Alan A

Hello everyone, I was looking for anyone that needed a helping hand on any jobs, I'll help out with anything just to get experience and a little extra cash (student) I desperately need some cash to pay bills and such and working at Mcdonald's is not gonna cut it. But seeing as Im not in the union I can't work on any of those, unless someone knows a thing or two about it I would love the help. And also I was reading in the Coffey Files the other day and I read that you can accumulate hours for the union by working at a sound rental house. Is this true? and if so how many hours? Or what would some of you suggest, I want to get into it asap, if that means working at the lowest part of the totem pole than so be it, I want to be a production sound mixer, and I feel working along side one is my best ticket. If anyone knows someone or themselves that could use some help Please contact me, or if anyone has some tips for me, Im open to any suggestions atantekeier@gmail.com Thanks! Alan A.

Thanks a lot guys, I thought about the whole theft thing but wanted to ask people who have done it. Ill let you guys know if I have anyother questions. Thanks again.

Hey guys, soon I'm going to be traveling to europe with my sound equipment, its one case, pelican 1620 case and the weight is within regulations, also with tsa approved locks. My question is would it be fine to check it in with all my other luggage? Or is there any other recomendations, its a private travel, not on a company budget. I just want it to be safe, or if there is anything special I have to do to make sure its fine. I know already about the batteries, to take the out. Thanks guys.

@Nicole, as of yet the only for sure thing is the cantar. @studiomprd, I would love to start off doing some sound utility if anyone needs one I will work for cheap!! But as i am not in the union and am just starting out its not easy to get on them, I am just starting out and love all the help i am getting, I can take constructive criticism so it helps. Thanks.

Sorry guys if I wasnt spacific enough. Ill try to answer all your questions on it. The shoot is early March, 2010, My budget is what ever i need to get the job done. (its not a big job so shouldn't need too much) I do have a script, they dont have a shooting schedule on paper yet but they have been talking to me about it so i pretty much know it. There is a good amount of dialogue, at most 3 people talking on screen at one time. theres only one camera, no TC, shooting digital. I have been mixing for almost 2 years, but not professionally. I know HOW to mix but i lack the knowledge of all the hardcore equipment and their names. And if anyone is willing to help it would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Hey guys, I had a question for anyone willing to listen, Im working on a shoot and im getting a whole sound package, Im recording with the Aaton Cantar but wanted to ask you guys what other equipment I should get, as of mixer, lavs, boom mics, The shoot is an action shoot, lots of speaking scenes taking place inside a video store, the store is quite small but with shelves and such all around. But Im making the list of what I will need and wanted some input on what you guys feel would best suit my situation. And also Im going to be sending out a sound feedl to the director, co-director, and scripty, any tips on what to use for that? (Im kinda new to the whole thing so bare with me please) Thanks guys!

Ya I have been doing the pig tail thing for a while but the quality drops a lot and wanted a better quality supply to the director, I have the foldback cable, it goes to xlr male output, and i have a couple RF transmitters and receivers, but because the foldback cable is MALE and my RF transmitter cable is MALE as well can I get a xlr female to xlr female connection to wire them together and give the receiver to the director? And also would it be a better quality than doing the whole pigtail thing with the 1/4 jack?

Hey all, I had another question about the Canter, this may seam like an amateur question but what would be the easiest (and wallet friendly) way to send a signal out to the director, for the moment. I want to send a signal I am hearing out to the director, and I don't have a mixer yet so its just the cantar X2, so what would I need to get besides the high cost lectros, or an easy temp set up that will work for now?

I used the Iphone for a while, After using it for a couple months I was very unhappy with it, and willfully switched over to the G1, does everything the Iphone does, a little bigger, and best of all, its open source and many apps that are made for the Iphone are already on the g1 as well, and the future for the phone seams very bright. Its a first gen phone yet I feel anyways it is better than apples 2nd gen Iphone. Maybe the 3rd will be a bit better. dont get me wrong I love everything else apple puts out.

Hey Matt, I have never mixed a laugh track before but I did have a buddy if mine that was premiering a movie of his and he wanted me to record the sound of laughter of the audience it was in a good sized theater, I used the Aaton Cantar x-2 with 2 sennheiser mics, around the front facing the audience, I made sure the stands were not near any of the theaters mics, The mics obviously did pick up the noise from the movie but when the audience laughed you could not hear the movie over their laughter so it was easy enough in post to simply cut before and after the audience laughs out. Worked well enough.

Wow, must have been a great time! Not much people can say for their job they go to beautiful locations and get paid! Great pics.

Hey Brent, how is the cantarem? Im looking to get that myself for my cantar.

