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ninjafreddan

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Everything posted by ninjafreddan

  1. Already good advice posted, and personally I can't help you with the Red settings. As a general rule, you as the sound mixer/recordist need to be on top of things when it come to Time Code, because nobody else is. So read up on the subject and if you have your own sound kit with a 788T or similar recorder, you should invest in a Time Code system and proper cabling. When embarking on a new project, it's always good to send sound and video files to post as soon as possible, to be able to detect any possible time code problems. Never ever trust the internal time code circuits of cameras unless they have build-in Ambient clocks - which few cameras have. With few exceptions, you should jam sync a Time Code generator with your 788T - Ambient, TCBuddy, Denecke or such - and strap it to the camera. I use a Time Code Buddy system, which I find very versatile, but a simple Time Code generator will do. Good luck Fred
  2. It's always a pain hearing your recording ruined by an editor or producer with zero knowledge or interest in audio. For fast-moving EFP-projects like yours, they often use my mono mix sent to the camera, so I always try to make it as good as possible. My separate recordings are probably not even imported. What can I say, the client is always right, even when they're wrong. What do bug me is when I watch a show I've recorded and know to have been "sound mixed", and still hear that practically nothing has been done with the sound, except for fading music in and out. People scratching their lavs out of picture, comb filtering between three open lavs etc. Not to mention that zero EQ has been applied apart from my low-cut and the broadcast processing. Ah well, I feel my blood pressure rising. Cheers Fred
  3. I still have the 'Old Lady' in my control room - a 1/2 inch Studer A80 MkIV. It's seldom used but on the few occasions I decide to roll tape, I get a big smile. Tape simulating plug-ins are fine for mixing, but they are nowhere near at producing the same kind of vibe that a real 1/2 inch tape machine does, capturing an analogue mix on tape. On the back there's an EMI serial number, so it has probably recorded some classic hits back in the days. :-) I'm going to give it a spin next week. Have a nice weekend Fred
  4. +1 Filmed a police documentary series a couple of years ago, on a Sony F3 with small Sony batteries. As much as we were tailing police officers and chasing bad guys - we were chasing power sockets to charge the Sony batteries. Then we would go look for the charger which - in some hectic situations - was left behind. Ah well, the camera man has since moved on to newer cameras and started using VLok batteries. Cheers Fred
  5. I hear ya! As soon as there's a soundie around, camera men have a tendency to let go of the sound - which they, in a way, can do when we're there to ensure proper sound quality. When there's no soundie around, most camera men wear headphones to ensure that the sound is okay. They learn to do that, the hard way, after delivering one or two recordings with inferior sound. Nobody wants to deal with a grumpy producer, right... With that in mind, I always invite camera men to wear headphones despite the fact that I'm there. I think the main problem is that bulky headphones like HD25's and such, can get in the way of their work, so they find it relieving to leave them in the bag whenever they can. That's why I'm planning to give the camera man an ear-piece and a receiver. I got my camera man to buy a Voice Technology ear-piece, because that's what I'm using on TV presenters, but the cable was too thin for field work and broke on the second day. Telex makes an ear-piece with a coiled cable that's rather rugged, but this time I guess it's my turn to buy the ear-piece. :-) Bringing a pair of headphones that are smaller than HD25's might also be a good way to lure them into wearing them. Filming documentaries, the difference in workflow is quite significant when the camera man hears what's going on, especially at a distance, making him/her much more alert. Off to bed Fred
  6. Working with documentaries and reality shows, I do a lot of run and gun, and over the years I upgraded my bag to make the job more manageable and comfy. :-) I have a Sennheiser SK2000 transmitter sending a mono mix to the main camera - hooked up with an EK2000 receiver. On the same channel I have a G3 IEM receiver that I give to the reporter - the volume knob comes in handy for volume changes and the built-in limiter enables me to package the mix a bit. I also enable the treble boost in the IEM receiver, it's a bit harsh but makes the dialogue more easy to hear in noise environments. When there's a second camera - usually a DSLR with added handle, XLR-connections and shotgun mic - I put a G3 receiver on it, set to the same channel. The second camera man always appreciate to hear what's going on, even if he/she is filming "off angle". First of all, the mono mix is a backup if my recordings are faulty, and it enables the producer/editor to get to work right after we've finished shooting without having to wait for my sound files. Secondly, I think it's quite beneficial for the camera men to wear headphones and listen to my mono mix. That way, they can pick up interesting dialogue and better know what's happening in a crowded or noise environment (without me having to tell them). I also record the mono mix in my SD664, making