Alan Gerhardt

I am starting to feel bit more relaxed about this adventure already! Thank you.

Thanks for that chriskellet. I was hoping that they would be accommodating. I use Zaxcom wireless, so no waterproof transmitters! Being in South Africa we do not have access to replacement gear at the drop of a hat.

Just reaching out to anyone who may have been involved in a Johnny Knoxville shoot. I will be doing a feature with him in March, April, May in Cape Town. Reading the script I am concerned with water and beer throwing gags and my wireless mics. Any useful tips will be highly appreciated! Thank you.

I regularly use the Eumels with my 742's and 743's with no problems at all. Great for last minute place mics using CUB 01 in vehicles.

Bingo! Wandering Ear! Problem solved. Always surprised at DIT's lack of technicality. Thank you for your help! Sorry not DIT - VTO!

We are experiencing a considerable picture to sound lag in video village. I am feeding a scratch track to a Sony F55 using an ERX, which then feeds via SDI to the Q Take. Have done this on many occasions with no problem. The Video Operator tells me everything is set up correctly; but I wonder! Any ideas of what setting in Q Take is wrong?

Thanks for responding guys! The observation that it is more like surveillance than a production is spot on. My initial response was that one of the mics we consider professional would cost more than his camera. I did tell him that multiple mics and an automixer could be a solution; but would cost. I think it's just a case of over-enthusiasm brought on through witnessing good quality images from negligible outlay and expecting that to hold true for sound as well. It's wonderful to observe the learning curve experienced by people trying to hear the sound they expected to happen as automatically as their picture did. If all Production Managers had to go and make a dialogue driven movie with a cheap HD camera, they might end up understanding sound equipment budgets........................!!! Ignore that last sentence. I went into a dream...........zzzzzzzzz

Since the advent of cheap HD cameras I would imagine that most people on this board have been approached by the newbie cameramen/producers/directors seeking advice on how they can get good sound! My latest inquiry came from a close friend who conducts leadership development courses. He is busy doing courses with people from the corporate world where he puts them in a Naval Bridge Simulator and films them with his GoPro Hero III+. The students then go to the classroom where he shows them the footage and analyses their reactions in an emergency situation. What he wants to know is "What external microphone can I plug into my GoPro to record audible sound of what the students are saying?" I hate to have to break the news to a very dear and close friend that the situation is not a good one. There can be up to 10 uncontrolled students in an area of approximately 9 square metres talking all over each other. Since the footage from the GoPro is viewed shortly after shooting there isn't the possibility of multiple mics on multiple tracks and a complex mix in post. One also then has to point out to them that what we consider a decent microphone in our world would cost way more than their fancy camera. Naturally they are disappointed by my response and now I find myself wondering whether there may perhaps be a new beast out there that can help these "initiates to the sound world". Any suggestions?

Pat, I wish I had a pin mic! This is the obvious mic to use for this shoot. As for the suggestions to use a B6, I was contemplating this, The chef's apron is dark blue with black stripes, so this could work since my B6 is black. I still feel I am going to get a lot of "on-mic/off-mic" effects with a mic in the middle of the chest. This guys head movements are hectic! Was thinking I should maybe go for the strap that runs from his apron around his neck. Just have to decide whether left or right is the favoured side. Last year I ran boom on track 1 and lav on track 2. Was hoping to lose the boom as we do long takes on two cameras for five days in a row and I am working as a "one-man band"!

I am looking for suggestions on lav placement on a chef wearing an apron and a T-shirt. The shoot is for a series of website demos and recipes for an upcoming "Masterchef" show. I did this last year and the problem I am trying to obviate is the 'on-mic/off-mic' effect of the chef looking at what he is doing and then glancing at the camera for the occasional phrase. We will be shooting with two cameras - wide and tight. Conventionally on cooking demos the cut-aways are shot seperately and the chef knows to address the camera more often than the dish he is preparing. Our chef is not a professional presenter; but rather a successful restaurateur. He does not wear a chef's hat and has very short hair. Any suggestions?

I have just upgraded my Nomad 8 to Nomad 12 and also updated to v4.00 So far I have discovered two anomalies: 1 - In the FALSE START menu I am now asked to "PRESS SLT to DELETE" rather than the previous "Press * to delete" This function however does not work! Anyone else experiencing this? 2 - In ENG SETUP > LCD BRIGHTNESS I find that the screen increases in brightness only as far as value '5', whereas the scale goes all the way up to '11' without any further increase in the brightness. Does one have to have a new screen fitted to experience the full range of brightness?

I have found a phenomenon on my Nomad running v3.07 and don't know whether this is normal as the machine has only been in my possession for about 10 days and whilst familiarising myself with it, I upgraded to v3.07. This is what happens: 1) Press "Menu" button 2) Scroll down to "Mode" and press menu button 3) Scroll down to "Input Configure" and press menu button 4) Press "Back" button and you are not taken back to the "Mode" menu; but to the "Zaxnet Setup" menu This only happens when backing out of "Input Configure" and not in any of the other sub-menus in "Mode" Do other Nomad users experience this? I have emailed Howy at Zaxcom about this phenomenon Alan Gerhardt

Sorry Dan! You are right. The Piano is 1.4x the price of the Rycote whilst the Zephyx is 1.65x the price of the Rycote here in South Africa. Didn't realise they were so close in price. Going the Cinela route is definitely worth the extra spend!

I got my Piano Windshield about two weeks ago and so far have been pleased with the results. The construction is however not as sturdy as the Zephyx and some of the cage contact points are slightly out of alignment. Doesn't seem to affect performance in the limited number of tests I have done, though. Decided to compare the Piano to my Rycote modular zeppelin. I took two of my older mics to have a matching pair [sennheiser MKH416T's] and mounted them on a stereo bar on an old Panamic aluminium boompole. Sound Devices 744T: Channel 1 - 416; Piano with cloth cover and Storm fur. Channel 2 - 416; Rycote with sock and Windjammer. Flat frequency response on recorder in order to be more susceptible to wind noise and rumble. End result was that the Rycote picked up wind and rumble before the Piano in gusty moments. I used four mic positions: 1) Pointing into wind; 2) Wind from left side hitting Piano first; 3) Wind from behind; 4) Wind from right side hitting Rycote first. I was happy to confirm that the Piano outperformed the Rycote and so it should have at almost twice the price!

Are there pouches or cases that one can use to house the Zaxcom ERX1 units? I previously used Comtek and then Lectrosonics IFB's for which there were great pouches with belt clips. I would like something that can be clipped to a belt if available