What’s in (or on) your follow cart?

[Paul Graff]

Hello jwsound community,

I want to initiate a discussion about all of the sometimes mundane, but often indispensable, items that mixers keep on hand.  Not addressing the spare 01V or the bullhorn on the truck, please share a few of the things that you find it worth your while to cart around every day.  As a mixer whose bulk of experience mixing has been in the documentary/ENG/reality realms, I decided to make a point in 2008 of interspersing my mixing gigs with quite of bit of day-playing as Utility Sound with several very experienced, top-notch mixers.  I’ve learned more than I can say, and the most valuable knowledge had nothing to do with gear.  All the same, part of preparation is equipment-based and that is what I want to focus on here.

My follow cart is divided into:

Microphones

Mounting

Wireless & Lavs

Comteks & IFBs

Test/Measure/Maintain

Batteries

Noise Control

Zeppelins

Audio adapters

My list will ignore all of the major items that every mixer must have and focus on useful extras in these 4 areas.  My goal is to share some of the cool ideas I've gotten along the way and get some more ideas from the group compiled in a hopefully useful thread.

Microphone Mounting:

Flexi-arms (spring clamp with loc-line and 3/8” 16 spud made by PSC)

Bongo ties

Lasso ties--thanks Frank!

Tarp ties

Avenger Super clamp (should get a Cardellini as well)

Bogen Magic arms

Plenty of Velcro (I like 2” and 4”)

8” or so square Lexan plate to mount BLM on—thanks Phil!

Gorilla tape--thanks Phil again!

standard tapes on a tape roll

desk stand or short tripod

gorrillapod with 1/4” to 3/8” adapter for mic mounts

(http://www.joby.com/products/gorillapod/original/)

3/4” plywood about 10” square covered with carpet (think Backstage shelving) with a 3/8” baby pin on a plate in the middle, but I’m thinking a 3/8” receiver might be more useful than the pin.

Wireless & Lavs

The amazing NeoPax (replace all the old school body straps with these as I can afford it)

Foam windscreens from Radio Shack (“Tie-Clip Microphone Windscreen” PN 33-4006 Pkg. of 4 for $2.99 and they fit the COS-11 perfectly)—thanks Oscar!

Scissors

Mole Skin (genuine Dr. Scholl’s is stickiest)

Black moleskin (not as sticky, but useful)

Topstick

Rycote stickies and overcovers

Make-up sponges and Hush Lavs

Transpore and whatever other tape and lav brand-specific mounts

Finger condoms for lavs in water situations (I have mm400, so no transmitter condoms needed)

Craft fur for wind (or the micro-cats or Koala version)

Rubber bands

Cotton

Test/Measure/Maintain:

Multi-meter

Whirlwind Q Box

Cube tap

Ground lift

AC circuit tester

Caig De-Oxit

Fix-a-flat (for tires)

Necessary fuses

Cold heat (or other) soldering iron and solder

Tools

Zip ties

Noise Control:

Snot/butyl/Joe’s Sticky Stuff

WD40

Shoe foam in bulk and scissors

Surgical booties (shoe covers)

Cane tips in various sizes

Carpets in various sizes including

the very useful “apple box carpets”—thanks Andy and Ken

Adhesive felt and pre-cut felt pads in various sizes

Adhesive furniture movers--carpet type in various sizes

Magic sliders

Talc

Bar of soap

Fly swatter

Peanut butter (send with PA to give to barking dog at roll)

Furnace filter stuff (or hogshair) to put in sink to defuse running water—thanks Phil!

Cloth diapers

Foam mouse pad (for setting things down out of frame)

Also wet wipes and a basket of gum and mints on top.

Well, that’s my list to start.

PG

[old school]

Wow. You have lots of gear in your follow cart. I'm afraid to look in mine. We carry our Lavs, and a couple extra Mics. Extra smart slates and a million cross over cables. I try to keep it down as my Euro van is near us most the time and that is where the majority of the stuff is kept. My guess is that when it comes to follow carts, we are all a bit different.

CrewC

[David Waelder]

Wow. That's a very complete rig, Paul. I'm sure you have more supplies in your follow cart than I carry. (And I thought I was well equipped. I think that no longer.)

A couple of things I don't see on your list (but maybe I just missed them):

1. There is a particular type of recessed bumper that can be effectively applied to a spike-heel shoe. The ones I am familiar with are manufactured by Dantona Industries and are available from Russell Industries (http://www.russellind.com/Russell/bumper/main.htm) among other places. Part #2082 works well but it's a good idea to have an assortment of sizes available.

2. I find a mouse pad to be a handy device to drop on a table when actors are setting down glasses and the like. It's non-skid, quiet, and large enough for the actor to "hit" it in the take.

