Ed Denton

Thanks Senator, you've been really helpful as usual.

Also on my 552 only channels 2 and 4 have phase-flip switches so its not always possible to flip the phase on the channel with the problem mic. Unless I only use the Rode on channel 2 and 4 of course but again that is another limiting factor that I'd rather have a more permanent solution to if one was available.

I guess what I was hoping for was someone who had a technical explanation of why this would be occurring. If it was a quirk with the electronics/wiring/pin assignment perhaps I could re-terminate the mic differently so that it was in phase with my other lav mics.

I've come across a quirk of the Rode PinMic and the Rode Lavalier and I'm interested to know whether anyone else has experienced this problem, knows why it is happening or can offer a solution. I'm recording a cooking show with a male and a female presenter. Usually I have them both on Cos-11d lavs which works very well. But occasionally I mic the male presenter with a Rode PinMic because it hides in plain sight very well on a dark button-up shirt and I have far less rustle from his hairy chest. However when I use it with the Cos-11d the two tracks are out of phase which is very apparent when monitoring a mono mix. Flipping the phase on channel two of my 552 solves the problem but I'm still at a loss as to why it is happening. I thought it might be an incorrect wiring in the micon connector going into my um400a but replacing the micon connector with a new one produced the same result. I then tested the setup with another PinMic and also a Rode Lavalier and the same phase issue was occurring. Does anyone know why this would be happening?

I generally get atmos on whatever mic I captured the dialogue on (and if possible in the same position). That way if they need to ADR any lines the post guys can make the ADR dialogue background noise match the location dialogue background noise. It seems counter-intuitive to record dialogue on lavs which would have their own tonal characteristics, and record atmos on another mic which would have different tonal characteristics.

I'm about to upgrade to a 664 and will soon be selling my 552 (more on that later...). Over the last couple of years there has been some build up of dirt on the front face of the 552, particularly around the pfl switches, transport control and under the faders. And I'm sure there's been some dust fall down the pan/trim/filter pot cavities. Is it possible to safely dismantle the chassis to clean around/under the front panel switches? How is this done? Also what solvent would you use to clean with? I'd imagine methylated spirits on a cotton tip would work but please advise me if this would be damaging to the electronics or metal finish. Many thanks in advance.

I'm about to buy a new mixer/recorder to step up from my 552 and I've been tossing up between a Nomad and a 664. I did a job on Friday that needed multi-tracking that my 552 couldn't achieve. Instead of hiring a 744T like I normally would I decided that I would hire a Nomad 4 and put it through it's paces on an actual job and see what it could do and how I liked it. Before the job I had to get some things from a shop that happens to be my local Sound Devices dealer and while I had the Nomad with me I decided to bring it in and compare the machines directly. After comparing them physically and then working with the Nomad there is absolutely no doubt in my mind now that I want a 664 rather than a Nomad. My first impression was the finish on the 664 was much nicer. The sharp edges of the top and bottom panels of the Nomad, the stuck-on plastic front panel and the less tactile fader knobs all did not appeal to me after having used the 552 with smooth rounded edges of the body, engraved metal front face and faders with the silver knobs on the faders that help when controlling numerous faders with one hand. There were a number of things about the finish of the Nomad that really didn't impress me such as the plastic nut around the 1/4" headphone socket that didn't match the other metal TA5 socket nuts, the way the CF cards fit in "upside down", the unsealed rims of the XLR output jacks and the removable primary card/battery compartment door that's not on a hinge. Compare that to the 664 CF/SD card door which is hinged and closes with firm magnet, it just feels so much better. On a functional level as well I much prefered the 664. Booting up the Nomad and seeing all the DOS-like script wasn't very impressive, but maybe its because I've always been a Mac user and I like the way they don't show the script while they boot up compared to a PC. Despite having a formatted CF mirror card in the slot and having the tracks armed for recording to the mirror card, the files did not record to the mirror card. Apparently this was because I hadn't selected the folder to mirror in another menu. So I had to go through the process of converting the primary card MARF files to WAV. Admittedly this was an operator error in missing the part of the manual where it said you have to select the folder to mirror, but my point is it is not an intuitive process. You just kind of expect the mirror card record everything the primary card records without mucking around with folders. On the Nomad the "record" and "stop recording" tones in the headphones were a harsh high pitched beep compared to the mellow 440Hz and 220Hz tones in my 552. I wished there was a "favourite" headphone monitor mode or a "back" button when flipping through headphone monitor modes on the Nomad. If I changed monitor modes to quickly listen to one of my record channels I would have to flip through all monitor modes to get back to where I started. I love the 788T style of monitor modes where you can press a button to flip directly back to your favourite mode or the 664 style with its back/forward monitor toggle switch. Surprisingly I didn't find the lack of hardware pan controls on the Nomad a big deal as I had everything ISO'd anyway, but if I was mixing to camera ENG style I think it would've like to be able to change pans quickly without going through menus. I actually quite liked the autotrim too as I could adjust trims really quickly by touching each fader with my left hand and just leaving my right hand on the one knob. I really wish there were hardware single button PFL switches though. This combined with the headphone monitoring limitations described earlier made monitoring how I like to a little laborious. I do like the idea of the auto mixer but to my knowledge it won't be available on the Nomad Lite which would be the model I would purchase. The size and weight of the Nomad compared to the 664 is one thing that really was swaying me that way because I do a lot of over-the-shoulder work. The 664 is a big machine but after holding the demo model in the shop its not too big to turn me off it. Also I love the concept of Zaxnet for IFB and changing TX gains but I have Lectro wireless so I wouldn't get much benefit from it unless I bought Zaxcom wireless. So that's my impressions of the Nomad compared to the 664. I apologise if I seem to be "Nomad-bashing", that's not my intention. I think it is an amazingly versatile piece of equipment and a very powerful recorder. Up until Friday I was very close to buying one. But for the reasons listed above I really think the 664 is much more suited to what I want. And the beautiful finish of the 664 (and all Sound Devices gear) is hard to go past. Ed Denton

