curleysound Posted April 6, 2008 Report Share Posted April 6, 2008 Like many of you, I'm sure, I worked in Live TV a while back (and occasionally now). It's always a rush, and even though stressful at times, I always enjoy watching other live programs enter trainwreck status. I was watching CNN today while Hillary was taking questions from eager supporters at her Montana Campaign. A lady was holding a Shure wireless handheld like this one: Hillary was using one, and all was well. The question asker was asking her a question, I could almost read her lips she was so exasperated. The problem? The only thing I heard was "ffffft fft ffffff" It's something we all dread, and something that can happen any time, given the nature of the RF mic. But man it's gotta suck being there behind that mix desk! I'd love to hear some live horror tales from anyone who cares to share? Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebrengun Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 I was pleased to assist a professor or mine record a play for archival at the library at Lincoln Center. Since it's a play it's pretty much a one time deal, barring extreme catastrophes. There were two or three instances of RF interference during the play. Fortunately nothing major. Nothing was wireless but there were audience members sitting within 2 or 3 feet of the mics. I think it was probably a phone receiving a text or call while on vibrate or silent. Pretty frustrating since there's nothing that can be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curleysound Posted June 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 That is happening more and more frequently. The iPhones are wreaking havoc on anything with speakers! I'm doing a screening series right now with lots of random celebs and producers, etc. who all have iPhones... it's that ditdaditdadit noise all over the place... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wbrisett Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 I'm amazed that even on non-wireless sets I'm hearing this now! I (and the director) tell people to turn them OFF, but nobody does. They put phones in a silent mode so they can peek at their messages during takes. It's really becoming a huge problem. Wayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joecrabb Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 Oh, Man, I was shooting EPK on the Get Smart DVD spinoff that's coming up and we had a day where an iPhone was killing the production. I felt so bad for the mixer. At one point there was a stretch of maybe 10-20 takes in a row that had ditditdahdit underneath. The first AD was losing his mind. When we left the set 8 hours later, they still hadn't identified the culprit. I'm guessing that someone had their phone in a backpack near the set and had forgotten about it. Hello ADR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Wielage Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 I'm amazed that even on non-wireless sets I'm hearing this now! I (and the director) tell people to turn them OFF, but nobody does. Wasn't there a great story about director Jim Cameron who was notorious for nailing cellphones to a wooden wall in the story, if one ever went off on the sound stage? God bless him. And I agree that iPhones are the worst culprit. The GSM roaming circuits are what I think cause the most interference, and they leak into analog speaker wiring like crazy. --Marc W. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Steigerwald Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 And I agree that iPhones are the worst culprit. The GSM roaming circuits are what I think cause the most interference, and they leak into analog speaker wiring like crazy. When the iPhone first came out, all the members of the band 311 ran out and bought them. They then realised that they 'leaked' all over their stage monitoring system (all in-ear btw) during shows. Now the stage has been deemed an "iPhone Free" zone. This exclusion area was only possible because it's the music world, instead of tv/film, and people actually care about the audio.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 This kind of rudeness didn't start w/ the iPhone, but that technology has made it worse. On several jobs I've been on recently there has been at least one person who refuses to turn their phone off. Period. Either they are a star, and everyone is too intimidated to ask, or they are crew or posse and just lie about whether their phone is off or not. One sound mixer I know has resorted to walking around the set after a hit mid-take and demanding that everyone show him their phone so he can see it is off. I had an instance just recently where I think someone left their personal stuff on or near the set and left. The set was inside a big building so the phone was "searching for the collective" all the time. We never did get that scene clean all the way through, despite harangues after ever take. Philip Perkins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Popp Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 this might help... http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/jammers/palm+sized-cellphone-jammer-gives-public-gabbers-the-smackdown-304359.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joecrabb Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 Does anyone know if the new 3G iPhones will have this problem when they come out. I've been told that the new technology should make this problem go away, but I'm not sure what to believe. Joe Crabb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joecrabb Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 I just saw the answer to this on the iPhone thread from Mr. Farr. Thanks Scott. Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jimg Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 Does anyone know if the new 3G iPhones will have this problem when they come out. I've been told that the new technology should make this problem go away, but I'm not sure what to believe. Joe Crabb Since it would have to transmit in the same chunk of the spectrum, a jammer should only make the situation worse. And just an observation: interference from the Blackberry is a boatload worse than that from iPhones. Louder, longer and so on. I live in Blackberry country, Washington, DC. Every Senator and Congressperson has at least one Blackberry. The mayor of DC wears 2 all the time. Lobbyists fall into the 2 plus range, I'm sure. I suspect the rfi heard on the Senator Clinton TV appearances were from a Blackberry, not iPhones. Best regards, Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curleysound Posted June 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 Since it would have to transmit in the same chunk of the spectrum, a jammer should only make the situation worse. And just an observation: interference from the Blackberry is a boatload worse than that from iPhones. Louder, longer and so on. I live in Blackberry country, Washington, DC. Every Senator and Congressperson has at least one Blackberry. The mayor of DC wears 2 all the time. Lobbyists fall into the 2 plus range, I'm sure. I suspect the rfi heard on the Senator Clinton TV appearances were from a Blackberry, not iPhones. Best regards, Jim I love where this thread is going, but if memory serves, the problem with Hilary's mic was that it was either not getting to the receiver well enough, or something else was interfering with it, it didn't sound cell phone-like. Wondering what the multiple blackberry situation must be like. One for the corporate home office, and one for Sneators and congressmen, such that the two shall not overlap? I know people who have one that say it has dominated their work and personal life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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