Grills Gone Wilder

Here are a few photos from a shoot that I worked on a few months ago. Grills Gone Wilder is airing now on The Travel Channel. This shoot was fun because of the subject matter… barbecue… and the fringe benefits. Since everyone else on the crew was flying, they couldn’t accept the “on-camera-Q” that was offered, so I ended up with about five pounds of whole-hog pork from Martin’s Barebecue Joint in Nolansville, TN.

Shooting around the Martin’s massive smoker, which can handle multiple whole hogs.

I’m a bit of a barbecue junkie… I love to try out different Q stands when I travel, so I’ve sampled quite a lot. My top two places are Stanley’s in Tyler, Texas (we hit that one pretty hard when we were shooting on The United Bates of America) and Martin’s.

This shoot wass one of the first I did with my new Sound Devices 664 mixer/recorder, and I can say without reservation that I LOVE this unit. It’s a little intimidating at first, as it has ten times the functions and options of my old 442. But the folks at Sound Devices seem to appreciate the pressures of bag work, and they’ve made all the menus and functions very quick to get to & change. There’s an option to connect a USB keyboard, but I’ve entered the metadata using the rotary encoder & it works fine.

I’m running the risk of getting pig fat on my nice new mixer here, but it was so tasty I had to risk it.

That’s not to say that there aren’t a few small details that I’d like to see changed. It really should ship with an external power supply, since the battery tube just doesn’t really work. I understand that a tube of AAs lasts about a half hour. I’ve never tried it, since that much time isn’t really worth the weight of the batteries, so the tube stays empty. Instead I use a Remote Audio BDS with an NP1 battery cup to power the whole bag. I get around two hours use out of a NP1, depending on the age of the battery.

I’m also using a PortaBrace 664 bag on this photo, which is currently for sale at Trew Audio. I love the company, but they have got to innovate if they are going to stay around. This is the same basic bag design as the FP32, just with bigger dimensions. Thats fine for small mixers, but this one is large and heavy, and the bag flops around and distorts in use, giving me the feeling that things aren’t secure. I’ve since gotten a Petrol bag which is quite a bit better  (though I wish it were more like the Petrol 442 case.)

The Grills Gone Wilder crew, April, Ilsa, and Joe.

Another change I’d like to see in the 664 Mark 2 is the way that data is transferred. Right now, you need to eject the cards and insert them into a reader in oder to transfer your data at the end of the day. The CF card is very difficult to remove, as I can’t get my fingers around the edges. And fragile… I’ve already experienced a bent pin on my card reader. The SD card is easier, so I write data to both cards but use the SD for transfers. The better solution is to have the data available at the USB port so the cards could stay in place.

A DIY Equipment Rack

When I designed the table to hold my mixer, I added a pair of sloped racks on either side for rackmount gear. My thinking was that I’d put the gear that I’d use for tracking on the left, and the mixdown gear on the right, so that’s pretty much what I did.

But after a time, it became obvious that this wasn’t the best solution for several reasons. For one, having the equipment relatively low down means a lot of bending over to make adjustments and monitor what the gear is doing… not so ergonomically friendly. I also discovered that I need to have patch points near the interfaces, so I can change the signal routing into and out of the mixer and interfaces. Keeping the interfaces and preamps on the left seems to be ok, but for mixing, I needed a better solution… something at eye level and close to the patchbays, so that cable runs could be kept short.

I decided that I needed another rack. But this one should have casters so I could move it around… and roll it out of the way when I don’t need it. It’ll be taller so I can have some of my gear at eye level.

It will have a similar look to my existing racks, though, so it won’t look out of place. The lower section is slightly angled, while the top section is straight. I did some scribbling on the back of an envelope and came up with a design, and then ran to Home Depot. Here’s a rough cost breakdown:

• 1 sheet of 3/4″ birch plywood- $48
• 1 8′ length of 4″ white pine for the rails- $6
• a box of 1 5/8″ drywall screws- $6
• Lag screws for casters- $2.50

A set of 5″ casters, 2 swivel and 2 straight, $8 from a local discount industrial supply.

To start, I had the nice folks at the Depot make a couple cuts with their panel saw. This is a huge time saver, and the cuts are always accurate and square. The sides are 20″ wide by 48″ long, and I had them just split the remainder in two pieces so I could get it home easier.

