The Immoral Mr Teas

Well, Doug, I do a huge amount of recording just mono - it's almost the case that you decide beforehand if it needs to be mono or any other kind of stereo (two or more channels). The (appallingly little) recording I do with my Nagras would tend to be mono, since it's generally a point source sound I want to speed up or slow down. Both my Nagras (IVS, IVSJ) are stereo. Happy to have my stereo machines though - I've yet to take advantage of the third channel. Jez

I recently finally picked up the Rode Micro-Pro, which I've been interested by since it came out. It's NOT telescopic, just 3 sections adding up to 2.2 metres (so you could use just 2 for a 1.5ish reach). 3/8in mic threads top and bottom on each section. It's nicely made and very light and pretty cheap (for what it is). I actually picked it up more as a stand for FX recording (tried for instance attaching a Cullmann Magnesit Copter to the base). I'm surprised no-one here though ever picked up on it as a potential problem solver extra tool - extra reach, light travel pole for simple jobs like sit downs, discrete plant pole. Although some of these uses may require some fiddling and simple modifications (it's not too happy as 'extra reach' on my short Canford pole which has a short repaired thread) I'm sure I'll come up with some nifty solutions with it. But it might actually suit you 'out of the box' for what you're describing - just be warned (and a reminder) that it's NOT TELESCOPIC ! Jez

Thanks Derek - I actually use Canford limited 7506s (despite my general grumbling that the Sonys sound #### !) for much stuff, especially dialogues (or 'prod recording') as opposed to FX. I think they don't have 'general' limiting cables - they make them under licence from a BBC design and are tailored to specific headphones (and impedances) - they are, after all, for safety, so half-hearted safety would be missing the point (which I understand). But that's what I would be looking for nevertheless - something that I know will be passing audio without degradation and will kick in at a certain voltage (if not exactly calibrated) within an impedance range ... I actually bought a simple passive attenuator cable with my ER4 set with the headphones - which I tend to keep with my laptop simple monitoring setup. Not a limiter, but a handy volume reduction. Might be be worth seeing if they do an external unit for the ER4 or other in-ear though at some point ... then work out what other phones might be in a 'safe match area' to them and what isn't safe. Canford is my 'local' btw - been driving round there for decades when I'm that part of the world. Usually put Roxy Music on the car stereo and sing alternate lyrics, "What's her name? ANFIELD PLAIN!" Cheers, Jez

I've said it a few times here (and elsewhere) over the years but I'll bring back up an instance when I was pleased to have my Etymotic ER4 set to hand - recording wild animals up close for SFX. Because they were dangling around the neck then popped in to check stuff when needed they didn't 'freak out' the animals (which I think I would have done by sticking crazy headware on and off). I realised this was the case at the time but later recording my niece singing it reminded me: kids, animals etc react to the recordist-talent relationship as much as the experienced stars do - whilst we still need to get a mic in prime position for the best recording changing one's familiar presence with both mic and headphones can be reduced with in-ear sets (and bleed is less of an obvious problem when one or both is off ear). As for Etymotics - they might take some getting used to from other headphones (especially the very coloured 7506) but they sound very good indeed and you learn to trust them pretty quickly. I've never got round to the expense of getting ear moulds made: if I was using them on a regular or specific basis I'm sure I would but one shouldn't think it's absolutely necessary to start out with moulds for in-ear. The isolation is still very high, the comfort as good as most or any over-ear: but I'm sure for regular work it's the way to go. As an aside, what I'd like to come across would be a simple external cable to level limit in ears: I tend to use level limited headphones for general location working since I like the extra safety blanket. I know that level limiting built to tailor to specific headphones and impedances (and limiters in headphone amps do the same job) but does anyone know of such a gadget? Jez

Possibly unknown to many outside our little islands, he - or at least his work - has been part of the childhood (and quite often the adulthood) of quite probably every UK film industry person working today ... Jez

