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jawharp

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Everything posted by jawharp

  1. Local 52 is accepting applications this week starting September 14th for 5 days. I highly encourage any non-union boom operators to put an application in. There is currently a big shortage in available competent boom operators in the NY area.
  2. Yeah, I can see how the importance of the actual dialogue is almost impossible to quantify and needs to be taken into account on a case by case basis. This poll was more about the person's usual plan for micing any scene going into it, regrdless of how the scene would have to be mic'd after seeing a blocking rehearsal. It was to refer to the way people work rather than the micing of particular scenes. A better way to phrase my question is probably: do you always assume you will be micing the off camera, regardless of the timing/blocking of an actual scene?
  3. I've worked for many mixers. Most (myself included) focus on on-camera dialogue and do not concern themselves with the off camera. This has always made more sense to me because the off camera actors are generally not acting at 100%, and 2 booms out means twice as many possibilities for boom shadows/reflections/unnecessary set clutter. There is also no weirder look to get than the one given by someone staring at you, wondering why you're booming someone who's not in the close up their currently shooting. I have worked for some mixers who swear by always double booming for off camera dialogue. The most common excuse for this that I've heard from them is "It's so they can cut it in case there are overlaps." This has never made sense to me. It doesn't remove the overlap problem from the on-camera mic, and limits the choice of which take editors can use for the off camera. I would rather just tell them not to over lap. Obviously, this is not going to be the same situation job to job. There may be reasons to boom the off-camera like the director liking the performance better when they do overlap, editors requesting you get everything whenever possible, an actor you can't tell not to overlap cause they'll flip out, etc. I was wondering today how many people get off-camera regularly, and how many people don't. That's why I made this poll.
  4. Quick update: I had initially changed the frequency, but it didn't get rid of the whining sound I was getting. In a final act of desperation this evening, I set the frequency to one of the highest possible on the transmitter, in this case 690.000, and the sound went away. This is by no means a permanent fix, and I'm still going to send it in, but I'm glad I have something I can work with tomorrow. If it fails, I have my audio ltd as a backup. So to anyone experiencing this problem on set and needs a quick fix, this might work temporarily. I'll keep you guys posted, Joe
  5. Hey Guys, Was going through my gear today for an upcoming job, and plugged my p48 416 into my Lectro butt plug. It started emitting a high pitched whining noise in addition to the sound coming from the mic. I disconnected the mic and noticed the sound was still there with nothing plugged into it. When the transmitter moves or I touch it in a different spot the pitch of the sound changes. Changed the batteries, but that didn't change anything. I've never had any issues with it before today. Anyone know what could be going on? Thanks, Joe
  6. Getting unjammed halfway through the day is usually the AC dropping it and the battery sled getting jostled so it loses contact, powers down, and unjams. If the AC didn't drop it, someone most likely knocked it over onto its face and the same thing happened.
  7. Hey Everyone, I've been powering my Cooper CS-106 from my Remote Audio Meon, which only gives out 12 volts. It's been working fine with no issues. I heard that the noise floor of the mixer is greatly reduced when you power it with 18 volts instead of 12 volts. I guess I have 2 questions: Is this true? If so, does anyone know of any reliable product that can convert the voltage from my Meon? All i've been able to find are things made for car batteries like this: http://www.powerstream.com/dc-2171.htm I wasn't sure if the conversion that a unit like this would do would introduce anything nasty power-wise into the mixer or not. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Joe
  8. jawharp

    Birdman

    Brendan was the boom op. Sanchez utility.
  9. I left a VM with Denecke today. My 788 jammed my other TS-C and 3 Denecke timecode boxes with no other issues, so, no. Not on my end. Waiting for a call back...
