Moesound

Well, I was brought down to San Diego 5 times last year from Los Angeles... paid to travel, put up in a hotel, given per diem and paid full rate and equipment rental. So I'd venture to guess that normal budget jobs do come to SD, at least on a somewhat regular basis. They just would rather hire a professional than a hobbiest when it comes to jobs where sound matters. Take the excellent advice already given by others and respect yourself enough to be taken seriously. -Moe

Ah yes, the dreaded dew point flashing before my eyes....My HHB-PDR had served me flawlessly in sunny (dry) Southern California for years, until I was summoned to NYC one freezing January day to work on a commercial with Joe Pytka. We're in the middle of a long walk and talk in Central Park when the recorder freezes up, flashing "dew point". I told Joe we had a malfunction and didn't get the take. He was screaming something at me as I ran to the truck for my only back up, a Nagra 4.2 with no timecode modification. In those film days (as now), Joe didn't use slates, rather relying on TC burned onto the film inside his Aaton. We didn't ever use slates, so I hadn't even brought one. So I told him we'd need to hand clap each take. He just shook his head and yelled to the actors, "I have an idiot for a soundman, so when I call action clap your hands in front of your face, then start your dialogue". He still reminds me about this occasionally to this very day. Moe

Well, these things are so subjective, but I've used all of the aforementioned wireless systems and I feel compelled to say that my favorite is...Audio Ltd. 2040, by far. They've never let me down, in all conditions; they're simple to use; they last forever and are built like tanks; and (arguably) they are the best sounding system available today. Others are less expensive and many are more "innovative". But to my (aging) ears, nothing sounds better.

Sounds as though Mirror tried to help...but I'll throw my two cents in: 700 band is not only no longer legal, but unwisely chosen. Regards, Moe

Thank you Ty. What a thoughtful and thoroughly informative review. Well done. Moe

Grip Trix, Inc.

Hello Ty, So, after having the 1010 for a while now, what are your thoughts? Thanks, Moe

I think it's important to view this recorder for what it is, rather than what it is not. Richard gave us all an excellent review that I found pertinent to our needs as production mixers. As we all know, there isn't one recorder out there that is perfect for every one of us in every situation. If you give this little recorder a test drive, you'll find that it sounds excellent, is quick and easy to navigate, and seems to perform as advertised. Simple as that. Is it for everyone? Of course not. Only the one driving can be the judge of that. Regards, Moe

Interesting that you bring this up, Rado. All last week I noticed strong activity across my radio spectrum whenever I was set up near VTR and DIT (especially bad when sandwiched in between). They were not transmitting anything, so it made no sense to me. However, by moving as little as 10 feet away, all was clear. Same thing today, where we are deep into Newhall Ranch, where my radios showed all clear upon setup this morning. As soon as I moved my cart by VTR/DIT, crazy RF across the board. Both these technicians carts have multiple fans within. Moved away, all clear. Lesson? Stay away from DIT/VTR.... Thanks for posting. Moe

It appears that the R-4+ will not be sold in the U.S. for the time being.

I can't wait...for this lovely recorder to be allowed in the U.S.

Thanks for posting this article. Good read. Goes to show what I've known for years: Jeff is primarily a filmmaker, who happens to record sound. Moe

To my (much) older and (much) wiser brother Crew. Happy Burthday. Have a great day!

Malcolm, Sadly, I had this exact situation happen to my Fusion 10. Tried all of the suggested solutions. Bafflingly, the "unrecognized" disc would occasionally mount and work perfectly. Then other times, it would not. Zaxcom was very helpful, and made all of the suggestions others here have made. Ultimately, a new mirror drive was the answer. It's worked perfectly ever since. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I fear this may be the answer to your problem. Best regards, Moe

I worked on the classic "Dr. Giggles". The title says it all. Moe Chamberlain

What I see is a mixer mixing. Nothing at all out of the ordinary, in my opinion. Moe

Very nice work. What I like especially is that it is yours, and it suits your needs. That's the key to a cart, rather than what others think. Good job! Moe

I had a similar problem with my Fusion, which occurred on four of the eight inputs. It turned out to be bad capacitors, and was ultimately fixed by Zaxcom. But not before a couple of trips home to NJ. This may not be what's causing your troubles, but you may want to point them in that direction. Good luck. Moe

Love my LifePO4 40amp hour battery. Can't say enough good things about them compared my old SLA battery system. They're shockingly light, not terribly expensive and charge very quickly. Run them through a Remote Hot box. This simple system powers my cart for over 12 hours. Granted, I have a very simple system, as befitting its operator. But as was stated previously, I feel it's very important to choose gear that can be powered with DC. I never plug into AC. Charge it at night, good to go the next day. Clean power cannot be over estimated, in my humble opinion. Regards, Moe

On this day many moons ago, the venerable Crew C was born. Happy birthday brother!!

No surprise here, but I agree with my much older brother Crew: Fincher's AD will be responsible for someone dying before his career is over...which cannot come soon enough, in my opinion. I've known him for years, and I wouldn't for a minute put my safety in his trembling hands. Moe

This is excellent advice, regardless of ones chosen field. And as anyone who knows my brother can attest, he's lived these words. One can certainly do worse. Anyone serious about making it in this whacked out business would be wise to heed these words. As for Crew, I'll paraphrase my 2nd favorite director, Frank Capra: "to my brother Crew, the richest man I know".