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Cart mixing: sit or stand?


Philip Perkins

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Almost all the pix I've seen of sound carts in current use are set up for having the mixer sit.  The old-style Skyline/PSC/ASC/3-G Welding style carts (which I used for 18 years) were originally designed to have the mixer either stand or sit on a tall chair or stool.  I guess part of the reason for this was the gear in use at the time, and perhaps the lack of video assist meaning that the mixer needed to watch the set directly.  I find I'm using my current cart (based on a Magliner) mostly standing up again, after sitting for awhile.  I think this may be partly a personality issue--I'm kind of antsy in general, and often need to run around and fix or change things since my boom op (if I have one) might be busy or cabled in.  There is also a difference in energy I guess, the  "Walter Murch" effect of how your mind works when standing vs. sitting.  I don't think I'd like to edit audio standing up (as Murch claims to do) but I guess I'm used to standing up for production sound work.  It seems like if I do sit down I can't stay seated for long and do my job, so why bother?

Philip Perkins

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  • 2 weeks later...

Yes--the 3G guys were great about customizing.  A video engineer friend of mine wanted a cart like my 3G type, but wanted it to fit a Sony BVH500 on the lower shelf and have a WFM and Vectorscope on fold-up wing-shelves.  3G did a great job on a custom version, and my friend still uses that cart every time he works.

Philip Perkins

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Guest repete86

I typically stand.  Standing isn't as comfortable, so I pay more attention to the audio.  I know that if I sit, I will get a very comfortable chair, and then I will doze and miss something. 

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I will always stand when I am rolling. I tend to sit during a blocking and lighting set ups. I just find that I pay more attention if I stand. I used to have a director syle chair but it became a pain to carry around. I don't like to get locations or props to carry my stuff, it's always better to save your favors until you really need them. Phillip your mention of the BVH 500 reminded me of when I worked for this production company back in the late 70's early 80's. We were shooting this travel series in Eruope.  I went to a army surplus store and bought a back pack that had a metal frame. I took the back pack off, mounted the BVH 500 on the frame and carried it on my back while hooked up to a RCA tk 76 camera through an umbilical cable.

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I never felt quite right crouching down (like I was on the bathroom commode).  I always had a tall (big) kart and so enjoyed a tall make up chair.  For the "one pot you know what is happening again and again" scene I could sit and slump but when I really mixed I stood up so I could operate all the knobs and switches (see the pictue of "Old Mixer" elsewhere).  By the way anybody that wants to stand up can buy my Matthews kart-cheap.

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  • 10 years later...

It's an old thread but very up to date to me: 

I've been sitting on my cart for the last 12 years. My recent shoot had 5 weeks of studio instead of on location and I used this to try a higher version of my cart together with a high Director's chair. I really loved it!! 

It feels more agile, more powerful and focused. 

It just won't work for my typical German on location production. Cart wouldn't fit the van as is, rolling around is not easy because it's so top heavy. 

Still looking for the all in version.

IMG_4382.JPG

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That's what I've been saying all along! Take a look at the Cologne Cart thread again, and you'll see how it is possible to have you type of cart for sitting or standing and easy transport. My version is only very loud, that's unfortunate (just the lifting action)
I'm sure that you would be able to build a much better version than me. Aaaand I could copy your ideas ;)

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I did look. When in down position - do you interlock both cases or will those lifters hold tight enough for wheelin around on the big wheels only (tilted)?

I'm also worried that my upper case is just too heavy for your construction. It was sitting on an add case which felt secure but up in the air supported by 2 or 3 lifters only? Don't know ...

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I did look. When in down position - do you interlock both cases or will those lifters hold tight enough for wheelin around on the big wheels only (tilted)?
I'm also worried that my upper case is just too heavy for your construction. It was sitting on an add case which felt secure but up in the air supported by 2 or 3 lifters only? Don't know ...

No it's basically being held by the lifters. But for moving I'll add a strap that provides additional safety. I have three lifters. I started with two, but the upper case wasn't stable. I can assure you these three lifters can lift 150kg each. They were designed to open/close windows or solar panels. They are very sturdy and waterproof to a degree. They are not the weak link, your mounting system will be. In my case, it felt strange at first, but after a few up and down trips of my upper case I feel confident that everything holds up.
But the three motors are very noisy. They are controlled from the same unit, but are not really synchronized.
I had another lifter before, which built to lower a special chair with a person on into a bathtub. That's sturdy, and very quiet, but I couldn't really mount anything to them.
The ones I have now have two mounting points, which helped a lot.
But I am still on the lookout for something quieter and faster.
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This is the one I've got:

https://www.ebay.de/itm/381697981592

 

Considered this as well,

https://www.huberlab.ch/Sortiment/%EF%BB%BFQualitätssicherung/Probenvorbereitung/Glaswaren/Stativmaterial-%26-Bauelemente/Laborständer-Swiss-Boy/p/cat_8241

but the motorized version is very expensive, and I don't know how well it would work, so I am reluctant....

I know very well how your thumbs feel! Took me forever to finally find (and decide on) what I've got now

 

 

 

 

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Off topic, but wanted to say that those linear actuators are sweet. I've been looking for something like this for a plate reverb I built, to control the dampner system. Back on topic, I go back and fro between sitting and standing. On some gigs its nice to have the option to sit on others not so much. Anyone have experience using the A4 Cart from france? The thing looks lovely.

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Depending on the complexity of the gig for me ... one or two talking heads, I'll quickly take a seat. Lot's of activity on set, I'll stand. When I'm mixing for live broadcast music production , I'll be standing . Thanks for asking Philip

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On 02/04/2017 at 5:41 PM, Philip Perkins said:

Another advantage to standup-mixing:  there's the nipping in the bud of the old "how tall is a sound man" joke....

On the other hand, the doughnut falls from a greater height ;-)

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