3. The suction mounts available from LSC are also handy for some plant mike situations. I'm not able to use them very often but they are mighty handy sometimes.

4. A burnishing file for cleaning contacts. They're typically about 2 or 3 inches long and slightly flexible. Should be available from any electronics store.

5. Ordinary isopropyl alcohol for cleaning contacts. Reach for it before going for the De-oxit as that tends to leave a residue that attracts dirt and causes further trouble down the line. The alcohol evaporates completely and leaves a clean surface. I recall that Neil Stone would recoil in horror at the thought of using DeOxit. There is a place for it in your kit but use with discretion.

6. Aspirin. (Maybe more important than all the others.)

7. A pipe nail and an extra lighter.

8. I keep an extra Swiss Army knife in my follow cart just in case I lose the one I carry in my pocket.

That about does it for me. The peanut butter suggestion is inspired, by the way.

David Waelder

[Derek H]

Aspirin.  I go with Tylenol (acetaminophen) as I've heard aspirin products are ototoxic and can cause hearing loss in the long term.  I do agree that some kind of pain reliever is an essential item in the aux cart, or run bag. 

[ptalsky]

Paul,

Sorry, I had to laugh when I first saw "noise control" on your list - my first thought was a cattle prod for noisy crew members. (Kidding of course).

I'm no where near as well equiped as you - but I see a couple of things I carry that you don't:

1.  Corn pads for lavs (I get the generics from Target - they're a lot less than the Dr. Scholl's)

2.  Tums and/or some other antacids - for the noisy stomachs on set

3.  Extra Lectro screw drivers (I keep these hidden all over my cart so I always have at least one)

4.  Listerine breath strips - several batches on my cart.  My personal supply in my pocket - I'm not much of a germaphobe but I hate having people use their dirty fingers to take a strip out of mine.

5.  Speaking of germs - Purell type hand sanitizer (for after removing sweaty lavs).  :-)

Phil

[stacysound]

Whew, Paul I'm glad I'm not your Utility Guy ;-)

My follow cart mostly consists of extra sound crew wardrobe and craft service contributions.

Merry Christmas to all.

[Kevin Sorensen]

It's good to carry your own furniture pads.

Space blankets to cover carts. W/handy clamps.

Cordless drill w/hole saw bit ( for

making your own rat-holes for cables).

I prefer velcro ties over zip ties, because they are reusable.

Joes sticky stuff. 3M makes a version of it also, that I've seen at home depot.

Flexable/malleable aluminium solid tubing can work well as boom/mount for lavs. in cars/trucks/small rooms,etc.

Now to figure out how to get rid of crickets and the wild parrots of pasadena. 

KKS.

[Kevin Sorensen]

The Stanley Fat Max is my current follow cart, my main cart is kind of old school and carries a LOT of the main gear. The fat max is

compact and makes excellent use of space. It fits almost perfectly in my Mitubishi Endeavor ( medium SUV.) Its great for day playing and small/ med. projects.

KKS.             

               

[Kevin Sorensen]

Hey Paul, I have some "old school " radio mike belts that are superior to neo-pax bands. This could be a whole other topic.

Anyway, a really good thing to have on hand is some rolls of 3M Coband. It works well for ladies thighs and for calves, ankles, extra large folks and much more. Its the best thing since duct tape!

Also; I think a plastic "can" of 3 in one oil is better to use than WD40, as you are able to put the exactly where you need it and there

is no over spray or fumes.

KKS.

[old school]

Hey Kevin, I like the Fat Max. My follow is an older version of a similar idea and I believe it was made by Stanley but I'm not sure as mine is now covered with a bunch of decals, cut outs, and what not. I need to check it out in person.

CrewC

[RPSharman]

Paul,

I think you've seen this, but here it is again for everyone else.  My follow cart is flat on the back and modified for easier truck/stakebed strapping than a typical Magliner.  It is only 22" wide and 48" long and tall.

Top shelf has battery chargers and also usually has the small Pelican (5xSM + 2x411s) w/ yellow plastic lav case (8 lavs w/ accessories) Velcroed together and Velcroed to the top shelf.  Clipped by the flex mounts is a battery operated LED grill light.  The bag by the handles keeps foot foam and crutch tips and felt pads, etc.  Main shelf is usually clear for working.  It also carries the wireless boom setups, as seen.

Drawers are labled.  "Misc" is tools & lube, gum, pens, etc.  "Wireless Gack" has tapes and wraps and straps of just about every kind.  Comtek drawer houses 14 receivers and headphones.  Larger Pelican (1) holds SM57, RE50, PG58, 2xMKH50, MHK416, CUB-01, mounts for all, one 50 and one 416 softie, and mounting adapters.  Larger Pelican (2) had a divided liner and stuffed full of connectors and short cables.  My other MKH416 lives in the Rycote in the PVC sleeve.  A Rycote for the MKH50 is next on the list, and will go next to the other Zep.