The panels were laid out back-to-back to increase accuracy.

Once at home, the sides were cut with a circular saw. I clamped the two panels together so the sides would be identical, and made some cuts to make the angled bottom half of the rack and the little notch at the bottom. I cleaned up these cuts with a saber saw and a sander, and then laid the two pieces out side by side on the sawhorses, opened up like a book. This way I would be sure to mark and screw in pieces to the inside face of the rack.

One of the sides with the blocks screwed into place

Since this rack was going to have casters, I decided it would be easier to have a flat bottom that the casters could screw to. But this flat bottom would be holding a lot of weight, so I added two blocks of plywood to the insides to help take the weight of the rack. They were screwed and glued into place. The wooden “rails” that the equipment screws in to were mounted on the sides, but these were mounted with screws only, since I could envision a time when these pieces would get replaced if/when the mounting holes get chewed up.

Using L-shaped top and bottom panels means that it’s easier to screw them to the sides.

After the side panels were ready, the top and bottom panels were built up. The inside space of the rack is 19 1/8″ wide, so I needed a piece for the bottom (20 x 19 1/8″), a piece for the top (16 x 19 1/8) and two small pieces to reinforce the back (4″ x 19 1/8″) I screwed and glued the small reinforcing pieces to the to and bottom panels. If they’re cut accurately, the rack will be square when you add these pieces. But if you’re not careful and these pieces are misaligned, the whole thing will be crooked. Since the top and bottom panels were now “L” shaped, the panels are a lot easier to screw into the sides without falling over.

Once this was done, it’s a fairly small matter to add on the other side. You’ll want to use screws and glue for these joints, since the rack will be supporting a lot of weight and the gear inside is rather expensive. A weak or wobbly rack just won’t do here. I wouldn’t use cheap plywood, either… use the good stuff. I had some 2″ screws left over from another project, and that’s what I used to secure the top and bottom.

Cutting a square hole with radiused corners is easy… just drill four holes with a spade drill and cut along the edges with a saber saw.

With the other side mounted in place, all that’s left is detail work. I made a cutout in the back for a power switch by drilling four holes with a spade drill, and sawing out the waste with a saber saw.

I didn’t mount the bottom panel on the very bottom of the rack, though. The bottom panel is raised about four inches from the bottom edge of the rack so the large, rather ugly casters are partially hidden. They are exposed in the front, though, so it isn’t a perfect solution.

My completed rack with some of the equipment installed. The two blank panels below the 900 rack are for a pair of Universal Audio 1176 compressors that I’m building.

I had the rack assembled by lunchtime. In the afternoon, I filled the screw holes with drywall compound, sanded the sharp edges, and slapped on a coat of latex paint. The casters were screwed to the bottom, and that’s it… one new equipment rack.

Well, almost. I still need to mount a power switch to the back and screw a surge protector to the side of the rack. Yet another improvement that I’ve yet to finish is a small light to go on the inside of the rack. It’s extremely irritating to try to trace wiring in the back of a rack while you hold a flashlight in your teeth because you need both hands to hold the wiring. I’m still looking for a simple, small, low-wattage lighting solution for the back of my rack that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.

Back To The Drawing Board

Awhile back, I wrote a post about building a ribbon mic. I completed the first one, with a completely custom fabricated shell and everything. It sounded pretty good, if I do say so myself, and I was quite pleased.

But I use the past tense for a reason. When I went to place the mic in its case, I noticed that my design is fatally flawed. The glue holding the magnets to the plexiglas frame has failed, bringing the two magnets together and obliterating the carefully placed ribbon. (it took three tries before I finally got it right… what a pain in the butt!)

So it’s pretty clear that the whole thing should be redesigned. I’ve learned a few things that should improve the performance anyway. The first and most obvious it my method for holding the magnets. I’d actually considered this before, but I need to include a small spacer to set the magnet gap. This way it’s physically impossible for the magnets to come together. An added benefit is that controlling the gap dimensions can be more precise, since the spacer determines the gap width rather than the frame.

Another design change for this version will be a metal frame rather than a plastic one. Metal (ferrous) provides a magnetic return path that can increase the output a few dB, and I need all I can get. It’s a little more difficult to machine, but I have the tools to do it, so why not?

