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The Immoral Mr Teas

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Everything posted by The Immoral Mr Teas

  1. Cheers Jim and to David for mentioning it in the first place. Look forward to checking it out when I get a chance to. Jez
  2. Sorry for jumping off topic Sean, but I'd just like to say to David I'd love to see this film. When was it made? I have two cups of tea on the go beside me as I type (a plain Assam and a Dharamsala Tips green). The professionally most ridiculous was bringing about 4 different cups into the final mix theatre whilst dialogue editing Inkheart in 2008 (drink the black first hot then the lighter teas cold). And I like Les Blank. Jez
  3. Hey thanks Jim, that first one is a really decent easy watch. I've been telling friends doing music to look at Reaper for ages but it looks like its time I followed my own advice and started using it myself. Jez
  4. I have all sorts of weird lemo connections on assorted Nagra and Bruel and Kjaer bits and bobs (alas no spare J...) but I recall having a chat with the lad from Lemo UK at a trade fair not too long ago when I brought up connectors and leads. He was extremely helpful saying they would make up custom leads if required and happily sold direct parts but I recall in minimums of perhaps 4. Nevertheless I would contact Lemo if you can't find a local supplier and ask for either suppliers and/or the possibility of buying direct, as well as answering any parts or second-use-manufacturer questions. And they're Swiss, so must speak at least four languages aside from English ... ! Jez
  5. Not to mention visas granted for companies wishing to import labour from all over the world when they don't want to employ 'tricky' locals who might (horror) wish for some basic rights with their contracts. But I'm being pessimistic here when in fact Tim is going to give all his employees a pay rise at Wetherspoons - along with all the employers who promised "higher wages, lower costs" ...
  6. Sooner rather than later. Sunderland as usual was the first to get its vote in and has some excellent port facilities that will soon be without use. Jez "Yes, EU - GIVE US OUR BORDERS BACK!"
  7. Oh yes, that looks about right. The waterfront's lost one of my favourite HK buildings up there but you can see little else has changed in twenty years! Is the cart built from scratch or based around a commercial trolley? Looks nice and simple. Would be nice to see a picture unpacked and disassembled/folded down when you're all done. Presuming it's been shipped? Wheels/ bottom section/ coasters all fixed? Jez
  8. Is that downtown Wanchai, Tony? There's nothing specifically I recognise ('Shanghai Mei Fan' the only full sign I can see) but it looks about right. I used to work above the Caltex garage which was probably a street or two away from where you were filming ... that is until our government failed to renegotiate a work permit agreement for its citizens ... but I don't have to worry about them doing anything like that again now, do I? Always enjoy a return to HK, hope you had a good time> Jez Adamson
  9. Just watching 'Zoo Quest in Colour', by far the best Attenborough at 90 programme from the last weeks from a programme making point of view. Whilst they were shooting (late 1950s - pre 58) non sync with a wind up 16mm and what looked like a Nagra II, Attenborough came up with a quick slate system of having a book of raffle tickets as a slate / edit aid. It doesn't say whether they ever shouted the number out or clapped or whatever - perhaps it was just for the MOS shots. The patched together sync (Balinese musical ceremonies etc) is pretty damn good regardless of equipment and method! Jez
  10. The F8 is probably an excellent piece of kit for what you have in mind, and capable of quite a bit more. One of the few things it lacks for its pricerange is any digital input, but since it records 8 tracks up to 192k this probably isn't a problem for you. By accounts here, the preamps are probably as good or on a par with the SD442, except probably not the limiters or headphone amp - but I don't know. The 552, whilst just being stereo, has five direct outs as well as some kind of digital out (which might help sync to something like a DR680). Not really sure I can advise on mics - I tend to use Sennheiser MKH 8040 cardioids but they're beyond your price range. I used to have an AT822 which is a decent well built single point stereo (cheaper model than the one you mention). The audio tourism guru David Lewiston used Neumann KM74 (precursers of the eventual KM184) and Electrovoice RE50s for loud Bali stuff (I'm watching the BBC recent doc 'Zoo Quest in Colour' set in Bali/Komodo as I type). I'm a believer in practicing the art with 'decent cheap' (said AT822, Oktavas perhaps) then eventually forking out for real quality - but buy what you're comfortable with and will do the job well. The MKH ranges for instance are battletanks in all conditions as well