soundmanjohn

Looking OK from here... John

Hello from an Old Bristolian: born and educated there (Bristol Grammar School & Bristol Old Vic Theatre School) and still an occasional visitor as one of my brothers still lives there. I lived most of my life in St. Andrews, then moved to Cotham, then Redland and finally Clifton Wood, before fleeing to the Big Smoke, where I've been since 1978. If there's anything specific you want to know about property, I can ask Geoff, who'll probably be able to help. Schools my siblings attended: Geoff (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1129010/) went to Cotham Grammar, David (http://www.dancebooks.co.uk/) went to QEH (and warned my parents off it when I got a scholarship there) and Jean went to Fairfield Grammar; the same school as Cary Grant, only much later and she wasn't expelled, like he was. We all turned out pretty well, with a strong interest in the arts, as you can see. (My sister went the family-raising route and is now enjoying an unencumbered retirement.) Anyway, m'dear, if there's anything I can help with, like the krek waiters peak Bristle, for instance, just you tell I all about it and I'll tell 'ee what thees can do. Regards, John Attached is a little ditty based on Bristol's proud motto, Virtute & Industria. Virtute et Industrial _ Frollicks _ Village Thing.mp3

I think you have us beat both with WWN and Fox News, but I sense this is all going a bit off topic and I apologise for derailing the thread with an irrelevant rant. Back on topic, you can check out the theme parks here: http://choose-almeria.com/attractions-mini-hollywood.php Best wishes, John

Yes, the pictures were very nice, but they're of a working theme park/film studio called Fort Bravo in Spain and not what the article purports. Regardless of how useful you find their web site, I'm afraid that it doesn't alter my opinion that the Mail is a sleazy, lazy, sensationalist rag. All the best, John

Nice pictures, but like most of the cr*p that appears in the Daily Mail, a completely made up story. Rant-on/ Here in the UK, the Mail is more or less regarded as a joke, with poorly researched articles, or just direct cribs from other news sites. It constantly runs shock-horror outrage exploited teenage sex-related stories and yet its web-site is full of papped pictures of pre-teen girls in skimpy outfits. The phrases "all grown up" and "womanly curves" are their stock in trade with regarded to these kids. Hypocritical trash-rag, masquerading as a serious newspaper. Oh, and its 'health correspondent' can never make up his/her mind about what it is that either gives you or cures cancer, diabetes, heart problems, etc. Quite often it's the same thing, just a different week. /End-Rant Regards, John

Had a visit from some bees today & put out the DPA 4060 stealth set. http://snd.sc/15wiOtZ It got busier (and buzzier) later on and I broke out the ST450 and made a surround recording, which is rather fun and not a little disturbing. A link will follow for any B-Format nuts on the list. Regards, John B-Format files here: http://www.divshare.com/download/24437106-770 Please note - only download this very large file if you have the necessary software to transcode B-Format files. Recorded at 96/24, interleaved .WAV file

It's worth pointing out that Julian Glover and Charles Dance are both very experienced stage actors with many years spent performing in theatres in the UK without the aid of reinforcement. When the source is good, half the battle is won. But I do love the DPAs... Regards, John

One thing I forgot to mention, is that the ST450 control unit outputs at line level, whereas the others are mic level devices. Regards, John Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Hi Tom, With the V3.10 firmware upgrade, the Nagra VI can do A or B-Format monitoring as standard. It'll just give you a stereo output and you'll still have to use software to do the proper decoding. As far as the mic pre-amps go, I'm not sure how you'd go about interfacing the raw outputs of the ST450 capsules, but the tech spec and full connection details of the 12 pin Lemo are here: http://www.soundfield.co.uk/downloads/st450_manual.pdf How's the Zoom H2n mod coming along, by the way? Regards, John

The mic outputs on a multi-pin Lemo, and I think the pin-out is in the manual, so theoretically it should be possible, but why would you want to? You'd lose all the functionality of the control box, including the gain control, power for the capsules, pattern control for stereo work, etc. Part of the appeal of the ST450 is that it can be used as a multi-pattern stereo microphone as well as for surround. And you'd have to get someone to sort out the A-B conversion for you, as the ST450 uses different capsules from the SPS200. If you don't need the full surround with height experience, then there are other possibilities aside from the Schoeps double M/S set-up. You might consider the Josephson C700S which is a three capsule design, for example. Always happy to waffle on about ambisonics, so feel free to chime in with any other questions. Regards, John Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

