Jump to content

Cart based equipment chain


Tommy Stefanov

Recommended Posts

Hey everybody, my question is if  use separate preamps, AD convertors etc, is better then of all in one! I mean there are good enough and proven mixer/recorders with great pres and ADC. I am asking because I saw a cart with set up like this:

Two Lectrosonics Venue 2 

AD 149 

Metric Halo LIO 8 feeding AES input of Sound devices 788 SDD.

So I'll be glad to know how big the difference is working with set up like this VS working with DEVA or Cantar for example!

Thank you in advance!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It depends on your tolerance for complexity (which adds possible points-of-failure to the system), how rough the gear will be treated (working outdoors in weather, trundling the cart through uneven ground, working off of trucks that drive on bad roads etc) as well as your own sonic prefs.  I would say the trend I see anymore is for simplification--hence the popularity of the 688+CL12 combo or Nomad/Mix8 (and others like them).  In my music etc work I do sometimes go for sep preamps etc, even though it adds a lot of patching to the system, it depends on what is being recorded.   Some of us balance our interest in high fidelity recording with the knowledge that modern movie sets are high-ambient-noise environments, often, and our tracks will get much worked-over in post, so "excellent" sonics that can be deployed fast and compactly and are very "combat-ready" work better than "superb" sonics that are more fragile, slower, and require more attention and space.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've also had a really good look at the metric halo lio-8 for similar reasons but at another point in the signal chain- I've found there's a noticeable difference in noise floor using the converters on my wisycom mcr42 receivers, so would be looking at splitting their signal in the lio-8 running analogue outs to the ad149 and staying digital to run to the recorder isos.

I haven't bought an lio-8 yet (and found it's surprisingly big, it won't fit my current cart) and would prefer a control surface.

It does offer an advantage too of being able to run playback, secondary recording and processing (i.e. Isotope for reference) as an interface

Link to comment
Share on other sites

KISS is the key for a location rig.  It will break down, even the simplest rig, and thew last thing you want in a work day is the 1st AD pacing around behind your cart asking how long you think it will be before you are ready to roll. . . 

over and over again.

The "big boys" who run complicated carts have backups for everything including spare mixers and recorders, cart power supplies, looms, RF receiver racks, redundant cables of every type, and "fix-a-flat" for their cart tires.  They fill up whole 24' trailers with their stuff.  If anything breaks, they just send the utility to the trailer for the replacement and to box up the broken piece to FedEx to the shop for repair.  They can't be down for a minute.  For most of us, the most bomb-proof the better.

D.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Keep it simple.  It has always been my way of doing things.  Less cables, AES, Blah blah.  It's OK to think about fidelity.  We all do.  But someone made great point about field work.  It's field work.  I am working on REIGN Season 4.  It can be dusty, dirty, muddy, Raining, Snowing..  I use Tommy's setup above.  I have a second 788t for backup. I plan on getting the Cantar-X3.  I own an X1.  For me I like having a dedicated machine.  It's designed for our purpose, and for what it's worth, I like that piece of mind.  My work for a long time was Documentary. I would be in the middle of nowhere in Africa.  If I can't roll, big trouble.

 

I know a few guys who run a laptop setup, and it's fine for them.  I'm just not comfortable with it. It is preference.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...