DanieldH

I came across this photo on a China based offer for XLRs but could not identify the TX holder.

Not the heads, as far as I remember, but the cables:

Well here is the current state in situ. After 1,5 days, I think only the lower two disks have an effect. It is indeed a starquad Belden 1804A. I've made my experiences on how to treat the cable well. Eventually, I'll have it on a retractable reel. I've been thinking of cotton sleeves, but I think the damping effect is minimal and the stiffening effect would be a lot better with some plastic. But both make the cable thicker, obviously and I might eventually implement a retractable reel, that will prevent the cable hitting the boom issue.

Well, it glues. I bought it for a phone repair project and I like the small tip that allows for precise application. I have never removed it, as of yet, but as I believe it comes soft with heat application. Cleaning petrol, Isopropyl, spirit, orange oil based cleaners would be my first approach.

I have an older QX5100 that came with internal cabling when I bought it used in like new condition. I began to like straight internal cabling for various applications but this still brings disadvantages. Most annoying is the cable management, when you have a TX on the bottom of the boom, but also noise when the cable is bouncing in the boom when fully expanded. Since the cable that came with it got stuck a lot, mistreated and crincled the boom needed a new cable. The boom was also on a beach catching some blowing sand and it was time for some new velours as it also started to squeak with heavy load. As all that maintenance was due anyway, I've asked a friend to print me some washer like disks that keep the cable in place. They do not eliminate cable noises inside the boom as much as expected, but still a bit. What they do well, is guiding the cable when it is pushed out during collapse. I still have to see if the disks hold, but I wanted to share the project with you, even if it turns out to be a failure.

I am experimenting with some mods on my QX5100. I've replaced the velours and I am rewiring with 1804A. A friend printed me these disks that perfectly snap in on the end of the pipe and glued them with B7000. I'll see, how they hold. In first tests, it seems, that there is less cable noise with 1804A and the disks, but not as much as expected. However, the disks seem to help a lot in pushing out the cable keeping it straight. The 1804A is a lot less stiff than the original cable Ambient used, which is not a wanted feature for pushing out the cable. I am waiting for some spring loaded reels to arrive that I can hopefully fit the 1804A with. I'll continue in a new DIY thread.

What are your considerations for a Supershield? IMHO it only shines in point of strudyness, protecting the mic from heavier impacts but with its fixed basket design it creates resonances/rumbling noise as any fixed basket. The Pianissimo could also be an option vs the Piano. I am waiting for my Cosi to ship and a resonance killing upgrade from Rycote for my Nano.

Covering the interference slits was never a great idea, but industry standard maybe for decades, as only (?) Rycote and Sennheiser provided "Zeppelins" back in the days with clips suspended on rubber rings that needed to cover some slits and that was not a deal breaker for 416 operation. Most Zeppelins in ENG and film school kits I came across in the 2000s had a crumbling foam, permanently on the mic, with either clips or lyres at the slits for quick outdoor indoor changes. Handling noise and zeppelin resonances included. The 416 is a heavy beast after all. The way Simon mounts it hardly covers the slits but a foam with a slit won't cover complety. I'd guess, either way may not be perfect, but not that relevant. And yes, there are quite relevant reasons to use a different shotgun and a different wind protection, today. However, Simon, you did not ask where to throw money at, but you might want to check out / ask your dealer, if using the stiffer grey lyres or a duo lyre at the end of the mic would prevent the foam hitting the rail.

I am not sure, what setup you have. I'd suggest you post a foto or a model number, but if I understand correctly: you can make a slit in the foam of your 416(?) where the front lyre (or rubber ring suspended clip?) fits. BTW, the original Sennheiser foams start to crumble at some point and there are cheap 3rd party foams that work well.

Jepp, I thought about the Nanopole (carbon version) and might even get one eventually. You won't put that on slopes, the wadden sea, thicket or in significant wind though. I am not mainly a nature recordist but a filmsound guy. So I usually have a boom around and it was the easiest to just use that.

And get better pres.

