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Mike Matthews

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Everything posted by Mike Matthews

  1. Just ordered some FGG.0B.306.CLAD52 connectors, time to make some new cables.
  2. I'm also available locally in Tucson from mid-October through February with a 688, 633, Lectro wireless, lockits, Comteks and much experience in film, tv, commercial and corporate work. I charge full rates though, would never undercut my Phoenix sound brothers and sisters. mikematthewssound.com
  3. I just wrapped a feature shot in Montana winter, 30 days of all exteriors. Usually I was working from my cart covered with a popup and plastic when necessary but there were days when the location was so remote I had to walk in with my bag. The rain man poncho that Eric mentioned above (I bought 2 when they were having a sale, switching brand from from Petrol to Sachtler) saved my gear from the elements. It does not breathe well, as stated above, but it kept everything dry and safe.
  4. Thanks for the informative thread. I love the production quality of HOC and now I know why the audio is so incredibly good.
  5. Good to see Tascam improving the DR680. It was a great starter rig for me coupled with a 442 and served me very well.
  6. Thanks for the info, Larry. I guess I should have said the voltage regulators that I looked at back then. Even with the 1.5 volt drop, my NP1 ran for about ten hours powering the DR-680, a 442 and a couple of 411's which worked great for me until last April when I bought a 664. Even though a lot of people had reported no issues running the DR-680 at slightly higher than spec voltage levels, I just was not comfortable doing it and my little box served me well and gave me one less thing to worry about. If I ever need another one, I'll make it better.
  7. Same here, I prefer WTB/WTS. Thanks for asking Jeff.
  8. I saw that as well and it has since been pulled. The specs make no sense. 5 lav mics (SMV's) and then 5 wireless transmitters and receivers? And they have to be block 22? and the 788 HAS to have a solid state drive? Not to mention the ridiculous IFB requirements and especially the incredibly low rate. Love it when they try to show how much they know about sound gear.
  9. I have been using NP1s from B4B for almost a year and I've been really happy with them for performance, price and customer service. With my 442, DR-680, two Lectro receivers, boom mic on phantom and a Zax hop all running off the NP1, I've only had to swap it for a fresh one on one shoot after about 13 hours.
  10. Hey Daniel, I use a DR-680 with a 442 and send the 4 PFL direct outs from my 442 to the first 4 tracks of the DR-680, all line level. I usually send the left and right mix to channels 5 and 6 respectively, also line level. I actually never use the mic level settings. I have recorded TC to a channel on the DR-680, line level, when doing transcription for a client. I used the -10 dB line output (set to direct out) of the DR-680 to send timecode to one channel of a Zoom H2 and the tape out of my 442 to send program audio to the other Zoom H2 channel for the transcription file. Your plan sounds good. I am not certain if splitting the TC cable causes problems, I guess you will just have to test it. You might also be able to use the direct line output on your DR-680 to send TC to your 552, you could test that as well to see if there is a lag. Let us know how it works out, I'm interested.
  11. Wow, EB, seems like you touched a nerve here. I hope things are going well for you in Cal bro, haven't heard from you in a while. This Friday I'm on a panel discussing the crew experience of making of Winter in the Blood. Anything you want me to impart to the attendees or the directors on behalf of the head of the sound department? :-) I appreciate all the help, tips, tricks and just plain good common sense I have gotten from my friends and peers here on JWSOUND. Prior to any shoot, I research as much as possible, always download and review the camera manual and always look for potential issues so I am prepared as possible. A lot of the research involves this forum. It has made me a better mixer, no doubt. Sound requires good equipment but that is just scratching the surface. Good audio also requires mad technical skills, great public relations skills, great people skills, awesome troubleshooting chops, clear communications skills and business savvy all in a pressure cooker situation. Plus, audio is an ART. You must be creative as well as technical, a rare combination of talent and brains Definitely worth some money for the right person. I always think of the sound mixer as the most technically competent person on any set. I do not think there is enough information on rates. I believe everyone (myself included) is hesitant to put in writing actual numbers but I am going to do that because I would like your feedback and to hear what everyone else is charging if they feel like sharing. PM me if you don't want to share publicly, I really want to be fair to myself, the client and you, my fellow mixers. My rate in Missoula, MT is $500/10. I also charge $200 a day rental for my basic package, boom, 4 channel mixer, 2 wireless lavs. Additional equipment required makes the rental go up, for example, my Zax hop, IFB, transcription recording etc I also charge per diem of $45 a day when not working as a local, mileage (55 cents) and if I have to travel to the set, I charge $250 a day for travel. These rates are always subject to negotiation of course, depending on length of time, whether the producer was my roommate in college or if they are serving tuna subs, etc. I am really interested in hearing if you think these are reasonable rates or if I am way out of line for the profession. I don't want to be part of the problem! Mike
  12. +1 Robert and Crew. I look at good mics as a close to lifetime purchase. I would (and did) comfortably invest the most there. My 416 and Schoeps CMC641 will probably last longer than I do. Everything else can become obsolete quickly, especially recorders. Good mixers are a bit more future proof (my 442 is still doing the job for me even though the 552 and 664 have more/better features) and good wireless gear should be good for at least 5 years unless the FCC makes the block illegal to use. This is exactly why I am holding on to my DR-680 for now. Only when I finally get a decent feature or entire season of a TV show (its gonna happen even though I live in Missoula, MT!!) and know I'll have money coming in for a while will I buy a new recorder, either a 788, a Nomad or maybe even a 664 depending on the gig but I'll probably rent first to see what I like the best.