There is one boom pole holder, and my boom stand hooks over the grip clips, so moving is one trip, even with a 2-man crew.

Robert

[Mick]

I like to have several ace bandages which can accomodate lav mics for when actors are wearing t shirts.

[soundtrane]

<<ace bandages>>

Interesting... which ones do you use, i see a whole webpage of them...

-vin

[Mick]

Just the ones you get at Longs or any pharmacy, about four inches wide and a few feet long. They are great for inserting the pita pocket of a Sanken in the folds of the bandage, and very flat and invisible, even under a white t shirt.

[Paul Graff]

Hey Everybody,

I guess I must've missed a bunch of these posts, because I thought this thread hadn't gained much traction.  It's a fun topic and already a font of great, innovative ideas and individualized approaches.  This group is such an awesome resource.  And as the archive grows for us to search as we need specific info it becomes even more useful.  

Well, in the interest of busting myself, I don't often work as a cart-based mixer with a full crew.  I am not (yet) the experienced, cart-based, long-form television mixer that I aspire to be.  Early on I did low-budget stuff with minimal gear and a two-person crew, but for years now the lion's share of work I do is full-budget one-man band work--documentaries, corporate, reality; even some politics, news, and web content.  The way things have been lately, I am just extremely grateful to have work.

I've done a bit of cart-based work recently now that I'm fully equipped, but not much.  I don't have the contacts yet and the market has been tight.  For all of our sakes, I certainly hope the recent contraction of scripted projects will eventually expand again.  This is the kind of work I would love to do and I figure if I put preparation before opportunity, then when opportunities arise I am ready to roll.  In the meantime the carts gather some dust while the ENG rigs work, or on the show I'm on now it all gathers dust (or gets sub-rented) while I use gear from ASG.

Besides, obsessive cart-tweaking is a rewarding pastime in its own right......uhhhhh.....right??!!  It sure seems like everyone is building new carts these days.  And thanks to jwsound.net, we can share ideas and don't all have to reinvent the wheel.

PG

[Kevin Sorensen]

Scott, my thought is that the auto mechanics tool chest is not one of the more practical ways to go for hauling around sound gear.

The weight of that box, along with wheels that are only made to roll on smooth concrete make it a deal (back)breaker for me.

my 2 cents

KKS

[Kevin Sorensen]

You know the pictures of your follow cart appear to have been taken with a very wide angle lens, and it makes it look monstrously

big. I get no idea of its size in relation to objects that I do know the size of. It is probably similar in size to Rubbermaid cart .

I think you have a great job with it. Looks indestructible, but I think the stainless steel will make stand out a little to much. I personally prefer a kind of inconspicuous look.

How do you intend to attach the pneumatic tires ?

KKS

[Kevin Sorensen]

Can't wait to see it, hope you use a 35mm lens this time :-)

[Guest jimg]

I got the tires today and they are 8" casters, I think they are going be taller/bigger than I want. I will take some better photos tomorrow.

Scott,

These were a direct bolt-on fit for my tool chest:

http://www.castercity.com/specific-app-casters/light-duty-pneumatic-casters.htm

The wheels are 6" diameter, and the box is pretty stable. A pair of fixed and a pair of locking swivel casters were about $135 including shipping about 18 months ago.

I'll take a snapshot tomorrow, if you like.

Best regards,

Jim

[Guest BobD]

Here is the Grey Whale.  About 10 years old now and counting.... The front comes off and becomes a table. The top has a 3 1/2 " lip and is carpeted as is the interior of all the drawers. A trash bin...  Flat-free tires, 2 boom pole holders (left side), BIG cable drawer, and the AC Quad box add to the useful cart.

  Heavy, but worth it....  Always some place for it...... Nothing fancy... Forget about lightweight minimalism... That's just not me.

As for the contents, I can't think of anything that is NOT in this cart, or my work van...  That's my goal..

[Kevin Sorensen]

Scott and BobD, Both of your follow carts, are very professional looking and well organized. Seems you are able to get to your gear quickly and have cool working spaces on top. Well done guys.

KKS

[RPSharman]

Bob,

what brand of flat-free tires do you have?  any problems with marking?

Robert

[Guest BobD]

Bob,

what brand of flat-free tires do you have?  any problems with marking?

Robert

They are Marathon Flat-free,  no marking issues.....  You will always at least track the dirt though, but no black marks....

http://www.marathonind.com/

[Guest Ken Mantlo]

Alright, I'll bite.  Why the Lawry's?