It’ll be awhile before I can get to this, though. Every time I think of the hours put into the current mic, it really drains my energy and I hesitate. But I’ll start doing doodles on the backs of junk mail shortly, and I’ll get going on another design soon.

Sound Devices 664

After a nearly two-month wait, I’ve finally taken delivery of the new Sound Devices 664 mixer/recorder. It’s a nice bit of kit, though it is naturally more complex than my standard 442 mixer.  This unit will enable me to provide a number of additional services to my clients, mainly a) the ability to record iso tracks, and b) timecode audio files.

Iso tracks are a digital copy of all the signals that are coming into the mixer. These can save the day if you are in a noisy environment, or you experience hits on a wireless transmitter… you can load the isos into a DAW, and then go back and mute the individual channel where the hits occur. This sort of work is standard for film and scripted projects, but less common for certain productions where speed in post is essential. I’ve worked on both types of productions. It takes time and adds complexity to a project, but the option is there if a client wants it.

Timecode-stamped audio files can be a big help to the audio post process, and some post production workflows depend on it. I’ve had a limited ability to work in timecode for awhile now, but my current timecode setup is rather cumbersome, and completely impractical for quick work out of a bag… which is 80% of my business. Small timecode-capable recorders are not available, other than this unit from Zaxcom, which I’ve avoided buying because I knew I would be upgrading to the 664. It has an onboard timecode generator that can be jammed to a camera or other external timecode source.

These additional features come at a price, of course… not the least of which is the price, which is more than double the cost of my 442. (But to be fair, my 442 was bought used. That isn’t an option with the 664, and it’ll probably stay that way for quite some time.) And the expense doesn’t end with the mixer… the larger format means that I needed a new bag. The media requirements are very specific as well… it uses CF and SD cards, but there are just a handful that are approved for the 664. Using unapproved cards can cause the unit to lock up during use. None of my old cards work with this mixer, so I’ve had to buy all new cards.

It’s also rather power hungry as well. The normal Sound Devices battery tube is included, but others have said the internal batteries are only good for about 30 minutes of recording time. (the manual hints at this, as it says “Internal batteries can be used as a back-up in the event that external power is removed or depleted. Another indicator of large current draws is found in the specification for the AC power supply, which is rated at 3.75 amps… much larger than your standard wall-wart.)  An external battery supply is required. Fortunately I already own a BDS system from Remote Audio that I use with a pair of NP1 batteries. I normally get an entire day’s use from a single charge, powering a mixer and several Lectro receivers. That isn’t the case with the 664. I’m in the process of building a second power distro for this unit with an onboard voltage meter so I’ll know with certainty the state of charge in my battery.

Using the 664 will take some getting used to as well, simply because there are so many different signal routing options available. For example, sending 48v phantom power to a microphone requires scrolling through a menu and finding the correct combination of multi-function button presses. Physical switches are always my preference, as they are on the 442. But I have found these knocked out of position before, and at least that shouldn’t happen with a menu-based system.

The 664 has an input for a USB keyboard, and this will be great for adding metadata notes to the recorded files. It isn’t something that I’ll be using much for bag work, but it’s a really nice option. The 664 can also store commonly used phrases for generating sound reports, so adding a note like “wind noise” or  ”clothing rustle” is a push-a-button affair, rather than typing out a note.

I haven’t had the chance to use this unit much yet, but I expect it will get quite a bit of work. Overall I’m quite pleased with the thing… I’m not a big fan of menu-operated gear, but there’s just no getting around without them. It’s doing a complex job, so there’s lots of info that has to be presented somehow. Sound Devices seem to have taken pains to make these menus as logical as possible, and with a little practice, it begins to make more sense. I’m having fun with it!

Cleaning Penny and Giles 1000 Series Faders

Here’s how to clean the faders on a Soundcraft 800. This isn’t exactly a tutorial, rather, it’s just a look at how I’m doing it on my mixer. These are Penny and Giles 1000-series conductive plastic type and are long out of production, so it’s best to keep them clean and working well. It’s time consuming, but an easy job once you get the hang of it.

First, unscrew the ground wire on the back

According to P&G, you shouldn’t use contact cleaner on these faders, only distilled water. To do that, you have to take the faders apart, which is time consuming, but when you’re done, they’ll be properly clean and more likely to stay that way for longer. Cooper Sound published a guide for cleaning P&G faders. It refers to more recent models, but the instructions would still apply. You can find it HERE.

