John Blankenship

While I'm a gear-head and a geek who loves equipment, my best investment by far is the time spent learning my craft -- and it continues.

You're overthinking it at that point. Any professional receiver will handle the signal from passive shark fins fine provided the transmitters are a reasonable distance away. i.e. Double the distance and you get 1/4th the power. As noted, where you can get into trouble is if signal amplification is added if not needed.

Yes. The one caveat I would offer is that it's good practice to have the batteries fairly well balanced. That means the same type and capacity, amount of charge, etc. Although, when swapping batteries my experience is you can do one and then the other, with no problem. I will add -- proceed at your own risk and don't hold me responsible for anything you try. (Even though I have three different bag systems and a cart working fine this way.)

In keeping with what Bouke said... For anyone who didn't get the memo, Drop Frame time code does NOT drop any frames, it simply counts them differently. A more accurate term would be Skip Count time code.

This is a forum designed by, and for, the people you hire when you want professional sound.

I added the "auto retract" feature from K-Tech. It's a tiny little motor that lives within the right angle bottom piece. When your day is finished, you loosen the collars slightly, then push the recessed button and it does all the rest for you -- the pole finishes retracting, the internal cable is perfectly coiled, there's nothing more to do. For the addition of only 3.2 ounces, it makes wrapping quicker and easier. I understand they're only available for a short period of time, so get yours now!

I have something like eight of the Ambient sets, added to over many years, and don't have issues with jamming, sluggishness, or damaging threads. I find the key is how one uses them. Don't slam them closed but guide them shut, then give a bit more twist to make sure they're fully seated. As far as damaging threads, you don't need to crank the Allen screw very tight -- just enough to secure it. Unless the boom pole threads are extremely soft it shouldn't flatten them enough to be an issue. Mine are on various K-Tek and vDB poles, along with some other mounts such as antennas, etc. If I were to want something different I would also recommend the SGS ones.

Long time Nomad user here and now happy Nova maven. No mirroring issues. My best suggestion is to learn your gear well before you use it or decide it has issues. Throughout my career experience has shown me that all gear, from all manufacturers, exhibits less "bugs" the more familiar I am with it. Funny how that is. Always use recommended cards, and if you experience any card issues, change cards. Manufacturers have been known to alter the firmware in their cards without notice. Always carry spares. A plus of Zaxcom is their responsiveness to user suggestions. That also results in a negative. They've been known to release beta firmware at a frequent rate which users who like to adopt new features delight in. However, many people who shouldn't, also install "the latest firmware," and then complain if they find any bugs, then some non-user "internet experts" talk about those bugs. The purpose of beta firmware is for knowledgeable users to try to find, and report, any bugs or issues. So, if you want a stable system, install known official releases, and if they work well for you, stick with them. The constant quest for every one of the latest gee whiz features can result in less stability -- true also with computers and much of the other equipment we use that is now microprocessor driven.

A local hardware store can cut an acrylic panel to your desired size (they usually carry different thicknesses). Drill four holes and mount it. If you screw the mounting screws in too tight it might crack the panel, so exercise some caution.

Pete mentioned in another thread that he was not doing conversions now due to personal reasons.

I've done it with both an XY orientation, and ORTF (much better stereo effect with not much phasing penalty). Just be prepared for the shorter battery life. A good way to help build a nice compact rig.

Yes, Watts are a measurement of power.

I = E / R and P = I x E I is Current (amps) E is Voltage R is Resistance P is Power Once you learn Ohm's Law and know any two of those four specifications, it's pretty much all you need to know to figure this stuff (and so much more in electronics) out.

Not so much dumb as inexperienced. Look up "Anton Bauer plate." Years ago many, if not most, pro cameras used one to mount the battery and on the side are the screw holes that a receiver cup screws into. These days we need to be prepared with an arsenal of mounting options with the variety of rigs encountered. The cups discussed in this thread are still used on occasion, but not very often for many of us. Hint: Velcro, hanging bags, and Bongo Ties are your friends.

I will echo surprisingly good results, even after a few years, with black Eneloop Pros.

I use both chargers with the NP-L7S and not had any issues with either.

That figure is based upon supplying voltage for a 48v microphone. From Gotham Sound: "4.5 hour run time (w/ 48V phantom power at 50 mW w/o PowerRoll)" Using a lav, the ZMT4 was originally designed to give 6+ hours but has since been improved beyond that.

Hi Jim, happy holiday! I use the Beyer ones. The velour is so much more comfortable than slick vinyl. They fit 7506 Sony, my HFI-680 Ultrasones, and even Remote Audio HN cans. https://www.gothamsound.com/product/dt250-velour-pads

An in-depth article that answers a burning question with a definitive "We don't know."

Definitely use starquad cable (wired properly, of course). Also some tests would be in order to see if there are any issues. If so, you may want to talk to them about matching PVC tubes separated far enough from the others. Prepping an install for a fifteen week gig should include some paid days.

It's a firmware fix. Unfortunately, you didn't mention which firmware you're on.

Vers. 1.99 is the latest firmware for the MRX modules. It was issued to address channel-swapping issues on Nova. See if it helps your situation.

Stick a patch of Mepitac to the person, then tape your mic rig to that. I only use it when I need to tape to hairy skin.

One method is (with wardrobe's cooperation) to open a slit in the seam in the back and thread a B6 inside the seam to the front. This eliminates the need to run tape around the inside and has less chance of it coming loose with movement.

I don't know what they use, but I'd probably just seal the connections in with some of this: https://www.amazon.com/Amazing-GOOP-150011-Plumbing-Adhesive/dp/B0016L0NTU/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&hasWorkingJavascript=1&keywords=goop+plumbing&qid=1620691148&sprefix=goop+pl&sr=8-3