it easy for the editors to use PluralEyes to sync the video footage of the DSLR. A bit overkill, I know, but for the main camera I use a Time Code Buddy system which enables me to receive the TC from the camera (in Rec Run mode) and automatically start recording when the camera is rolling. I know some of you prefer to be the master of the recording, but I find it a bliss not having to press REC/STOP in an unscripted situation. The sound files are exactly as long as the video footage, they line up perfectly and post loves it, I'm told. :-) I get one beep in my headphones when the camera starts rolling and two beeps when it stops - during long days of shooting it's quite comfy knowing when the camera is rolling and when to relax the boom just a little bit. And educational too. I thought the camera was rolling WAY more than it usually is (filming documentaries). I plan to get another G3 IEM and give it to the camera man, that way he can wear a coiled ear-piece all the time and hear what's happening even when the camera is off, and I can use talkback to get his attention. Anyway, just the way I do it. What can I say, I like to pamper my clients. :-) Cheers Fred
  7. It's good to be nervous before a gig and use that energy to go through the gig in your head and try to identify all the possible pitfalls (impossible, but still good to do). For a sit down interview you need to bring one or two larger microphone stands - one for the interviewer and one for the interviewee, a spare shotgun microphone. No matter how you initially setup your mic stands, they are going to be in the way of the lighting department, taller/larger stands makes it easier to reach the proper mic position without being in the way - at least in my experience. It's good have lavs prepared, but my guess is that you're going to have to use boom mics for this gig. Have long cables and outputs prepare for sending two channels of audio to the cameras. A pitfall with sit-down interviews is that the cameras and monitors might be AC connected which in my experience ALWAYS produce some kind of ground loops and hum problems. I don't know how they do it - it's professional cameras, the monitors are professional Sonys, the cabling is balanced etc - still you end up stuck with a ground loop. SO, always bring two transformer balanced line-boxes with ground lift and set them up right away. Mark my words, if there's a ground loop in the picture a production can halt for hours, if there's a ground loop in the audio, you got about five minutes to fix it. ;-) If they are setting up a small screening room for the producer, you will be the hero for bringing a small speaker with a volume knob. When you arrive at the set, kindly ask the production manager for a place where you can setup your gear, find a chair, make it comfortable for yourself. When you're setup, open a mic and put on the headphone. Close your eyes and just listen to the ambience of the room. Are there any noise sources, check if the chairs are squeaky etc, Just get to know the room. I always look for a rug to put on the floor under and in front of the interviewee - that will absorb some hard reflections off the floor and muffle shoe movement noise. For boom mic placement, work with the cameras and set the mics just outside the frames, make the camera guys understand that you're picky about it. When you have agreed on a framing, you have agreed on the framing. They will remember you for that... ;-) It's a good opportunity to check out how the lighting is setup and eavesdrop on the DoP discussing framing etc. Technically, it's a easy sound job. They can manage to do it without a sound engineer, but they bring you along so that they don't have to solve any audio problems and get good audio from the start. So, make sure that the cameras have good audio levels and that everybody's happy with the sound. Pamper them with an extra set of headphones etc. When Mr Scorcese arrives, be on your toes, adjust the boom mic and man your position and say "audio good! Phones off, please!". ;-) During the interview, check the levels now and then, but try to concentrate on what's being said, because afterwards you will discuss it with your colleagues. It's easy to get stuck watching the level meters bounce up and down. Have fun! :-) Fred
  8. +1 I use a similar setup, SK2000 for transmitting a mono mix for the cameras, EK2000 receiver on the main camera and G3 receiver on the second camera (if any). G3 IEM receiver in a soft pouch for the reporter which I hand over at the start of the day saying - "this costs a thousand dollars, take good care of it". So, my suggestion is also to use a SK2000 transmitter instead of a G3 - the SK2000 sounds better, has a stronger radio transmission and is more rugged. The Sennheiser EK 1039 looks interesting, but it's not that much cheaper than buying a G3 IEM receiver - which can receive a stereo signal. So with one stationary SR 300 IEM G3 transmitter and two G3 IEM receivers you can create two different mono cue mixes which is useful for TV productions and such. Cheers Fred
  9. Tell him to do more exercise! ;-) I bet he will be using the extension module on his next project. IMHO, it's not your problem fixing the sync, it's his. Anyway, I always provide a mono audio camera feed to the main camera, along with proper time code or receive wireless RecRun sync from the cameras TC output. And send the same audio camera feed to the second camera (if used) - for syncing with Plural Eyes. To me it makes more sense providing an audio camera feed instead of LTC time code, because logging can be done without having to sync the separately recorded audio (I mainly work with documentaries) and it can quite easily be synced using Plural Eyes. Like already pointed out, if you have provided a camera mono mix, then use Plural Eyes. Good luck Fred
