taylormadeaudio

exactly -- though I suspect we sound guys know a little more about lighting (just by necessity) than shooters know about say, compression and rarefaction... therein lies the rub. : )

Egos are the same pretty much across the board. We've all been in situations where we have to just bite the tounge -- maybe share it with someone down the road (ie: this and other forums) to get that little bit of well deserved recognition... or vindication. It doesn't matter -- whether you're standing next to Samuel L. and Irwin Winkler... or some European DP that's hell bent on using every frickin' piece of lighting and diffusion on the production's 3+ 10-tons to 'perfect' his light soup -- if someone is messing up, you could easily be the fall guy just for noticing, let alone saying anything. There's a joke among musicians that goes something like: "Who are those guys always hanging around musicians? ...drummers." Well to a degree, in the eyes of those who (ironically) think about filmmaking only with their eyes, we Sound Guys are the drummers of the moving picture world. We're not supposed to know what a 2/8 split is -- let alone care... so when we do, people get really touchy. Yeah, kid gloves... or better yet, buy a camera and lighting package (or rent one) and diversify your business. In any case, hang in there -- don't get cynical -- it would only perpetuate the stereotype that some folks have about Production Sound Mixers. : )

Check out Remote Audio's BDS products: http://www.remoteaudio.com/bds.htm I couldn't be happier with a portable DC system -- powers a 442, 702T, 4 Lectro 411's, and a Lectro IFB -- with the IDX LiIon MP1's, will run all day (OK, maybe I have to change batts once during the day.) I even prefer to use it on my cart with the 702T and 442 (when I'm not using the Cooper) just to keep the draw down on the other (main) DC systems. I'm sure you're already aware of their product line though. I just thought I'd throw this in just in case. : )

It's merely a reference # -- a symbol -- used to communicate information. Should we get hung up on the fact that there's really nothing 'rolling' per se, or should we be content with the fact that there is already a system in place that works for most situations? Maybe we should start saying, "acquiring" instead of, "sound speed"... since we're really no longer waiting for the recording mechanism to come up to speed. Is MOS really still Minus Optical Stripe? Should we change that too? If there are two sound crews, everything should have a prefix: sound roll A1, A2... B1, B2... etc. -- there should never be an issue as to which 'roll' (or file) corresponds to which crew, camera, day, etc. -- if anything, it should be easier to discern -- with all the possibilities we have with metadata... editors still need to read sound reports. ...just thinking outloud -- for what it's worth

Does anyone know what it takes to remote roll a SD 702T (or 744T for that matter) and Metacorder (on a MacMini) from a CS208D? I'm aware of the CL-1 and the Tranzport, but aren't these both interfaced directly with their respective recording platforms? I'm looking for a solution that will enable me to use the remote roll switches on the Cooper.

Does anyone know what it takes to remote roll a SD 702T (or 744T for that matter) and Metacorder (on a MacMini) from a CS208D? I'm aware of the CL-1 and the Tranzport, but aren't these both interfaced directly with their respective recording platforms? I'm looking for a solution that will enable me to use the remote roll switches on the Cooper.

Does anyone know what it takes to remote roll a SD 702T (or 744T for that matter) and Metacorder (on a MacMini) from a CS208D?

Was using G4 Powerbook w/ MOTU 828mkII -- running Metacorder and dumping to LaCie 1394(a& drives. Timecode and Comp tracks come from a 702T. I just switched to a MacMini (only supports 1394a) with same I/O and drives. I'm eager to drag it through the mud a few times and see how it compares to the G4 (which was rock solid, BTW.)

I recently mixed a film directed by Wayne Wang. He was by far the most sound-conscious Director with whom I've ever had the privilege to work. I got more clean room tone and wild lines on this job than probably the entire rest of career. One of our locations -- we were shooting in an apartment for 3 weeks... the second day we were there he sent the stills guy packing -- in front of everybody -- for being too loud during rehersals. I felt so immediately vindicated it almost scared me. I tried to warn the photog early on, but he thought he'd make jokes instead of taking me seriously. Anyhow, I thanked Wayne and we went on to have one of the most beautifully quiet days I've worked in 15 years. Stay strong my brothers (and sisters) : ) "In the beginning, God SAID, "Let there be light." ... speaking of: like my good friend Steve Jones reminded me -- we always have the option of showing up on set with laser pens. : )

Hi Simon, I had a similar issue on my cart. I was running (max at one time) 7 411's: 6 lavs and 1 wireless boom. The boom channel kept dropping exactly as you describe. It was only the boom channel though. All along, I thought it was the mixing console (Mackie 1604 vlz pro) I tried new cables (though they're all pretty new to begin with) different channels, everything I could think of... and even retired said mixer as a result. It was an old board, lots of hours, high current draw -- not really designed for location cart mixing. I thought for sure it was something in the board. So I got a CS208D : ) (I was planning on upgrading anyways) It's good (in a way) to hear that someone else has experienced this phenomenon though. I thought I was going crazy! I still haven't figured out the cause, but I think it had something to do with some kind of resistance build-up (for lack of a better term) in the signal path. I say this because no amount of fader or gain adjustment would remedy the problem. What DID work however was simply reaching around the back of the cart and disconnecting / reconnecting the line. The signal strength would return to normal just as you described when you'd change the output level on the Lectro. It got to the point where I'd have to do this 5 or 6 times a day (usually after lunch.) So I could see why it would kind of seem like a heat thing. In any case, the common denominator seems to be the 411's. That said, I've used the same 411's with a 442 in the bag (along with a 702T) all powered by a Remote Audio BDS/ IDX LiIon NP1 set up -- running all day (10-12 hrs) without a hitch. The signal drop only occured on the cart with the Mackie. So, I'm not sure it's a heat thing because my units all work fine in the bag -- 4 of 'em, all Velcro'ed to each other including a Lectro IFB trans, the 442 and 702T -- all generating heat with little to no dissipation. On the cart, the Lectros were basically in the open air -- nothing but the casing to trap heat. This is what lead me to think it has something to do with some kind of resistance build-up in the output signal. The only question I would have at this point is how old your gear is. Having learned about your situation, I'm inclined to CC this post to the folks at Lectrosonics and see if they have anything to say. I'm sorry I don't have a remedy for you, but perhaps this info will help? Please feel free to eMail me: tom@taylormadeaudio.com