Wireless Boom Op. Favorite Configurations?

[Jack Norflus]

Not sure if it is. The current wireless manual hasnt been updated reicently. Though Zaxcom is currently in the process of revamping all there manuals so I'm guessing that it will be in the new one.

[Jan McL]

I have TRX992 with v. 7.26 installed.

 

Opened an older manual (Zaxcom_Digital_Wireless_Transmitters_User_Manual _(2010-10-01)) and searched "private" and found a lot of references to this function.

 

It's actually allowing you to assign any one or all of the buttons as a L/R changer. You have to have a stereo-enabled RX for it to work. From the manual:

 

 

Left/Right Switch Mode

What units are effected and when introduced: TRX9xx, RX
v5.68 (2008-11-24) vx80 or vx78 (??)

This new functionality allows the user to cause the audio to switch from the left to the right output channel on a stereo receiver when a key is pressed on the transmitter. This allows Talent or Boom Operator to talk to the sound mixer on a private line, without it being heard by anyone else. 

 

And there you have it

 

Give me a call if you wish. I can walk you through it.

[Wandering Ear]

+1 for the Zaxcom system. I'm not a fan of the degredation that wireless introduces on a boom track, but the zax sounds as good as a cable to my ears, and the pre in the 742 is excellent.

The private line feature is cool, but i haven't the need for it so i've only used it in testing. The only downfall is if your boom is the only open mic on set, switching to pl will cause the directors/scripty receiver to go silent, which some people don't like.

The remote gain control is the other key feature for me. I don't think my boom op should be worrying about gain setting etc at their side, like they would have to do with an mm1 setup. I'd rather they focus on mic placement.

[mikeguarino]

MM1- SMQV - Lectro receiver for com - better range and less noise than a comtek

[Michael P Clark]

The private line feature is cool, but i haven't the need for it so i've only used it in testing. The only downfall is if your boom is the only open mic on set, switching to pl will cause the directors/scripty receiver to go silent, which some people don't like.

 

Is there a pop associated with the switching?

[Jan McL]

Is there a pop associated with the switching?

 

Not in my limited testing do I find such a thing.

 

While I'm at it, a spot of thinking that's been chaffing on this subject of private communications with boom operator has finally gotten big enough to pop.

 

My boom guy is a master of communicating briefly and in such a way that when he needs to speak just before, after, or between going once and again and again without cutting he covers our bums rather than exposing 'em. Sometimes I'll ask a pointed question simply to go on record that yes, "Blah, blah, blah," in the event someone's listening and/or file's rolling.

 

In effect, this oft-public communication is as much a tool as anything in our kit and may be used to our advantage.

 

Fact is, 99% of the time as soon as the director calls, "Cut!" everybody rips off their cans, and the only ones listening too soon are newly minted producers, family and guests who won the charity auction set visit.

[Ed Denton]

I've been using the mic cabled into MM-1 into UM400a configuration for about a year now. It is great from a monitoring, powering and sound point of view but it hasn't fully solved the problem of mobility in the way I hoped. If I'm booming on the wireless MM-1 setup but then I need to make an adjustment to a talent's lav or something I still need to unplug the boom, quickly roll up the cable and secure it to my belt so I can be free to move around the set with both hands free to make my adjustments. Not the end of the world but I feel its time to go for a pole mounted solution. I'd like to try a body pack method of transmission before jumping straight into a HM, but the problem of powering the mic has been stumping me. I've found the Denecke PS-1A and PSC 48V power supply but both are clunky and I doubt they would mount well on a boom pole. Are there any in-line power supplies with a small profile that could perhaps be used mounted on a pole? Thoughts from anyone else using a similar configuration?

[John Blankenship]

I've been using the mic cabled into MM-1 into UM400a configuration for about a year now. It is great from a monitoring, powering and sound point of view but it hasn't fully solved the problem of mobility in the way I hoped. If I'm booming on the wireless MM-1 setup but then I need to make an adjustment to a talent's lav or something I still need to unplug the boom, quickly roll up the cable and secure it to my belt so I can be free to move around the set with both hands free to make my adjustments. Not the end of the world but I feel its time to go for a pole mounted solution. I'd like to try a body pack method of transmission before jumping straight into a HM, but the problem of powering the mic has been stumping me. I've found the Denecke PS-1A and PSC 48V power supply but both are clunky and I doubt they would mount well on a boom pole. Are there any in-line power supplies with a small profile that could perhaps be used mounted on a pole? Thoughts from anyone else using a similar configuration?

 

See this Ambient thread: 

 

 

It includes info about the UMP II which appears to be just what you're asking for.

 

[Benjamin Gandy]

First wireless I swung with was an HM taped to the pistol grip. Heavy, but very effective. I recently borrowed someone's Audios and used a VDB 48V cable, again with them taped at the head end. I never needed to tap directly into the boom either time. I considered getting a Sennheiser plug on but need to upgrade and increase personal mic count before the boom and I just couldn't trust my main source to a Senn.

 

If you ask me, having a boom wired onto your belt is more hassle than a wired boom. Mounting 48V and TX to the bottom end of the pole could be novel though. I've always found wireless much more necessary in one man situations, for obvious reasons.

[Steve Foy]

I think that the solution you are really looking for is the Lectro HM which has a 5V, 18V and 48V Phantom supply built in……. cleanest and lightest way to do it !!!

[Ed Denton]

Thanks John! That's exactly what I was looking for. The UPS looks awesome, clean and compact. Just have to figure out a way to mount it on the bottom end of the pole. Not a fan of adding more weight to the mic end of the boom pole.

