sonic_reducer

Thanks, RPSharman!

thanks, Malcolm. Any caveats to shipping batteries that I should be aware of? I'm powering my cart of off a li-ion battery in a pelican, I've got a backup AGM, some np-1s, and the usual mess of 9v,aa, and the like.

I had to double check the manual on my PSC power max - I assumed the absence of a 110/240 switch meant that it was 110 only. Guess not. Win.

David, what did you use to convert French power to 120v Edison?

What a lovely offer! Sadly, I'm in NYC.

+1 on the 'if you hear it on the boom, you'll hear it on the wire' camp. That being said, a rig that exposes a B6 to open air, and backs it with something slightly insulating to rustle tends to get me past the Wookiee types.

So, I've got upcoming episodic work in Europe where I anticipate having to ship my cart and follow cart overseas. Anyone else had to deal with this? Tips? Tricks? a

Being on location should be no excuse for bad coffee. Includes kettle, French press, 3 pounds of coffee, space for two mugs, and all the utensils I need.

Duh.

Hmm... I jam twice daily on our minis with a betso box, and no issues. I'll double check our settings/firmware. By the by, the TC input is in a really shitty location on this camera... No one particularly likes where it sits. You said 24fps.. Not 23.976?

I vote for keeping it simple, or at least giving us the option of doing it the old way!

Curious, who here is collapsing tracks, and who isn't, and why? I'm still on the fence about leaving a second boom track empty on a master, say, when I know I will likely arm it in the coverage. What's the consensus here? What annoys editors the most?

Just spent 4 hours playing with a nomad/oasis/rx 12 combo. Considering taking a plunge into this particular setup.. I'd be really into having an open discussion with people who have had direct experience with this platform, and the relative drawbacks and pitfalls of getting the rig running as reliably as possible, especially as regards which firmware combinations have been more stable than others. I have so many questions, I don't know where to start, so i figured I'd leave the topic open-ended. A

John, Philip, Agreed on both fronts. "As for ponying up vs. changes, well, thats the game we're in here. You have to look at the work you do now, the work you think you might get, the work you WANT to get and WHERE that work might happen re other RF transmissions, and roll the dice for yourself." Certainly we roll the dice, but I've always been in favor of playing the best odds. Or at least trying to roll sevens as little as possible. I have settled into a nice sort of niche in single camera (or at least thoughtfully shot two-camera) dialogue-driven narrative work. But recently, I've been confronted with more and more directors who would prefer to turn scenes into free-for-all, multiple camera insanity, and who view wireless as a panacea, or at least a welcome excuse for not having constructive conversations about blocking, coverage, or adherence to the scripted material. I'm finding those sort to be less reasonable than they used to be, largely because the 'last sound guy they worked with just wired everyone all the time'. They're usually the sort of people who want my cart farther from set than I'd care to be. Combine that with the constant congestive state of NYC, the presence of crummy, rf belching HMEs, and poorly maintained Paralynx systems that spew rf in the 475-575mhz range, I can see that coming up sevens is going to be a more common event if I don't adjust. "What folks seem to forget is that deploying the newly-added features afforded by the continual flow of evolving firmware is optional. With a solid digital system you can continue operating with its initial functionality, just as you do with a solid analog system." Thank you for reminding me of this, John. I recall that I hadn't updated the os on my iPad using cl-wifi since I installed the damn thing. I have used it exclusively for cl-wifi and freqfinder, and i removed all other apps ages ago. It's been rock solid. My first-gen intel mac only recently died (motherboard failure), and ran like a swiss watch with no major updates since 2007. I suppose there's a lesson to be learned in this. My current setup/cart system (411/Venue/Cooper 106+1/788T) has worked reasonably well for me, and will likely continue to do so until the levee breaks, or rf becomes too congested. But when the inevitable occurs, I want to be ready for what comes, and not make decisions based on panic. Thanks for pointing me to JW and Rado, Philip.

