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cjh

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Everything posted by cjh

  1. I'm trying to find a power dsitro unit similar to the above PSC unit but one that will float charge L-ion camera batts which charge at about 17V (not 12.8v as the PSC unit does). Anyone know if anything that will do that for a reasonable cost...? Regards, Chris.
  2. Hi Alex, I've used the TRX900LT/H units in both full drama and run n gun doco bag mode for the last year or so, basically they are not as robust as the lectro units but they're still pretty good and along with the added functionality of them I would still buy them over anything else. Issues I've had are one Tx stopped working after being in the small of somebodies back on a hot day and it got contaminated by sweat and condensation, worked fine again after a dry our o/night and haven't had the problem happen again now I am aware of it (it was quite an extreme case) and I have a few dead pixels (black) on one of the LCD screens on both a TRX and a QRX. In cart mode and running off a good antenna system I get very good range, in bag mode when used with a multiplexer range is ok, if in clear line of sight it can be very good but it does suffer from line of sight interference more than the analogue lectros, but this is by far balanced out with the zax units having the rec ability which means you can get great audio when you're miles away. Scanning for the clearest freqs in each new location you go to is a great help in getting the best range. And agree with Micheal re the stock belt clips, they are very tight and tricky to slide over a thick belt etc but they are very slimline in their design which is good. Regards, Chris.
  3. +1 I did exactly that, good vision for me but for anyone standing around behind me it looks shite. was an accidental discovery but useful in this case. The blackmagic duo's are only HD-SDI, no standard def or HDMI but I can't remember when I last worked on a set that couldn't provide HD-SDI feeds. I like the clearer image also, easier to spot shadows and not so well hidden lav mics etc. I do have a big fat dual bnc and audio cable that links me and the vid village though so the set up is by no means perfect, wireless would be choice but it needs to be well thought out as there is a heap of wireless hoo haa on sets these days and what works well in the shed may well prove to be problematic once on set. Cables are a pain but they are reliable, simple and cheap which aint a bad start. c. C.
  4. when playing back (or recording) you can PFL/Solo any track by touching the corresponding track on the touch screen (on fusion at least, presume same with Deva). You can do this with or with a mix 12 attached. Works a treat. C.
  5. yep, I currently use this exact set up as my hop on doco jobs, works perfectly. I have a LMa mounted to each shoulder of my harness and power them off my bag battery so once set I pretty much forget about them. Range has never been a problem + I always rec a back up just in case. C.
  6. Very sad sound day in NZ today :-( RIP Mike.... http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8132130/Oscar-winning-sound-editor-drowns
  7. I used the areitec rig until I got my TRX742, it's a great rig and had no problems with it, quality of audio was to my ear no different to a cable. I actually think the areitec system might be a little lighter than the 742, it's a bit more fiddly but not much. My boom uses it on the mic end of the pole unless long swing time or length when its cabled to a a belt pouch, never rigged it on the end of the boom as don't use internal cabled booms here either. Regards, Chris.
  8. yep I've had one for about 6 weeks, just finished a fairly intense feature shoot with it, lots of hand held and running about, used it for the primary boom. It's good but is a little heavier than the lectro plug on, quite thirsty on batts, (3 lithiums last about 5 hrs) and where the micro SD card goes needs redesigning (very easy for the card to get knocked and pop out). I've used mine fine with a cmit5U mounted in a cinela mount and then an ambient XLR adapter so it sits nicely at the top of the boom just below the mic. My boom op used it on a cable for most stuff because of the weight (we did very long takes, rolled out mags etc) but put it on the boom for the really frenetic stuff. The stereo cone option sounds good to use for a bag Tx for a cam link, have you tried that Jan? And as Jan said, once you start using zax Tx's for your RM's you kinda want to be able to have the same options with your boom (being able to playback takes for re-mixes, have a sep back rec track on the Tx etc). I did a few scenes where the cast fekked off in boats and on bikes etc, very organic and fast moving, no way to chase them etc, I just put the Tx's into rec and said see ya! Didn't really do it with the boom but could do with the 742, especially if using the extended dynamic range function, low levels still very useable and lots of headroom etc. Zaxcom & Zaxnet opens up a lot of new possibilities but does increase your work load / workflow managing the extra files and getting it all to work. I'm still learning how to get the best out of it but well worth it in my opinion. Overall the TRX742 is a great unit to have in the kit, sounds like a cable. Cheers, Chris.
  9. Hi all, I have a shoot coming up where I will ideally need a few more white lav mics than I have, anyone tried painting or colouring the top 6 inches or so of a lav mic..? I know you can get different colour caps for some (B6, DPA etc) but there is not the time or $ to go down that path. Anyone tried paint mixed with latex? This was an art dept trick I saw once when they had to remove the paint off a few props after the shoot, if you get the mix right it looks like normal paint but is more flexible and peels off easily. A long shot I know but any other ideas out there? (not holding my breath on this one :-) Cheers, Chris.
  10. My cart is built around standard SKB cases (no shock protection versions). I have successfully shipped and flown/choppered it many times and leave most of the equipment inside. Before it flies I remove loose cables and accessories which isn't much and fill all empty space with those air filled plastic packaging balloons or blocks of foam then seal the covers with tape. The chassis of the cart splits in 2 also so can be shipped without much hassle, or I just travel the SKB case and set it up on a dodgey stretcher, works well, especially on uneven terrain.
  11. Great pic, thanks Brian, Martin & Jackson, looking forward to series 3. Hats off and shoes on to you!
  12. cjh

