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Does anybody know off hand what size screws to use for the Sanken CS-3e?  Two of the three small screws on the inside have disappeared, I'm assuming they had somewhere more exciting to be.  Emailed Sanken but have no idea when to expect a response from them.

What is your mirror file name set to? If it's S1_T1 it might be overwriting it, always use the file names that append FOLDERNAME001, FOLDERNAME002 to the end of files to avoid this.

If you buy an interface that has enough inputs you'll be able to future proof yourself.  All of the interfaces mentioned have line or digital inputs that you can use for outboard gear, you would not want to double-preamp a mic. 

You can always buy more outboard gear after everything is set up, you don't need it to start.  RME/Metric Halo/ Presonus/ whatever all know how to make preamps, so invest in whatever interface will be able to output/expand for your future needs.

None of the interfaces you listed can do 9.1 without another ADAT output interface attached, so keep that in mind.  That being said, I would highly recommend the RME UFX+, use it everyday and it is solid as a rock.  Works in USB3 or Thunderbolt, which gives you more options than the Thunderbolt-only interfaces.

If not the RME the Metric Halo ULN-8 is going to be better than your other options, and you can configure the output cards to suit your needs.

If you're buying a high end interface that has mic preamps built in, it is a complete waste of money to buy a separate preamp, especially if you're being budget conscious.  All of the interfaces listed have great clean preamps that will be able to do whatever you need for Foley recording.  A properly working tube preamp will not give you a noticeable difference, especially for this purpose.

Sounds to me like the internal BNC connector might have gotten disconnected. You can pop it open and see if it's still connected.

Use the Neopax/other strap around the waist for sure, it lets you take the clip off of the pack to make it slimmer. Had no complaints through a month+ of shooting every day on the field with that combo, they're wearing so much other gear they don't notice.

The shoulder pads make a little pocket on the chest where you can stick the mic, it will probably be easier to set all that up before they put the pads on instead of trying to thread it through.  No matter where you put it, mid-action it's going to be pretty rustley. I would go over the shoulder with it with a good amount of tape for insurance.

If possible try and get some antennas on masts/get up high/use Zaxcom or PDRs/all of the above.  If it's in a stadium you'll be better off but if it's the the typical high school field, it's going to be so flat and empty (and full of bodies) that your RF is going to struggle. If they're expecting you to run around the field I would for sure get a PDR going just to cover yourself.

Hit menu a few times on the QRX and it'll show the transmitter gain

Get the Zoom F8n

I keep mine in a small Pelican case with a couple small silicon packets whenever I'm not using it. Had a similar issue as you're describing and had to send it back to Germany, so being extra safe now. From what I was told, microscopic dust can get into the capsule due to the way the mic is designed, and when those specks take on too much moisture from heavy humidity days it'll affect the performance of the mic.

I'd try putting it in a case with a dehumidifier, but my guess is that you're going to have to ship it back to the factory.

Buy everything used.  You have one indie feature under your belt and you're rushing to dump thousands into new gear?  It's good to have enthusiasm but you can't forget you're running a business. Nobody who hires you at this stage knows or cares the difference between a Schoeps, Sennheiser, or two cans tied with string. Even now I'm rarely asked what mics I'm using by production.

My advice is to buy a used 416, used Sanken COS11s, and hold off on the timecode until somebody asks for and pays for it.  Spend the rest of your money on things that make your life on set easier (not a gold mount battery system, for example). Then when you've established clients and income splurge for the luxury items.

2 hours ago, Robert Bluemke said:

I have a Mixpre 6 with an IFB100, but instead of using the IFB100 as the master clock I use a tentacle as the master and then had Gotham Sound build me a Y cable that feeds both the 100 and the Mixpre from the tentacle. Haven’t had any issues with the Mixpre losing code and the cable was pretty cheap. 

I would recommend working like this.  I don't know that the Zax IFB stuff was meant to be used as a master clock.

I've shown multiple director/DPs who've had decent noggins this workflow, for when "there's only one seat on the plane to Iraq" jobs come up.  There's a few options for it, all require cameras with timecode (unless you really want to pluraleyes everything)-

Take a Zaxcom QRX235, rig and power it on your camera.  Plug one output into one of the camera's XLRs, you can either take one channel or have a cable made to combine the two channels into one mono signal.  Now take a Tentacle Sync (or whatever small timecode box you prefer), split the output of that and feed the QRX and the camera timecode at the same time.  Plug a mic (Sanken CS-M1 is the current best for this I think) into the other XLR channel, and you're good to use as many Zaxcom TRXs as you'd like.  Roll the onboard recorders as primary audio all day, sync everything with timecode.  Works best with 1-2 channels but it's not hard to set up the QRX to quickly switch frequencies if you want to use 2+.  

The option for this, if you want to have more leeway with your onboard mic, is to use a camera that allows you to split the same mono signal to both tracks with different gains, so you can run high gain/low gain to save for loud moments while having a decent level for quiet stuff.  You can make a headphone cable to come out of the QRX to listen to the lavs, which since you don't need to plug into the camera is easy to keep in a shoulder bag or whatever kind of hip pack you're running around with.   If the QRX isn't on top of the camera you may want two tentacle syncs jammed together.

The pros of this is that you have no distance issues, unlimited tracks, and the smallest amount of equipment possible to record audio.  Neverclip on lavs gives you a lot more leeway with dynamic range for the crazy stuff.  The con is that it takes a bit to set up and become comfortable with the workflow, but once you've built the thing you shouldn't have to change any of it.  

