Tried to do a live recording with nagra yesterday, and waking up with soreness all over the body

[Koyama]

The story is that I carried my nagra iv-stc, microphones and cables, walked for a mile, and then used it to record a chamber piece with me (viola) and pianist and soprano (it took place in the atrium of the school and you could hear people walking around).

 

The machine is so heavy, and the cargo bag, is not ergonomic at all. It resulted that when I arrived the place, I was really tired, and I had a very hard time to finish the performance.

 

Luckily enough, the machine works well.

 

 

And a short sound example, only got gain on volume:

 

 

 

[Dave Rainey]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QN5JQG9/ref=sspa_dk_detail_6?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B07QN5JQG9&pd_rd_w=z4nHA&content-id=amzn1.sym.98eae024-ddf8-4aae-a3d1-746298cd5013&pf_rd_p=98eae024-ddf8-4aae-a3d1-746298cd5013&pf_rd_r=2J1XM59ZYFGYH7DXQDKV&pd_rd_wg=r9bBh&pd_rd_r=e64b942d-f5d7-4a4a-879a-b09547086c08&s=generic&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWxfdGhlbWF0aWM&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyNTRFRFgxT0kwS05EJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwOTg0OTQ2MkFVVE1STzFOUTNWWSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUExMDAwMDU1M1BaSTBMWEFENVdaVCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbF90aGVtYXRpYyZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

 

 

[PMC]

Nice one, Dave.

[tourtelot]

Oh yes.  A Nagra IV-S is very heavy.  I can recall being so thrilled in the 80s when some smart person came up with a chest harness for my Nagra.  Documentary jobs, with the Nagra slung over one shoulder on the narrow strap were, to coin a phrase, a pain in the neck.  A big pain.  I forget now what that first harness was called, but it was made of simple 1.5" (?) cotton webbing, unlike the nicely padded ones that have come in later generations.  It was a God-send!

 

D.

[Philip Perkins]

I am crooked and arthritic in my '70s due to many many many miles walked (and run, and climbed) wearing Nagras.  I loved the sound but carrying it, especially with a simple strap "guitar style" has cost me.  But....that's how location sound was recorded then...

[tourtelot]

What was the name of that first simple chest harness strap?  Can't for the life of me remember, but it was well known in those days.  Jeff?  I bet you remember.

 

D.

[Philip Perkins]

I had one that was sold by FERCO.  I didn't like it much, since it made it hard to put the recorder down when I had the opportunity to do so...

 

[Alien]

After a couple of years using an over the shoulder strap I ran into the climbing Top Harness by Black Diamond. Then one day Larry Nolan came to set with the first harness he designed based on a scuba BCD stripped down. I still have that first Versa Flex harness. It definitely saved my neck and back.  You did have to take care if you were using the 7" reels using your harness as the weight sitting on the lid could stop the makeup reel from working and you would open up the lid to find a whole bunch of tape all over the place.

[tourtelot]

Yes!  Ferco harness.

 

Ed Novick just messaged me five minutes ago with the same information.  Thanks.

 

D.

[Philip Perkins]

There is no comparison at all between that FERCO harness and my Versaflex....!

[tourtelot]

14 hours ago, Philip Perkins said:

There is no comparison at all between that FERCO harness and my Versaflex....!

None!  But the Ferco was a desperate measure in a desperate time.

 

D.

 

 

[The Immoral Mr Teas]

quote:  The story is that I carried my nagra iv-stc, microphones and cables, walked for a mile, and then used it to record a chamber piece with me (viola) and pianist and soprano (it took place in the atrium of the school and you could hear people walking around)

 

nice to see - and hear - another IV-St owner viola player, and despite what you say a far better one than me!

 

the music is right up my street but sadly i don't recognise it - i first thought Berg, then maybe much later Boulez?? But no idea ...

 

for viola solo I like Scelsi and Xenakis very much, but you don't hear it very much!!

 

Jez

[Martin Lonek]

On 4/7/2023 at 6:00 PM, Koyama said:

The story is that I carried my nagra iv-stc, microphones and cables, walked for a mile, and then used it to record a chamber piece with me (viola) and pianist and soprano (it took place in the atrium of the school and you could hear people walking around).

 

The machine is so heavy, and the cargo bag, is not ergonomic at all. It resulted that when I arrived the place, I was really tired, and I had a very hard time to finish the performance.

 

Luckily enough, the machine works well.

 

 

And a short sound example, only got gain on volume:

 

 

It is great to see my old love, Nagra IV, again ! I shot my first short movie as a sound engineer with it back in 1996, just me, with no boom operator / radiomics. It sounded lovely. Packed with plenty of heavy C-Cells, weighted almost 7 kgs ! Ten times more than what my MixPre 6 with 7 hour battery life weights today. BTW, It has also brought me a gastric ulcers and a week-long enormous pain in my back :-). Good old times !