So I've been a persistent lurker here. Haven't really contributed anything of value, but I've been thinking a lot about this, so here goes. Some background: I started in the music business, recording garage bands for fun, working as a FOH mixer in small venues, then eventually on tour, and as a tape op, and assistant in small to middling sized analog studios. I've been working as a boom operator and utility for the past 15 years, and only recently did I make the transition to mixing. I'm very proud of my inheritance - I've been very blessed to have worked under engineers and mixers who have taught me a great deal about the technical, the political, and the brass tax of this business. For the past few weeks, I've been on the fence about going fully digital with my cart. Keeping in mind the FCC spectrum auction, and the anecdotal shrinking of available frequencies in my current setup, I recently acquired some digital wireless, and I'm in the process of folding this new technology into my existing setup. I also got my FCC license, in the hopes that it may reap future benefits. My reason for posting is that acquiring this piece of gear seems to have opened up a philosophical Pandora's Box for me. For the first time in a long time, I find myself challenged by the puzzles presented by this change. In the past, the timeline of setting up a recording and communications rig was, for me, marked by a lengthy period of forethought and design, a sort of intermediary period of designing all the interconnects, then a lot of soldering, and finally, a (hopefully short) testing of each interconnect and sub system. In the design of a system that operates mainly in the world of DSP, I'm finding that the process is largely inverted. The initial cabling and setup is the easy part. The challenge lies in faxing out the system from a software and settings standpoint. One only needs to lurk on this board in all things tagged 'Zaxcom' to see that people are spending a great deal of time and effort here sharing what they know about what is essentially a closed and self contained ecosystem, one that is constantly changing with each subsequent software iteration. It appears that there are a lot of people that share my anxieties about this change. Some seem to worry that commitment to an entire gear ecosystem from one manufacturer places them at the mercy of planned obsolescence. Others chafe at this sort of inversion - they would rather be able to directly control and service their interconnects from one device to another, rather than fuss about with menus and software updates. Others worry about the safety of 'putting their eggs in one basket'. All those concerns have their direct replies, which I have also seen over and over on this board. Something that I would like to see addressed in a thoughtful way is this idea of software as a constantly evolving process. Those of us who grew up with tape machines, patch bays and interconnects, inserts and busses, and outboard gear have also grown up with a sense of entitlement to equipment that serves one function well and reliably. When seeking digital all-in-one solutions to our evolving needs, what are we as end users entitled to? Ultimately, we all have to make decisions about the relative benefits and drawbacks of our gear, and work with the tools that are best suited to us. For me, I've decided to embrace the change, and to start learning as much as I can about this ecosystem, and how it works. My hope is to acquire a knowledge base about the products and systems involved in a completely digital recording system, before acquiring any further gear, if only to keep from being left behind as things continue to change. I'm also banking on the power of end-user crowdsharing. Software dependent products seem to improve more rapidly when end users like me get involved, provide feedback, and propel innovations in development. Thoughts? Adam Sanchez

I love my 816. It's a fantastic tool to have in the kit. It saves me a lot of headache on beach scenes, walk and talks, and noisy exteriors. Helpful for wide shots I n bathrooms too, believe it or not. That being said, Don't believe the hype. It doesn't fix everything. It can't fix bad acting. It can sound better than a lot of mics even in bad acoustic spaces. It can sound like poop on certain voices. It's not a one-size-fits-all kinda thing. Something that is kind of a bummer- as mics/suspensions have gotten lighter and lighter, boom pole manufacturers have responded, and I find that not every pole can handle a fully loaded 816/Zeppelin. Makes it harder to operate/make the hard cues the tool requires. The only thing stiff enough for that mic, IMHO, is the Ambient, preferably with the extension. A

I want it to flag shadows, turn off noises, lay carpets, wire without clothing noise, get a mic over evey actor's line, and say 'speed'. Oh, wait.....

RVD made a separate thread devoted to answering the initial question, in which I respond to Chris to the best of my ability. If anyone wants to ask any specific questions, they can PM me, and I'll be happy to share my email address. If anyone wants to hire me, I'd be happy for the work. I think this film is great advertisement for the three of us. So long, A

I'm just gonna let you guys run this thread.

Chris, thanks for the kind mention. We worked our assets off on that picture. Very proud to say that what you heard was all production recording. Jaw harp wins the $10k tone-in-the-ear prize for correctly labeling our roles. (This is Adam)

You're the best, Wyatt. A

Ok, So i've popped some feelers around before about relocating. My ex-girlfriend-now-wife (!) and I are now relocating to Durham, NC. She got accepted to Duke, and we are very excited to be moving to such an awesome part of the country. I hope to eventually go back to get a Masters degree myself. Please support my endeavors by buying some of my gear, I will be posting a list in a few days. So - Here's my IMDB Credits http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1453266/ I'm a solid boom guy, and a damn fine cable person, and I can make wires sound good. I know how to run wireless systems in really crappy places, and get usable tracks in awful, noisy, and cramped environments. I can run your machines for you, and make it as easy as sitting in a chair and working your magic. I'll even throw you coffee and a bagel from time to time. I'm fast with foam, quick with wd-40, and will ride the line as good as most anyone out there. I know my lenses, I'm good with teamsters, ok with knots, cool with the grips, and know how to solder. I tell terrible jokes, am super serious about what I do, and have a terrier like disposition when it comes to getting clean tracks. I can location scout like a mofo, I understand various and sundry post workflows, and I can do handstand pushups. If you're a boom op, or utility in the area, I'd love to meet you. If you're a mixer, please consider hiring me if you need someone in NC, or any surrounding state, and you've exhausted the normal routes and people. You won't be sorry. All my NYC friends, I will still keep my IA card, and will pop up from time to time, if y'all could help me find a couch to crash on :-) Thank you, Adam Sanchez

What brand lavalier mics are you using, and how are they wired? A

Dick, Thanks a lot. I had kind of assumed that that was the case. I didnt know there were two unions in Vancouver. Interesting. I'm planning on taking a trip to check things out toward the end of the summer. By then, we will have a better idea. She's still waiting to hear from UCLA, Berkeley, and NYU, which could change the game entirely. A

Hi all, Adam Sanchez here. I'm an IATSE 52 sound utility and boom op with over 9 years in the business in NYC and Philadelphia. My wife has just received an acceptance letter to UBC. It looks like there's a good chance we're on the move. Any friendly Canadians out there want to give me some advice (other than 'go away' or 'F.O.')? A