Jeff Faber

I checked out the following page on the Audix USA web site: http://www.audixusa.com/docs_12/range_intros/Condenser_Instrument.shtml Careful reading of the first four paragraphs indicate that the SCX1 is not an electret.

I work mostly out of a bag, doing OMB (one man band) doco stuff. For that I prefer a relatively short, 9½ foot internally coiled boompole. The length is fine for most doco shoots and allows for greater maneuverability when squeezed into tight corners. Being internally coiled allows the pole to be quickly extended or collapsed when on the run. (For narrative shoots a 12 foot or longer pole is more appropriate.) You can even get a coiled cable to connect the mixer to the boompole itself: http://www.trewaudio.com/store/Remote-Audio-Coiled-Boompole-Jumper-XLR-Cable-CAXJCOIL.html You do have to be more careful when moving the pole. On some poles when they are fully extended the internal coiled cable is suspended between the two ends of the pole not touching inside of the tubes at all. In that case if you swing the pole and come to a rapid stop, the cable will bang into the inside of the tubes and you will hear handling noise like you’ve never heard before. If the pole is not at it’s maximum length, the coil rests on the bottom of the tubes and handling noise is much less of a problem. That said, after awhile I’ve developed techniques to avoid handling noise. It’s become automatic, I don’t even have to think about it anymore. A boompole with a coiled cable will be heavier than a pole with a straight cable of equivalent length, either internally or externally wired. For doco work it’s usually interviews without a lot of quick cueing. For narrative work however, there is rapid cueing and for that I prefer a boompole with a straight internal cable that I can keep taught.

The SD302 mixer already has transformers on its inputs, so I see no need for an additional external isolation transformer. In fact, the one time I inadvertently used two transformers in series the sound was pretty bad. I’m not sure whether to lift the ground on the 302 side of the ‘Y”. I guess I’d try it both ways and see which sounds best.

On my Nomad (purchased in the US) the .050 inch (1/20 inch) hex wrench is the one that fits.

This guy named David Hall, who apparently inspired the original poster HOPKIN, claims you can: It sounds like you need the LTC option from Ambient (whatever that is) to do that.

HOPKIN: Yeah, the procedure you describe in your original post is pretty far out of the mainstream. Unheard of actually. I don’t think most people who read your original post understood what you were doing. Hence my question to you in post #101. In your post #10 you quote David Hall, but he’s actually doing something different: He’s using the Ambient ACC501 Master Controller to tune the Lockits which then in turn are attached to the cameras to provide time code and trilevel sync. He’s not actually tuning the internal clocks on the cameras themselves.

HOPKIN: Do you mean you’re using the Ambient ACC501 Controller to tune the internal clocks on the Alexas? (Not a sync box.) Also, do you mean “tune” or “jam”?

Are they actually requesting that you bring the Gold Mount that the camera battery mounts on? Or more likely, the plate that is sandwiched between the Gold Mount and the camera body. It's used to provide mounting holes for the side plate and receiver bucket. Something like this: http://www.bhphotovi...quired_for.html BEC also makes one that will work with both Anton Bauer and IDX mounts. It doesn't require that you unplug the internal camera power cable for installation. http://www.thebecgro...-Universal.html To answer your question, I do carry one in my kit so I can avoid using the straddle bag if at all possible. To mount the plate, you have to back out the four screws that attach the Gold Mount to the camera body. When replacing the screws, great care needs to be taken. The screw threads are very fine and threaded holes in the camera body are tapped into soft metal (the aluminum frame of the camera). Quite easy to strip. Not a job to do when you're in a hurry. Perhaps a job best left to the cameraman.

I've been told by my dealer that the most popular versions by far are the Nomad 6 and Nomad 8. Anyone out there with a Nomad 12? Any issues unique to that model?

I worked with the Canon C300 for the first time last week. Two things worth mentioning. First, the audio inputs and controls are in a separate “monitor unit” which mounts in the accessory shoe of the camera. The actual controls are behind a hinged, clear plastic cover on the top of the camera, facing the ceiling if you will. So once the cameraman extended his tripod so the camera was at eye level, it’s impossible to see the controls. (Unless you’re exceptionally tall or the cameraman is exceptionally short.) Kind of annoying. So I guess my strategy with this camera is to get the audio hooked up and levels set before the cameraman frames his shot. Secondly, there is a menu selection which is similar to that found on Sony cameras, where you choose whether you want Input 1 to be routed to both Ch. 1 and Ch. 2 (Input 2 is ignored.). Or Input 1 to Ch. 1 and Input 2 to Ch. 2. (The preferred choice of course.) The menu choices are: “CH1” and “CH1/CH2”. So to route Input 1>Ch.1 and Input2>Ch.2, the correct menu choice is “CH1”. This is the exact opposite of the choice you would make with a Sony camera. Kind of confusing. See page 81 of the Canon C300 manual.

