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Thomas Farmer

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Everything posted by Thomas Farmer

  1. So this actually started happening a month or two back but haven't had to time to look into it, I have been forced to run with my back-up setup in the meantime. Started having weird dropouts while on shoots, seemingly on my boom channel a lot. I had just gotten a new MKH50 and was worried something was defective but soon it started happening on my other channels as well with my lavs and even Line-In channels. Levels and sound would be coming in as normal and then randomly... just nothing. No sound, no levels, no signal. And no sort of problem solving would ever get the input back either. Re-stabbing the XLR ports, power cycling the mixer or the RXs and TXs, re-stabbing the boom, switching mics, switching cables, and even updating firmware. Tried everything. It got to the point where I was holding up the filming schedule on set because my gear just straight up wasn't working and I didn't know what to do. Even ruined a few takes because it would happen in the middle of recording. I chalked it up to frequency issues on set just so I didn't look completely lost to the crew around me, but I obviously knew it wasn't that. Each time this happens, it consists of me helplessly troubleshooting until after a few minutes, it just starts working again. For the past 1-2 months since, I have exclusively been using my MixPre 6 for shoots, all with the exact same surrounding kit. No issues. So it's gotta be something with my MixPre 10 II. My inputs are just straight up getting dropped. I left the mixer on yesterday with just my boom plugged in and just watched it for awhile. After about 35 minutes, the signal went dead, then returned a few minutes later and acted normal. No idea what is causing this. I have contacted Sound Devices but I wanted to throw this issue here. Has anybody heard or experienced something like this before? Anything I might've done unintentionally to fry the amps in the mixer or something? I'm at a loss.
  2. Thanks for all the input guys. I actually just figured it out with a lot of digging and experimenting. But to address some of y'alls comments, Audition doesn't directly support AAF or EDL imports. I tried going through Premiere first but the same issues were happening in Premiere as well with the audio files. And Resolve doesn't seem to be capable of exporting an OMF. So instead I went right back to Resolve to see if there is a work around. Here's a breakdown of what I did for posterity's sake in case anyone ever comes across this in need. 1. Select audio file in Resolve timeline (turn Linked selection OFF) 2. Right click -> Conform Lock Enabled - turn this OFF 3. Keeping that timeline audio selected, find the original audio files in your bin and select it there. That way your audio file in the timeline is selected at the same time as the one in your bin. 4. File -> Reconform from Bins. This brings up a window. Unselect "Master" and select Audio. Select any further settings you wish. I just changed it to "Selected Clips" instead of "All Clips". Then press okay. 5. Audio file(s) in timeline should retain their original name. They might get muted/lose their waveform. Simply right click -> Clip Attributes -> Audio and select the proper channels. This is what worked for me. Wasn't as tedious as I thought. I initially did it one clip at a time but ended up selecting every Audio clip in the timeline and then every audio clip in my bins and it worked seamlessly. Though I do think some of the gain adjustments were lost, but that's what I'm transferring to Audition. This was quite a headache to deal with but once I figured out the solution it wasn't too bad to fix. Though perhaps now I need to think about a better syncing workflow at the start to avoid this problem altogether.
  3. Hey guys, I'm exporting an XML from Resolve 17 in order to work on it in Audition 2022. Wondering if I'm doing the right workflow or there is a solution to this. Our editor synced the camera to the audio files via timecode in Resolve. So when he drags and drops the camera footage, the audio comes with it. But the audio in the time also gains the same name as the camera footage. So the audio file "Interview_A_01" is now named "A001C014" etc. So Audition is just reading audio track A001C014 which doesn't exist and shows up as a blank wave form. This is done for every single clip on an already edited 5 minute video. What are my options to remedy this? Thanks Pictures below of the camera/audio file in Resolve and the same file in Audition.
  4. Thanks for all the feedback guys. For now, I'll stick to my guns and just do my best to excel at the type of workflow and gigs I'm currently getting. No use worrying about what I'm not dealing with!
  5. Hello all, I primarily work in other aspects of production. Sound work is just a side gig I do once or twice a month on relatively small/simple corporate, commercial, and the occasional documentary shoots. It is not necessarily a position I market myself as or have ambitions of growth/career within it. But I do enjoy it! I preface all that to ask a question about gear investment. I currently use a basic Mix-Pre 6 rig. I rarely ever have to handle more than 4 mics, usually just 2 or 3. Awhile ago, a sound mixer friend of mine was selling his 633 and offered it to me for an outrageously generous discount, so I took it! I had some basic experience with it and it was just a too good of a deal to pass up. However, it's mostly just been sitting in my gear room unused for months. It is in no way rigged out and I just haven't been motivated to commit financially to rigging the 633 out (pre-amps, power/batteries, wireless systems, etc.) when my current package has been doing just fine. Now, I may have some gigs coming up that will actually require a slightly more robust setup. I rented a Mix-Pre 10ii from a friend recently for a job and it solved all my problems. More inputs without the need for a huge financial commitment. So I am most likely upgrading my package to a MixPre 10 or similar level mixer. I'm currently debating selling the 633 that I have only used once or twice. I love working sound for these type of shoots, but I don't have plans anytime soon to be a sound mixer on a tv show or big film shoots. I understand the necessity of all the top of the line gear and why it's expensive. I guess my question stems from realizing I didn't need the 633 in the first place but I bought it out of excitement in having professional level sound gear. And now the little bit of guilt of leaving it unused and potentially selling it. But even though I don't have plans to be a top of the line sound mixer soon, I'm wondering if it might still be smart to keep top of the line gear like the 633? Even though I'm not a full time sound recordist, I browse these forums very often for insight so thanks for the input and sorry for any rambling!
