Mick

As Crew mentioned I'm a keys/guitar guy but I've bashed out a few jams on skins as I'm sure most non-drummers have. These days I download midi files from some selected sites and then customize them on my Roland VS2480 with background vocals and additional instruments and create really good sounding solid backing tracks for my venture into live playing this summer. Malls and stuff probably. It's been too many years since I played out and I'm looking forward to gigging again when the show is on hiatus. Even if it never happens the preparation has been so much fun.

How did he pass away? Was he ill? I hadn't seen him for a year or so and was therefore out of touch with his situation. Sorry to hear he's gone. MIck

www.695.com. And then Firefox says it cannot access that site.

Is anyone else having problems accessing local 695's website?

Been there done that many times John, with Robert the Deva pro from Coffey Sound with me. He assures me that the Panasonic burner I have will not read 4.7s. We tried it many times. Thanks for your thoughtful suggestions though and I'll pass them on to Robert who is far more capable of making sense of them than me.

The Deva 5 software version is 5.25u. old I know but I'm not on any list that informs me of upgrades and I'm too busy to go searching...or something. Glen that's a great idea, I'm on it. M

Sounds good John but the issue is that the DVD burner won't read 4.7 gig discs. it will only work with 2.6. If there was a way to a) find regular 2.6 gig dvd rams, and insert them in the cartridges then maybe that would work.

Thanks Whitney, but they have to be in the cassette form to work in the Panasonic DVD burner attached to the Deva 2.

So there I was, right after the film break before lunch and I see an error message on the mirror section of the Deva V readout. OK, nothing new, just erase the DVD and re-burn all the stuff we shot before lunch. Say what! The readout on the hard drive section now tells me that there is no longer any information on the hard drive. Huh? I only reformatted the DVD, nothing more. I look through all the partitions on the hard drive. Nothing, nada, bagel, zip. How can this happen? I called Glen who referred me to Howie who told me that there are some issues with the software version I have on my Deva. OK, good to know,you mighta told me when I upgraded it but better late than never. I then had to inform post that all the pre lunch recordings were to be taken from the backup DVD ram from my trusty old Deva 2. Moral of the tale of course, nothing, but nothing is secure safe or guaranteed in today's digital storage equipment. Secondary and entirely independent recording systems are essential to safeguarding one's job and sanity. I an using the Deva 2 only until the current stock of 2.6 gig DVD rams are gone because I can't find any more. Anyone know of a source that might have some? I just need about 90 to close out this season. Zaxcom makes innovative and quality equipment but I can't bring myself to trust them completely. I've felt this for a long time for several reasons and it has stopped me from taking the plunge on digital wirelesses for some time. Just my opinion. The demise of the Deva 2 was, I suppose inevitable but I still have issues with equipment that costs so much and has a shelf life that's so short, but that goes for all sorts of modern electronics. I miss my Nagra. Mick

And here I was thinking I was setting a trend...oh well. Now if I had my rig in a monocopter flying overhead....might drown out the sound of the genny and flapping gels, creaky floorboards on the insert car...naaah. Bag.

Am I the only one doing this? Instead of futzing around breaking down the Deva, comtek, wirelesses and a mini mixer to go and sit in the front with the driver, I had our friendly yet constantly ribbing grips load my whole cart on the insert car. No fuss, zero hold up and I had everything at my disposal that I would have on a non moving location. They secured me in with some speed rail and ratchet straps and other than some wind issues with my antennas, it went very smoothly. We rarely have insert car work but whenever it's called for in the future that's the way I'm doing it.

The first thing that struck me about that pic was what a great sound cart that would make.

I ate a little humble pie at the start of this season. Up to now in my hubris I have always stood firm on the fact that I consider myself a mixer not a recordist and so have, for the most part, shunned the use of ISO tracks except where absolutely necessary. Now that post have mandated the use of ISO tracks whenever wires are used I have seen first hand how they can assist the dialogue editor in assembling a clean track thereby circumventing the application of looped dialogue to the scene. Sometimes. Along with my education in the use of pro tools this lesson has moved me further into the realm of modern recording techniques and loosened my grip on traditional methods to which I clung for grim death for so long. I exaggerate a little but the point is that we are unable to stand still, either on our laurels or on the assumption that our present platform of knowledge is sufficient to cruise upon. I admit to a certain complacency about my knowledge and experience which has been undermined by third party intervention and which has improved both my attitude and enthusiasm. I stand corrected and grateful for a new perspective on my job and that of the recipients of my work and hope to continue doing it for a good while yet. And I'm still a frickin' recordist! Mick

WE could have a get together and have our combined ages total more than the rest of the crew!