Ya I was looking at the mixer panel for the cantar, any one know a price? Been looking but can't find a price. Thanks

Hey all, I had a question, Im looking into a new mixer. But having trouble deciding which one, I heard that a good starting mixer is a mackie I was looking at some of those mixers but wanted some advice of which one to get. Im using the Aaton Cantar x2 I want at least 8 channels but need help picking one. I have a pretty low budget, just starting out doing indy stuff and student productions. I am going to upgrade later on to a much better one just looking for a cheap mixer that will suffice. Thanks, Alan

Thanks Scott, That cheat sheet will help a lot!

Thanks Dave and graham! That helps a lot, I was a bit confused by them at first, but it makes sense now. I will still have to get a crash course on the Cantar, I fear It would probably take me years to self learn all the possibilities of this machine. If anyone has worked with the Cantar or still is, I would love any tips or tricks with it. Alan

Thanks for the link David, sadly its true, the 7500$ price tag is a bit much at the moment, but it will help me with some ideas for my own, and you never can tell the future. But I think I am going to go with the Multicart with the top shelf, I have seen a couple pictures of mixers sound carts made out of those and they are pretty much exactly what I need/want, They can fold down, I can put drawers on it, I can add on to it. Can hold my 1620 case on the bottom. And room for more goodies! over all I feel its a great starting point for me at least. Thanks for all the great info guys! It is much appreciated! See you all on set!

I have a question about the Aaton Cantar X2, I know a lot of mixers use it so figured would be a good place to ask questions, I have been using the Cantar for a couple months now, and love it. Its a great machine, but very complicated to use. I know its probably not the best recorder to first start out with but I like a challenge. My question is, the mixer faders on the top of the Cantar, do I have to assign the tracks or mics to those faders? Or am I just crazy and they are there for a different reason? And yes I have read the manual but translated from french to english it makes 0 sense. I had to get a friend of mine that speaks french to read the french version to learn how to format the HDD. But I think im doing pretty well as of now, I figured out most of the Cantar on my own. Just little things like that mixer faders. So if anyone could give me some tips on it it would be great! Alan

Thanks for all the tips guys, About the noise canceling HP, it makes more sense now that I think about it, Ill have to go pick up some good ones. And I was thinking to myself, would it be better for me to buy someones used sound cart, rather than build my own when I know not too much about it? Then later on when Im doing more build my own? And if so, is anyone selling any used carts they are not using anymore?

hah ya thats a lot of stuff I don't have. yet, but are the noise canceling head phones no good? they seam to work pretty good on a noisy set, so I can hear only what's coming through the cantar, not the outside noise. But Im interested to know what's good and what's not. And to Old School, Thanks for the info, Ill have to try to get into some boom op work. I dont know too much about that high profile productions, but do you need a good resume to get onto big productions? Any info will help. And to Jeff, thanks for the pic gallery, It will help a ton when building my rig. Im also looking for a mixer, but don't have a hugh budget (being a college student, and buying a Aaton cantar, but I love it so worth every penny.) so any mixer suggestions?

Fortunately for me, I got to spend some time on the set of My Boys with the production sound mixer, not alot of time but I did learn more then I had already known, and I want to do some boom oping for big productions I think it would be a great way to network, and learn. I have done some boom oping before on lower end shoots then moved to mixing because that's what I like more, (I know how it is to have a crappy boom op, so in a way working as a mixer with crappy boom op's makes me a better boom op) but I would love to just watch a mixer on a big production, I kind of know how it goes but there are the little things that I still need/want to know. tips and tricks kind of thing I an going to Columbia College Hollywood, small film school and no production sound program. But that's what I want to do, don't know why I love it so much, but I do.

I actually came upon a website that was selling those hand truck sound carts, pre assembled as sound carts, for about 350-400$, I was thinking about getting one of those, but then I thought would there be room for addons on that? Mostly because I know that I'm going to get it, then instantly think of something else to add to it. Plus building something my self is much more gratifying, but any ideas on a cost difference? I mean for a bare bones cart, couple shelves, wheels, and maybe a drawer. big enough on the bottom to fit that 1620 pelican and room for addons later, small ones.

Hello everyone, Im a film student, and I am getting into production sound mixing. I have worked on tons of shoots (indy mostly) as a sound mixer and love it! But I don't yet have a sound cart, I am thinking of building one but don't know of any good places to get the materials except 80/20 but would like input on designs, A couple things I had in mind for the cart, I want to be able to tuck my Pelican 1620 case on the cart, (somewhere on the bottom) I just want a cart that's simple and sweet, a couple shelves and maybe a drawer. I also need it to be able to collapse, to fit in my little car ( or small enough to fit) Here is my setup. Aaton Cantar X2 (no mixer board yet but coming soon) 2 Sennheiser mkh shotguns 2 Sennheiser Lav mics 2 50' XLR 2 25' XLR 1 duplex 2 Rycote windscreen kits 1 Mini laptop ( for Tarkan and Majax) 2 Bose noise canceling headphones Its a pretty small setup at the moment, but I'm just getting started so I'm going to be improving much more as I go along. But if anyone has any tips about building a good rig I would love the input. Thanks all!