as sounding excellent, which is why I take them anywhere. I love also the DPA 4060 miniatures. Ambisonics is fascinating and the Soundfield mics are very musical, but it is what it is (and expensive at that). It is not a magic box nor a universally useful tool. And MS is NOT an 'option for fixing imperfect setups later' (unless perhaps you're mastering a disc). I strongly recommend you log into the Rycote site and look for the pamphlet 'The Stereophonic Zoom' which to my mind is the simplest and clearest available introduction to stereo XY recording technique - polar patterns, recording angles etc. It will help you understand exactly what is going on with your fixed point mic and setups such as ORTF, IRT and everything in between Blumlein to spaced omnis. One (or two in your case) fixed point stereo mics might be an easier (and thus better) tool for you at this stage but a pair of cardioids and a K&M stereo bar are the bread and butter of recording when you really start getting into it. That and the ingenuity of coming up with your own methods of mounting, windproofing, and carrying them about the place! Are you able to borrow either a stereo mic or a pair of mics for the duration of your project (perhaps with the proviso that you return the favour with your own gear afterwards)? That way it could be cheaper to buy an identical mic set for yourself and thus have the 4 channel possibilities without a massive early outlay. I'm still a long way off getting my LsRs 8040 set .... Jez
  11. Hi all, I've looked through previous posts and don't find anything current. Can anyone point me to current usable frequencies for Poland? I'm actually planning / hoping for a relatively simple boom / plants setup for a small drama, and no longer own any radio systems anyway BUT I'd rather we were prepared before I start to help my friend start preproduction ... As well as UHF, any info on VHF (if still applicable) would also be appreciated for monitoring/scratch tracks ... Dzjekuje in advance, Jez Adamson (I know - a funny name in Polish!)
  12. L-CR and CL-R sounds interesting ... but you'd really have to experiment with the CL and CR to get nulls against the 'wrong' side (perhaps with hypercardioids or bi-directionals), the recording angles natural, and the whole to work together. This would be difficult at best just with one fixed recording position ... trying to set it up with several different recording spaces could be terrifying. Re stereo width and post - you should really look into (and experiment with some existing unmixed XY recordings) deriving M-S channels out of X-Y recordings. Of course the best course of events is to record the 'perfect' stereo angle and reproduce it, but I rarely ever worked on a studio music project without some MS appearing at some point, especially for disc (whilst many here know of my loathing of MS in theatrical film!) Jez
  13. For relative simplicity, whilst being sure of getting a reasonable stereo pickup of each group, and assuming they're facing (against) one another, I'd go with recording four-track (onto a Tascam DR70 or better) with four capsules - starting in an IRT type cross (so two opposing stereo pairs) and if necessary widening these (ie to two ORTF) or narrowing, to alter the recording angle and/or pick-up/null. In post, you could then easily 'mix' down to 2 track stereo, using the 'quiet' pair as 'ambience-response' bleed into the other channels, or mute completely if desired, or indeed leave the lot open as surround quad. BUT - I'd ask myself all sorts of questions first on what you're trying to achieve, is picture involved, and if any release or presentation of the material is expected at the end of the project (CD? Gallery?) It also depends somewhat on what mics/recorders/accessories you already own, what budget if any is available and whether you're willing or indeed wishing to spend to 'upgrade' kit to make the project possible. My first 'upgrade' (if necessary) would be to get a 'decent' 4 track recorder - which would be the DR70 at least or something better (ie not an H4 or DR60 where you can't easily set up 4 matched channels). Two Rode NT4s (or similar XY mics) piggy-backed in opposite directions would give you a similar useful recording setup - not precisely set as IRT / ORTF or custom positioned pairs and quads, but probably perfectly decent for the job in hand (and with the added benefit it could fit permanently in a fat rycote). It's also the kind of setup that I would consider B-format for: this type of ethno' choir (group rather than soloists) is already a 'wall of sound' and you also have the surround element ... but I expect this is way out of your budget (and if you aren't well versed already in ambisonics, MS, recording and mixing the results may end up patchy). I'd go with what you originally suggested: two pairs to four track. Jez
