Ambient QRT Quicklock Quick Release Mic Adapter

So you have a mixer/recorder of your choosing, a mixing bag and harness to shoot with convenience and comfort, quality mics, and a boom pole to connect it to. Of course you may want to change mics depending on the location. Indoor, outdoor, crowded room, empty and highly reflective environment, whatever the reason you have to change mics like a DP changes lenses. Time is of the essence and the whole crew is dependent on each other. Do not be the one everyone is waiting on simply because you have to change mics. Quick and easy is what Ambient recording had in mind when designing the Ambient QRT Quicklock.

It is the first snap connection, noise-free, quick release tip for any 3/8”threaded connections. This standard connection can be found on mic and boom poles and allows the QRT Quicklock to be attached with ease. Whether it be a boom pole, or a music studio mic stand or antenna you will quickly realize that once you use the Quicklock system you will use on all your mic attachments.

It is secured by a grub screw and allows the Quicklock to be locked into place. You attach a tapered screw into the threaded connection on the mic’s shock mount and lock that into place with the Allen wrench. Simply slide the tapered connection that is attached to the mic into the pink Quicklock attached to the pole, connect the XLR cable and you are ready to record. No fussing with constantly screwing and unscrewing connections. It is fast, easy, and Quick.

Ambient's QX5130 Quickpole Boom Pole

The Sound Devices 633 mixer. The Stingray mixer bag with awesome harness. The Ambient Tiny Mike ATM 216 mini shotgun mic. The Schoeps Super CMIT 2U shotgun mic. Any other shotgun mic you prefer to use to capture sound is up to you. All this great gear to record with, but what do we actually attach the mic to? There is a really slick video above showing how they manufacture their Quickpole that is almost hypnotizing you to buy one. Being lightweight and having a minimal arc at full extension, I may just buy one myself. What to look for in a boom pole is clearly up to the user, but here is Ambient’s take on the boom pole with their QX5130 Quickpole:

High-Quality Construction

The Quickpole Boom is made from the industry's strongest, stiffest carbon-fiber tubing.

Extends up to 213"

Model QP4140 offers an extension between 61-213" (154-540 cm).

Low Transmission Noise

The high-quality design offers minimal noise and disturbance to audio when handling the boom.

3/8" Threaded Tip

Boom tip meets industry standards with a machined, stainless-steel 3/8" thread.

It is made of a carbon-fiber tubing and is lightweight for those long takes or shooting days to help keep your 

arms and shoulders from feeling like they are going to fall off.

There are 4 sections to extend for a total of 18 feet 4 inches in length so you can get those tight sound capturing capabilities when the camera frame might not be so tight. Last thing we want is a boom in a shot or someone saying the lame joke, “Boom in the shot!”.

Never Stop Improving. Knowledge is power.

In this video, legendary sound designer Ben Burtt (Star Wars film series, Indiana Jones film series, Lincoln, E.T.) gives some advice to aspiring sound designers. He states that even if you're going to school for film and you want to study sound don't limit yourself to strictly that. He emphasizes the importance of a well rounded education. Studying writing, art, science, history, engineering can only benefit you in whatever profession you pursue.

Personally I can't agree more. The more you know, the more you can apply to your work/life.

Legendary film director Martin Scorsese made a similar point in an interview saying that he is inspired by everything he reads. He will study art history and architecture not only as research and authenticity for his films, but he will be inspired as an artist by the in the tone and movement of the art and apply that to the music or camera movement.

Then there is the obvious point that it can give you topics to base your work on. If Martin Scorsese didn't study the history of New York or read books outside of film making he never would have come out with the film "Gangs of New York" or one of his best works "Kundun". And if Ben Burtt limited himself to sound design and did not learn music theory and how to play the piano to manipulate pitch and intensity for emotional impact, he may never would have come up with the wonderfully creative sound design for WALL-E (you can see why here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eySh8FOUphM).

You will also become a better human being. The more you know the more you appreciate other things other than just the field of work you're in. One of my professors Andy Alton says to never stop learning about everything you can. You can apply everything in life to something else and it will make you more creative. Also, he teaches us to learn more also simply for the fact that you don't want to be the boring person who  everyone knows always talks about just the one topic every time you see them and lives a predictable, uninteresting, one-dimensional life.

