Jeff Wexler Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 While looking through the multitude of carts (up to about 80 different carts) in the Gallery of Sound Carts, I was struck again by how minimal my cart has always been. I'm wondering if maybe I don't have enough equipment?? When visiting other sets, like yesterday when I visited Don and Max working with Shawn Holden, I always take a very careful look at the sound cart. Shawn's cart is a Magliner-Backstage horizontal type with tons of stuff on it. What does she have that I don't have (besides her good looks)? Here is the layout of my cart: Top Shelf Zaxcom Quad box - 4 receivers and RF Multicoupler Comtek BST-25 Base Station Custom audio monitor amp (3 watts) to listen without headphones Cambridge Soundworks CUBE speaker Ikan 7" Video Monitor Zaxcom IFB-100 DC Voltage display meter 4 DC connection points - 4-pin XLRF, 2 are switched integrated LED lighting 2nd Shelf Deva 5.8 Timecode distribution box backside of cart patchbay 3rd Shelf - sliding Cooper 208 mixing panel 4th level - 3 RU aluminum drawer 5th level - bottom of cart catch-all storage bin Cart Power Supply 3 RU (30 amp/hour capacity, AC to DC regulated power supply) Left Side of Cart cables, antenna mast Right Side of Cart fishpole holder (1), 2nd antenna mast (or umbrella), AC connection point, 4 outlets with breaker Back of Cart 3 RU aluminum drawer, back of patchbay (connection of 2 duplex cable, 2 plant mics, auxiliary outs, etc.), integrated LED lighting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundtrane Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 Jeff, now which one of your carts is this one? Please put up some pictures - like a ready reckoner... -vin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gabi Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 Sounds like a very clean and elegant design to me... Gabi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPSharman Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 Seems to me like you have it all, Jeff, with one glaring exception...the dreaded back-up recorder. Most people will also have a second monitor, which you might discover needing when the 'B'-cam on the 12-1 steals a close-up or switches to a completely different shot during a "re-set" and both you and your boom operator fail to notice until it's too late. Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 K I S S less is more... (the backup recorder is nearby...) if it ain't broken... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted June 7, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 Seems to me like you have it all, Jeff, with one glaring exception...the dreaded back-up recorder. Most people will also have a second monitor, which you might discover needing when the 'B'-cam on the 12-1 steals a close-up or switches to a completely different shot during a "re-set" and both you and your boom operator fail to notice until it's too late. Robert You're right about only one monitor, although it does have 2 inputs for A & B camera, and there is a single button to switch between the two. Not a big help if I'm looking at "A" camera and "B" is freelancing. The backup recorder? This has been discussed to death so I'll just say again that I don't need one on the jobs I'm on and I am pleased that I don't have to run two machines anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Maloney Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 Jeff Could you explain to a non-cart person what are the plant mics on the back of the cart ? Would sure like to see some pics, I usally just work out of a bag, nothing like you folks do. Thanks Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan H. Chang Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 I think the 2 plant mics are for AMB pickup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted June 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 Jeff Could you explain to a non-cart person what are the plant mics on the back of the cart ? Would sure like to see some pics, I usally just work out of a bag, nothing like you folks do. Thanks Tom Sorry, I wasn't really clear on that. The patchbay on the cart really just brings the connectors on the Cooper mixer up to an accessible place so you don't have to fiddle around connecting things right to the back of the mixing panel. I didn't bring all the possible connections up to the patchbay, just the ones we use all the time. Those connections would be for the 1st boom operator's duplex cable (I generally do not use wireless boom so the duplex cable is used to give me the microphone on the fishpole (boom) and to give the boom op their monitor signal. Then there is a 2nd connection for the 2nd boom operator's duplex cable when 2 booms are needed for the shot. The other connections, and this was your question, are for mics that we would "plant" on the set --- mics that are not operated and are not on the actors. The last of the connections on the patchbay are for AUX outs from the mixer --- these are usually used to feed a playback system or the ENG/Behind the Scenes video crew, etc. The wireless receivers are connected directly to the Cooper mixer, not through the