The Immoral Mr Teas

I agree this is a really great thread with some good information (not to mention pics too)! To some extent I don't think it is the broadcast rerecording mixer who is to blame for the excessive dynamic range (although sometimes it most definitely is). It is usually the 'direct employer' of said mixer (who indeed may employ said mixer because they have a mutual understanding what dynamic range ought to be on a TV show)!? Have loudness standards really improved the intelligibility of dialogue ... ? Next, Izen Ears, "Those were the days" ... they're still with

Hi Dan, to answer your question to me first, as dialogue editor I would be looking for mono fill for the dialogue track(s) - being the 'fill' track which may have been recorded by the PSM specifically to help me with the edit. Of course there is nothing to stop me just using one leg of a stereo track if room tone has been recorded in stereo. If I'm handling the ATMOS tracks (which I might well do as a dialogue or effects editor on a job with a few editors) as well as the fill I would most usually put a couple of tracks of stereo room tone, although if I had a good trac

Hi Dan, I wasn't planning on commenting on your original post simply because I have no experience (nor knowledge of for many) the mics you mention, nor really the understanding of what you really plan to do with ambisonic mic technique - but As a dialogue editor, if confronted with room tone recorded on an ambisonic mic, I would: 1. swear 2. listen to decide if it was any good ... 3. if, as expected, it was no good, swear again, then laugh, then find something in my library 4. if it actually seemed useful, say "oh ok" (possibly swear agai

I think MS is an excellent technique for many, generally 2 channel, systems or purposes: the two obvious being radio (taking advantage of the inherent mono compatibility) and vinyl (it was rare for me to encounter a tracking or mixing session where MS didn't come up somewhere). I would add any (2 channel) scenario where the sound in front is 'documentary' essential and the sound around it is 'a beautification' which could be the case for radio documentary, podcast ditto and Alan Lomax/David Lewiston/Harry Smith style folk song collection. It does of course also work in multichannel

Well you could always try to deaden the room when shooting video, although perhaps the clients being seen to wouldn't like the visual change in ambience. Carpet on the floor out of shot, certainly below the mic stands, and some thick curtains or padding on the (out of shot) walls, particularly behind the mics if they're not intended to be seen. The entire Sennheiser MKH 8020-90 range is pretty much the most sensitive and quietest mic you can get beyond extreme specialisation so it's a case of working out a way of improving the acoustics of the room. Once that is addressed I would even consider

Are you talking about a small single channel mic pre? Sound Devices have made two such models in the past and Fostex I think made one more recently. There's probably an older one by Shure too? If nobody chimes in have a search for these three. Best, Jez If you're thinking of something you see regularly when a boom op is working with a production mixer and the second person is feeding the camera (or recording double system) however it could be several other things you're thinking about. Zaxcom is another brand to search for the gadget you're searching for. Obvious thing

I like the way the Albino Rat makes up for his presumed social disadvantage by his deep voice (yes I know ...). But thank you Jason - an excellent contribution to probably THE most important topic on JW just now .... now if I could just figure out a way to juxtapose these animals with the instruments of the orchestra I could ... make a piece of art! Jez (actually I will remember to print a copy out of this, cheers!) and (further edit) I've just realised what the 'C's are down at the bottom ... so more musical than scientific the original compiler ...?

Fred, thank you, that was a great write up. I was also briefly stagier in 1994 to Laurent Quaglio who did films with Ruh (and didn't mess his sound up in post)! I am particularly fond (for Ruh) of Saint Jack (Bogdanovich - Corman - Hefner!!) which is one of the most incredible rostra of actors/ production / tech I can think of and doesn't disappoint. Sadly I never met Ruh but it was a name even in international (meaning non-French here) films when you generally knew you would be in for a good soundtrack. Cheers, Jez

"Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth"? - "Yes, you're ugly" - "See that woman over there, I'd really like [...]" - "Should I continue or are you going to start asking me some questions"? (Remembered from a Steven Wright gig sometime in the last century ...)

And just to add my useless tuppence per bag I've seen Dan 'snood-up' regularly way before the current situation to kid himself he's protecting himself from London's fumes! As it is, if there are two things I hope to see at the end of all of this it is i. All the twats who started cycling about with no regard for anyone (indeed, "like there was no tomorrow"!...) put their Mountains and their Cromptons and their Framptons back in their garages and forget they were ever there ii. We all go off-li

You have inspired me to start shouting at the jumping salmon of the River Wear. More fun for lockdown, thanks! J

Tom, DAMN! Is it good to hear a happy story! Thank you! J

Dan, mine too! Although I always thought of this one as an in-joke: it was a relentless take the piss of film sound (and in my mind should be what sound students should be studying rather than Apocalypse Now and The Conversation heh heh - hope De Palma is listening). Jez Note - there is some part of me that still after decades thinks that there are even MORE sound jokes in there that relate to Blow Up that I haven't been clever enough to spot. Yes, I truly rate this movie up there with greats of the time (and it is a time I consider great).

We've been there for years ... Adjust the skills so we are still needed, and then ... BINGO! folks need quality again, for whatever reason. Just noticed my 700th post (whey hey!) coincides with Philip's 10,001! (This was the edit). J

Brightnight, after the last post and very useful detail (= camera records PCM 48k 16bit) I would strongly suggest looking not for a recorder but a "low power PREAMP with XLR in and 3.5 mini jack consumer level output" ... with your extra skills I would consider if it could be externally battery powered and turned on and off with the same switching circuit that turns the camera to record. Perhaps even the same battery unit could power camera and preamp (+ mic)? Unless you have a spectacular scientific need for going over 48k and 16 bit (better than a CD ... if you remember them) I s