  10. Hey Guys, I bought a Denecke TS-C Slate last week and had it sent to set from Gotham. It was brand new. I opened it, and tried to jam it to test it, but it said it was in "read mode." Thinking I hit the jam/read switch by accident I opened the battery compartment and checked it. It was in the "gen" position, so it should have been jamming. After several attempts with the switch and jamming it was not working. I blew inside the battery compartment and the slate jammed. It held the jam for about 30 seconds then switched itself back to "read" mode. I returned the slate thinking it was just a defective switch. Another different brand new TS-C arrived from Gotham the next day. I unwrapped it and jammed it. It jammed fine. I assumed the other slate was a fluke and gave out the new working slate to the camera guys. An hour later, the camera guys brought the slate back to me saying it lost its jam. I power cycled it and it was in "read mode" just like the other one. The switch was still in the "gen" position, not "read." I flipped the switch a few times and it stayed stuck in "read" mode. I blew on the switch like I did with the previous slate and it jammed, held the jam for about 30 seconds, then went back to "read" mode. Is Denecke starting to cheap out on their parts or something? Or maybe they got a bad shipment of switches? I find it strange that the same exact switch was faulty on two different brand new slates. Anyone else having this problem? Yeesh. Thanks, Joe
  11. To answer the questions proposed here: - what is it made of? We're working on balancing material options and cost. So far, glass filled nylon snap on shell, with a bumper like silicone skin over that is the running option we like. - what does it look like? It is form fitting to the Comtek, making it a total of 1/8" wider on each side. - how well does it work in practice (ie. do I need to take the whole thing off in order to change batteries, change frequency etc.)? Durability-wise rather well. The nylon is very tough, and the silicone adds another layer of drop protection. No tests done yet for actual drops since we are making the first prototype now. It was designed with the battery door and dip switches in mind. Everything is accessible once the case is on. The comtek can live in it. - how much does it cost? Not final yet, but we decided if we can't get them under $40, it wasn't worth it. - does it protect the Comtek well enough to prevent cracks in the casing, battery door, and damage to the volume knob if dropped on concrete/street (from a height of up to, let's say 5 feet)? All signs point to yes. Will have proof and video when we get the first prototype. - how does it protect the belt clip? or is another clip part of this? A new belt clip that is part of the case replaces the stock one. - does it prevent the wearer from talking (and whispering) after "action" is called? Yes, it stabs them in the thigh with a trank dart. Trank refills are free, just trade in your empty cartridges. Please let me know if this sounds like something we can use. If there's enough of a demand, I will continue to move forward with it. Regardless, I am still going to get a working prototype so that you guys can see it in action. Thanks, Joe To answer the questions proposed here: - what is it made of? We're working on balancing material options and cost. So far, glass filled nylon snap on shell, with a bumper like silicone skin over that is the running option we like. - what does it look like? It is form fitting to the Comtek, making it a total of 1/8" wider on each side. - how well does it work in practice (ie. do I need to take the whole thing off in order to change batteries, change frequency etc.)? Durability-wise rather well. The nylon is very tough, and the silicone adds another layer of drop protection. No tests done yet for actual drops since we are making the first prototype now. It was designed with the battery door and dip switches in mind. Everything is accessible once the case is on. The comtek can live in it. - how much does it cost? Not final yet, but we decided if we can't get them under $40, it wasn't worth it. - does it protect the Comtek well enough to prevent cracks in the casing, battery door, and damage to the volume knob if dropped on concrete/street (from a height of up to, let's say 5 feet)? All signs point to yes. Will have proof and video when we get the first prototype. - how does it protect the belt clip? or is another clip part of this? A new belt clip that is part of the case replaces the stock one. - does it prevent the wearer from talking (and whispering) after "action" is called? Yes, it stabs them in the thigh with a trank dart. Trank refills are free, just trade in your empty cartridges. Please let me know if this sounds like something we can use. If there's enough of a demand, I will continue to move forward with it. Regardless, I am still going to get a working prototype so that you guys can see it in action. Thanks, Joe
  12. Hey Tom, Yes, that would work for hazardous types of environments. What I am proposing is more along the lines of a phone case, that would stay on the Comtek to protect it from day to day use. Joe
  13. Hey Everybody, A friend an I started a project a while back and it has finally come to be something of a reality in the prototype sense. As the topic describes, it is a protective rubberized case (like an Otterbox case) for Comtek PR-216 receivers. I was originally planning on making them for myself out of complete frustration at the cracks, dings, broken belt clips, and destroyed battery doors that have plagued my life for the past 5 years. I started thinking that other people might be into this sort of thing, so I am posing this question to you all: If they were to be made available, would anyone here be interested in them? I can't show anything along the lines of photos or technical drawings yet, as we are still working a few parts out. I just wanted to get a general sense if you guys thought there was a need for such a case other than my own personal hatred for shattered Comteks. Hope all is well, Joe
