31 July 2008

Red Letter Day

Apologies for the late notice:

The next Meet the Gear Day at Gotham Sound covers the "Red Camera step-by-step, answering every sound related question we've had but were afraid to ask."

Personally, I feel that if the production is going to spring for a 2K imaging system, they should do the sensible thing and budget for double-system sound. But we all know that won't always be the case, don't we?

Saturday, August 16th.

www.gothamsound.com

23 July 2008

S & P From B & H

Two from B & H today. First up: the basics on using portable audio recorders. Snip:

Since audio is such an important element of video and film production, there are often production scenarios that call for more than two tracks of recorded sound. Reality programs are among the most popular shows on television. These shows will regularly have numerous people wandering around, all of them wearing wireless microphones. Since their actions are unscripted, the challenge of mixing all of those separate wireless microphones down to two tracks is often too risky. One solution is to use a portable audio recorder with multi-track capabilities.


Yes, yes, a million times yes. Even the best wireless are subject to dropouts on occasion. Sometimes you just can't: budget or schedule won't permit the extra care and feeding required. But if you're a producer putting together your next show, consider affording your production sound mixer the flexibility they need to do the job properly. Not only will the final product be better, it is always cheaper to do it right the first time, rather than try to recover useful material after the fact.

Next, a profile of globe-trotting mixer Raphael Gorham. Snip:

Has certain equipment ever saved the day for you?

On an ENG shoot where Hilary Clinton was thanking a dozen local politicians in a suburban diner, there were about 6 network crews waiting for her when she arrived. There were only 3 sound techs and we all had planned to use booms to get her audio. I happened to have a Crown PZM mic and phantom PS in my bag, so I set in the middle of the tables where they were to sit and attached a wireless transmitter. When Clinton arrived, Secret Service moved the press further out of range than we had anticipated (which is not a problem for cameramen) so booming her was not an option. The PZM worked great and I was able to record the entire conversation.


Pay attention, kids. This is the kind of stuff that can make or break an entire shoot.

"How To Use a Portable Audio Recorder"


"Pro Audio Profiles - Raphael Gorham"

16 July 2008

Gripping

This just in from K-Tek, purveyors of fine boom poles:
K-Tek Boom Poles offer Easier Grip

K-Tek's award-winning Klassic Boom Poles now feature a new design advantage -- unique Soft-Touch grips.

For optimum handling, K-Tek's trademark dimples now have a rubberized feel to give operators a sure grip and more comfortable touch when tightening or loosening the Klassic's locking collars. Constructed of precisely engineered thermal composite, K-Tek's Soft-Touch UV and rain-resistant collars are snugly applied to the poles during the manufacturing process to provide a long life...

Each pole is constructed from high-density graphite carefully selected for maximum strength and minimum weight. Telescoping sections are securely connected through the company's proprietary “captive collet” locking system.

For further information, contact:

K-Tek
1384-F Poinsettia Ave.
Vista, CA 92081
Ph. 760-727-0593
Fax 760-727-0693
www.ktekbooms.com

14 July 2008

And That's the Truth About the Soundbooth, Ruth

I'm a few weeks behind on this one, but I was busy with my IRL job, so, you know, sue me...

{Note from sync.sound.cinema Legal Dept. : "Well, Mr. Dolan certainly has what we in the industry call a 'sense of humor'. To wit, we do not endorse any language that may directly or indirectly induce someone to take legal action against the staff and administration of sync.sound.cinema. Thank you."}

From various places around the web: Adobe has released a free beta of the next version of Soundbooth. Snip from Adobe's site:

Try the Soundbooth beta now. The prerelease of the next version of Soundbooth provides new tools video editors, designers, and others who do not specialize in audio need to accomplish their everyday work such as:

* Arranging audio files on multiple tracks
* Making quick edits and applying fades
* Matching volume levels with a single command
* Removing unwanted noises and background sounds
* Adjusting tempo and pitch
* Recording and polishing voice-overs
* Adding effects and filters
* Previewing MP3 compression quality
* Easily creating customized music — without musical expertise

New features give you even more flexibility and control over your audio. Now with multitrack support, the ability to match volume levels across one or more files, the ability to preview MP3 compression settings before saving, and an enhanced Soundbooth Score workflow, the next version of Soundbooth is a necessary addition to your creative toolkit. Also, with the new Adobe Sound Document file format you can take “snapshots” of your work-in-progress and undo changes made to your audio assets.


It's cross-platform (Intel Macs only), and good for a 2 day grace period.

Link.

13 July 2008

Livin' On the Edge

You know, I was considering coming up with all manner of quippy explanations for my extended absence: covert ops for a shadowy government organization; community service hours for streaking; even ye olde stand-by of alien abduction (death by snu-snu!).

Yeah, no, it was only a gig. Fifteen days on the road, some of which was spent on a paddle-wheel boat (!), lazily churning its way across the swollen Mississippi. I became re-acquainted with humidity, and its ability to wrest every last iota of water from the human body. Pretty, we were not.

While we were busy changing clothes twice a day to remain slightly presentable, The Hollywood Edge was busy in preparing to offer their entire sound effects library for sale on a single hard drive. Snip from Creative Cow News:

The Hollywood Edge (www.hollywoodedge.com), the world’s most widely used sound effects library, is now available in its entirety on hard drive. The Complete Hollywood Edge includes more than 56,000 sounds (in 16bit 44.1k), most originally produced by Academy Award-winning motion picture sound studios.

The complete edition comes with Soundminer, the industry-standard sound library asset management software, designed to make it easier for users to manage their sound collections and locate the perfect sound for any situation.


While the library tops out at over 350 CD's worth of material, normally retailing around $25,000, the entire collection can now be had on a single hard-drive for $15,000. This would be a great way to jump-start a new post house and be able to hit the ground running.

Link to Creative Cow News.

www.hollywoodedge.com