JamesDemer

On the reality side of Survivor USA there are no lavs. Everything is boomed with an MKH70 on a long pole. This gives us the ability to capture dialogue and never have to interact with the contestants. It's physically demanding but works well. Everything you see that is at a Tribe Camp is boom only.

I am loving this post! Thanks for all who added interesting ideas and concepts. As I mentioned to John Gooch, We are about to introduce a new DemerBox model that has volume control on the front keypad. Although it will be stepped (unlike a pot) it will stick out at all and will interface with our new circuit board. There will also be a real time, always on battery indicator on the keypad. I've included a picture. In addition to the switch stuff, the new DemerBox circuit board will also have digital signal processing (DSP) that will allow us to flatten out the dips in the dynamic response at higher frequencies. I'm really excited about this. DB 2018 Switch Plate.pdf

I've used the DPA 5100 in a few exotic locations with phenomenal results. Its so sensitive you can't stand to closely or you'll hear yourself breathing. It works well in very humid conditions and I've had Schoeps mics fail in humidity. http://www.dpamicrophones.com/en/products.aspx?c=item&category=117&item=24312

I just did this mod on 2 G2 transmitters and 2 G2 receivers. It was pretty easy though I haven't tested them yet. I decided to leave the battery doors on and it worked just fine. Take your time and don't lose the little rubber side bumpers and you'll be ok if you try this one yourself.

This is the mod needed to make the Stingray perfect! Nice work.

I've built a number of these for myself and crew members over the years. Its a great idea and fantastic that someone has commercialized it!

I have boompoles set up for internal, external and flow through. Each has its own best use for me. For instance, when I'm traveling to many different countries to do current event/news stories I prefer a very short externally cabled boom. It fits in the lid of a Pelican 1510 (when I take the end cap off) and I carry a spare xlr in case of damage or loss. I also work on a show that requires its audio guys to be in extreme outside environments, such as standing in the pouring rain for days on end, or running through the jungle and then standing in waist deep water. I tried to use an internally coiled pole on this show but, without fail and no matter how hard I take preventive measures, the internal connection where the coiled cable meets the pole's xlr gets wet and fails. Externally cabled poles fail less in extreme environments. That is my experience. Cable management is an issue however. There's no silver bullet. When I'm working domestically I'll break out the trusty K-Tek that I've had since the late 90's with an internal cable and side xlr. Its a luxury!

This bag looks great and I love that it stands up by itself. Because its rigid, will it fit into a Pelican 1650? I travel for work almost exclusively and pack my kit into a 1650 rolling case. Its nice to be able to put the bag in the case without too much breakdown of components, so when I arrive at the location I can have dinner and beers with the crew instead of spending hours building up my kit. And because The Senator will give me a hard time for not listing the interior case dimesnions, here they are 28.57" x 17.52" x 10.65" (72.5 x 44.5 x 27 cm)

I just ordered mine and it will be in my hands tomorrow! I've been using my 788/cl-8 on a long term news magazine job for a few months now and while the 788 has been rock solid on many trips around the globe and in tough conditions, its hefty, a battery hog and just too big to comfortably travel with. I'll probably machine down the fader knobs and fabricate my own bag out of Cuben fiber and 1/4" closed cell foam for a custom build up. There's no "perfect" piece of gear but for my needs, this comes really close. Time will tell!

I bought a 3rd party ER-4 cable on Ebay and it has almost no microphonics. I almost always use either Ultimate Ears UE10-Pro IEM's or Starkey Tunz http://www.trytunz.com/musicians.html Starkey is a large hearing aid manufacturer and their IEM's are amazing. I can wear them all day with no fatigue or discomfort, the isolation is superb and the transparent audio quality is spot on. I'll never go back to traditional headphones.

I had the typical antenna breakage problem, including a physical antenna connection failure on the board inside the receiver. I also had some strange power and receive issues that were intermittent and unexplained. Talamas, the company I bought the D4 from, tested my (2nd) unit and were able to repeat the symptoms but couldnt figure out what was causing the problem. Although the D4's are light weight, they are boxy and clunky in a bag or on a camera. The transmitter uses a lot of power and gets very hot as well. I own a lot of Lectrosonics gear and have for years. Both Lectro and Talamas were very professional in the way they handled my situation. I really wanted the D4 to work for me but I lost confidence in it after multiple failures. Although I wont buy another D4 I'll continue to buy Lectrosonics products.

I owned a D4 system and it failed me 3 times. I eventually returned it for a refund after multiple fixes by Lectrosonics. My impression is that it could be a really great system but it is not built for use on a camera. James

I cross country ski all winter and run trails the rest of the year. If I'm in a hotel I always take the stairs and I try to run just a bit when I'm on set. Its a good diversion from work and gives you time to think about your day. I started running 50 and 100 mile trail races about 10 years ago. The fear of getting too heavy keeps me from eating everything on the craft service table so thats a bonus. When I mixed Winters Bone I would run from the set to the hotel occasionally.Its very hilly in the Ozarks so that really kept me fit! I also did a movie (On the Ice) in the arctic circle and had to run on a small "track" I made on the frozen Arctic Ocean. If I strayed from the track there was risk of a polar bear attack.

The HDX900 is not a dinky camera. As an early adopter I'm sharing my experience with my professional peers and the manufacturer. I hope it has been helpful. James

I'm not sure about the male version but I just put together some of the new Neutrik female right angle connectors, part # NC3FRX, and it has 5 orientation choices. Not only that it has no little screws like the old version, is super easy to assemble and is very slender so you can plug them in side by side in tight quarters. Here is the URL for the male which also has 5 positions http://www.markertek.com/Cables-Connectors-Adapters/Audio-Connectors/XLR-Connectors/Neutrik-USA-Inc/NC3MRX.xhtml?NC3MRX-B Good luck! BTW, before this new style came out I modified some straight xlr barrels by getting rid of the whole back section, cutting a notch with a dremel for the cable to exit the shell, then filling the whole thing with hot glue. I used them for a few years before the glue started to separate from the shell.