Rachel Cameron

Matt, I've tried that. When I attempt to connect an external (Lacie 250Gb or any) drive or my MacBook Pro to the external FW400 port, it never gives me that second screen message..the one of acknowledgement?...something like "External Drive Connected". Instead..it sits there waiting for me to connect it. Rachel

Thanks, that's a great first move. Will do!

Greetings 744T afficianados, SD experts, and audio experts in general, I recorded a boom and a lav the other day on a job. It sat on the cart all day. I usually record to the INHDD and CF card. All day, it showed the usual available space to the INHDD, and nothing but dashes for the CF card, like it wasn't there. (oh boy). Attempting transfer of the CF files to the Mac, no files showed on the CF card, as I'd feared. The files show up and playback fine on the 744T INHDD. But as far as the CF functions go, I'm getting "Media I/O error," and depending on the CF menu item task, "Drive offline" or "Drive not formatted, would you like to format it?", even when the card is in, seated properly (of course), and formatted. Incidentally, on the last job, it recorded to the cards just fine. But this time it didn't. So now, I'm working to get the files off the INHDD, and I now find that the 744T doesn't seem to recognize, ANY other drives. After connecting a Firewire 400 ready MacBook Pro to the 744T directly, and then a Firewire 400 Lacie drive to the 744T directly, none of the seem to mount. It doesn't see it's own CF card (or drive) upon attempting to do an INHDD > CF transfer, either. It looks as if the only drive the 744T can see...would be it's own internal drive, and that's it. I love my 744T. I've always handled it with extreme care. It's never been subjected to harsh elements, hard jolts, drops or vibrations, luggage compartments (I carry it on), or anything like that. I purchased it new in 2010. Has anyone experienced issues like this, or similar? Does the 744T have any history of this? I sure don't see one. I did a little search of the site here, and didn't come up with anything, so I'm looking for advice before I send it off. Is there a firmware upgrade needed? What am I missing here? Above all, how can I get at these files? This doesn't look good. It's getting downright sassy with me. Help. Rachel Cameron www.rachelcameron.com

I knew there was a reason...

This is what I do. Off axis with the 416 for a second helps immensely during dBu spikes. I also do this for tights and close ups when the slate guy is a little heavy handed and wants the slate to be heard in Nova Scotia. But if I see the possibility of unpredictable loads on the mic all day, (I do mostly doc/reality in some rather unpridictble environs), I might send the boom to A and B of the 744 with B set -6 to -10dBu, but sending it from the L/R pan at the mixer. Then I notate it all on the sound log. This way if I get a sudden volume spike, the editor is covered with a 'quieter' track to employ. I'm sure I'll be reprimanded for this (where's Mr. Senator?) but it works for me, so far, and the extra track was just 'sitting there', anyway.

I love the Weller WES-51. Incidentally, I was looking for help getting a shorter TA3 to TA3 set of cables somehow (purchase or custom, as I'm having trouble making my own), when I saw JDirckze mention the necessity for a good desoldering pump for beginners, just above. If there isn't one here already, it sounds worthy of a new thread...

Hi guys, I want to wire two very short TA3F > TA3F cables to go from the direct outs of my 422 to my 744T. The necessary length is like less than eight inches. It's because the Remote Audio cable I currently use is annoyingly long: perhaps two feet. So my question is what's the best cable stock to use? I don't feel like trashing the Remote Audio cable for this. Rachel

Hey guys, I thought I would bump this thread instead of starting a new one, even though my question is a bit specific. But it's a wireless hop issue, and I need advice... I've read all up and down on the wireless hop threads here, and it looks like I'm closer to having a decent hop than I originally thought. Several years back, I purchased (for these State Emergency Ops BP oil spill jobs) what I thought was going to be a good hop. It was a pair (L&R) of Lectro UCR100/LMa's. I was upset when I finally heard them through the usual system (full-sized Varicam) as it sounded pretty tinny and thin. It was so disappointing when I received it, that I threw it all in the bin of wireless things I don't know what to do with. I was thinking of making some sort of Comtek system out of it, actually. Most of what I still do is sit down interview, but lately, I'm getting more clients who want a hop, and frankly, I'm happy to get one, to relieve the cumbersome Betacam snake, if nothing else, to make my life easier. Now, after reading the threads, it looks like the LMa (TX) part of them can just get a new SRa/b slot load, with Sony batts/sled and etc. and I may have something that sounds decent. I.E: The UCR100 transmitters were the weak part of the chain? I'm also aware that I may have not had them set just right. But I was doubting the whole thing, after seeing the wireless hops in common useage. Perhaps it's just the UCR100 end of it? I'm in the position of being able to save money here, but that's not my first requirement. The sound quality of this hop is my number one interest, and I don't wish to have a return feed (Zaxcom). I can roll a back up on my 744. I guess I can't rule it out, but I've not had any problem with unprofessional cam ops who are snotty about listening for anything garish at the camera end (cans or earbud) for me. My quesiton is: Are the LMa's were worth coupling with a SR Series slot load? Is this a common config? Would that be the answer? Or do I have to buy better TX for the SR series to be worth a decent hop? Rachel Cameron Tampa, Fl. www.rachelcameron.com

Thanks very much!!