Love it. I used to cut for Dove Audio books on tape on a Tascam 32 with the same block, a grease pencil and miles of splicing tape. 15 bucks and hour and i was glad for the work. MIck

I know that what I used to do for a living and now do for fun, writing, recording and mixing music, is art. there is some of that in what I do for a living now, but not as much. Mixing several wires and a couple of booms in a dramatic piece so that it all gels with the picture is definitely artistic. Recording a talking head talking about the half life of mollusks in the sub Arctic.....well,not so much. Mick

Jackson Pollock tossed a bunch of different paint colors on a canvas and rode a bike over it. Some discerning art critics called it art and it eventually sold for $50 million. Compared to that ANYTHING we do is art!

I still run a Deva 2 as as backup but I know for sure it's only going to survive this season if I'm lucky. I rented a Deva 5.8 as a backup to my Deva 5 and that's the route I'm going once the Deva 2 shuffles off this mortal coil. Great machine and records to flash cards as well once I get into the digital video world, which I think is inevitable once CSI (shot on film) is over. I may go with a four or eight track SD solely because of the testimonials I've read here, but the Deva is hard to beat, pricey but seems to be the go to machine for a lot of mixers. On another subject, anyone had any feedback from Presonus mixers? I hear good things but only from music guys, not audio for visual mixers. Just a thought MIck

Years ago I was actively involved in all aspects both physical and cerebral of the job. It was only when Donavan Dear became my boom man on CSI that I was politely informed that all would move along so much smoother if I just concentrated on moving my chair from A to B and left the nuts and bolts of running the show to him and our third guy, who at that time was John Reynolds. I was the recipient of sideways glances every time I tried to help load the carts on the truck or move antennas or anything that required muscle involvement. After a while I became comfortable with this and now leave everything to more experienced hands. I mix, make decisions on mic placement sometimes but it really ends there. Confidence in your crew is a blessing that comes from lots of time invested in watching and approving the delegation process. The downside is that I put on weight and have to endure endless derision from grips and other hard working physical types who see me rolling my chair around, "Chairman of the Bored" they call me. I'm OK with it. Therapy has helped tremendously. Kudos to all third guys and boom men everywhere, your contribution is very much appreciated. Mick

Musing today on past jobs and crazy situations that I found myself in over the years. I thought it might be interesting to hear about the craziest most challenging, weird or just plain funny predicaments that we've encountered in our careers. I'm sure there are so many in each of our anecdotal arsenals that it would take a book, but just choose one that sticks out, so to speak. I posted some years ago about an Unsolved Mysteries that i did about Elvis's early years in which they hired a look alike based on the fact that he could, (so he said) play the guitar. Of course, having said whatever it took to get the job we find on location in Memphis that he hadn't a clue. I think I have a picture somewhere of me with a Nagra around my neck, tweaking the gain and at the same time I had a guitar strung over the Nagra which I was strumming to the miming efforts of the actor around whose back we were dollying, (couldn't go round the front because he didn't know any chords, a great example of how auditioning before casting is a great idea!) I'll see if I can find it and post it here. Unsolved Mysteries for me was the most fun job I ever had, for the most part because of the crew who were my best friends and the interesting places and stories we covered. Good times. Jamming with the band at the Rum Boogie cafe in Memphis was just one of the perks. Looking forward to some war stories from anyone with a few moments to spare. Mick

Well done Philip and well deserved. I thought you were a shoo in for the Emmy and I love that you won. I don't personally know Steve or Tom but congratulations to you both. MIck

One more thing. When we shoot in LV and need an extra guy we always hire local. In fact, dude, I'll even hire YOU. Seriously.

Richard said everything I had in my mind but was too PO'd to articulate. Well said sir. Mick

I get it, you obviously don't. I love when people from outside L.A. think they have a finger on the pulse of the city. Work here and then build a foundation for your opinion.

I know. i was "experienced. i did it for the networking potential and it kinda worked to a point. I'm not condoning it in a blanket fashion, just saying that from time to time these things work for some of the people some of the time.