  14. New page up http://www.sonosax.ch/ although not much new info as far as I see on first look. However I'll take the opportunity to finally raise my points on the RC8+ since its been discussed less than I thought it might be so far here. Firstly, I'll point out (for Jacque's benefit as well as others') that I'm really not likely to be an end user of such a module, although both the R4+ and AD8+ are very much on my future wish list for multichannel recording: I record (and edit) but don't mix, nor send audio to cameras etc. So, whilst I feel that the R4+ is ergonomically near excellent, with great features for its size - a nice size at that, and 'suffers' over a certain area of the market (albeit not my own) by a lack of outputs and a 'convenient' mixing surface, I think there's a few things 'wrong' about the RC8+ in its own ergonomics and features. Firstly the size: I am really offput by the height of the box, which doubles the footprint of the R4+ if used with it in a bag. Would it not be far preferable to be thinner? I'm thinking a maximum height of 40mm which would be enough for the existing connectors and enough for say standard XLRs (of which more soon ... ). Although the staggered nature of the pots on the R4+ and AD8+ might be a nice ergonomic idea per se, I would far rather just have 8 pots closer together in a line (or just slightly staggered) across the front and lose 10-15mm from the unit. If things could be jiggered around inside, I see no reason why it could not be LONGER to make up for it - indeed, apart from a slight increase in body weight, would this be worse for anybody's bag setup? Aside from that, if feasible, would it be a good idea to use the extra real estate thus afforded even further by providing additional output options (additional to that already on the R4+) : principally 2 x XLR3s (which could be standard analog balanced outs as well as perhaps switchable to other configurations) but perhaps ALSO one or two more TA3s (for fixed or preferably unfixed use). And perhaps that DANTE connector could now survive there permanently. The AES inputs and Hirose power sockets already provided are a great idea: they could go anywhere surely to make space for further output options? Along the back even if it ended up being just a little shorter than the main R4+ unit. Since multiple outputs were most people's early gripes that's what I've focused on. Any other wish list ideas by existing or potential R4+ users? Again, 'existing' extra HP out and slate/com a very good idea - any wishes to augment the slate/com in any way (button, boom return ...?). Any features from the existing Sonosax range (the 62R or even desk models) that users would wish to be incorporated into this unit? These are just ideas ... for my own use I wouldn't mind having two more matched preamp channels (even without AES out or full AES3 capability) to push it up to a 6 channel recorder but such things might just bang the cost up, so I wouldn't really expect it to be worthwhile. But I'm curious if Sonosax are missing just a handful of features which would broaden the use and therefore appeal to a wider pool of users. If in the end I'm only moaning about 10 extra millimetres of height so be it, but for me presently the R4+ and the AD8+ are pretty much the perfect package so I'm curious whether a few changes to the mixer module could make it perfect for anyone else? Jez
  15. Good to know, thanks Rado. Hopefully they'll be here in the UK too. Look forward to report. Jez
  16. Good grief! I had no idea this practice was going on. I hope desperately that it's one that doesn't continue for long. On the subject of car horns, whilst I'm not usually too precious about my own work and generally trust the decisions of my colleagues to recut, conform or mix, I had an occasion a few years ago when (presumably) the director had my work chopped and repeated in a mix I wasn't attending. I had very carefully laid sound effects around/through a music-driven scene's track by a very famous composer where my tracks perfectly complemented the music in rhythm and pitch throughout the sequence. Although the director (to me) had already reviewed and indeed complemented the scene I guess in the fun of the mix he decided he wanted 'a bit more' and the easiest and quickest way to achieve this was to cut and paste a chunk of my track ... not only cheesy in the extremis, but the 'meticulous sound design' suddenly became in effect out of time and out of pitch. The reason I'm being cagy with details and names is that I continue to happily work with the director and if he realised my own reaction when I first heard the final mix he'd likely now be rather embarrassed. Whilst similar things happen all the time in our collaborative efforts this is the only time in 20 years I didn't just shrug or laugh it off but thought 'eughhh'. I still hate to watch that scene. I just hope that one day I'm going to be able to take the composer aside and quietly explain that ... 'that - wasn't - me!' Honk honk indeed. Jez
  17. Very unprofessional to have all that beer on your cart on set ... Jez
