We would like to be able to supply a generic rack drawer for our SU, VK and possibly 2g, carts. This is why I have asked the question, to ascertain the optimum size. We will only be able to supply maybe 1 or 2 sizes.
  23. As we are moving away from having permanently built in rack drawers in our carts - currently the SU, the VK and the 2g - and any future carts. We are exploring the possibility of supplying our own rack drawers of the type shown in the accompanying picture. We probably will only be able to supply a limited size range. They would be made of aluminium. If anyone can help with information on their preferred size and what they put in them it would be a great help. Thank you, Rob Stalder, www.rastorder.com.au
  24. Recently Introduced to these. With an exchange rate of AUD$1 to US86 cents, carton cost me about AUD$85. I gave it a 95 out 100 score... So even as the AUD$ sinks to US82 cents, there will be another carton soon. I drank them all out of the bottle, too impatient I guess. Still I was surprised at the complexity of taste, but next time I will try in a glass. Rob
×
×
  • Create New...