The Immoral Mr Teas

I have a couple of HOFBAUER hard cases which I use to store my two WS2 and or lightly travel with them. Sadly, the larger model which is large enough to hold the rycotes is no longer stocked by Canford nor does it seem to be available on Hofbauer's UK website ... although it is annoyingly present in the product group photo. The model I have is the Technobag, and I think it must have been the Technobag 2 (only the 0 and 1 seem available, and extra-annoyingly, the transparent model is in the picture but seemingly unavailable also! I use the Technobag 1 for other mic/amp gear and the super cheap A-series cases too, but if you could find a supply for the larger Technobag somewhere I've found it an excellent lightweight and cheap case for keeping a rycote and a few extra bits in decent shape, although by no means a 'heavy use' design (although you gain on the considerable reduction of weight compared to stronger types, and they've flown and travelled about with me a fair amount). Apologies if I just send folks on a wild goose chase however. www.hofbauer.co.uk On the German site, hofbauer.de , the Eurobag 35 seems the closest replacement, and is available transparent. I'm not keen on the hinge mechanism nor the general design of the newer Maxibag which I guess replaced the Technobag range with Canford. Price around the £20 mark, but of course that means nothing if one cannot source one. Best of luck, Jez

The "little black dress" of the reel to reel world ... Jez Marceau, welcome to JWS and the Nagra thread! Around the same time I was working with Soyusmoultfilm on a couple of films shooting in Paris. Happy days ...

Doug, well 40 years is a good time back for me, but apart from the Nagras and some (even valve) Bruel and Kjaer magic, here goes: My (bad/immature) attitude Jim Tannenbaum's "Timecode in the Reel World" (thanks to Lee Strosnider) John B Fisher's "Wildlife Sound Recording" HW Hellyer's "Tape Recorders" and "Stereo Sound" The EMI handbook " Modern Instrumentation Tape Recording" and the best of all, Michael Wysotsky's "Widescreen Cinema and Stereophonic Sound" which made me a scholar of sorts (heh heh) Jez

And just noticed your preference for the Cooper 104, so is that a fast attack fast release? Best again, Jez

Dela, yesterday - ruby blade - so it is! Beautiful! And I've been admiring my own IV-S more the last couple of days again! My 4 series ATM is long since dead. Any obvious problems to look for or repairs? Antoine, thank you for the pictures - and great that it proved extra beneficial to JB in the fascinating ongoing research. I love that 'round' erase head ... best all, Jez

Hmm, Nagra IVS, limiters off, crushing the weber? Careful choice of mic level? Think I might go down that route but still record lower onto my digital BU and play around in post (if even just going back to a rerecord to the tape option). Curious what might be a good fast / transient / limiting compressor in current or past machines for such recording? SQN? Earlier Sonosax? Older analog SD? I would imagine bringing in a separate custom compressor might work better? I understand playing into limiters but barring dials for news etc would rather not be trying to do this outside of a studio (and controllable) hardware situation - although, as mentioned, with suitable BU I might crash tape old fashioned style sans limiter. Jez

Afraid I can't do pictures at the moment. The David Lane is a small external box, designed to go into the NR path of the IVS. Working (without modification) as a mic input for the IV-SJ is just a nice quirk of fate. Maybe have a look on the dark Devil's web for a pic? [Edit- image search 'David Lane 3rd mic input' - I just found several pics] PLEASE don't drill your Nagra!! The two screw holes probably already exist on your Nagra head assembly plate: just to the left of the erase head, above the moving tape guide, they are there about an inch up - two little holes in horizontal line. I don't know if they existed back in 1971 models but they're there on my SJ. If your IVS doesn't have the screw holes I wouldn't try to fit the blade, but since you have ruby guides I expect they're there. J

The blade is metal (a dark grey to the alu silver of the mounting) - no ruby on the blade unit. My Nagra however is one of the ruby ones so I'll venture the possibility that the introduction of the blade may have coincided with the ruby guides in the late 70s? Mine is nonTC, but with cue/pilot, and as I said, the head shield. Since you mention accessories, I've also a David Lane 3rd mic input, which I actually keep with the SJ to give it a 'standard' mic input: I'm forever looking out for another so as to have stereo preamps on the stereo machine. But as you can imagine I'm not using my two Nagras every day! Jez

My IV-S has the QRAC fitted ... I actually thought it was standard with the IV-S all these years. But I notice my IV-SJ doesn't have it, so maybe not. My IV-S also has the head 'shield' (whilst the other doesn't) so perhaps it was common to buy machines with both accessories fitted. J

Hmm, if you aren't opposed to 2 SD slots where you can easily reach them on the front (which I'm not) perhaps check out the Sonosax R4+ .... but unfortunately you're talking Swiss build quality here (that being a joke for those not familiar with Rolex or the cuckoo clock). Jez

Have you asked them? Jon etc? They are pretty helpful ... J Also, just realising it's your first post, you've probably accidentally named the post with your name rather than Sound Devices 442 Schematic so try to rename the post but also just call SD. I had my 302 go down in Asia and they could not have been more helpful.

