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ORCA Bags Review


Ze Frias

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Does anyone have an OR-30 with 633 that they can show us (me) ??

i will post pics later … ok home from work

my main complaints on the 30 when using 633 ...

the media door is hard to open when the mixer is built up to a comfortable mixing level (with the 633 fader panel even with the top of the bag) and cables are plugged into the output side, workable but just a little awkward (of course the cf slot on the bottom of the 788 can be awkward for bag work as well

also i feel that there should be 2 way zipper access on the side panels to run cables out of the main compartment to the outside of the bag to the snap on pouches, or for snakes and such

seems a more ideal bag if you don't have 5p sr rx … without the 5p 3 sr rx fit nicely, it's gets tricky when you add even just 1 5p sr rx … 411 can be staked, and it seems 6 could fit if you want it, i haven't tried that because i'm trying to go light with this bag

i feel the bag may be a little big if you're trying to go real light, like 1 boom + 1 rf, on the flip if you're maxed out with 6 rf using 411 then i feel space is tight for all the rx, mic, and mounts, tape, so on ... however the build of the bag is super sturdy so gear feels safe and secure…

cables on the side are tight if using straight, if cabling to the outside pouches right angle or stubby are almost a must otherwise cables hit the ground when the bag is set down (of course the pouches rotate

bag will fit into a naked pelican 1510 i.e. no padding no mesh pouch lid (unless contents are removed from mesh pouches) fit fine in a 1560 with room for gear, llid and padding ok

i use the included hangers to lift the sr rx up for the ta3 cables are elevated off the floor of the bag , then i use the long padded piece to elevate the 633 to my desired height in the bag, i don;t use camera type batteries so if those are mounted they may produce the same desired height (making mixer panel even wi the top of the bag opening)

the np in the back pocket didn't seem to bother me while using it, i also store my boom cable there

i've only used on a few jobs so far so its still a work in progress, all in all i think it's a great bag, which is built really well, i only imagine future orca builds to be better ... Plus I like the blue because it matches my cmit

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I use the XLRs to feed wireless links. The TA5 are used for my multipin send to camera and return. Over here in the UK there is still a huge amount of work that uses cabled to camera, not wireless links. In fact I'd say in 90% of my work I'm hanging out the back of a cam operator. Productions are slowly learning to love double system, but they hate paying for it and budgets are in crisis.

I also use the side outputs for IFB other than my ERX.

And Mike - you are just trolling. As per bloody usual. I'm a sucker for even paying you the slightest bit of attention.

 

In Los Angeles about 50-60% of my work revolve around plugging into camera for primary audio either through TA-5 RF hop or a beta snake so the I/O side would be essential for easy access.  Though I would love a smaller footprint bag like a modded OR-30, the amount of gear I have that lives currently in my PS602 necessitates a larger bag so I am hopefully the OR-41 fits that need.  I am waiting around for the KTek version and also this one and love how much certain manufactors are now listening to a lot of end users.

 

Gabe

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Thanks for that review Beartrax. Nice to see pictures of these bags rigged with cables instead of just naked recorders. That does look awful tight on the 633 with straight cables.

I hadn't realised that the side panels are single zip. That is quite an oversight. Everything should be double zipped. Otherwise why use a zipper?

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I guess I should clarify the center half moon access panel on the side flaps does have a double zipper, however I would've preferred all zippes to be double

Gotcha. How do you feel about the harness ring placement? Rado has complained that they are too far forward causing the harness straps to obstruct access to the mixer controls. Looking at the top down view of the bag I can see how this might be the case - on the Petrol systems they were butted right up to the corners.

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Access near the Harness rings is tight, like most things on the 30, if using the one farther way it give more mixing hand room, but then I feel the need for a belt strap in addition to the shoulder because gravity forces the bag to want to tilt inward when using the straps further away from the body, currently I've been trying to use my bare bones porta brace shoulder harness in an effort to keep light, when fully loaded on a long day I may prefer my fully padded petrol harness or maybe I will try out the or a harness

I would've preferred the harness rings to freely rotate downward instead of fixed facing up, merely for hanging things off of, and the tubing wrapping them makes it a little thick for some clips on my hangers, of course if the tubing was cut off, both of the aforementioned would be solved

Anyone try the orca harness?

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I have the or30 harness and belt with 633 and 2x srb.

The harness is comfortable but a hassle to get on and off. A couple of quik release buckles would be very handy. The waistbelt is good, but same prob .. It takes several minutes to get on/off.... Which when you are are putting rig off/on several times a day

Becomes boring quite quickly. Media access is a little difficult and you need a right angle connection on x3/4 as the top of bag puts pressure on plug which will eventually break.... A few quirks but overall a good bag

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My 2 cents! I really like the Orca 30 bag! I use the sony batteries so there is no need for the orca lift system with the 633. Probably needed if you are putting a 302 in it! Even tho the sides unzip it is still a hassle to open the media door, still much nicer than the kirtwich bag i came from! One other minor issue was that there're only 2 straps for wireless receivers, the kortwich has 3 , but as you see i out the srb blk 19 on top of the blk 26 411, and I love the access !

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Anyone got a review of a Maxx in a 30?

I have a maxx in a 30. The only issue is I wish there was a bit more height in the bag. With the face of Maxx even with the top of the bag - right angle xlr the connectors just touch the bottom of the bag. I wish there was another 1/2 inch or so clearance. Other than that I really like the bag for maxx. You can fit max and two rows of wireless in the bag.

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  • 1 month later...

I'm currently working on a Stingray for the Nomad. However, many people have been using the Stingray2 with their Nomads and have been extremely happy with them. I personally feel there is a little extra room on each side of the Nomad, but no more so than the OR32. One of the many nice features of both Stingrays is the multiple access zippers, which someone mentioned, easy access to the media on the SD machines, which someone mentioned they wish they had on their cetacean bag, and you don't need to have right angle connectors made for the Maxx. 

 

I'm seeing about a 50/50 split of people using the FP8 and not using the FP8, so the tricky part is making the bag work with and without it and not losing a lot of space, but people are already doing that now with the Stingray2 with great success. 

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I don't care for FP8. Just taking space in my bag.

So you will have more room for another 3 rx, or whatever. 

 

Some people like the bag tight, and others prefer space, people use different types of equipment, and so on. 
 
orca do audio bag with rf protected partitions between recorder and rx/tx (important feature in my opinion), and I see people take them out to make room for more rx's. On the other hand they don't want a bigger bag.
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Good news! 
After several tests and recommendations, Ofer decided to reduce the dimensions of the OR-41 to
Nomad + PF8 + RX3. 
Prototype will come soon, and I will write reviews and take pictures.

 

I've just seen this! This sounds just my sort of bag!

I had a play with the OR30 recently and it's incredibly sturdy. It was the version with pop studs though (YUK!) which I hope is changing. I'll be taking off the carry handles and putting my own single-lift strap I think.

Any news on release dates for the new OR41 ?

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Good news! 
After several tests and recommendations, Ofer decided to reduce the dimensions of the OR-41 to
Nomad + PF8 + RX3. 
Prototype will come soon, and I will write reviews and take pictures.

 

 

Well, I do like the idea. I don't use the FP8 either, but I can probably fit 6x RXs instead of 3x if not using an FP8.

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