Lloyd Carrick

Fabian, I just got curious and opened the KAT 15 P48 unit. It has a very different circuit layout. Can't see how a T-Power unit could be converted to 48v phantom powering. Lloyd

Hi Fabian, While going thru my NAGRA accessories stash I found a KAT 15 P48. My no.1 KAT 15 works with a dynamic mic it does not work in T- Power mode, even though it puts out 9.89v,whereas the other two units work pefectly. I emailed Sennheiser asking for a KAT 15-2 circuit diagram. They emailed a job no. so I wait to see if one turns up. Where did your circuit diagram come from?

Hi Fabian, I have two KAT 15-2 units and they each have different brands of cable on the Tuchel side. The XLR side on both units is: pin 1=braid or braid and white, pin 2=red, pin 3=blue. This cable has a black outer sheath. In T-power mode I read +9.89v on pin 1 and - on pin 3. The Tuchel connector I described to you has a cable with a grey outer sheath like your photos. I also looked for KAT 15-2 circuit diagrams with no luck! Not sure what else I can say except page 19 of the manual discusses the NAGRA line input and why they use current feed for accessories instead of voltage feed. The banana plug input still wants a normal voltage feed. Lloyd.

Fabian, Looking at the open Tuchel plug: pin 2 is yellow, pin 3 is blue, pin 6 is clear, braid is soldered to the metal outer shell which is permanently connected to the threaded back part. On the circuit diagram, pin 3 is connected to the unbalanced banana plug input on the left side of the Nagra 4.2. If you can find someone with a 4.2 or IV Instruction Manual its a great read generally as well as a beautifully laid out Synoptic Diagram which details what is connected to what. Lloyd

Hi Fabian, The NAGRA 4.2 instruction manual says pin 2 on the Tuchel 6 pin plug is common to the chassis, pin 3 is the 3.73 uA input (audio input), pin 6 is -10v stabilized and filtered for powering an accessory unit and 100mA may be drawn from it. Cheers, Lloyd

In 1973 I got to visit the Gunsmoke set. The executive producer was John Mantley, the episode was called "The Widowmaker". One day location, one day studio. The whole main street of Dodge City filled a soundstage complete with dirt floor and forced perspective scenes at each end of the town with the road leading out of town to the right so they could ride horses and wagons (buckboards?) thru the main street and of course stage high noon shootouts. Unfortunately I can't find the studio day photos but here are some of the location day. Gunsmoke 1 Camera & Sound Van reduced.tif Note the Nagra III and mono RCA mixer with 2 VU meters, one showing input level, the other reading tape out level. I was already using a Nagra IV in Melbourne. Gunsmoke 6 Teamster Jeweller reduced.tif The teamster driving the camera/sound van made jewellery. Gunsmoke 3 Andy Gilmore prod snd (92 eps) reduced.tif They used RCA condenser mics, Andy Gilmore did not believe in "gun" mics. Andy had been a boom op for 13 years and a sound recordist for 12 years at that time. Gunsmoke 4 Jim LaRue boom op reduced.tif Jim LaRue had been a boom op for 12 years. Jim became a sound recordist and I believe he died not so long ago. Gunsmoke 5 Cableman and Stills reduced.tif Note the cable man/sound assistant about to run the duplex cable for the boom op. There were 3 x 100 yard runs of mic cable on the hooks. The boom op had a box that he plugged his earpieces into and that had a battery supply for the Mic. Gunsmoke 9 Jim LaRue & Reflectors reduced.tif Jim LaRue on ladder Gunsmoke 14 2nd camera reduced.tif An unblimped Michell camera was sometimes setup at a distance and operated by one guy. He would wrap it in a thick moving blanket. Gunsmoke 17 James Arness,Steve Forest, Director reduced.tif James Arness was very tall, Steve Forest centre and director right - don't remember his name. Gunsmoke 20 Running the 4ought reduced.tif Gunsmoke 21 Spider Box reduced.tif I guess with the modern lighting units those heavy cable runs would be a thing of the past. I should mention I have been retired for 9 years now. Cheers, Lloyd Carrick.

Hi Oleg Ditrich, Mario Sabatini at Broadcast Workshop in Melbourne would be able to help you. They are the official Nagra agents . They also have a massive stock of spare parts. Phone 03 9329 7655. Cheers, Lloyd Carrick

Mario Sabatini at Broadcast Workshop in Melbourne is the Nagra sales and service agent in Australia, phone (03) 9329 7655. He has a remarkable stash of spare parts. Cheers, Lloyd

Curious. In the past I used it to play quite loud thru a Nagra DSM amp on set and also checked music for playback, listening on headphones, and did not notice any particular added noise or hiss. L

Possibly use a BEHRINGER U-CONTROL UCA202. It plugs in to a USB port and has left and right RCA outputs and an 1/8th" headphone output with its own volume control (could drive a small battery powered speaker). Cheers, Lloyd

The supply reel platter has a break with a felt pad linked to the left tension roller. This felt pad has a special grease impregnated in it. Eventually it wears too far for the rod adjustments to do their job. Perhaps the pad needs replacing. Cheers, Lloyd

Boyhood was screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival last August then had a release, in Melbourne at least, some time afterwards. Various Melb. film critics consider it one of the best films of the year. Cheers, Lloyd

Hi Chris, On the ACMA website the info you want is titled "Wireless microphones - Spectrum for plug and play users: Melbourne and surrounds" Cheers, Lloyd

I discovered the ECM16 had a tiny transformer in the black base and managed to convert a couple to balanced output.

Maybe a Sennheiser MKH 816 Cheers, Lloyd

Sennheiser HD-25's sit surprisingly well as behind-the-neck headphones. Cheers, Lloyd

A feature film called "Bad Boy Bubby" was made in Australia in 1993. A pair of wireless mics were hidden in his hair to record his perspective. Other sound was used as well. A very good film. There's probably a trailer on youtube. Cheers, Lloyd

Elecrto-Voice made a foam device they called "Model 411 Mike-Mouse" for floor mounting microphones.I still have a couple that I use occasionally . Cheers, Lloyd Carrick

Should the spl meter be set to A or C weighting for this exersize?

"Switch Sound File Converter" is free and works okay

Sennheiser now market "LAV Tape" doublesided adhesive tape, Prod.Code 502756. Cheers, Lloyd

I find that Eucalyptus Oil is good for removing sticky stuff or permanent marker ink. Cheers, Lloyd.