Need some advice on kit

[crisp24]

Hey all,

I have been producing various types of music in my home studio for many years, and about 2 years ago I quit my desk job and decided to study sound production through my state's technical college (I'm in Sydney). I did my cert 3, cert 4 and just finished my diploma.

 

At some point I decided to pursue location sound for films and things, and started volunteering to record for short films (student productions etc), which I really enjoyed. Now I want to get into it seriously and make a career, so I need the gear to do so.

 

So my question is, would I be better off saving my pennies and buying the best gear I can afford? Or buying cheaper gear and getting into some work quickly?

 

When I was at college we used sound devices recorders with timecode, and quality mics and mixers. I would love some of this gear.

 

Also, in regards to headphones, what is a good pair for location? I've had my eye on beyerdynamic dt 150, would these be a good choice?

 

I am trying to establish myself as a quality engineer so if anyone has advice, tips, etc, I'm all ears

 

Thanks

[Marc Wielage]

Buy yourself a good pair of headphones, but for everything else, rent for the next few months and get a good sense of what gear works for you and what doesn't. Don't buy anything in anticipation of work until the work is frequent enough to justify it.

[Freeheel]

BeyerDynamic makes some beautiful headphones, but I've not seen many in general use for what we do (except for the venerable DT-48- which was a classic, but is rather uncomfortable and a little harsh sounding by todays standards).  Usually sound for picture wants a headphone that shows the important  frequencies of spoken voice in high detail.  The DT-48 definitely did that, and was quite lacking in the lower frequencies.   I haven't tried the DT 150's but I have the DT-990's and love listening to music on them, but find they don't accentuate the potential problem areas in recorded speech the way a pair of Sony MDR-7506's do. In other words, they make everything sound "nice", and I don't necessarily want my headphones doing that.  

 

The names that come up around here most are 

Sony MDR-7506

Sennheiser HD-25

Various Ultrasones.

 

I think you may find the Sony's way cheaper than the Beyer Dynamics and potentially better as a first pair of headphones for dialogue.  A the very least, see if you can try them side by side and decide which have "clearer" dialogue reproduction. Very subjective decision there, and potentially one that will be hard for you to make at this stage of your career, but I thought I'd put it out there that the headphones that would serve you best in the music recording studio, are not necessarily the ones that work best for recording dialogue.

Cheers,

Brent Calkin

[Tom Visser]

I use HD25-II - when I first chose them, because of the comfort factor, they also happen to sound really good, but are fragile and aren't as rugged as one would like.  They also don't isolate the environment as much as other models.  If you have used other headphones, I'd stick with those.  Once you choose a pair, you should probably keep using them until replacement units or parts are no longer available, because it's not necessarily that important how they sound, but how you "hear" through them and need a reference to use as a baseline to make mix decisions off of.

 

You should definitely buy "grade A" gear, but also understand that in some markets, you'll be hired for ENG / mix to camera types of jobs more so than synch sound recording jobs, so if your first major purchase is a 788T, you'll be bringing way too much gear for way too little money.  I always advocate that everyone's first purchase should be a Sound Devices 302 (if you live in the US), for Australia, not sure how the Sonosax, Audio Developments, Wendt, or non-US options compare in price.  Since there's so many damn 442 for sale, consider that too, as its actually quite an advanced mixer.  What I don't think IMHO, is that one's first purchase should be a 633 or MAXX, like I see so many new mixers doing.  If you work on a film, it SHOULD be done a certain way with certain types of gear, but if they aren't willing to pay for it, that's their decision and you should only bring on board the gear that is being paid for.  Understand and respect the power of "no".  It's great to have a positive attitude and can-do attitude, but save that for making due with what they can pay for and not automatically bending over to the producers that are used to "LA rates" or "VER packages" or whatever the equivalent is down under.

[daniel]

beyer dt 150 are an old design and quite heavy.

beyer dt 250 are really good and a worthy choice. both are very hardwearing, neither fold like sony 7506 but dt250 sound better*.

[Jan McL]

You will know when the time is right for buying what gear...

 

Let circumstances inform your purchases.

 

In the meantime, know what others who do the kind of work you aspire to do use, get your bum somewhere you can get your hands on same, and try it out.

 

My first mix job (unpaid) was offered to me while I was hanging out with the "Law & Order" sound crew. The mixer lent me a Schoeps MK4 with Colette and I rented a mixer to go with the $50 Nagra III that was my first purchase.

[crisp24]

Brilliant, thanks everyone for the advice. If anyone has more tips or whatever, I'm all ears, I love working in sound and really want to make a good career out of it.

[Ze Frias]

I'd say that you should purchase based on your needs. Starting off, renting is a much more viable solution, either from a rental house and/or other mixers, and this does a few things:

When renting from a rental house, you are creating a relationship with them, and they can be very accommodating to your needs. Some may even apply part of your rental towards the purchase of gear. You can have the opportunity to try different gear before you make a decision.

When renting from mixers around you, you are creating relationships with them, And again, in case of emergencies, they can be your most viable solution to getting help. They may also pass down work to you whenever they are busy.

I recommend a combination of both.

I'd also consider buying used. You can get a lot of bang for your buck that way, and if you buy from mixers around you, you are again creating a relationship with them. My first purchase was a used Sound Devices 302 mixer from another Mixer and Sennheiser 416 shotgun from a rental house. I used these steadily for a year, renting a 702t as needed, before I got my first recorder.

Mics are probably the best investment you can make, as they can last you a lifetime (sometimes even more), and can be used in almost everything.

Good luck, and have fun!

[Matthew Sonnenfeld]

I completely agree with Jose.