Hi Guys, I'm faced with a situation where I need to purchase a hand held mic for say, audience responses. I'm recording a live presentation to the four tracks on my 744T: a 416, two 411/SMa sets, and I've little idea as to a decent suggestion for the audience mic. It is to be held like a 'reporter mic', and framed into the shot... I've searched threads here, and come up with nothing. Could you offer any advice? Rachel

I agree with the Senator. Have another discussion with the director. Wouldn't the ambient mics sort of pick up the unwanted and 'distant' dialogue if you were tracking it all at once? Get the dialogue clean and nice, and the go get ambiances clean and nice, but at another time. The rest is editing. Rachel

I have to feed two Sony EX-1's with my 442. My question is: Do both 442 outputs (the XLR and the TA3M) work simultaneously? If so, I can just use an adaptor cable for the B camera, right? If not, how can I do this? Thanks for any input you guys can offer. Rachel

I've used the PCC-160 as a boundary mic in live music, mainly on the wall behind or next to a drummer, to fill out the sound. I've also used it for conversations around a table where I could not cue the boom enough. I thought it sounded very clean, but I'm interested to get my hands on a pair of CUB-1's ~ the new better RF rejection types. In the discussion of getting a LR pair for the hall/audience responses..would a pair of SM81's (condensers) accomplish this same trick?

Everything worked out great. They loved my sound. The boom op was good, and all I had to do was watch the meters. The 744T is awesome, with very nice resolution, and was easy to use. I mislabeled only one or two shots on the whole shoot (by not updating the scene folder in time), but we kept very straight notes, so it didn't seem to matter in the end. Thanks guys, once again.

Is the only way to set the daily record folder in Menu #41 File: Folder Options? I've already created the project in the root folder, then I created the ten daily shooting folders..but the book is not so clear as to just how I go back and actually set it to the daily shooting folder at the outset of each day. Looks to me like I just navigate to the folder I made, in menu item 41 and set that at the beginning of each shooting day, right?

They probably weren't, Mr. Senator. I read the manual and went over the settings for what I was doing..but in the end, I just threw them aside on my second trip back from the oil spill..and went out in it again for a third weeklong tour, never returning to the problem, and wondering what I should do. I guess (once I found you guys) posting here is what I did, because I don't have a camera handy to plug into, so I got gunshy about using them. I'll look into the bias issue and the compatibility issue. Huge help again. Much thanks!

I see..yes then, that's what got me. The first time, I put the (+bias?) heads of my 195's on the LMa's because I was getting RF interference out of my non frequency agile 195's, and I was out of tricks. ..and the other time, it was just a one person interview, and I was using the LMa/UCR 100 set to get the signal to the Varicam. I heard pumping again. I'll re evaluate them, that was very likely the issue.

I figured someone might say this, and I agree, Mr. Senator. I'll be circling takes and doing all the heavy listening. BUT! I have the luxury of the audio post guy who wants to work as my utility..so..uh..I guess it just made sense. Another brain next to my fried one will likely help.

Yeah..it's just an abbreviation of a frame rate, right?. And thanks guys, for letting me bug you here, answering my questions, and testing me. I know you all have much more important things to do. I humbly appreciate the kindness.

ugh..

I'm reading about mid/side choices on the 744T...and phasing problems. Phase is greek to me. I hope I don't set this up for M/S. If so, will I experience phase problems with three lavs seated around a table and a talent/boom circling the table delivering/getting that dialogue? I'm using positive bias TR-50's (if I have to use them at all), and an MKH 416T. I've the director and camera on the same page that we must break them up so there's no overlapping dialogue, but I really don't want to record this like reality tv, with three lavs, and four full tracks (possibly introducing phase problems, too?) on and lit up, right out of the gate. Not that I can't do it..but it's my reluctance to veer away from the ehh...presence? footprint? timbre? of the 416. Conversely, I wondered if the room sound would 'pile up' with tracks A,B,C, and D all having the same room feel from the 416 presence in the background. I.E. Perhaps three TR-50 lavs (re: the interrogation scene, above post) might bring a tighter, more intimate presence to the mix, and one 416 track (following the detective) would capture enough room feel? Does this make any sense? Maybe I'm just over thinking the mic presence stuff. :\

Yes, I wondered if it was something with the Varicams or the P2 format... R

Thanks JonO. Makes sense, and I'll check the camera model.

I agree Robert, yes I won't worry about meta data or U-bits or naming too many things. I'm a bit concerned that I'll not be consistent from the first day on all the little file naming details, and I want that kind of consistency, even if it's just default names, given by the 744T. I printed up some sound logs that are fine. I also have the audio post person there as utility. He will help me keep the logs straight, circle takes and make problem notations (for use later). I'm going to try not to use any hard wire lavs, if possible. I offered them if we get in a pinch, but I have a good boom op and a very understanding, and flexible DP. He said that he's not going to shoot singles of everything, so I suggested that we get the wild lines to keep the audio consistent for off camera delivery. Is that a good idea? The opposite of MOS, ha! In the main scene of the film (and the body of the principal shooting), there are three people sitting around an interrogation table and a detective circling asking questions. I guess I have to hardwire the three and have the boom op follow the detective for the master shot, and push for clean lines on everything else with the 416? I hate to use lavs (TR-50, TR-79) when the boom sounds so good. I guess my new question is: Shouldn't we always strive to boom something, rather than rely on lav's? Especially for things 'not tv'? For me it's hit or miss with lavs, for all sorts of factors, like fabric sounds and stuff like that...

Thanks, those are all great suggestions. Please keep them coming. My brain doesn't hurt quite yet. Oh! Which way does time code get jammed, usually? From the 744T to the camera, or vice versa? I just downloaded Wave Agent. That's next.