Yes I'd be interested in knowing whether this as well because I am about to order a 664. I am confident that the problem is in the batteries but brought on by the surge of start-up current draw from the 552. I would really like to avoid this problem in my new 664. Many thanks to Stephen Reter and all the guys at Remote Audio for their advice and testing and general help in diagnosing this problem.

Yes yes, make it available in Australia please James! Ed Denton

Jack, I find it harder and harder to believe you're not on Zaxcom's payroll. Keep your spruiking for Zaxcom threads. This headphone amp is really good. I've been using one with a Senn G3 when I need an IFB and it rocks. It's got the same circuitry as the Grado RA-1 amp and it's much cheaper. And looks totally rad! http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/190679377221?redirect=mobile#ht_3943wt_1009

Ummmm can we not turn this forum into a sales catalogue? There's a place for buying/selling here. This forum is for discussing products not hawking them.

Alas this is true. Lemac are certainly not 'production sound specialists'. We are starved for choice here in Aus. But your point still stands Senator.

I wish I could've come! I'd love to meet all you guys whose opinions I have had much help from. Ben, I should've hidden in your luggage and come over with you! Ed Denton

Apologies Glen, I didn't know. And again thanks for your response. Thanks for that too Scott, saved me from embarrassing myself further... In any case, my email was just answered so I'm sure this issue will be resolved shortly. I'll post the outcome. Ed

Glen we are indeed lucky to have people like you on this forum to answer questions with such diligence. Unfortunately I'm in Melbourne, Australia so it might have to involve some type of repair option. I have tried other outputs on the BDS but they all seem to cause the problem. I'll measure the voltage on the fully charged battery tomorrow. Wrote another email to Remote Audio this morning on their info email address but haven't heard from them. Annoying. Any idea on a better (more direct) way to contact them? Thanks again, Ed

On the 552 the external DC input is set at 14V Li-Ion. On the BDS there is a switch for the low battery reference which is set for Li-Ion. I don't know of this battery cut-off switch you are talking about hemmerlinj? This is from the BDSv4u user guide: "The BDS box will also protect itself when connected to loads of over 5A, and the on/off toggle switch will no longer be illuminated. However, it is very rare for field audio bags (the primary intended use for the BDS) to have current draws in excess of 5A." Is it possible that the 552 has a >5A surge when powering up? How would I test this?

To the OP... I wonder if your thoughts have changed this week after the announcement of the 664? Maybe the 552 isn't so much of a contender now? The 664 offers a lot more bang for a little more buck. Don't get me wrong though, 552 are fantastic machines. I own one and it is my primary mixer. But I'll be ordering a 664 as soon as they become available! Ed

journal is asking our opinions on what mics we like to use for these broad uses. Not everyone can afford a different $2000 mic for when the wind is blowing east or west. He's asking some questions and getting some good answers from most people. Perhaps these questions have been asked before but sometimes its good to revisit them to see what people think now. Perhaps what you called your favourite versatile shotgun mic a year ago isn't the same now. You don't always have to be a know-it-all. Be nice. When people ask what is your favourite boom mic, instead of just throwing back a response like "different mics for different purposes" or "its subjective" try to look at it like this. If you're going out with a news crew or a doco crew and you can only have one mic on your stick all day because these no time to change mics and you're going in and out of buildings all day, what mic would you take? I often do this type of work and invariably I choose the Rode NTG-3.

