Audio Daddyo

Hi Chris, My agent is the DeWitt Stern Group. Longtail Insurance Services carries the policy. The policy does cover stolen gear from your vehicle as long as the vehicle is locked. As well as water damage. My deductable is $1000 and I pay around $15 per thousand dollars of coverage. What is really nice is that as of this year I do not have to individually list anything under $3000. That cut my list of individual gear items that I provide to them from 100s of items to just a few. Although I always keep a full list for myself and think it will probably help in any claims. Andy

FSBELLA, I'm not sure what you mean apple and oranges. I'm talking about a 4 channel mixer, 2 wireless and a cassette recorder and someone charging $350 for that. I'm not talking about IFBs or Digital Recorder. $350 is quite high for the kit I just mentioned above and what Daniel used for his network job. I was using Gotham Sound as a point of reference. Sound Mixers that I know including myself usually offer better rental rates for the gear we own then what rental houses charge. Plus when I on occasion have to rent something I am usually able to get a better deal from a rental house then what they advertise on their webpage. All that said that makes $350 seem even more outrageous. My basic kit is SD 442 2-Lectro 411s and a sennheiser 416 and boom. I would love to get $350 for that. I would likely throw in an extra wireless, digital transcription recorder and a couple of Lectro IFBs for that amount. Andy

Daniel, The kit rental when doing a NABET Shoot is not on a case by case basis. It is all pre-negotiated between the network and Nabet. Unforturnate and sad as it is I doubt that ABC, NBC or CBS would ever pay renatl for a basic ENG Kit above $75. Andy

FSBELLA, No it's not standard, at least not in the Northeast and that includes NYC. Usually your basic ENG kit includes 2 wireless and a mixer and a boom pole and shotgun mic and as I said you can get that at Gotham for $175. So you charge a rental of $75 for a good wireless that costs $1500 and up and $50 for a cassette recorder that costs $50 to $100. Does anyone even use cassettes anymore? Andy

Daniel, You charge $350 for a basic kit with 2 wireless and a cassette recorder? That is outrageous and unbelievable. You can rent the same basic kit from Gotham Sound for around $175/day. Andy

I use the Datel volt meter in my bag. I especially liked it because it is very weather proof, durable and very accurate. I have two datel meters and each are velcroed to my 302 and 442 bag. FYI.. the Datel volt meter and the externally powered Lectro RX's volt meter always read the same voltage. It was nice to see that the Lectro meter was so very accurate. Andy

Send it to K-Tek. They have excellent customer service. They once did a complete restore job on my K-Tek for free. I can't imagine that is their Standard Procedure but they said no charge. They were great to talk to. The turn around time when I sent it in was a day. You should call them. They won't give you a sales pitch and will help you out in any way they can. Andy

Hi Rich, I have 2 - RX900s Receivers and one of the Receiver's battery compartment seemed a bit smaller than my other receiver. My rayovac rechargables like yours would get stuck in one of my Receiver's but not in the other Receiver. I opened up the RX with the smaller battery compartment and was able to carefully bend a piece of metal dividing the battery compartment from the rest of the Reciever and make the battery compartment just large enough so the rechargables could slip in and out. Andy

Graham, Most of the Freelance cameramen that I know here in the East who work often for the networks either have all of the gear that is required in the Network basic kit or hire a soundman that does. Maybe the sound guy or the cameraman might not have all 3 of the handheld mics they ask for but rarely is that needed. Now the condition or the quality of the cameraman’s gear is a whole other thing. I personally would never use or trust a cameraman’s gear and have always used my own. I am most familiar with ABC and what the staffers have available to them is quite extensive. They cameramen or soundman staffers carry or have access to everything that is on ABC’s gear list and much more. ABC has SD 442s, lectro 411s, Schoeps as part of their basic kit plus all of the other stuff on the list. The staffers also either carry with them or have access to everything on the additional gear list. The networks have cages full of gear that can be used on a shoot. The sound freelancers that I know that work a lot for the networks including myself have everything they ask for on the basic gear list and usually most of the additional billable sound gear. Maybe not a DA. I want to be able to bill for as many extras as I can plus it makes me more valuable to the shoot. I am sure that NBC and CBS staffers audio kits also have everything that is required on the basic and additional lists. Although as Rob Lewis indicates those staffers might not know how to use it. CNN is a different story. They seem to have crap for gear. The basic audio kit that the networks ask us to provide is the minimal amount of gear that we as soundman should have in our kits for almost any kind of shoot we do not just network news work. Andy