  14. Hey Everyone, Yesterday on set I tried to plant my Schoeps 41 with CMC6 preamp in a car by using an SM transmitter, input cable i bought from Gotham (it's labeled "mic level"), and blue denecke phantom power box. Once connected, it was working, but there was a rather noticable hiss present in the signal. The transmitter's gain was set to "35." After trying a few different gain settings to no avail, I switched out the transmitter and box for my old Audio Ltd. RMS 2000 with a VDB cable, and it worked perfectly. Anyone every have this problem? Thanks, Joe
  15. Hey Guys, Doing a car scene tomorrow and I'll be mixing from a follow van. I was thinking of powering my venue system off of my IDX Lithium Ion NP-L7S batteries. It's a regular rack mount venue system, not a VR Field if that makes a difference power wise. We should be in that car for a couple hours. I was wondering if anyone had done this before and knows what kind of runtime to expect from each battery. Thanks, Joe
  16. Hey Guys, So I wired an actor today, got back to the cart, checked it, and it was working fine. Right before we rolled, I put the fader up, and I heard the wire at a VERY low volume and distorted. After a second, all sound went away. The Venue had full RF on that unit's receiver, but no pilot tone or battery level. I double checked the frequency and it was correct. I powered down the transmitter, powered it back up, nothing coming in. The -20 and -10 led's were not lighting up when the actor spoke into the mic. The RF display was still full, but no audio, pilot tone, or battery level despite the correct frequency. After 2 more power cycles and a battery change, I assumed the mic was dead. I pulled the whole wire and rewired him. Back at the cart I went to turn it on again, and the transmitter went through the full boot sequence, but the -20 and -10 led's started to blink, alternating. 3 more power cycles yielded the same blinking led's. I pulled the battery and let it sit for about 30 minutes. I powered it back on, and it booted up like normal and worked fine with the same mic that was on the actor. Anyone ever heard of this? Found nothing in the manual or online. Both the SMV and sanken I was using are less than 5 months old. Thanks, joe
  17. Hey Guys, Sorry this is kind of long, but i think you need all the info to make an assessment. I use a 788T as my main recorder on my cart. It is fed by my Cooper 106+1. Input 1 gets a line level out from the Mix L on the mixer. I skip input 2. Inputs 3-8 get the discrete tracks from the inserts on each channel, line level. I keep the limiter off on the mix track, and enabled on each discrete track. Output 1 feeds the client comtek transmitter. TC out goes to my 702T. Clink to 702 as well. Power comes from my Meon V2. That's everything that's connected to it. A while back, it was intermittently refusing to format CF cards. It would hang, and occasionally give a Media IO error while recording. I found this to be related to cheap CF cards. I switched to Lexar ones recommended on the SD site, and that problem has been gone since. I also updated the firmware which drastically reduced formatting times. First thing in the morning, it wouldn't jam my slate. The slate red "Sync Error 25." All my settings were correct. After 3 or 4 more attempts to jam it, the slate jammed fine. Not sure what caused this. After that, I was doing a scene with 3 actors in it. I had my mix track, boom track, and 3 discretes for the wires. I wired everyone and saw all inputs coming in on the meters. We did 2 or 3 takes and I noticed the last discrete track, track #5, was not moving at all. When the fader was up, it'd go through to the mix, but nothing came in on the discrete. I checked the discrete cable, it was working. I checked the discrete out from the mixer on another input, it was working. Track 5 stopped receiving sound. I powered down, restarted, still nothing. Upon switching the inputs around to test, inputs 6 and 7 stopped working, and 5 started working for no reason. All i was touching at this point was the mini XLR connectors as i disconnected and reconnected everything. A blur of sweat and cables followed, and I got a combination working. I finished the scene. Gotham recommended a factory reset as a last resort. I did it, and everything started working fine. After lunch I film broke, and reloaded my CF card. The card I loaded was a previously formatted roll from another day that I was planning on reformatting. The time left on it read "0:00" when i inserted it, which i know was incorrect. I tried formatting it, and the machine hung. I pulled all power and reset it. I switched the card with another old roll and it did the same thing. I repeated the process and it worked for no reason. At the same time, input #5 went out again. I returned to my makeshift configuration for the rest of the day and skipped input 5 all together. I just got everything home and tested. I tested all my discrete cables, and they all work. I wiggled em just in case. Input # 5 is working correctly, cards are formatting, and I can record with all 8 tracks armed with audio coming in without an issue. Is this a "just send it to Sound Devices" situation, or is there something I'm missing? I'm stumped (and tired). Thanks, Joe
  18. Hey Guys, I'm kind of new to Lectrosonics stuff. I just got a Venue System and transmitters a few months ago and they've been working really well on my cart. I used to use my Audio Ltd. Quadbox system. I've always mainly worked off of a cart with wireless stuff, but I'm on a job that requires me to go to a bag every now and again. I've been using the Audio Ltd., but I'd really like to be using my small Lectro transmitters instead given the wardrobe on the show. I currently have no way of working out of a bag with my Lectros cause of the Venue. I've noticed there are different receivers to choose from and I've tried going to the Lectro site, but I've ended up kind of confused. Is there any downside I should be aware of to using the SR series receivers in a bag setup versus 411 receivers? Do they have the same features for ENG purposes? Thanks, Joe