Re Pindrop, nearest match, yep you would think. Says a lot about the modern world, with all the profiling and surveillance, who doesn't have the cash to pay a team! RD ... rings true, and thus lucky that the lot was put through as a whole batch with serial numbers etc. Lucky obviously that Michael spotted it and checked up and reported back. I hope the seller, obviously a fortune down, sees the good side too. Maybe that JW t-shirt could still be a good idea. Overall moral (apart from insurance) - proof of serial numbers (re Doug's post) and management thereof for us all. Nice one, though, good to have one work out, and hopefully all innocent. With the latter in mind another moral: for such a situation when the recipient expects to hear from the proper owner and doesn't it is good that folks (Michael) continue to keep an eye out.

Hey Rado, ha ha ... well the original Cantar X had the primary media locked in a metal room and guarded by two 'prison officers' (in British slang) IIRC. Problem was behind this security the primary media itself was a poxy FireWire drive - child of the times, admittedly, but I always felt the weakest link in an otherwise superb machine (and one of my all time favourite designs, holding company well with Nagras III, IV-S, Crevette, etc). Also, I could have done with quicker access/swapping if weatherproofing could be maintained, so maybe this is an 'agree to disagree' point after all? Alberto, good to have you on the group and thanks for the picture. May I ask, presuming you're going through the desk into the R4+\AD8, are you utilising the mic pres on the latter units or just going line level into the (up to) 14 inputs from the desk and using just the ADC of the recorder combo? Cheers, Jez

Yep I think it's the lower price different market idea that the original poster was referring to. The 633 is also small and capable! J And Ramallo, being another Soundfield owner, I think that EVERY professional 4+ track recorder should have an ambisonic hp matrix (iso selective) built in ... for a Mix Pre, potential Minimaxx, etc, I'm not so bothered, but the higher priced stuff ought to take notice, and if the lower priced stuff decides to implement what doesn't exist in said high price stuff then damn good sir you have my support! Sign off if not bedtime now, for Betjemenland is just starting on the telly!

RD, I held off posting before now just because I wanted to minimise the online potential to screw things up - I'm English and not too certain about the 'state' situation of law, but I think taking it to the police (and presumably the insurance if involved) was the absolute right thing to do, not trying to go it alone. Meanwhile I had my fingers crossed throughout the whole week and I am absolutely bloody delighted that it all worked out. We could come up with a sound community t-shirt for the seller if indeed he was the original culprit. Damn, I am almost as pleased as you are for this one. Best, Jez

I agree Patrick, an absolute non-issue, but to each their own. I always hated the media top-load on my Nagra .... but the Nagra still works and the F1 doesn't - damn, I can't make that joke work, can I? I cannot think of an old side-loader. But it stands, I find front load 'probably' more useful than side, and definitely a (little bit) more than than back, or bottom ... or even top. Curious how folks might like the fader/input module? Personally I would have preferred a smaller (less high, but deeper) footprint and more in/out/tb function. But that's not my own job, needs etc so doesn't affect me. The R4+ and AD8+ combination as it stands remains my current wish list favourite but I'm wondering of simple alternatives. I'm going to chuck a new module idea in there (for folks like me with external analogue mic preamps wanting to gain access to the extra channels via aes in without compromising the Sonosax ADC). How about, say, a four and an eight channel line level ADC unit without the preamps, or a 4mic + 4 mic/line version? I know this is asking for a lot - and am only thinking of it if it MIGHT be of any interest to other R4+ users ... And if it were relatively simple to provide such (reduced) options in the same 'box' to make it economically not ridiculous. There are easy ways around gaining access to the extra tracks in sync, (including some cheap), but not taking advantage of the quality ADC. Even strapping two R4+s together give 8 preamps and 4 line ins to one recording unit, which I have considered as an alternative to the AD8+. Just considering openly the possibilities, the needs of R4+ owners and AD8+ potential users, and crucially, the financial logistics of bringing out such 'reduced function' models. What's also obvious is that the AD8+ is not going to be a 'production sound' product so few of its potential users are going to be here on JWS, but I'm one of them so I will ask here anyway. Interested in whatever anyone might have to say. Jez

Least Used Skill No10 = speech clarity ?? Was the compiler perhaps making some point about mumblecore?