  6. Thanks for the quick inputs guys. I figured that would be the case but better to ask my potentially obvious/dumb question first then to stress later.
  7. Hey guys, Doing a very small, low stress gig mostly as a favor. Just consists of a single interview setup with two cams. The project is so small that initially the client expectation was to simply run the sound from just a boom into the two cams and record that way. But since I have a recorder I figured might as well add it to smooth things over and be able to record boom and lav and then I can send an out or scratch to the cams. Anyway, this is in the U.S. but the video will be shown in Europe so the cameras are shooting at 25 fps. I have a first series Sound Devices Mix-Pre 6. NOT the Mix-Pre 6 II. We will not have any timecode for this shoot and my recorder does not generate it's own timecode. From what I know, I can't really do anything about the frame rate because of that. So my questions are 1) How much of a problem is it if the cameras record at 25fps and I record as normal on my MixPre 6? Is that audio still easily syncable? 2) If it is a problem, any solutions/work arounds within the current gear? Thanks!
  8. That was the unedited audio from location! Was a small micro-budget doc project that I mixed for. And I am working with RX 7. I'll take your advice and do my best to re-create what you did so I can better learn for myself in the future. Thank you so much!
  9. I've got two different soundbites from a short doc interview. I have attached them to this post. The programs I am using are Adobe Audition for the main edit and then I'll often pull individual pieces into Izotope RX 7. For the first one (TEVIN_366_Fire_Extracted), near the end of the soundbite, he says "...to just go and change my life and that's what I did." As he says "and that's what I did", there is an intense Rustle from the clothing on the lav mic that overwhelms what he's saying. Not sure if this is too far gone or salvageable at all. Then the 2nd one, (TEVIN_366_Nothing_Extracted), when he says "This is nothing.." there is an audible CLICK sound in the background. If I can, I would like to mitigate that as well. Thanks! Feedback and advice is appreciative. I am still doing by best to learn more then just the basics with dialogue editing, so all feedback is welcome. TEVIN_366_Fire Extracted.wav TEVIN_366_Nothing_extracted.wav
  10. Hey guys, testing out some options/techniques for minimizing the amount of rustling and scratching on lav mics from the subjects' clothing. Obviously, I understand nothing can be perfect and there's nothing to really eliminate it 100%. I have some Rycote Undercovers that work fine for sit down interview shoots but as soon as they start moving they don't really do much. Just wondering what people have worked with in their experience! Especially with subjects that may be walking and moving around frequently in documentary type shoots. Thanks!
  11. Thanks for the heads up! I haven't personally used the G4's but just heard mumblings about them. I didn't actually want to get them but thought I would ask anyway (same with G3's, I've run into many problems with them). The Lectrosonics are a dream kit for me but unfortunately just can't snag them at the moment. Which is why I'm looking for the best possible option $1000 or under if I can (such as the AVX's). Not trying to settle for quality, just trying to work within my current limitations.
  12. Hey guys, I've got an upcoming doc shoot in Hong Kong. This will be my first time using wireless mics on a shoot outside the US. Been performing my research and trying to find out as much as I can. Biggest thing I'm worried about are international frequencies (so if anyone has any further resources on this that would help too!). Last thing I wanna do is get caught using a frequency I'm not supposed to. I've got one set of Sony UWP's but I've been thinking about upgrading those for awhile now and I figured this would be a good opportunity to do that. The Sennheiser G3's or G4's seem to be the most common pick. But I have also been seriously considering the Sennheiser AVX's and so far leaning more towards them. The shoot would require 2 subjects to be mic'd a most times and follow them through city areas. Just wanted to throw out the question! Relatively new-ish to location sound mixing (2-3 years on/off from producing, 1 year taking it more seriously though) so I've been posting to these forums more recently because of everybody's great advice and experience. Thanks!