My first mixer was a used 442 that I bought off of a mixer friend of mine. Used it until i needed the recorder and timecode features and now I have a 633. I already had a Rode NTG-3 that I used on student films and I still use that mic today in many situations.

Per the headphone discussion, I used Sony 7506 until about two months ago when I switched to Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro. I love the Beyerdynamic but you should start with the Sony 7506. They are the standard, they are cheap, they are durable, and easily replaceable anywhere in the world.

In general, rather than just buying things, make careful purchases, slowly, until you are making your money on the gear that you have. Try and buy things that will last in your kit. Mics are always a good investment but save up to buy the standards. Senny 416, MKH-50. Be careful with wireless. Again, get the right things. The G3's are nice because they are good enough to start with and will be nice as emergency backups or even camera hops (how I use mine now)

[Rick Reineke]

I would agree with Jose as well.

Regarding headphone preference; this has been discussed here numerous times. (search)

 Out of the usual 4 or 5 mentioned, it's a personal sound/comfort preference.

BTW, the lower priced Sony MDR-V6 (consumer version) could be considered, as it is practically identical to the 7506. This too has been discussed.

[edward chick]

Buy used until you get your experience level and client base up. My first mixer was a used Cooper CS104, and an  ME66 shotgun/boom combo bought new, along with some G2 wireless.  For headphones Sony MD7506 are very affordable. As your auditory palate grows you may want to check out Ultra Sone for headphones. I currently rock the Pro 750 model and will never part with them.

[Christopher Mills]

Starting out, I rented or borrowed everything except my headphones.

I have stuck with sony 7506 and v6 ones.

After 6 months of regular work, I bought a 4 channel mixer, (Wendt)  a 416 and a good boom

8 years later, I have a multi track cart package, and I still use the boom and the 416

 

Every job you work, put some of the money you take in aside for equipment.

If you are able to mark up the rental cost from the rental house, do so, and put that money aside for your gear.

 

I also think that mics are evergreen (except lavaliers, which are an expensive expendable)

 

If you feel long form scripted is where you want to go, you should try to work as an assistant/utility/boom on some teams in that field.

 

I think that having a timecode solution is critical to booking higher paying work, even if there are workflows that can succeed without it.

 

I am sure that browsing the pages of this site will let you know what the various posters like using on their jobs.  Many brands have their partisan supporters, and many of us use a mixture of gear to achieve our common goal:

 

Delivering the cleanest tracks possible under the circumstances of each shoot!

[BWilson]

Knowing a little about the Sydney market, my advice would be to first work as a 2nd, or one of the TV networks. The main mixers on the bigger reality shows do look for audio assists, and the networks are a good way to cut your teeth, whilst under the umbrella of full time employment. The reason I say this is because it is a smaller market, and to make the leap from working on no/low budget jobs to getting work regularly as a freelance mixer can be a big step and take time. You would be competing against already established mixers. By being an assist or working at a network, you will also be networking at the same time, whilst working with gear, making a reasonable wage, and not have to invest in the gear

[John Blankenship]

What Tom said earlier about rates deserves close attention.

 

Many people think when they start out that charging less than the going rate will help get their foot in the door.  Be advised that undercutting existing rates will work against you much more than for you. 

 

1) People tend to value goods and services by their cost.  Undercutting current rates will quickly establish your reputation as a low budget/low skillset mixer.  Although a reputation may be tarnished overnight, it takes many times longer to rebuild one.

 

2) As a professional sound mixer, your greatest allies are often other mixers.  If you are reliable and do good work, one of your best resources is established sound mixers who are looking for assistance or need to find a replacement.  If you're undercutting their rates, you will disappear from their referral list faster than the last brownie on a craft services table.

 

[Boomboom]

What ?!? You got brownies **on top of** tuna subs ?!!!?! omg ! )

[VASI]

If your daddy has the money to buy equipment; then yes buy expensive gear. In the other hand you can buy expensive equipment and have your daddy for support.

 

If you don't have money (you or your daddy) then job by job you will add something in your kit. I have seen a lot of guys in my age (26 years old) to have an expensive equipment. If I will have this expensive equipment in my 40's or end up my career with it; I will be happy. After my last tv drama as boom operator I bought my first expensive piece. Ambient QS boompole. This cost me two unpaid bills and running the next day to find a job.

 

Life man. Sometimes sucks; sometimes is beautiful.

[JRL]

I've got a 302 for sale and have a friend moving to Sydney early next year so could possibly have it hand delivered or an easier pickup arranged if interested. Checkout the for sale section and make an offer if you want.

I'm a bit like you and just starting out. I'm doing location sound with post mixing and a bit of video production to make a living. I started with the 302, some old lectrosonics 195d radios, a tascam recorder and borrowed mic's from some generous friends. It's seen me through just fine and I'm slowly upgrading my kit as I know how much work I'll be getting and importantly what kind of work I'll be getting and hence my clients and therefore equipment needs.

There's no point in getting all the best gear straight away if your clients don't require it (can't hear the difference) and you can't afford it.

I've been using a me66 and for my clients it's fine. Just about to probably step up and buy a 416 as my clients are now expanding so I can afford it.

I must say though that it does get tiring racing around to borrow/rent gear and makes you wonder about what my actually hourly is.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Jan McL]

[snipped]

I must say though that it does get tiring racing around to borrow/rent gear and makes you wonder about what my actually hourly is.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

That right there is one of the circumstances that'll tell you it's time...

 

 

J

[gavin]

Also join us on the Australian sound recordist and boom operators facebook page,

lot's of local contacts, gear and info