I recently purchased a Remote Audio BDSv4u kit from B and H online (view product here) and I have been having some problems getting it to power up. It is wired in to 2 Lectrosonics 411a receivers and a Sound Devices 552 with remote audio cables (that were included in the kit) and powered from a Globalmediapro NP1 batteries with a remote audio NP1 cup adapter. The problem I have is when I use a freshly charged battery and turn on the BDSv4u the switch briefly flashes red and does not power up. If I use a non-fully charged battery however the problem doesn't seem to occur. I've found that if I power up the 552 from internal power then switch on the BDSv4u and then flip the 552 from internal to external power it stays on, so it seems to be an issue with powering up from the 552 causing a surge that causes the BDSv4u to cut out. This seems to mostly occur when I power up the BDSv4u with only the 552 switched on (to ext power). I can sometimes get it to work with a fully charged battery when I have the 411a's on but not always. But I don't always want the 411a receivers on even though I always have them wired in to the bag. I recorded a short demo video which shows everything I've explained to help you better diagnose the problem which you can watch here https://vimeo.com/48428016. Anyone have an idea as to what might be happening? Faulty perhaps? I've tried contacting Remote Audio on their info email to no avail. Anyone know a better way to contact them? Phone not a good option due to time difference between Australia and the States. I haven't contacted B & H for a replacement yet because I'd rather diagnose the issue before sending it back and being without a BDS for 3 weeks when the next one might do the same thing. Thanks in advance...

Oh it irks me so when people spell Rode wrong... The Rode blimp is a lot bigger and a bit heavier but easier to reposition and strip down quickly with its quick release handle lock and spring loaded thumb screws. However it doesn't have the same build quality as Rycote. The quicklock handle joint on mine sometimes slips with sudden boom movements and the connector that goes into the mic is not a snug fit. It has some play in it which is heard as little clicks in the mic. I'd recommend changing the chunky cable that ships with the Rode blimp with a thinner cable and Neutrik connectors. You have to solder it in yourself though because the cable runs through a small gap in the handle and has connector on each end that won't fit through. I don't believe you'd hear a difference in the sound of the two blimps as they are meant to be acoustically transparent but the deadcat you put over the top might colour the sound a bit. I think you'd get more life out of a Rycote.

The concept of Sven was good but it sounds like a robot from an 80's movie. Surely they could've picked a more aurally pleasing voice? But I digress, back to the 664...

Agreed. Most high end wireless systems recommend you output from the RX at line level anyway. If you are running more than six boom mics on a production, I'm glad I'm not doing your job!

+1 Red Devil! Though constructive criticism is healthy. It lets the manufacturers know what we're looking for so they can build a product to fit. I'd say the 664 has 99.9% answered all the criticisms of the Nomad.

The difference in the signal strength is not only a matter of range but reliability of the signal even when it is well within range. Last week I oversaw the sound on a fishing competition where on each boat there were two anglers each with a Senn G3 TX and a cameraman with the two RXs going into their Sony EX1 camera. Even though the TX and RX never got more than 3 metres away all day The camera ops were saying they were getting pops and fizzes every so often. We were on a lake in the middle of nowhere and all wireless were coordinated so there should not have been any intermodulation. My point is that the Sennheiser Evos are not reliable options. Great for IFB, student films or scratch tracks to cam for sync (pluraleyes) but I wouldn't trust them in film/high-end tv or live broadcast. When we go out for the next round of fishing comps I'm going to try my hardest to convince the producer to let me hire SRa/WM kits because I KNOW they work.

I doubt you would find the 416 very useful as an on camera mic. It has a very tight pattern so you'd need to have the camera pointed directly at his mouth the whole time or else you won't get much usable sound. The 416 sounds horrible off axis as well. The NTG-3 sounds great and has a wider pattern but not phantom as previously mentioned. Unless you've got some one to boom for you you're probably not going to get a better sounding battery powered on-camera mic than the NTG-2. There are better mics but only when used properly for reasons such as handling noise, tight pickup patterns and low frequency rejection. There might be a number of hyper-cardioid mics that would be better as an on-camera mic but most of these require phantom. Perhaps look into a beachtek box and you'll have a far bigger range of shotguns and hypers to choose from.