Next, remove the fader’s mounting screws

I did find one of the slider brushes with a broken solder joint. It was still electrically connected, but hanging by a a broken bit of solder. These are too delicate to resolder, so I carefully bent the brushes back into position and added a drop of super glue. Hopefully this will reinforce the brushes for a few more years, but I do need to be on the lookout for a donor console in good condition.

Peel off the tape that holds the fader together. If you’re careful, this can be reused.

On this console, you don’t have to desolder the fader in order to remove and disassemble it, which is a huge advantage.

With everything apart, I cleaned out the dust with a cheap artist’s brush and cotton rags. The plastic strip was wiped with water and a paper towel and dried.

Assembly is just the reverse of the disassembly. Once you’ve cleaned one or two, it becomes a rather simple process, but be careful, especially with the delicate slider brushes. They are easily damaged and not easily repaired. Replacement is only possible by removing parts from an old mixer… I contacted Penny and Giles, and they told me they have no more repair parts and could not even suggest a replacement.

I lubricated the sliding parts on my fader with a tiny drop of light oil. Penny and Giles instructions specify a lightweight silicon oil. I used an oil designed for sewing machines.

After you’ve cleaned the fader, remember to place a small maintenance sticker on the fader that says “cleaned” along with the date. I have to do this, or I risk forgetting which faders I’ve cleaned and which I haven’t, and you  don’t want to do these twice.

This is the kind of crud that you’ll find. This is dust buildup around the fader slider. I cleared the worst of this with an inexpensive art brush for acrylics.

With the tape removed, carefully pull off the cap without wires attached

CAREFULLY pull out the slider

Next, gently pull the cap with the wires on the end. The conductive plastic strip should come out of the aluminum shell.

The entire fader disassembled

I cleaned the shell by pushing a bit of soft cotton cloth through the shell with a knitting needle.

Eww, gross! This is what I got out of the shell. Of course, just about anything would be gross after 30 years.

Not the best photo, but this is a closeup of the nearly-broken wiper brushes. I fixed it with a drop of super glue.

2012 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 33,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 8 Film Festivals

Click here to see the complete report.

My New Tape Machine

Here’s the latest acquisition for my studio… an Otari MTR10. This was purchased from Chris Mara of MaraMachines and Welcome To 1979 Studios in Nashville, TN. I saw it when I was there for the Producer’s and Engineer’s Summit. Unfortunately it violates my “large equipment rule” (don’t buy anything that’s too big to resell on eBay if you need to), but this one is worth the exception.

My Otari MTR10

We had a similar MTR12TC of these at On Line Audio in Charleston, SC. It was the same machine, with the addition of a special head that laid a narrow timecode track in the center of the tape. We only used this a handful of times, and that feature isn’t quite as useful nowadays.

I’m a big fan of these machines. Their large size means they’re easy to align and maintain. Now that they are all “of a certain age,” they’ll need more care and attention than they did at my old studio (if I recall correctly, both our MTR12 and  our Otari MX80  24track version were brand new. Of course, they worked like a charm.) Fortunately this machine is in fantastic condition… everything works except the return to zero function, and even though it’s non-essential, I’ll have that sorted in a few days.

This one has probably seen quite a few miles of tape through it, as it was formerly owned by Disney. The heads were at the end of their service life, so Chris had John French of JRF Magnetics put on a pair of refurbished heads. Now the record and repro spec is back up to factory standard. (JRF Magnetics was the go-to company for any kind of head work as far back as I can remember, and I was pleased to hear that they are still doing work on tape machines. I wish I’d thought to have John sign my head stack somewhere… he’s a rock star in the tape machine world.)

The deck lifts up for easier servicing… no screwdriver necessary

I’m especially excited to have this machine in my inventory. As far as I know, I’ve got the only real analog tape machine left in town, so that’s a competitive advantage. It opens up several creative options… in addition to using it as a straight mastering deck, it can also be used as a tape delay, as well as for straight tape-to-digital transfers.

There is a real difference in the sound of projects that have been mastered on analog tape. It is very subtle, but it’s there. And while plug-in emulations of tape machines are cheaper and more convenient, they aren’t the same… they will always be copies, and this is the real deal.