Sure, but the whole idea of a film school used to be that outside the industry (for better or worse) one could get their hands on tens of thousands of £$€ worth of equipment and practice (the trade, the art, the theory - whatever) with technical and sympathetic help. It shocked me also a little that it sounded like a 'final - graduate' project might be being talked about rather than a first year / early project - but I don't expect my industry to have changed so drastically without expecting the education side to have not have done so too. In fact I know it has since I've friends in said education. Sadly their own remits (money, numbers, results) make our best intentions to prepare talented folk to join the industry often seem even worse than our own (just making money). Back to money, it takes a great investment to bring a student from one side of the world to another - enough, in fact, that investment in some nice mic is possible. What possibly isn't going on is the human side, which is definitely the problem of the school (what happened to last year's graduates - are they starting careers and still in touch?) but also perhaps the problem of potential collaborators (being "starting out" professionals in the area who might see a reason to offer their services to the students - perhaps at some price with a Zoom and budget radios). I would never say it was a fault of the students themselves. Still, the OP has had some good advice, first from Chris but also from everyone else, on equipment but also production strategy. My own is to perhaps (ask the school and) seek out a former student to lead the prod sound dept - and use some of the budget to pay for their time/ invested equipment. But even better, spread a wider net within the existing students and pool together a sound department of interested people. It depends how financially important (rather than experience/educationally important) the success of the film will be. It could be the difference between 'pass/fail' - especially back home - which would be a very hard lesson into the commercial world of film production.

Let's not forget this is a student film: I'm sure the 'post sound student' does care, as does the director/producer asking for help. What they don't have is experience. As it is, I'm very much in favour of a post sound person doing production sound as they'll learn much about the filmmaking process and their own chosen part in it - as much as I'm in favour of EVERY dept (dir, prod, DP, costume, makeup etc etc) knowing something of what we do for the same reason. What I would suggest is try to supplement the production sound dept with another person: preferably one with quite a bit more Prod sound experience (who's maybe boomed or even '3rd-ed' a lot and wants an opportunity to practice their recording skills). Trying drama as a one man band is risky at best and if your recordist is really just starting out on the production path they're going to have a LOT of trouble and learn less than they would within a team. Best, Jez

Ha ha - and - ha ha. J

Not really - I'm sure John wants to clear the bags as well as the F8 before the 'n' and its new bag comes in ... and if anyone expressed an intention to buy the recorder at its full price he'd tell them the bundle was on offer. For me - I can't really complain since Zoom have improved on an already good / inexpensive product without a price increase - although without digi IO and/or a cascade feature I'm not one of those rushing to pre-order ... not to say I might not pick one up eventually though. An editor friend has one and rates it (the 8). J

Forgot to mention the other evening how much Helen and I enjoyed that Marie Osmond clip, Dan! I wonder if it inspired Vic Reeves to re-enact that Cabaret Voltaire performance? "There are three hundred and ninety one members of the Dada movement. Anyone who wishes to become a member of the Dada movement can be one." Jez

My assumption was that the TC went to the centre track so feeding any signal (or 'silence') to the centre track would bypass the TC. Seemed a little extreme to have to open up a machine and modify a board to cancel it - you might be doing this every other day! Unscrewing a tuchel (and remembering not to lose it) seemed a simpler solution. Apologies for leading you down a blind path. If I were you I'd probably disable it at the board anyway, since it's hardly much use to you and a potential annoyance for bleed down the road (after all, you could always reengage it if desired). Best, Jez

I may be wrong (I've never used the TC Nagra) but (for other Nagra IV users out there...) was not the TC just recorded onto the cue track (as per the Harvey etc mods before the IVTC came out) ? If so, surely it was expected to sometimes use the CUE track not for the new TC option but for an old fashioned pulse track (if post/transfer couldn't handle TC) or even it's other 'main use' as a 3rd track (for verbal notes etc) ? I would be very surprised if you couldn't just bypass the TC feed by inserting a 'audio' input signal into the CUE (and just make this 'audio signal' inaudible = silence). The CUE tuchel on the IV-S comes with a jumper plug fitted? Might it be the same or similar on the IVS-TC (ignoring completely a separate TC connection - presumably LEMO) ? Please someone chirp in who knows the machine better - I don't have access to my Nagras or manuals at the moment. (Oh - and btw, my other suggestion was a lame joke ... damn English humour ...) Jez