  18. Hi Laurie, I think both the 2XG and the Mini Papi would / could benefit considerably from some option to power from a battery as well as external power feed ... for boompole use, remote plants, anything outside of a bag with battery setup or the (newer only) recorders having power-out facilities. So ... any chance to consider a new product add-on ... a 'consumer' battery (2 x 9v batteries? 8xAA?) to dc hirose out box? Aside from that, two nice looking gadgets for 633/744 etc users, and I'm especially pleased you bothered to include 12v T power (even as a get-out-of-trouble option for many) in such a small unit. Jez
  19. And I love this one. T-12 and 48 and some gain. Your SQN Daniel ... ? http://www.mozegear.com/#!2xg/l4tbw Jez
  20. Well still no lottery win, bah! Not yet made it to Assam/Darjeeling/Sikkim etc but yes it would be for the tea. As is Yunnan, China whenever I get the chance. The 'Footprint' guides might be of some interest - both Indian Himalaya Handbook (covering east and west regions) and Tibet Handbook (including much of far west China as well as Bhutan) ... or were you just thinking of Nepal? Anyway, they're both geared pretty much for hikers and National Park types. Look forward to a write up - kit list, intended recording techniques (MS, IRT or spaced omni ... or 'back to mono'?), custom made mic stands, choice of cable (now I ALWAYS carry a spare lemo cable for my high voltage Bruel and Kjaers, after the worry in 2008 of nearly losing one ... or my life ... to what turned out to be an exceedingly playful giant Tibetan mastiff). Hydrophone? (Countryman B6?). Seismometer?? Or a really stripped down kit? And to revive an excellent old discussion ... stealthy weatherproof clothing? Tents etc? Got a route planned yet? Specific sites/areas/wildlife? Five more lotteries before you set off ... enjoy!! Jez
  21. Richmond Film Services probably hire out the ST450 ... they used to have a couple of 250s and have hired Soundfields for years. Jez Adamson
  22. Thanks for the write up, Richard! Jez
  23. "Thank you for supporting film history - by watching Talking Pictures TV!" This is a phrase I've been hearing regularly over the past several weeks thanks to the new Channel 81 on UK TV, Talking Pictures TV. Several wonderful and crazy gems from the British film industry have had airings and given a new lease of life. Often I'll find myself checking something out based just on a title as there's not much information to go on. A couple of days ago the familiar phrase "starring Robin Askwith" prompted me to set the reminder for the film "Cool It, Carol!". Before I started watching I didn't really expect to make it far into the film or beyond the first adverts break. That was to change when the titles announced it was a Pete Walker production. My fate for the next 100 minutes was sealed when I read the name Nick Flowers amongst the crew. What a film Nick! It starts cheekily much as I'd expect from a Robin Askwith vehicle, albeit with already a hint of the surreal. But soon the comedy gives way to a descent into the sordid underbelly of swinging London that made me wonder how low this tale could reach and what else could possibly happen to our couple? How low? Why, straight back to its absurd cheeky starting point of course! The character David Thing should have had a film to himself - I hope I come across him again. If not I might have to have a go at penning my own script, or campaigning to get him written into an Austin Powers sequel. The British Film Institute (BFI) has recently celebrated Pete Walker amongst several other talented but neglected filmmakers in their DVD/BluRay series "BFI Flipside". Decent production values married to very VERY leftfield stories. This one was terrific. Did you work on any other Pete Walker films Nick? Any happy memories? Best, Jez
  24. Donald, I guess you must have been right after all, not 'sync', but 'foley/fx' it is, just on location. I presume you have a relaxed enough schedule and an accomodating talent who's enjoying being a foley artist as well as actor? At first I was confused and thinking the shooting was being interrupted for foley ... or that there were maybe dialogue-less scenes that you were looking at recording differently somehow?? Whatever, the MKH40 is a great mic for voice and for spot FX, and presumably much quieter + hotter than the boom (ME66 or 80 perhaps?) so if you're doing location foley and spots by all means use the 40. Even the low noise floor will benefit, aside from the nicer sound. The one thing I would advise, looking at the original post, is to upgrade your monitoring chain somehow, as its obviously not doing its job at enabling you to make the necessary recording decisions. A more closed headphone perhaps or a better headphone amp (which probably = better mixer or recorder)? Although its 'not about the arrows', monitoring is as much about understanding what you're hearing (which is why so many favour the horrible sound and appalling isolation of the MDR 7506!) Jez
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