patchbay, because these are almost never changed --- they always stay connected to inputs 1 through 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPSharman Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 I didn't want to drag up the back-up recorder issue either. Just pointing out that most folks are running a second machine on their carts. My next generation cart, which I hope to sort out in the near future, will have just one machine with the other built for bag/car situations. I also used to have a single monitor on an A/B switch, until getting VERY burned on what was a big job for me, but quite early on as a mixer. A simple two wide-camera set-up (front angle/side angle). It was about half way through take two that the 'B' operator decided he had the wide, and tightened up. Unfortunately, I only discovered this after switching over to check 'B' near the end of take three. Fortunately, he stayed on the medium shot for 2 more takes as the 'A' camera also tightened up, before then both going into close-ups. Didn't want to risk getting lucky again, and have since had two monitors. Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted June 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 I also used to have a single monitor on an A/B switch, until getting VERY burned on what was a big job for me, but quite early on as a mixer. Robert I hear you, Robert. I'm sure I would be using two monitors always if I had gotten burned... I haven't, yet, so I'll stick with the A - B single monitor. - Jeff Wexler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted June 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 Jeff, now which one of your carts is this one? Please put up some pictures - like a ready reckoner... -vin Cart No. 7, the latest, can be seen HERE Also, posted on this site HERE - Jeff Wexler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 Simple+small+light=GOOD. Some shows need all that extra stuff, esp the digital console (big), more wireless, etc etc, but if you don't then small is very beautiful. I just did a job in which Conrad Slater (in his DIT/video tech mode) and I were interfacing with a PA rig at an event. Their small PA console etc was setup on a folding table, we rolled in our small carts. And then at wrap we rolled them out of there again, fast and neat while the PA guys packed up their console: they were appreciative of all the work that had gone into making the carts small and fast. Philip Perkins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted June 9, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2010 More detailed images of SoundCart No. 7. Cable hooks shown closed and open Back of patchbay (inside side) showing XLR patch cables, Front of patchbay (crew access) showing connection points and construction of the patchbay itself Deva 5.8 and IFB-100 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundtrane Posted June 9, 2010 Report Share Posted June 9, 2010 I love the idea of the cable hook... -vin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigmaho Posted June 10, 2010 Report Share Posted June 10, 2010 Jeff, your cart sounds just right to me!! btw, after ten years my cart is getting pretty ratty (I can screw and unscrew most of the wood screws by hand ;-) So I'm having a new one built. I'm getting bigger and so is my cart. It's going to be 1" taller. Unlike me, it's width will stay the same (it wears 19" pants). My most exciting addition, it's going to have receivers for the big balloon/desert wheels, so when in rough terrain I just snap on the big boys. I won't have to remove the 'street' wheels. I'll post pics when all is said and done. Best, Billy Sarokin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taylormadeaudio Posted June 15, 2010 Report Share Posted June 15, 2010 Seems to me like you have it all, Jeff, with one glaring exception...the dreaded back-up recorder. Most people will also have a second monitor, which you might discover needing when the 'B'-cam on the 12-1 steals a close-up or switches to a completely different shot during a "re-set" and both you and your boom operator fail to notice until it's too late. Robert ...sounds like someone was working in PDX recently... maybe on a show for TNT? ... yeah, wides and tights, last minute lighting changes, add a camera into the one spot a boom op could have stood... sounds so familiar ; ) ~tt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBurnette Posted June 15, 2010 Report Share Posted June 15, 2010 ...sounds like someone was working in PDX recently... maybe on a show for TNT? ... yeah, wides and tights, last minute lighting changes, add a camera into the one spot a boom op could have stood... sounds so familiar ; ) ~tt I keep hearing rumors about that show...Seems they burn through people quicklike. They had a couple grip trucks parked outside my father's office building for a few days...'Hurry-up-and-wait' logistics, he said. I'm moving to Portland in the next couple months to be with family...I don't know whether to run towards or away from the show, if they are still in Portland next season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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