Yikes, I had no idea overseas shipping was so expensive, the shipping charges are more than twice the cost of the Magliner itself. I guess I’ll have to go back and amend my previous post. Apparently the price quote Tapio got is the going price for a Magliner in the EU.

Wow, $875 for a stock Magliner Gemini Jr. Even with VAT that seems high. I did a quick check on Ebay and found one for $265 new. http://www.ebay.com/itm/390294347400 This seller says they ship worldwide. Edit: While they do offer overseas shipping it’s apparently outlandishly expensive as DjGo found out. (See his post below.) They also have an Ebay store where you can custom configure a cart from the various wheel, caster, handle and nose options that Magliner has available. http://stores.ebay.c...sid=p4340.l2563 There is another company called Backstage Equipment that starts with a stock magliner then customizes it with shelves, hooks for cables, boom pole holders, etc. This adds quite a bit to the cost though. http://www.backstageweb.com/page18.htm Another company that offers shelves for the Magliner is Nalpak. I myself have a Rock and Roller R12. It’s okay as long as you don’t put too weight on it. It doesn’t have nearly the build quality the Magliner does. The biggest difference is in the wheels. The R12 has cheap plastic wheels with pretty flimsy tires. I friend of mine actually blew out a tire loading band equipment onto it. The front swivel wheels on the R12 don’t even have bearings, the plastic wheel rides right on the axel. Despite all that it has done the job for me. It does fold up smaller than a Magliner.

Here’s the website I use when I have to scout spectrum for a distant location here in the US. It only covers TV broadcast usage but that’s mostly what I’m concerned about: http://transition.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/maps/ Once you type in a location it will give you a map and a list of TV stations in that area along with their virtual channel. To find the actual RF channel they broadcast on you have to click on the call sign. Here’s a chart listing TV channels in the US and their corresponding frequency: http://www.lectrosonics.com/europe/images/PDFs/tvstationsfrequencyblocks.pdf Here’s a chart showing frequency allocations in the US from 300 to 3000 Mhz: http://transition.fcc.gov/Bureaus/OPP/working_papers/oppwp38chart.pdf Finally, the RF spectrum for the US all on one page: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/2003-allochrt.pdf To use this last chart you have to enlarge it to 150% and scroll around quite a bit.

I was told by Colleen at Zaxcom that to upgrade a Nomad 4 or 6 requires modifying the hardware, and a trip back to the factory is required as you said. However, the upgrade from a Nomad 8 to a 12 is a software only upgrade and can be done remotely. She confirmed that in all cases the cost is the price difference plus a $300 service charge as John Blankenship has stated. (Even the software only upgrade from a Nomad 8 to a 12.)

Glenn, The specifications found on Zaxcom’s website list the Nomad’s Zaxnet output power as 50mW. Is that an old number? Can I safely assume 100mW is correct?

Regarding the original post, as previously stated, ENG = electronic news gathering. However over time the term has evolved to mean a style of documentary type shooting with a small crew. (At least that’s the way the term is used in my small market, Milwaukee.) People use to use the term EFP or electronic field production for non-news shoots, but I don’t hear that term used anymore. So if a producer calls me up to book me on an ENG type of shoot, my expectation is that I’ll be working out of a mixer bag with most likely two other people. A cameraman who will be shooting with a hand held or shoulder mounted camera and a field producer who will be directing us and conducting any interviews. The shoot will likely be fast moving with minimal or no lighting. It may include formal sit-down interviews and/or shorter OTF, or on the fly interviews. For sit-down interviews the cameraman will most likely use a tripod and do more elaborate lighting. If someone calls and requests a “standard ENG audio package”, to me that means a shotgun mic and boompole, mixer bag with a 3 or 4 channel field mixer, two wirelesses with beltpack transmitters and lavs, and a breakaway cable for connection to the camera. A recorder or wireless link is not normally included. This seems to be evolving however and I always ask if these things are needed. Extra charges apply for these items.

How quiet are the other controls such as the headphone/escape knob or the membrane switches? Especially the ones needed to engage the PFL function. Any clicks with those?