  10. My JL-2PLUS doesn't properly charge Hawk Woods NP-35 or NP-70 lithium batteries. I was on location work when my Hawk Woods charger died on me. Apparently the fuse was soldered onto the circuit board, so I ditched it and got a JL-2PLUS charger, which has a user changeable fuse. But it didn't properly charge my Hawk Woods batteries, so I had to buy IDX NP-L7S batteries as well. No biggie, I like the IDX quality. Cheers Fred
  11. The 788 is a notorious RF Sprayer - add a USB cable for the keyboard and the RF noise floor is raised by about 10dB. Using AES/EBU connections makes it even worse. I haven't used the 688 yet, so I can't comment on its RF shielding, but I've used my 664 and a 552 with digital connections and they have not affected the RF noise level at all. So my conclusion is that Sound Devices learned how to minimise the RF spray. So please don't judge the 688 based on the performance of the 788. Cheers Fred Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  12. On vacation in Mallorca, having a beer while watching my daughter swimming in the pool. And reading up on sound gear here at JW. Best of both Worlds! :-) Hang in there all Dads! Cheers Fred Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  13. ​I recently spoke with a Sennheiser specialist at a trade show and the difference is that the AVX system isn't a 2.4GHz "WiFi" system. It's operating at 1.9GHz which is used for DECT phones and according to him the communication is based on sending packages with a larger "window" than what's used for WiFi. Also, the codec used demands a larger buffer. The good thing is that devices are allowed to scale up the transmission to 250mW at 1.9GHz. WiFi devices are only allowed to transmitt 10mW in Europé and 100mW in the US (correct me if I'm wrong but I got these figures from the Sennheiser guy). AVX will scale up the transmission to 250mW when needed and really should work a lot better than its WiFi competitors. I mean, it's perfectly fine for a musician to use a Line 6 or similar WiFi-system on stage, but for us professionals demanding solid performance at a distance and in RF hostile environments, AVX might be a good companion. Some of my clients are using my Sennheiser SK2000 mono camera hop instead of syncing up my SD664 sound files, and if I can provide them with a high quality camera hop (with a slight delay), my work would sound even better on TV. :-) Cheers Fred
  14. ​I'm interested in buying a Micplexer II for my bag and Shure UR5 receivers. Have you experienced any extended range using the Micplexer II? Or is the RF signal just more stable? I'm thinking that the +6dB will lower the squelch on my receivers (which in some situations are a bit too high even in the lowest setting). At the same time, the RF noise is raised 6dB as well. Of course, having just one pair of antennas will enable me to raise them up in the air or even use directional antennas when needed. Anyway, any objective and subjective thoughts about the Micplexer II in use, is highly appreciated. Thanks Fred
  15. ​+1 I use a SK2000 ENG system as camera hop and an EW300 IEM pack for the reporter, set to the same frequency. When we shoot with two cameras I have a G3 Receiver on the second camera, also set to the same frequency. Works great! As Nick says, the output on the G3 receiver is a bit weak for headphone usage. The IEM pack has proper headphone power, a built in adjustable limiter and a treble shelving EQ which makes it easier to hear the dialogue in noisy surroundings (it's not pretty sounding, but does the job). The volume knob is large and easily accessible and I always tell the reporter to turn it all the way counter clockwise to turn off the receiver, when not in use, to save battery. Like Mungo, I've also used the Sony UWP-D ENG-kit for IEM monitoring and the headphone is strong enough, although the volume is a bit fiddly to adjust. The good thing is that it's a pretty decent wireless system as well. One time I had to go look for the reporter and found him 50 meters away, several walls in between the place we were filming. He was so happy to hear what was going on and just left us to do our thing. :-) With the G3 IEM system using the half-rack transmitter, you can make to separate mono feeds for let's say two actors or presenters, having one IEM receiver each, panned hard left or hard right. Which is nice. Or simply use it as stereo in-ear-monitoring. Cheers Fred
  16. I haven't used them myself, but I spoke to a camera guy that uses them and he just said "man, they are power hungry" - apparently both the transmitter and receiver. Cheers Fred Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  17. Very interesting reading and even though I'm not in the film making business, I understand the frustration of being approached by low-ballers. Now and then, TV-production companies approach me about EFP-work and when I tell them my day rate they spontaneously reply that they've N E V E R payed that much for a soundie (unconsciously disparaging my profession as a sound engineer). My reply is always the same, "there's a first time for everyone..." And when I tell them the daily rate for my gear, they go "well, we got our own sound equipment and it doesn't cost that much to rent". And my reply is "well, why don't