Deaf and Blind

Deaf and Blind? I shoot as well as do sound. :-)

The new AT's are a lot better than their earlier offerings and as I just want this as a stop gap dual channel link until the units I actually want to get become available. Also radio microphones purchased locally here in Oz are so ridiculously expensive compared to the rest of the planet... I know AT's are not the best on the market but used within their limitations they work just fine.

I prefer not to think of this as an audio problem but a people management issue. This plan of action has proved useful, remember most producers are really incompetent so make use of this. So the interview starts and the voice trails off to a whisper. Look at the producer with a wide eyed panicked look on the face tap your cans and silently mouth to them "I can't hear anything" Practice the panicked look at home until you have it down pat. Get the producer to take charge, stop the shoot talk to the talent and try to get things back on track. This way you have flicked the problem to the producer made them aware of the problem and up to them to fix. No one will remember why the shoot was stopped but they always remember who stopped the shoot, make sure it's some one else first. By doing this they can't go back and say bad things as you have made them aware of the situation so the onus is on them to deliver the goods. The rest of the crew can then back you up as the shoot was stopped so everyone knows plus all eyes are then on the producer. Now it's the producers problem / head on the line. If it's a reporter wait until an answer is finished then interrupt the journalist on the following question and whisper in to their ear you have a problem with the talent being so quiet again flick the problem to another person. This is a far more psychological way of working but talent will respond better to a reporter or a producer than the "crew" as they are percieved as lower status than the suits. (sad but true) Some days it's easier to manage people than technical stuff. We all have a myriad of tricks up the sleeve but if the producer / reporter can be convinced you have saved their arse...

Has anyone on here tried the Audio-Technica ATW-1821 - 1800 Series dual diversity TX / RX set up? Looking at it as a bang for the buck type thing it looks like a cheap way in to a sterio link / duel mono with some interesting design items like being able to turn off one reciever if your only running a single channel in as a link. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=460224&is=REG&addedTroughType=search I don't really want to see this turning in to a my Lectrosonics will whup your a$$ sort of thread or my audio Ltd are better type of thread just an honest yes I have used them these are my observations reply thread. Cheers D&B

I have been using them for a couple of years now and I just love them! At the moment I have six of the little blighters ready to go depending on the situation. Two white Ms1's for hiding under buttons (I carry quite a huge selection of buttons now so as to avoid cutting the spare ones off clothing) A silver grey, Pearlescent White and two black Mits 2'S which I have used extensively on cooking shows. It is really worth buying the wind socks for them again as you can colour match the cover to the talents fabric. For anyone who has tried to mike anyone up wearing a wet suit will have probably been tearing the hear out, not a problem with a pin mic but be prepaired to stop the talent about every five minutes if it's wet as water starts to wick up the pins so you need to pull the microphone capsule off dap the pins with a dry cloth and put the microphone head back on. It only takes a few seconds but it's the only real problem I have had apart from raid drops hitting the microphone head square on with a huge thud. Clothing noise, What noise? as for fabrics really close weave silks be careful! generally hold the back plate and wiggle the pins through the weave of the fabric. Once you take the microphone off give the fabric a quick rub and a pat down with some gaffer tape. Some fabrics take up to 24 hours to recover or a wash I have a cotton shirt here which has had pin microphones just stuffed through it all over the place and to look at it you would never know the way I have abused it. Ricsonix has now also developed a Button Microphone which has a flat back with a machined recess that sits over the button and a tiny parabolic dish on a 3mm stalk on to which you attach a second button to hide it. Sounds funky but it works a treat. The guys ar Ricsonix www.ricsonix.com are coming up with many new and innovative products all the time. If only they would keep their web site updated as quickly... Expect some new products out soon which will rock your world and make the industry sit up and go what the bleedin elle. As for mixing in with other microphones... well it mixes really nicely with the Cos11, Tram but generally I use them on everyone so no real issues there. If your thinking of buying one take a friend and your sound kit along get a friend to put one on and jump up and down vigourously like they were doing aerobics. If nothing else it will give the staff in the shop a good chuckle but you will be surprised how clean the sound will be considering how the talent is reacting. Due to the shape and design of the back plate you can use these as placement microphones. Try sticking one on the back of a rear view mirror of a car you will be surprised. Have fun and play with them, these microphones open up a whole new way of working which keeps the grey matter chugging along nicely. Cheers Nige

I have just got two of them from a site called student film makers I got a 2650 and a 2700 porta vault and yes for the price I am very pleased with them. https://www.studentfilmmakers.com/store/customer/home.php?cat=271 On a bang for the buck basis you can't go wrong. Cheers D&B