  13. Once again, thanks to everyone for their input. I'm going through all the replies and opinions and referencing with proper research. To address certain concerns that have come up, I mentioned in the original post that my current budget was more or less $1000 but I also said that I am willing to be flexible depending on the options. I understand and respect the importance of quality audio along with video, that was why I asked you guys in the first place! To make sure I was still doing the best that I could within my certain circumstance. I am not trying to say I'm unwilling to spend more money, just at the current moment, $1000 is an easy amount for me to set aside. I am also looking at this situation as an opportunity to research and get more of an idea of a possible heavy duty audio recorder I may invest in later this year. In terms of "importance of this project", it's nothing huge or amazing, but it's no Youtube internet vlog thing either. I am taking the audio seriously, again that's why I came to ask you guys. I've gotten a good idea on where I want to go from here. And while I'm here, a semi-unrelated question if you guys don't mind. Many of you mentioned the MixPre 3, I am actually testing one out right now for a different upcoming shoot! I like it alot. However, I have been having issues with powering it through AA batteries. I don't necessarily plan to use them long term but for short bursts I can just whip on the sled with some AA Lithium batts on. However, I am getting absolutely NO power from the sled whatsoever. I've tried multiple batteries, all have charge, I've cleaned the sled and dock, etc. I've just been using different power sources. Any idea what may be happening? The MixPre3 is something I have been considering buying because of this post but I'm not sure what this issue I'm having is. Hopefully it's just me doing something dumb and not an issue with the sled itself. Thanks!
  14. Thanks everyone for the replies! They've been very useful. I've also been discussing the topic with local sound ops that I know. I have been debating diving into the MixPre 3 series for awhile now and I think it would greatly help improve sound with this rig. I'll be doing some research and tests of course over the next couple weeks to figure out what would be the best options. Thanks!
  15. Gearing up for a couple small documentary shoots coming next year. Looking to stay relatively compact and simple. I'll be switching from shotgun mic on rig to lav going into recorder depending on interviews, soundbites, etc. in the environment. I'll be shooting with a Sony A7III. Currently looking at this CAMVATE Camera Cage or this CAMVATE Adjustable Cage. I was planning on buying additional cold shoe adapters and rods for the cage to give me some freedom in applying more gear. My hope is to attach everything I need to this rig if feasible. Mic/recorder/lav receiver etc. For sound, I have an NTG2 rode mic but am open to purchasing smaller, and/or better options for the run/gun style rig. For lavs, I have one set of Sony UWPs. Biggest question is external recorder. A coworker of mine recommended this Beachtek DXA Micro Pro Plus Adapter and it would feed directly into my A7III. So I could run my shotgun and/or lavs into it. I've also just been recommended the Sony XLR-K2M XLR Adapter with Microphone. This is more pricey than I expected for an adapter but if it's worth it than I'm willing to dull it out. Though personally I'm not sure I want to run sound into the camera. I'd feel safer and more confident about it running into a dedicated sound recorder instead of just through a pre-amp (but I am open to the possibilities!) A friend of mine owns a Zoom H4N that I could borrow/rent. I'm not personally a fan of it as I think it's a little clunky. But if it's a good fit for something like this I'm open to it. But a preferably small audio recorder with at least two inputs (for shotgun and lav) that could realistically be attached to the camera cage is something I'm looking for. So all together, a camera cage rig with a shotgun mic, audio recorder, and lav receiver that is still reasonably compact for run-and-gun style shooting. Open to different options. No real budget in mind, am willing to buy what I need. Though at the time I'm not looking to spend more than $1000 currently. Would love insight/recommendations on building the rig. If anyone's got experience with a similar rig or if I need to completely rethink my approach! Thanks!
  16. Hey guys, if this is the wrong place then let me know. I saw that there was a Zoom F8N discussion but wanted to be more specific here. On the Zoom F8N, I set my trim to my desired amount, then use the knob on my tracks for Fading the levels. It all works and sounds fine while I am recording the levels. But once I playback, it only plays the file at my set trim level. None of the fader controls were recorded even though I could hear them while recording. I have tried this in all three recording modes (Trim, Fader, and Mixer) and they all result in the same outcome. I took the SD cards out and played them back in my computer and the issue is still there. It seems like it only records the Pre-Fade audio files instead of the Post-Fade files with my fader levels. This happens on all recorder settings and each input. If there is anything I am doing wrong then please let me know. I am incredibly open to advice and questions, just trying to figure it out. I have experience on other Sound Devices recorders and I am somewhat new to the Zoom F8N recorders. Part of me feels like there is something obvious that I am missing. Thanks!
  17. Hi there, I am pretty new to both post sound and Pro Tools software with pretty low-level/amateur knowledge of both. I have a film that has been edited in the latest version of Premiere with all the linked audio files attached. I tried to export both an OMF and an AAF however I can not get everything to transfer over correctly. This link provides what I am experiencing. Scroll down to Issue 4: "When an AAF links to source media, Premiere points to multi-channel audio files, which Pro Tools doesn’t support." Everything transfers over in sync and in the correct placements, but nothing is linked, all the clips are blank, and I am not able to re-link any of the offline files. https://www.proaudiogirl.com/common-audio-issues-with-premiere/ It doesn't exactly provide a solution though. Or at least not that I have figured out. For additional info, I am on Windows 10, the audio files in the Premiere export are all polywav, and I am on Pro Tools 12. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
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