On 5/22/2018 at 11:57 PM, Philip Perkins said:

And....I (OP) converted my studio to Reaper as the main DAW about 2 years and haven't looked back.  Lotsa film mixes

I use Reaper daily but still go to Pro Tools for film mixes.  It feels like it takes so many more clicks to do the things that dialogue editing and automation require in Reaper. Have you changed anything about the way Reaper works with extensions to make film editing/mixing easier?

Weird. Was just using mine fine at 23.98, tested out 29.97NDF and it would not jam from my Maxx. Looks to be an issue, let us know what they say.

Does anybody happen to have the instructions for waking up a battery with the Audioroot eLC-SMB charger? Mine seems to have been misplaced, and I can't find the info anywhere.  Unfortunately with the time zone difference can't call France from the US.

2 hours ago, Constantin said:

It may be possible and there is nothing wrong with it per se. People have a preference for a company, because they have had good experiences with that company and have built something of a trust relationship and will probably always prefer that company's products.
But to be honest, I don't understand why you and that other guy, Coolwing or whatever, are even going on about this. Nobody on this group ever dismissed the Zoom F4/8, because of its manufacturer, or for any other reason. In fact, most here have spoken quite favorably about the F-range and certainly no one called it "cheap chinese garbage" as that other guy would have you believe. Here, everyone knows that Zoom is a Japanese company.
But in the end I suspect that you do have a horse in this race.

I've read many bits where people have said that the Zoom is not a professional machine, it's a race to the bottom, rates are going to plummet, etc.  Again, if the MixPre works for your setup, that's great. However I see very few uses for it in our line of work due to it's lack of outputs, power, and interesting timecode solution, so it's mostly surprise at the reaction that led me to post.

On 05/30/2017 at 8:24 AM, John Blankenship said:

As an answer to your question, our view of gear follows a similar path.  So, in this case, Sound Devices is a company that for many years has made top notch equipment designed to meet our needs. It is with this history in mind that we address any new offerings they may release.

I don't have a horse in this race at all, and if it works for you then that's great, but I have a good feeling that if the manufacturer stickers were swapped on a MixPre and an F4, people would be singing the virtues of the Sound Devices F4 while lambasting the Zoom MixPre6.

I use an INV-7, but I have a straight XLR connector out of my boom pole, which isn't typical. The mic and connector meet just about in the middle of the shockmount, letting a softie/ windkiller made for the CMIT fit.

1 hour ago, John Blankenship said:

Glenn has done testing that resulted in almost no "battery hit" when using 12v. boom mics.  

However, 48v. is an entirely different story.  What some people don't realize is that 48v. mics actually draw very little current, however, DC to DC converters, required in the transmitter to boost a low voltage to 48v., are inefficient devices and that's where the "battery hit" occurs. 

So hypothetically, one should run a miniCMIT with the ZMT at 12v, right? Assuming no other noise floor issues, which may not be the case.

Ever since I got the Kortwich bag for the Nomad, I've switched entirely to waist belts.  Have the Stingray Jr with the K-Tek waist belt that works great.  It's so much better for your body to have the weight on your hips as opposed to shoulders, but there's a few things you need to be aware of when using them to get the benefits.

 People tend to be in the "swayback" position with the weight in front, which can wreck your lower back and knees over time.  Typically it's because you aren't paying attention to posture and hang out on your joints instead of using muscle to support yourself.  Abs and glutes are responsible for keeping you balanced, so if it's a pain to maintain a neutral posture, get those stronger.  If you do it right, your hips might feel tired at the end of the day but there shouldn't be any pain.  It's a lot easier to do than having all the weight on your shoulders,  I'd recommend everyone use harnesses/belts that place most of the weight on your hips.

Also, for inflammation and joint pain-  fish oil (omega-3) helps.  You want at least 1g of omega-3 (EPA+DHA) in whatever form you choose.

This is currently my solve for the whine. In a small Maxx bag you can't get enough physical separation, so using an ERX to feed the transmitter gets it far enough away.

On a shoot where village doesn't move I put it near there and forget about it, for run and gun I attach them to my waistbelt on the back. So far no problems except needing an extra ERX.

It's on mine as well.  RET4 only, it isn't consistently timed, but about 1 or 2 random clicks per second.  Haven't noticed when I used it with any input in the past, but sure is strange.

Re: RX200 bag use- what are the disadvantages vs a QRX?

If you're looking to do true one man band work, your original idea of a MixPre-D to ZFR100 is too much to carry around.  I've used essentially that rig for about week as sort of a test of a micro bag, and it was a pain in the ass.  It has very limited functionality and will slow you down. 

The suggestion of the ZFR(s) + ERX is exactly what you want, I know other OMBs who have used the same thing to excellent results.  Timecode will work great, but as for monitoring you might be out of luck.  The audio range from the ZFR to the ERX is nowhere near the same as from a Nomad or IFB200, so if you're really close you'll be able to hear it but anything more than a few feet will not go well.  You will have to mic talent, check through the ERX, and then let it run. 

The other alternative is to use something small like Sennheiser G3s and mount them on the camera, but you can only get one or two channels, sacrificing the boom, whereas with ZFRs you can use as many as you'd like.  The post process will be longer than if you had a full setup but hey, nobody said one man bands were easy.

Quick question- do any of these fit in Pelican 1510s (with/without foam)? I typically do a lot of travel jobs and throwing my mixer and essentials in a 1510 to carry on planes is ideal. I'm assuming the OR30 fits fine, but what about the 32? Various Petrol/portabrace bags fit but I'm wondering if the rigid structure of the Orca Bags makes it not squeeze nicely.