Hi Scott, NBC is not exactly the same as ABC. One thing that is not clear is that NBC writes in their new basic kit list that they require 3 wireless but in their additional billable items list they say they will pay $30 for any wireless over 2. So it is not clear if they are expecting 3 wireless in the basic kit or 2. Obvioulsy one of them is a typo. Also ABC's pays $40 ($10 more) for extra wireless over 2. NBC is now requiring a PL headset setup and ABC does not. Usually the SAT truck provides that stuff. Also ABC pays $50 for wireless IFB while NBC is $30. NBC is now requiring 2 IFB amps in the basic kit and ABC pays for them as extras at $15 a piece. Also ABC pays $50 for phone interface while NBC is $30. NBC is paying $25 for a DAT as an extra and ABC pays $30. Although I have never used a DAT recorder for ABC I do charge them the DAT rental price of $30 when I record Transcription onto my Marantz Digital Flashcard Recorder. Lastly NBC pays $25 for an Audio distribution amplifier while ABC pays $35. I think those are all of the differences I can see at this point between ABC and NBC. Either way the rental money sucks with ABC paying a little better on the extras and what they expect in the basic kit. As far as salary this year ABC is paying $354.50 for 8 hours which is up about $10 from last year. CBS is $424.17 for 8 hours. I haven't worked for NBC this year so I don't know what their 8 hour rate is. Andy

Why replace the cable? Just solder on the connector of your choice. Another mini or a right angle mini which I've done or a 1/4 inch of that is what you prefer. You will have to scrape or burn off the laquer coating on the wire before you solder it. Andy

I got mine from Gotham sound and they had them dropped shipped to me. I also thought they were outrageously priced. But when K-tek sent me my order they included two connectors for the price of one. Might be worth a call directly to K-tek. Andy

I've order them directly from K-tek. Andy

If you get a Garmin get one of the models that have the SERF Receiver. It is a very sensitive receiver that picks up satellites much faster and will keep a hold on them better around tall buildings and even in tunnels for a while. All the Garmin models don't have the SERF receiver. I know the Nuvi 350 and the Nuvi 660 does I have the Nuvi 660 and I am very happy with it. The Nuvi 350 performs pretty much the same as the 660. The 660 has some extra features and is more expensive. A friend gave me an external antenna that definitely improves the reception but the built-in antenna alone works very well even in NYC. Andy

If I remember right when I had my 442 in for repair a few years ago they applied at no charge some coating over the circuit board to help protect it from moisture. I guess my 442 was assembled prior to what is now this standard coating. So if you have an older 442 (not sure how much older it has to be) you might not have this coating and it might be more suseptable to moisture. Does anyone else remember this upgrade? Andy

Chris, If you are interested in the Audio Slicker call or email the owner Susan directly. She is extremely nice and accomodating. I'm sure she would send it to Austraila herself. She actually made some custom modifications for me at no extra charge. She was great! Andy

I use the Audio Slicker with my 442 and it works very well. http://www.shooterslicker.com/AudioSlicker.html Andy

Thomas, I have not used the coiled cable but doesn't that coil pull on the camera. Here is what I did with my Zaxcom stereo receiver. I made my own fanny pack. It is small and the perfect size for the Zaxcom. I found a small eagle creek mesh faced bag and had a shoemaker sow a webbed belt to it that I got at a camping store. Mesh is important so it keeps the RX from heating up and shutting off. The fanny pack holds a NP1 and the Zaxcom RX. I even put in an on/off switch external to the fanny pack. I made a cable that goes from the Zaxcom 5 pin on the RX to a 7 pin Xlr on the other side into a xlr left/right breakaway cable. That way the cameraman can leave the fanny pack on and breakaway from the camera. The cable that I use to go between the fanny pack and the camera is the mogami 2893. It is very thin and flexible. Andy Not yet, I will go in on monday and see. I have the Zaxcom ST wireless, and it would be nice to have a coiled 5 pin cable that splits to dual male XLR at the camera. ~Thomas

The source that was mentioned on Ramps for the NP1 cup holders was Markertek. But they don't carry them anymore. Andy

The Fanny pack works well but as an alternative the Jimmy Box will do the trick. I have both and some mini dv shooters don't like to wear a fanny pack so I offer them the Jimmy Box and they are usually very happy. You can get one to fit either one or two receivers. I use the single Jimmy box for my Zaxcom. Here's a link http://www.jimmybox.com/Default.htm Andy

FSBELLA, Rob is correct. The SD 442 TA3s levels are menu driven. The switches are for only the XLRs and the multi pin outs. Check the setup chart. Andy <<Rob, you might be thinking of the 302, that is firmware adjustable mic or line. the 442 has 3 swithces that controls both the xlr and ta3 outs.>>

Jason, I also put my NP1 on edge below the mixer and access it from the zipper. I did find that frequently the battery would dislodge from the battery cup if I do a lot of jostling so I use alittle strap to hold the NP1 in the cup. Andy

I carried on my K-Tek pole, 416 with fur, SD 442 with NP1 and one lectro wireless on a Northwest flight from Minneapolis to Boston. Andy T

I had the exact same experience with K-Tek too. Their customer service is excellent. Andy Turrett