  13. I use an NP-1 with a BDS to power everything in my bag including the DR-680 and it lasts all day powering the mixer, the recorder, a couple of Lectros and one mic. Since the specs of the DR-680 say not to exceed 14 (I think) volts, I put in a variable output voltage regulator so it gets a constant 12 volts. I know some people say they feed the DR-680 directly from the NP-1, (which can put out 16.8 volts) but I didn't feel comfortable exceeding the specs. It cost me about $30 for a variable output voltage regulator, a radio shack box and the switchcraft connectors. If you are interested in going this route, let me know and I'll send you some pictures and a link to where I bought the variable output voltage regulator. This solution has worked great for me.
  14. Hey All, I am doing a gig in a couple of weeks (all interviews) and they send daily mp3s to a transcription service. I own a Zoom H2 that meets the mp3 bitrate specs. They are shooting on a Canon C300 so LTC will be sent from that and I'll be tethered to the camera. I still want to record second system in case something goes wrong so I want to send a second output from my 442 to my Zoom H2 and record audible time code to one channel on it and the interview on the other on a mini-trs cable with an XLRF on the right channel for the program dialog (transcription specs require right channel) and a BNC on the left channel for the timecode. Unless someone sees something wrong with that idea (if so please speak up) that's the plan. Since the Zoom H2 can't set individual channel levels it makes things a bit complicated. The manual on the C300 says TC output is 1 VP-P at 75 Ohms. I think that means nominal level (0 VU) in video gear. The specs call for -10db in the left channel to the Zoom for time code. Since it is an interview, I will probably have a hotter mix on the right channel, like around -15 to -12 I am simply not positive how the 1 VP-P translates in the audio world and I don't want to screw this up. So my long winded question is: Given what I am sending to the Zoom as program audio, do I need to pad the time code cable and if so, what should the padding be? It seem like I don't need a pad, but I am just not sure what the 1 VP-P really means. Maybe there is a better way to do this that I am not aware of. Thanks as always!
  15. I just wrapped a reality TV gig at the Testicle Festival here in Montana (yep, it's just what it sounds like and more). The client wanted a hop to A cam and B cam and I was using my 442 and my DR-680 over the shoulder. For A cam I used my Zax STA100/TRX900AA/RX900S with the STA100 fed from the TA3 outs on my 442. Since I already use the main XLR outs to send a mix along with 4 direct outs for iso's to the DR-680, I used the 442's TA3 tape out with a summed cable to a TA5F in on a UM400 for the B cam hop. I kept on thinking about my 10 pin Hirose output and A return totally going to waste and it really bugged me. Basically I can almost retire my beta snake, since no one wants to be tethered anymore but I really want to still be able to use that send and return on my 442. So I came up with an idea for a custom cable that would allow me to once again use possibly the best connection on my 442: A 10 pin hirose male connector on one end of an 18" cable with the output pins from the hirose appropriately wired to a TA5F end for my STA100 (or two TA5F's if you are using Lectro transmitters) plus a right angle XLRF to plug into a Lectro receiver connected to my A return pin in the hirose so I can confidence monitor using an attached a transmitter on the camera. I can solder well enough to do full size XLR's but I don't have the soldering chops or the eyes for a 10 pin hirose, so Remote Audio is going to build it for me. I am sick of wasting a great connection on my 442 and I really like to be able to confidence monitor. Camera always says they will listen on an ear bud, but it's not their job. Has anyone built anything like this? I used the Google but could not find this particular cable anywhere. It's basically a beta snake without the camera cable. It seems like a cable that anyone still owning a 442 along with a hop would find useful. I'll let anyone interested know how it works out and am interested in anyone's thoughts on this. Oh yeah, I DID try the Rocky Mountain Oysters. I've lived here quite a while and always avoided the Testicle Festival, but I figured since I was getting paid to be there... Mike
  16. Ah thank you Senator, my mistake. I meant serial numbers, sn's. Social security numbers are not required, hopefully we will never get like DHS here. Good thing we have an edit function!
  17. Funny, I think my first post on this site was a WTB a 442 or 552 right after I joined. I immediately was questioned by several long time members. They jumped all over me because there had recently been some questionably activity and here I was "new member" with a handle, totally fitting the profile of a scammer. I did some homework, identified myself, posted on Who I Am Today, and bought my mixer shortly thereafter. I think the system as is really does work, a lot of people are paying attention. Ultimately, though, I think it is up to the buyer to be careful and check the seller out. Photo's, serial #'s, the poster's history and PayPal should all be part of the buyer's due diligence.
  18. Thank you all for the knowledge. Once again I have to tell you all how much I appreciate the wealth of experience and knowledge that is freely shared on this forum. I know I have a lot to learn (always!) and it's great that there is a place like this.
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