    easyrig bag system

    Doh! on second thought, it would be shite for booming and if you dont need to boom then you may as well sit down at the cart!
  13. cjh

    easyrig bag system

    Could work well, especially for the antenna, you'd just have to be cool with looking pretty weird... I am building a drama bag system at the mo and have access to an easyrig, might look into it.
  14. cjh

    Zaxcom- MAXX

    Wow indeed, another Zaxcom triumph no doubt. Lectrosonics and Sound Devices need to merge if they are to keep up.
  15. This kind of situation is always tricky and never ideal, it is a good example of where a zaxcom Tx system with remotely adjustable Tx preamp helps alot, When this is likely to happen I set my rec level on the Tx a good 5 or 10 dB lower and then bring up the trim on my Fusion for the ISO and mix level and I also ride my mix fader a bit hotter. Doing these things basically gives me a 3 stage rec level, so say my mix level went over, then my ISO would be around 6dB lower and the Tx rec would be at around 12 to 15 dB lower. As the system is all digital there is less to worry about regarding signal to noise regarding Tx modulation (as I far as I understand) It all sounds good to me! Also about to get the new zaxcom plug on Tx for my main wireless boom, this has a system called "never clip" and supposedly can handle about 130 dB of signal. Other than that it's either a boom or 2 Tx's as suggested above, I've also rigged 2 mic's onto one boom before to cover the same kind of thing, worked well but a bit fiddly. Bascially you can only do what the situation dictates and your gear is cabable of, once you're at those limits it's up to the dir/actor to help sort it or it goes to post. In these stituations also a good limiter is invaluable and will save a lot of the loud stuff. Andy B has a good point in watching the actor during the shot as after a few takes you should get used to a few body langauge signs or dialogue cues that indicate they're about to crank it. Good luck - you need a bit of that too!
  16. I love this photo so much so that I've put it on my website! James if that is a bad call for any reason let me know and I'll remove immeadiately, you and Trini are credited for it. Regards, Chris. www.thesounddepartment.com
  17. Ok, for those interested, I heard back from Glenn and the answer is yes they can power active antennas but need to be mod'd to do so. He said the mod was pretty simple so should be able to be done via your local agent. regards, Chris.
  18. I think I read somewhere it does have that option but cannot find any info about it online... Thanks, Chris.
  19. Great photos Brian, some great history right there! C.
  20. If you do want the immediate onset freq sweep option to set notch filters then this is where a Fusion/Deva + Mix 12 combo is ideal. The jog wheel on the mix 12 enables you to do this at whatever speed you want over the entire freq range while listening in real time. I have tried it a few times as an experiment and it works well, don't use it much on the bigger jobs as stated above because post will be able to do a much better job, it will be good on lower budget stuff with minimal post. The only thing I don't like with the zax eq system is that the EQ is on the pre fade iso tracks, would be good to have the option of the EQ on the mix track only and have the ISO's with no EQ. C.
  21. FYI - Tony above is the MU mixer on the hobbit, I'm 2nd unit. One other thing that I think helps is a lower ambient studio temp than we used to get because all the studio space lights have been replaced with image 80's which output no heat. Hairdryer effect during rehearsals is definitely painfull, this is where you really need an assist to have an open ear onset once you turnover so they can hunt down noises so when you do eventually cut you have a chance of sorting some of them quickly. I couldn't think of a worse camera for long interviews in a warm room though...
  22. Thanks for the kind thoughts and same to you. Regards, Father of 4 + 1 dog, cat ran away when we moved house :-(
  23. They look like senn mkh60's to me, I have one with it's original pop shield in a similar older style rycote rig, looks exactly the same. Nice video though, I like the puffed out stedicam op at the end, those 3D rigs are heavy. nice work all round.
  24. ...or that there are multiple booms rigged to lamp posts for the length of the shot...
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