?? Although nobody has asked me I recommend the Sennheiser MKH50. Not cheap but 'well priced'. ??

As a dialogue editor, a sound engineer ... and a 'filmmaker' : A good topic, perhaps the wrong title (it could be Cedar And .... or many many others over the last several years). In a studio situation, I am able to put the 'right' mic in the best possible position, then it's my experience and judgement that hopefully gets me a good sound. On set, one does the same, but the best possible position is rarely if ever the best position. This has always been the case, even in the pretty rare eras when camera waited on sound. Even when production sound is great (in narrative film) there is work to be done down the line by the dialogue editor and rerecording mixer (and often ADR editor/mixer and most importantly the actor reperforming). These are our jobs, and hopefully we all do good jobs of it. Certain products help us do our jobs but that's it. Perhaps if things reach a stage that our employers believe that the software/hardware is providing the skill we might need a big rethink: the budget remixer for instance suggesting it's his talent, not his investment, that provides the miraculous result. In the meantime let's keep working well with all departments and preach to the producers and directors the needs (within reason) of the sound department. I love the tech and welcome it. It's not filmmaking, we are. Jez

Hi Todd, well I was using radio mics twenty odd years ago in HK, so maybe folks have changed 'back' to the good old days of wired mics! I can imagine RF to be a real bugger though. It was common to record scratch audio and loop everything for narrative. There's a fairly recent 2017 HK rentals thread elsewhere on the forum, mentioning Salon, Cinerent and some theatrical/music show rental options if anybody's looking: either General Discussion or Current if not Equipment. Best, Jez

20 odd replies and no great discussion of the mzf or mention of the tacit - I've used neither so far but heard good things about the rycote HPF and intend to get one at some point, whilst the MZF I believe does very little (for the dialogue recordist) and costs a lot: not quite the price of a Picasso sketch, but I would think you might get lucky and find a decent used 416 for not too far off the cost of a new mzf .... I still hope, ten years later, Sennheiser will bring out a Production Recordists' model of the HPF, with choices of steeper cuts and perhaps some variation similar to the cuts 1/2 ... another ten years and the concept of an analogue mic input or accessory might be strange, but so far I have no aes42 record channels. I like the pad and hpf on my mkh40 and tend to grab that mikh a lot knowing they're there, although own and use the 80 series as well. I don't think you'll ever regret owning a 416, or using an mkh50 ... But aes42 is a consideration, and look into the rycote tacit (or Tac:T or something ...) if you haven't already. J

Good call for position, Fabian. I play viola, and have often miked it with a 4060 - rather than 'studio' choices of Bruel & Kjaer, Schoeps, ribbon ... ha, my skill level doesn't justify even the 4060! I have a couple of the violin mounts designed to go with the 4060/1; they go to the strings just behind the 'bridge', so very close to where you put the 4061. With the extra room behind the tailpiece on the cello and bass (compared to violin/viola) it's an ideal 'mounted' hiding place with minimal extra coloration, so good choice. Jez

re Jon, and cue Jeff there was an absolute beauty Neve 1970s portable unit I saw on eBay a couple or so years ago, with the classic telephone hand unit on the right hand side: if I dig up a picture I will pass the beauty on !! on the smaller scale, I remember visiting my pal a cameraman in Kingston Upon Hull, now decades previous to its City Of Culture status, and him showing me a 'presenter in front of a helicopter' piece he had shot with an old timer news mixer who carried the 1970s or so Neve 'bag' preamp with obviously substantial EQ to roll all the LF away and provide the news feed with an unbelievably clean track - skill atop gear, hats off, but nice gear all the same! Jez On the 'post Rupert' Neve story, I used to mix TV with the beautiful AMS Neve boards, which my boss used to refer to as 'Calrec's... one of the latter desks I have in bits in a friend's attic (16 very nice P&G faders plus some early 48k digi units, ex NI TV)

Cheers Al, I'm sure I'm going to enjoy watching this ... Jez

Thank you for the excellent write up, John. The (current ?!? haha) situation very clearly detailed, and heaps and heaps of interesting info and links. Cheers, Jez