My first comment was also going to be what Dela said. My IV is not TC but since the TC is just recorded on the centre CUE track you will be able to just bypass/block the TC by "feeding" another track of silence onto this track ... not at home to look for the actual connector but it's one of the tuchels on the side. It might be as simple as screwing or unscrewing the jumper tuchel plug that's on the machine (look in the manual for 'CUE track' and it should explain it all). Regarding those nice cases ... why not get the Halliburton and then a larger Pelican to fit the Halliburton with the Nagra inside for air travel? If you get a large enough Pelican it can take not only the case with the Nagra but additional accessories like power supply, cables, extra batteries and even just lead shot or similar extra ballast. (Note to self - if you have nothing constructive to say ...) Best, Jez

Or, Phil, the "Dougal" as it was known in England, named after a certain celebrity dog it resembled. For all at Rycote, and friends and family of John, condolences. A product and a company that has been there, and supported us, through long hair and short hair. RIP

What I would hope for (or possibly 'would have hoped for'?) on an update of the F8 would principally be a digital I/O (AESEBU preferably or SPDIF or both) and a cascade link to sync and operate two or more of them together. (A digi IO would of course enable it to be synched easily to another suitably equipped machine, and for many of 'us' pro sound users that might be our 'A' recorder, like a SD 7 series or whatever). The only other obvious updates would be open mic/line selection between the XLR and TRS inputs, a choice of pro and consumer line for the inputs and ditto for the outputs. Oddly, in this era of the Zoom 4/8 and the MixPre 3/6/10, grabbing a cheap second hand Tascam DR680 as a synchable B recorder begins to look tempting for cheap (occasional) high track counts ... bring in the digital sync please Zoom! Jez

For Daniel especially, or anyone who appreciates a classic from the "Jazz Age" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PVjR80q3G4 and if anybody can make yootoob just play please go ahead for me looks like one must just cut and paste

Ha nice one Samuel ! What I wouldn't mind seeing would be some syncable addition - either AES/EBU digi in-out or word clock or some other cascade/sync function. Aside from that it is just the implementation of a choice of line out as well as the current consumer line out and (I think) mic out. Always been an impressive machine for the money. Jez

I might make it to Plasa Leeds (UK) tomorrow or Wednesday. Missed Glasgow with the snow. Anyone here planning on going? Jez Adamson (UK Film TV sound editor)

That's interesting - I haven't used the 21 cap but I would have no real reason to think that a 41 cap would be less 'harsh'. One thing to bear in mind is that (and I think there are maybe a couple or so different 21 caps for free/diffuse field correction) an 'omni' mic (or in this case a wide Omni) is still directional on axis. One possibility is that you have a capsule which is accentuating the HF which is intended to be pointed off axis? The 8020 also has its on-axis HF response but is a free field mic. Jez

Fair comment Chris! Note to self - pay better attention! (I'd read the first but skimmed subsequent posts...) Jez

I'm not Constantin but I will butt in! It's funny to ask what mono dialogue film production mic might be used to record music. Wha is your end delivery format? Mono? Stereo? Personally for a stereo delivery I would tend toward an omni pair for outdoor music ..? Jez

Joseph I found and copied the first and fourth of those photos myself last week! The first two relate to the 1000m bathyscope descent which Stefan himself took part in - as a documentarist. The last is actually Jean Thevenot (centre) I think offering Stefan Kudelski (right) the prize of Chasseurs de Sons - Hunter of Sound. I will get back soon with more info - I had a week with friends in France who presented me with some wonderful Nagra info.

As a Sennheiser owner-user, Schoeps owner-user, DPA/B&K owner-user ... I have to say this ought hopefully be brought here to the attention of Sennheiser. As I've said I own first generation 8040s with no problem. And other MKH mics. I do hope we see a good resolution.

wow - had mine since released with no issue whatsoever - true they get light use but still ... jez

Interesting ... but what I'd really like to see would be 2 inputs and 6 outputs (or none and six, or four and six, or six and six ... just want those extra outputs). Jez