All ambisonic mics are inherently noisier than normal mics, because you're combining the noise levels from four capsules. In order of quietness, it's as follows: (based on experience, having owned an SPS200 and currently owning both an ST450 and a TetraMic.) Quietest - ST450, then SPS200, then TetraMic. (Also order of price!) The ST450 uses an external control box that requires a 12v supply via a standard Hirose connector and the mic capsules have heaters that help to combat the mic's sensitivity to humidity. It can output B-Format and stereo simultaneously, has headphone monitoring and a switchable gain control. In order to decode in post, you need special software, either one of the free versions from various sources, or the two paid-for versions, Soundfield's own SurroundZone, or the more versatile but a bit less purist Harpex-B. I use Harpex almost exclusively, but it needs a fast computer. There's a free trial of Harpex available and it's worth a listen. Rycote make two versions of a combined windshield and suspension mount and there's a decent range of cables and accessories available. A Rycote USM studio stand-mount and short cable comes with the mic, along with a mains supply for the control box and cables to get from the control box to your recorder in both B-Format and stereo. The 788 has B-Format to stereo decoding built-in, for basic confidence monitoring. Both the SPS200 and the TetraMic output A-Format only (essentially the four capsule outputs) and unless you have the either a Nagra VI or AETA 4MinX recorder, you won't be able to monitor a decoded signal except through your computer, with the provided software. Both the TetraMic and the SPS200 come with free decoding software (note that you can't use the free Soundfield SPS200 software with the ST450.) The SPS comes with a cable and software and the TetraMic just comes with software download tailored to your mic and links to download Dave McGriffy's excellent and free VVMicVST. All other accessories are paid-for add-ons. The SPS has balanced outputs, the TetraMic is unbalanced, and you'll need four phantom power adapters, which also balance the signal, to use the mic with standard XLR-3 inputs. The main microphone connector is a Switchcraft TA connector, which is pretty fiddly to repair if you're a bit ham-fisted in disconnecting it and pull the cable out from the connector. There are windshields available from Rycote for both the SPS and the TetraMic, although I had the SPS200SB, which comes custom-installed in a Cinela set-up, which is nice, but adds considerably to the cost. The TetraMic is very susceptible to handling and cable noise and in my experience, it's almost impossible to hand-hold it without transmitting rumble to the recording. On a stable stand, it's pretty good, but you definitely need a decent windshield for outdoor use. I use mine now mainly for unobtrusive music recording situations, where it's extremely good. I wouldn't commend it for low-level nature recording unless you have an incredibly good low-noise pre-amp available. I used a Metric Halo ULN-8 with good results, but that system doesn't really lend itself to fully portable use. The TetraMic software is tailored to each microphone and can be tweaked to specific requirements, like a more severe low-end roll-off, which may help with handling noise and wind problems. It's also worth noting that Len Moskowitz will calibrate your SPS200 and provide a custom A-B-Format decoder for a small fee, although this does then negate the use of the Soundfield software and you'll need to use Harpex or VVMicVST to do your subsequent B-Format conversion. Users who've had this done mention extended low-frequency characteristics and better spacialisation as a consequence, so it may well be worth consiring. Personally, I don't think any of them are totally suitable for recording extremely quiet sounds* and you may well be better off researching a Schoeps double M/S system if you don't need the height information. However, I'm more than happy with my ST450 and it mates well with my 788, although the outputs on the control unit are on the opposite side to the inputs on the 788, which is a bit of a nuisance. I can pack the whole set-up in the Sound Devices bag, along with the Tracer battery pack and a couple of spare batteries for the 788, and with the addition of a short carbon-fibre boom and Manfrotto Nano stand, I can go pretty much anywhere. The quietest material I've recorded was cicadas in Florida and the loudest was a Lancaster Bomber at full engine revs at a distance of about ten feet and the ST450 produced very good results all round. I highly recommend that if you do go ambisonic, you invest in Harpex-B, which is just a fantastic piece of software. It's not cheap, but the results are outstanding. If you're rolling in money, you may be able to persuade DPA to make you one of the ambisonic mics which my old mate Anthony Morris had them build for him. Its designation is the DPA-4 and it's A-Format, so you'll need to find someone to sort out decoding software. I think it's about $15,000.00 Let me know if you want any more information. Regards, John *Just a note to say that I believe that Chris Watson (Famed UK-based wildlife recordist) is an enthusiastic ST450 user, so you may want see what he has to say about it as well.) Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Yes, as I mentioned in my first message, it's the old site URL. I've just changed to Chrome and it imported the bookmark from an old Safari link. I've re-directed now, but Google still references the old URL as well as the new, it seems, which takes you to the hacked page. Regards, John

Is no-one else seeing this? It's the jwsound.net page. No mention of it anywhere else that I can see, so is it just me? The infected page crashes Chrome and won't let me quit other than using "Force Quit" for the entire program, but Safari & Firefox both let me clear the page by quitting the program. Regards, John

Try this link: http://snd.sc/1d4BJ2e This was just a quick recording for archive purposes. No room to set the mics properly, so too close to the musicans, hence the slightly odd imaging. Schoeps Mk4/MK8 M/S pair directly into the Busman-modded DR-680. Originally recorded at 96K, downsampled to 44.1 for a quick CD copy. But it should give you an idea of the pre-amp quality. For reference only, please don't distribute. Thanks, John