[syncsound]

I've been using the Ktek K-TA right angle adapters with HMs for years, and I have zero complaints. Sounds great, offers great range (getting the TX off the body works wonders, even at 100mW), and having the TX at the base of the pole offers more balanced handling. I use Lectro IFBs for monitoring:

 

 

Boom op Creed Spencer pictured.

[Doug Beatty]

QRX feature request: enable 992 boom op talk back function

 

 

I have TRX992 with v. 7.26 installed.

 

Opened an older manual (Zaxcom_Digital_Wireless_Transmitters_User_Manual _(2010-10-01)) and searched "private" and found a lot of references to this function.

 

It's actually allowing you to assign any one or all of the buttons as a L/R changer. You have to have a stereo-enabled RX for it to work. From the manual:

 

 

Left/Right Switch Mode

What units are effected and when introduced: TRX9xx, RX
v5.68 (2008-11-24) vx80 or vx78 (??)

This new functionality allows the user to cause the audio to switch from the left to the right output channel on a stereo receiver when a key is pressed on the transmitter. This allows Talent or Boom Operator to talk to the sound mixer on a private line, without it being heard by anyone else. 

 

And there you have it

 

Give me a call if you wish. I can walk you through it.

 

[Matt Burgette]

Stereo headphones (trs) plugged into Comtek PR 216 will have left and right ear out of phase with eachother --- no true mono center. Using the stereo to mono adapter will give you solid mono, left and right, which is what we expect with a mono signal.

+1 this above. But looking into replacing Boom Comtek with Zax 2.4 GHz receiver.

And i like the HM plugged straight into the bottom of a pole. Coiled cable inside the pole. 411A receivers maximum output into line level inputs on a Tascam HS-P82. HM levels set conservatively.

Op wears a Senny ME-2 lav plugged into a G2 tx in the A band for talkback. G2 receiver on the cart plugged into a SD 302 panned hard R for PL.

More info on the 302 / HS-P82 setup: All Tascam inputs center panned. i bring the Tascam headphone out into Inputs 4/5 on the 302. 4 panned L. 5 panned R. This allows me to monitor a high quality feed from the 302, NOT my actual recorder. Input 1 on 302 is the center panned music channel, likely my iPhone. Input 2 is the Boom talkback G2 receiver, panned hard R so only i can hear it. Input 3 is my cart talkback mic, a Senny MD-46, center panned.

The Comtek mini base station tx comes out of the 302's L output at line level. Again, so only i can hear the Boom Op's talkback.

Drawback of current system: Errybody on Comteks can hear when i use my talkback, so it's only PL one way. But at least i always know i can at least control what i myself say over Coms , and it doesn't go to tape so if i must i can speak to Op in middle of a shot. This drawback will be corrected once i get my Zax 2.4 GHz tx since i can plug that into the R output of my 302 & pan the MD-46 hard R. I'll still have the HS-P82's built in TB mic for slating shots and talking to errybody on Comteks. And i'll likely end up panning the music feed hard R because sometimes i feel self-conscious that errybody on Coms might not share my rad musical tastes.

I'll also say one of the things i like about Comteks and the 2.4 GHz Zax gear is that it stays clear outta my wireless mic range - 411As in 19,20,21,22,24,25, & 26.

One final note. With this setup, the Boom Op will always hear the mix, NEVER the iso Boom. It would be cool to have that iso ability at times, but the HS-P82 has limited output options.

[IronFilm]

On 12/14/2012 at 2:24 AM, Michael P Clark said:

Something is not right in your setup, and I suspect it's your cabling from the MM1 to your SMQv. I use this setup also and have my SMQv set to 20, with the MM1 at 1-2 clicks depending on the volume of the actors. Never hitting the limiter in the SMQv with this setup.

Why set the MM1 so low?
Wouldn't it make more sense to turn your transmitter down from 20 to 0, and the MM1 up by a couple of clicks so that you've got more range somewhere in the middle for your boom op to turn that up or down depending on the scene. 

On 12/14/2012 at 7:12 AM, syncsound said:

While I don't do it myself, I once worked with another mixer who used the MM-1 going live-level into a Lectro SMQV (with a special line level XLR-TA5F). One preamp, nice clean signal.

 

Personally, I just use an HM straight into the boom, with pre-fader boom fed back to a lectro IFB. Op talks to me through the boom, either verbally or "tap code".

What tap code are you using?

I like what @soundrolling said here in using an open mic or tone as a "silent" cue: 
 

 

[Michael P Clark]

10 hours ago, IronFilm said:

Why set the MM1 so low?
Wouldn't it make more sense to turn your transmitter down from 20 to 0, and the MM1 up by a couple of clicks so that you've got more range somewhere in the middle for your boom op to turn that up or down depending on the scene. 

 

Hello IronFilm, my goal with these settings, and these are not concrete, but rather are baselines for these units. From my years of working like this, I find 28 as our baseline setting for MM-1’s and 20 on all of my Lectro Tx’s.  Even at these settings, with dynamic actors that I deal with everyday, the limiters on the MM-1 do engage when volume suddenly changes without warning. This MM-1 setting is to prevent the Lectrosonics Tx limiters to ever engage, even with shouts, as I prefer the limiters on the MM-1 over the Lectrosonics limiters. Ultimately, I prefer zero limiters to ever get engaged and these settings work very well for me on normal dynamic days. 

 

These settings are completely adjustable per scene and actor, and we do adjust accordingly, but I will not adjust the Tx gain, as the boom operators can change the MM-1 easier with a click up or down. I never use 0 on the MM-1. 

 

Thanks

 

Michael P. Clark, CAS