I've worked with MK4 in the Albert (older model with acryl(?) skeleton) on a boom, because there was no point to carry an extra tripod into nature. On the show I am currently on, there is an MKH8040 pair in a Rycote WS, stationary on the sound cart. The WS is infamous for resonating handling noises, but it works and 8040 sound excellent, if you only operate stationary. There are situations/locations/conditions, where you can't or don't want to use a stand, especially when nature is involved or hiking is required.

Has anyone put a SuperCMIT with a Softie and a TRX743 on a drone? There are not many use cases and i'd need to be well insured. But it'd be an interesing experiment.

For my humble understanding, it is unlikely, to make a product, that implements a 3pin Lemo including optional phantom power and a microdot for 2 input bias power applications?

... not quite here yet, but still impressive.

I can't make up my mind. I have a CU0335 MZF and alternatively a Rycote connector from the Nano Shield with the 80Hz low cut PCB is lying around. Pianissimo (pricey, best wind performance(?), heaviest(?), kelly raincover) Some flavour of Cosi (only for light/medium light winds, smallest solution, lowest compatibility for other uses) Nano Shield CB (most flexible, wind performance somewhere between the cinela solutions(?), weight(?)) Looking forward to your opinions

Reminds me of this cold war wishful thinking joke: "I want a geostationary satellite" (always above the area of interest) "on a low earth orbit" (to capture details with limited 'resolution' cams) "right over Moscow" (or any other place, not somewhere near the equator) Like Rick suggested, some sort of MS mic is a good choice for a documentary cam mic. But limited to: You have some sort of stereo that follows the camera view, but still keep some options to emphasize what is "on camera", though in the very most situations not sufficient enough to capture speech for tv/film/etc. I wouldn't go for the mkh418 though from my experiences on its figure of 8 and I really dislike the 416 in general. Back in the days, it may have been the best solution available. Unfortunately, such things makes mics and other sound stuff "legendary" and trusted without research of alternatives. Listen into e.g. a CMS-50 and similar competitors before you buy. If you want to capture talking humans, dropping lav mics for practical reasons in favor of a cam mic is no option. Period. Unless you shoot in some sound- and low wind desert more or less monologues. Would you emphasize your experiences on compromises? What is a broader area in front of camera? Pretty much any mono mic covers a broader area than an 18mm lens which is why we try to put mics close to relevant sound sources rather than on cameras (beyond ambiences or reference tracks).

I'd use what is available at the local rental place and alternatively contact hearing aid shops as plan b. Phonak is probably what I'd end up with in my part of the world.

What are the intended use cases? Vehicle scenes? What is the price tag? Will it also combine without power?

Seems my usual suspects, hixman, ypa, kortwich have only stiff adapters the other way around.

What connector is on the mic? There are non cabled adaptors for most connectors.

This looks really cool. Are or will RF Explorer and or HackRF one be supported? Are or will there be other means of payment beyond the google store? Thnx

Thnx guys for the input. Both units I experienced where rentals. I've looked into the port (and my connector) with a torch on that weekend. All looked good, as far as I could see, though though was limited. I've first suspected a "geriatric disorder" of the 633 on the USB power or some creeping current in my WM-Connect that 633 handles less well. Your input is a lot more plausible though.

I have a WM-Connect that I use on different rental units. It seems, it does not do anything on at least 2 different 633 units (FW4.61), but it does work on different 664 units. The 633 USB port is set to host/keyboard. When I plug a keyboard (with an integrated hub) in the USB-A to B cable adapter, it also does not do anything. Has anyone experienced a similar behaviour with 633 and WM-Connect? What am I missing? When I connect the 633 in factory test mode (or at boot time) to a linux computer lsusb finds the "10c4:ea60 Silicon Labs CP210x UART Bridge".

My 2 ct: A tailored pouch. Thick Neoprene is not bad, but it is water absorbent. Some padded Cordura or whatever is more complex to make but soaks slower. Fix your clamp on the pouch rather the RX unit.