  19. Thanks for the replies, guys. Going to test it with the new cards when they come in. As a side note, in disk utility on my Mac I tried to zero out the cards to check for bad sectors, and lo and behold, it failed on both cards that gave the media I/O error. Guess I'll use these things for my digital camera... joe
  20. Let me start at the beginning: Bought 4 new 16GB cards for a job. Used two of them last week, they worked fine. Used the third one for the first time today, and the 788t hung while formatting it. I pulled the power and battery, tried again. Same thing. Pulled power again, marked the CF card as crap, and used the 4th one. The 788t took a little long to format it, but it worked fine after that. We film broke, so I reloaded one of the two cards I'd used the previous week. I formatted it. It took a little while, but it formatted successfully. I pressed record to do my head slate, and it gave a CF Warning: Media I/O Error. I cut. Tried again. Same thing. I put the second previously used card in, formatted it, and it worked. Used that for a few setups, but then it gave me the Media I/O Error in the middle of a take. I marked all of those cards, and handed in a DVD-RAM disc for the day. I've had this happen before with my internal hard drive when the ribbon cable inside was faulty, and it had happened when my DVD-RAM drive got disconnected a couple times while I was rolling. Sound Devices a while ago told me that it's basically a message that comes up when recording media gets disconnected while recording. I figured my 788t had a faulty connection in the CF card slot and figured I'd be sending it in for repair. Just got it home, and I can't reproduce the error. It works fine now. I updated the software for shits and it still is working fine. Software 3.01 actually formats the cards in no time. Then I roll and everything is fine on all 4 cards. The cards are Kingston 266x 16GB. The card that worked today was recording a scene I was running 7 tracks on, otherwise I'd think it was a card make/speed issue, but it worked just fine recording 7 tracks. I just ordered 4 new CF cards off of the recommended media page on the SD website, just so I can eliminate that possibility in the future. Anyone know what's up with this? Thanks, joe
  21. Thanks for the replies, guys. I'm almost certain it is the gain setting now that you mention it. I was struggling getting a good setting when I first set them up. Why cant everything be as simple as an Audio Limited 10 position dial?? Didn't know that about the numbers/leds on the Lectros. I'd need to have someone help me because i'm color blind. LED's that are green/red are very hard for me to see. The mixer I third for has to confirm that our batteries are charged for me.... I'll play around with the gain and see what happens. On a semi-related note: Does anyone with a Cooper 106 have a recommended way to deal with a line level input? I was using the pad switches to bump down the feed from the venue system. Is there any downside to using the full pad on the mixer to bump it down? Thanks, joe
  22. Hey Guys, I just bought some Lectros this year. Prior to them, I was using my old RMS2000 system. Despite it's size and lack of frequencies to choose from, I really liked my RMS2000 system. I was mixing a scene on a moving train the other day and had the actors wired with the new Lectros. They were all SMQV transmitters with cos-11's on them. The boom op was using the Lectro butt plug. We did a range test and i was getting about 75% RF on the Venue display. Figured I didnt want to risk anything, so I ran both my sharkfins into the picture car. I was in the car next to it. We used 25' of 50 ohm bnc per sharkfin to get them into the picture car. When the train was stationary, everything was fine. When the train moved, things were fine most of the time. Occasionally, though, on both the butt plug and the SMQV's, i would get what sounded like a faint clicking. It was not as loud as an intermittent mic connection would be. The RF display on the Venue going up and down didnt seem to coincide with the sound i was getting. I'm not sure how accurate the RF meter on the venue LCD is, but it was definitely happening when the meter displayed unchanging full RF reception. It eventually stopped for whatever reason, and the scenes we shot sounded fine. We got off the train and did some scenes with the same actors running full speed and going much farther away from me than they were on the train and I had no problems. The next day, we did a picture car with a follow van. I was in the follow van passenger seat with my venue. Both actors in the picture car were wired. there was a 416 with the buttplug planted for the driver. Since i was out of lectros, i planted one of my old RMS 2000's for the second passenger. When both the picture car and the follow van moved at the same time, I got the same low intermittent clicking I heard on the train, but only on the lectrosonics units. My rms2000's performed perfectly, which made me kind of sad. The RF meter on the venue was rock solid the whole time we were free driving. I eventually used the rms2000 to do the whole scene because the lectro clicking was so bad. I know this seems kind of ridiculous that i'm talking about this clicking sound and dont have an example to play for you. I'm going to go through my sound roll for the day and see if there is any place where i can get you guys an un-copywritten sample to hear. anybody ever have this happen to them? Thanks, joe
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