Tricky to post comparisons, because I didn't really have the un-modded versions long enough, what with them being back at Tascam UK for replacement and repair. I bought the Busman-mod in the USA, because even with the extra for the mods, it was cheaper than buying an un-modded one in the UK at that time. However, there was one other thing that made me decide that the DR-680 was not for me, which may help you to make a decision, which was the susceptibility to RF interference: admittedly, this was in central Manhattan, which is particularly noisy in that respect, but there were locations where breakthrough made the recorder unusable. I realise that I'm being a bit hard on the Tascam; it has some really excellent features, the developers were extremely responsive to requests for extra features in the early releases and for the price, it's hard to beat. Both my DR-680s are still serving their respective purchasers well, as machines that don't go out much. (Oh, and it's a bit heavy on AA cells, so an external battery is quite a good idea.) I think I may have some chamber music recorded with the modded version somewhere. I'll look it out. Regards, John Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

My problem with the DR-680 in general is that it's not built for serious use. The plastic casing is very thin and, without a decent case, damages very easily. I sent my first two back, one with an unusably noisy input, the second with faults in the headphone circuitry. The third, which was Busman-modded, survived better and the lower noise at high gain was helpful as I was using the set-up with a low output ambisonic mic. I didn't notice a major difference in sound quality, but the noise floor was noticably lower The build quality of the entire unit, rather than anything else, is what let the DR-680 down for me and I sold it on and saved for a Sound Devices 788. That said, DR-680s are dirt cheap at the moment, so if you're not going to treat it roughly, it's probably worth a punt and the mods aren't that expensve. Regards, John

Interesting: not heard that before. Anyone else got the same information? Thanks, John

Yes, not sure where Hugh's info came from, but of course, the 788T is available with an SSD, which mine has. I haven't had any problems with it, just wondering how it would cope with a higher capacity model than the standard issue. Needless to say, I will also check with Sound Devices. Thanks, Ben - I pop over to the US from time to time and usually indulge in a little light shopping while I'm there. Regards, John

Samsung and Crucial now have high-capacity SSDs available at reasonable prices: Samsung's version is a full 1TB, whilst Crucial's is a mere 960 Gig. Prices in the UK are around £500 for the Samsung and slightly less for the Crucial version. I'm thinking of upgrading my MacBook Pro's internal drive pretty soon and it might also be interesting to see if these drives could be verified for SD recorders. Some details for the Samsung are here: http://reviews.cnet.com/hard-drives/samsung-840-evo-750gb/4505-3186_7-35823851.html Regards, John

As these are omni mics, this page might be a better guide: http://www.dpamicrophones.com/en/Mic-University/Stereo-Techniques/AB-Stereo.aspx I have a pair of 4060s and 4061s and use them for a whole raft of different purposes. With Rycote Mini WIndjammers, they work well outside. The 4060s are a matched pair, but the 4061s are ex-West-End show and are taped to the outside of a window of our appartment in case anything interesting happens, soundwise. Attached is an MP3 of a little light thunder from the other night, which should give you an idea of the bottom end that's available from these little mics. Regards, John T50.mp3

For any degree of accuracy, you'll need to bypass the heavily filtered and limited internal mic and the external mic socket and get an adapter that accesses your iOS device through the 30 pin accessory/charger socket. The Studio Six systems work this way and will give you a reasonably effective analyser for not very much money, although the in-app purchases are not exactly cheap. The IR add-on is £40 in the UK, the Transfer Function add-on is £60 and requires a two-input interface. The iTestMic runs at around $200, the dual input interface at around $500, so you'll need to spend a bit more than the initial $20 that app costs to get something that'll give you truly professional results. I shelled out for the SmaartTools add-on and I picked up the iTestMic at InfoComm at a special show price and I'm happy with the system as it stands. Equivalent hardware would cost you quite a bit more, although this assumes that you already own a suitable iOS device. Otherwise, you might be better seeing if you can find something used from the NTi series of hand-held analysers. Regards, John

My office yesterday morning (exterior only, sadly): afternoon was recording birds and insects by a reservoir... This is Just Jane - a WW2 Avro Lancaster bomber. Non-flying, but does taxy runs. http://snd.sc/1bpC1S2

Wow, the theatre secene in Kansas City must be pretty poor. Average sound design fee for a top theatre company (National Theatre, etc.) here in the UK is $6,000. For musicals, more like $10,000 plus a share of the profits. "Plays were never supposed to have sound..." What does this mean? Only David Mamet plays don't have sound - it's in the contract - but there's been sound and sound design in theatre for over two thousand years. And if the OP needs some free sound effects, I'll happily oblige. John

The two boxes on the front left are Deben Tracer Lithium Polymer battery packs, as discussed elesewhere in the forum. Regards, John

I had a pair for a long time, almost indestructible, but hugely uncomfortable as others have said. They were stolen many years ago whilst I was doing a session in the House Of Commons (part of our government buildings here in the UK) after I'd been thoroughly vetted as I went in and all my kit checked for weapons, etc. When I told the in-house police about the theft, the reply was: "What did you expect? This place is full of the biggest bunch of crooks in the country." Subsequent events have proved that this was a very much a correct assessment. I use the Sonys now, with Beyer velour ear pads, which helps considerably. Regards, John Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD