Available for bookings July and August

The show I have been working on has wrapped for the season so I have some openings in July and August so if anyone in the South East or abroad needs a sound mixer with equipment for a 1-4 camera show please let me bid it.

Thanks

Add comment | June 28th, 2009

New Equipment in my kit: Remote Audio Earbuds

Been busy traveling for work and was in the middle of nowhere working last week so was unable to post. On this very demanding shoot I tried out my new REMOTE AUDIO EARBUD single sided headsets for all my producer comtek and everyone loved them. Below is that Remote Audio has to say about them:

Single earphone with swivel ear hook. This allows you to wear it on either the left or right ear. The 3.5mm mono plug is a molded right angle and is ideal for a Comtek or IFB feed.

2 comments | June 24th, 2009

Backup media intregity: dual-layer DVDs

Got this from a friend of mine who works at a large post house very interesting:

As for as dual layer DVD+R DL media is concerned, the best, most reliable, and only true archival-quality media is Verbatim 2.4x DVD+R DL; that said, only seek the discs with “Made in Singapore” on the packaging, and when inserted into a drive and checked with an app such as Nero DiscSpeed, are denoted with a manufacturer ID: MKM 001

Many other brands (and even outsourced Verbatim), are made in Taiwan and India; the success rate of these are roughly 50% on a burn, if the complete a burn even; personal experience further backs this up. The Memorex 8x DVD+R DL from Tawian with an ID of RITEK S04, for example, have layer break issues. I have experienced this firsthand when many a times when shifting to burn Layer 2, the burn fails out. Be sure to check the manufacturer country. On three identical store displays, discs with the same packaging, price, size, and brand had three different manufacturer locations on their packaging!

The Verbatims MKM 001 are the only reliable dual layer media source, be it for archival or video masters.

I wanted to share this with all of you, in the media industry, hopin to further support the need for proper and reliable data archival, and being able to put our trust in a media format that will work. DVD+DL has been a shotty format with minimal reliability, but, the Verbatim MKM 001s will get the job done right when you need the reliable 8 gig capacity.

Add comment | June 14th, 2009

New Equipment in my Kit: MTO Audio Slick

Having to work in the rain is no fun but protecting yourself and especially your gear is very important. For many years I have used the MTO Sound Slicker to protect both me and my gear, However it is very large and a real pain to carry around. So recently I bought a MTO Audio Slicker, which just protects your sound bag. I then wear my rainsuit to protect me. So if you require a rain protection system consider MTO Rain products.

Add comment | June 13th, 2009

Rode NTG-3 Review

Well after a busy few weeks doing some Reality TV I finally had some time to test out my new RODE NTG-3. I never like to use new gear for the first time in a high pressure situation so I have been waiting for a lower stress job so that I could play around with it. This week I worked on a short film for a day filling in for a friend who really needed my help so I decided it was a good time to try the NTG-3 out. We were filming in an abandoned dilapidated floor of a building right on a major highway with HMI’s inside the room for lighting. The film is a period piece in the late 1880’s and what we were filming involved a very soft spoken girl practicing her violin. So good boom technique was very important to try to get good clean dialogue.

The Rode NTG-3 preformed great all day. It had great reach for the soft dialogue during the wide shoots, handled the high frequencies and SPL of the violin very well and had the rejection I needed to due to the location. I would say after this brief use and test I like it just as much as my MKH 416. I am going to try it out on my next reality shoot and see how it handles that. Overall I am very happy with my purchase

Add comment | June 2nd, 2009

Tech Tip: Not all Mole Skin is created equal

I got a message from a reader saying that ” I have been trying to place a Countryman EMW inside a T-Shirt with moleskin and once the talent started sweating it just won’t stick”.  After asking him what type of mole skin he said he was using ” a store brand mole skin and some black mole skin from a sound retailer”. These Mole Skins DO NOT WORK WELL. They are too thin and are not sticky enough, The Mole skin needs to be thick to absorb sweat and needs to be extra sticky to continue sticking. The best Mole Skin is “ Dr Scholl’s MoleSkin Plus Padding” It comes in a roll but is sometimes difficult to find. I usually order 25 rolls once or twice a year from Amazon. Each Roll costs about $5.50. I have some of the black moleskin which I will use only if I need it to be black

1 comment | May 20th, 2009

Follow up to RODE NTG-3

Well I haven’t gotten to use my Rode NTG-3 at all on my current gig is here is why:

I use a Lectrosonics plug on transmitter on my boom pole for this show and apparently there is a issue with the NTG-3 and Lectrosonics plug ons’ which is fixed by using a phase reversal barrel adapter. So I have ordered one and will report back more after I get it next week. And yes I already checked the microphone by plugging it directly into my mixer too. Below is the offcial response from Lectrosonics:

“When using the RODE NTG3 with a Lectro UH400A or HM the use of a Phase Reversal barrel is required to properly power the mic and setting the corresponding receiver to reverse the phase is require”

Add comment | May 19th, 2009

Business Tips: 1099 vs Payroll service

I have been getting a number of emails recently regarding the more business side of being a self employed or as some refer to it a “1099 Independent Contractor”. Please note this is not any sort of legal advice this is just a brief summary.  There are two ways companies can make you bill them below I will summarize them:

1. Invoice for equipment and services: This is the way I prefer to work, At the conclusion of a project or usually every 2 weeks on a long term project I will submit an invoice to the production company usually in PDF Format  via email or by Fax with a company provided vendor or P.O Number. This invoice is for both my equipment rental fees and my labor. The first time you invoice a new client you must give them either your social security number or EIN number if you are incorporated company. Some companies require you to be an incorporated company in order to invoice. These numbers are required so that the company can notify the IRS about how much money it paid you during the year. After invoicing the production company has 30 or 45 days you pay you unless otherwise decided on upon by you and the company.

The positive points of invoicing are it is easier for your book keeping and you don’t have to deal with a payroll service. Downside no taxes are with held so you must set aside enough money to pay the taxes on this money at the end of the year you need to wait 30 days or more to be paid.

The second way many companies work is to put you as the employee on payroll services and then have you or your company invoice them directly for gear. When you are on payroll service you fill out a W-2 and all other paperwork that you would if you were being hired by a company for a full time job. Every Week or Two weeks depending upon company pay period you would receive a check to you as the employee with taxes withheld and at the end of the year you receive a W-2 for your wages and you or your company  receive a 1099 form for equipment rentals paid to you or your company. The positive points of working this way is that you get paid much faster and the company is withholding taxes for you. Your also assured Workman’s comp insurance coverage if your injured on the job. For long term projects over a month I don’t mind being on payroll but it is a pain  to fill out pages of paper work for a one day job. The negative side of being on payroll is it is more difficult for book keeping to keep track of things and I would rather withhold my own taxes.

This is a very simple breakdown of the difference you should consult your accountant or tax professional who can give you better information while taking into account your own situation.

Add comment | May 13th, 2009

Tech Tip: Garfield Headphone Softies

Garfield Headphone Softies are one of the best ket secrets of many mixers including me. They help keep your ears warm in the winter and cool in the summer. They are made of Rayon which has no effects on the audio. They are available at most sound retailers for under $20.00 try a pair out they are great below is what Garfield says about there softies:

Headphone Softie is a set of soft headphone earpad covers, made of a velour-like rayon chenille fabric. The colors available are black, blue, green, gold and red.

The covers will fit most full-sized, circum-aural headphones, such as the Sony MDR-7506.

This product is designed with both practicality and comfort in mind, providing a nice cushiony feel for extended wear.

It is also resistant to temperature extremes by providing warmth in cold weather, and deflecting perspiration in hot, humid locations.

The headphone softies have no adverse effect on the frequency response or audio delivery of the headphones.

Add comment | May 11th, 2009

New Equipment in my Kit: Rode NTG-3 Shotgun Microphone

To better serve my clients I have added a 2nd high quality shotgun microphone to my kit the Rode NTG-3.  This microphone was chosen due to its robust construction, high resistance to RF interference and ability to operate in high humidity conditions. It also  In addition to the Rode NTG-3 microphone Pro Location Sound LLC also has the Industry Standard Sennheiser MKH-416 as well as Rode NTG-1 and Rode NTG-2. As always having the best and most up to date gear is our number one prioirty. I will post a review of the RODE NTG-3 after using it. Below is what RODE Says about the NTG-3:

The NTG-3 is the result of years of research and development by RODE engineers, providing broadcast and film professionals with an affordable yet uncompromising microphone.

RODE uses a technology known as RF-bias to create an almost completely moisture resistant microphone. In addition to capturing flawless audio in normal environments, the NTG-3 is ideal for those projects involving humid climates where condensation is an issue.

At 5.75 ounces, the NTG-3 is very lightweight and also boasts extremely low handling and self-noise (13dBA). Included with the microphone is a weather resistant aluminum storage cylinder for protection when traveling.

Rode offers a 10 year warranty on this microphone when registered on the Rode website.

Features

• Designed to withstand adverse environmental conditions
• 50% less self-noise than the majority of shotgun microphone
• True condenser (externally RF biased)
• Extremely low handling noise
• High level of immunity to radio frequency broadcast
• Superior broadcast sound quality
• Weather resistant aluminum storage cylinder included

Specifications

1 comment | May 10th, 2009