you use your own sound gear?". Ah, you're flying in from another town and you sort of was hoping that the local sound guy had equipment. Your sound gear is used in another project? No problem, I got all the gear you need and I'm going to spoil your camera guys with wireless TC and audio. They will understand the creative freedom once we get to work. Hidden lav mics and in-ear monitoring for the reporter, no problem... Of course I "loose" some gigs by this approach, but I will gain their respect and that's more important to me. After all, it's not me looking for work, it's them looking for a sound guy. Luckily, they usually call me at the last minute, so they really have no choice but to use me. I'm not a world class boom operator, but I've swung boom for ten years or so, and in some pretty exotic and strange environment. I know the pitfalls, but most of all, I understand picture composition, so I keep the mic out of the frame as long as it doesn't have to go closer. Funny enough, with some younger camera guys and the first time we work together, after a long day of filming, they look at me and say "great sound, man - that wireless link is so liberating. You kept the boom out of the frame for all day". Just doing my job, it kind of makes me wonder what kind of "sound engineers" they usually have to work with. The same production companies have a tendency to work their crew to the maximum, unnecessary long hours due to poor planning and poor script. When I send them my invoice they might bitch about it, but it's not me deciding to work long hours, it's due to their poor planning. Trouble is that they've been spoiled by young ambitious crew members working their a**es off for peanuts. Someone wrote earlier that low-ballers have the right to ask, and you have the right to say yes or no. Well, sometimes I just hit them with silence. Nothing is more annoying than silence... *Rant off* Time to go to bed! :-) Cheers Fred
  18. Maybe you've already started shooting by now. I always tell production to use proper TC. Why? Because it's my reputation / (a**) on the line when the editors starts whining about the sound being out of sync. BTW, why is never the picture out of sync with the sound? 👺 The money they spend on the XDCA-FS7 module will be recuperated when post spend less time chasing sync. And they also get V-mount, Hirose output etc which are nice features to have. I use a Time Code Buddy system and it's really good. It enables me to use it as a normal time code reference or as a wireless RecRun/TC AutoRec with my SD664. For two camera and when the second camera is a DSLR, I send a mono audio mix which serves as cue monitoring and sync reference in post. But I would never rely on an audio sync track on the main camera. Time Code is not something to save money on, period. Cheers Fred Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  19. ​The communication is bidirectional with control information for the frequency swapping, transmission strength and level control - so two receivers most likely can't share one transmitter. There's always the possibility to use two systems together, which is what I want to test. If I fancy the performance of the system, I will still keep my Sennheiser SK/EK2000 systems as in-ear monitoring for the reporter. Cheers Fred
  20. I think it's an interesting system. Think about it, camera men can just press two button and the units are synced. And level control is suppose to be automated. I listened to the system (with the standard table receiver) at a trade show and walked a good 100 meter away before the system started to loose sync. The sound quality is great and I just to a reply from Sennheiser that the lithium battery in the ENG-receiver can be swapped "in two seconds". I've been wondering about the ability to change that battery or not, but luckily it's possible. I'm going to review the system as soon as it's released - mid to late June according to Sennheiser. All the best Fred
  21. So, how well is the Mixassist working for you? I'm still using a 664, but thinking about upgrading to a 688. At the same time, the 644 gets the job done, just want the Mixassist functionality when there's a lot of people on lavs speaking at the same time. Cheers Fred
  22. Perfect! Will the rain apron be available around the same time? Cheers Fred
  23. I only use (unknown) production SD cards if I'm really asked to - for fast delivery after a day of shooting. But I always record on my own CF card too, and make a backup that I keep until the show airs. :-) Never lost a file so far. *knock on wood* Cheers Fred Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  24. I'm sure you guys are already practising this, but it's still worth mentioning. Making the artist drink just a sip of water before a "delicate" scene can make their voice more intelligible. It's a good practice and can sometimes subconsciously make them project their voice better without any extra effort. As long as it's just water that is. :-) Cheers Fred Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  25. Thanks for the information! I guess for a temp track it's still better than me trying to ride levels while swinging boom. It would be great to have Mix Assist and just concentrate on the boom, especially with the boom extended and occupying both arms. I'm always recording rather hot and riding levels as much as I can, so Mix Assist should have no problems keep up with the Threshold. Ah, well. Gotta do a bit of saving up I guess. Thanks Frederick
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