Always strive to become better at everything, never limit yourself, and always become more than you ever thought you could be.

Schoeps Super CMIT 2U Shotgun Mic

In the previous post I talked about the Tiny Mike mini shotgun mic for small to medium productions. It is great to have such large sound capturing capabilities in such a small package. It attaches to DSLR cameras for flexibility when recording your footage and need to be mobile or in a cramped space.

For those who need a larger mic to handle larger productions and who happen to have a larger budget to spend on equipment, check out the Schoeps SuperCMIT 2U shotgun microphone. Based on the amazingly high quality Schoeps CMIT5, the Super CMIT 2U has increased directivity, suppresses the diffuse sound field so you can film in noisy environments and with one flip of a switch the mic supresses  the background noise significantly.

Here are the specs:

Transducer	Condenser
Polar Pattern	Supercardioid
Frequency Response	Not Specified By Manufacturer
Signal-to-Noise Ratio	Channel 1: 14dB-A, RMS, 26dB CCIR Channel 2: 16dB-A, RMS, 28dB CCIR
Maximum Input Sound Level	125dB
Power Requirements	10V Digital Phantom Power Includes PSD 2 U Power Supply
Output Connectors	3-pin XLR
Low Frequency Roll-Off	80Hz with 18dB/oct 5dB Lift @ 10kHz (Shelving)
Dimensions (LxDiameter)	11 x 0.83" (280 x 21mm)
Weight	4 oz (112g)

The digital signal processing algorithms from Illusonic help with suppression of unwanted noise in the filming location, but some users say this can make the vocals slightly thin. If you find that to be true simply turn off the DSP to utilize the direct, single-transducer and change it to the analogue mic based on the original Schoeps CMIT 5.

Priced around $5,000 this mic is for serious sound professionals and for years has been the standard for high-quality sound capturing on film and television productions.

Ambient Recording's TinyMike ATM 216 Mini Shotgun Mic

Ambient Recording's video of their TinyMike mini shotgun. Big-sound pick up from such a little guy.

The specs:

Polar pattern: hyper cardoid (mini shotgun) Axial-adressed

Frequency response: +- 2 dB: 20- 18 kHz

Sensitivity: 17mV/Pa

Equivalent SPL rated at CCIR: 33dB

Max. SPL 1kOhm: 128dB

Dimensions: Ø 12/8 x 140 mm

Weight: 30 g

The kit comes with a shock mount and a windscreen so you don’t have to purchase the most essential accessories and wait for them in the mail individually. You do not need extra batteries to power the mic. It can run off even the small amount of voltage from small HD and DSLR cameras. There are two cables that come with the TinyMike. One that is padded (internally, measured in dB) for cameras that do not need that strong of a signal and one that runs a hotter signal for cameras such as the Cannon 5D. The mic is hyper-cardioid polar pattern as any typical shotgun mic would be with a tiny diaphragm that still picks up all the sound needed for smaller and slightly larger productions.

Weighing in at only 30g the mic can be mounted to the top of the DSLR to capture high quality sound for run and gun documentary filmmaking or other independent features. The TinyMike also comes with a boom pole adapter so it can by connected to a boom pole if you want a sound recordist handling this extremely light, powerful mic to capture all the sounds, of your interior and exterior productions.

http://www.ambient.de/en.html

Tips For Recording Voice-Overs

Recording voice-overs of good quality can be attained by just a few basic considerations to keep in mind before and during recording. In the above video, Videomaker shows us some tips on how to achieve good sound provided that your talent has… well, talent.

Some tips to consider:

1. Minimize noises in the environment such as appliances or climate vents.
2. Acoustically prep the recording area. Depending on the desired sound you are going for, a clean dry signal free of specific characteristics gives you more freedom when manipulating the voice later. It may be easier to add environment later than try to take it out of the recording.
3. Cover hard, reflective surfaces to control sound better or any other items in the room that may resonate when the talent raises their voice.
4. Be sure to light the area well. If the talent can’t read the script they can’t say the lines.
5. Make sure the area is well ventilated. We do not want the talent to be uncomfortable or stuffy while recording.
6. Talent should dress in layers so they can adapt to hot or cold they get during the process. They might be there a while.
7. Choose the right mic. Basically, you get what you pay for, but always read spec sheets and most importantly use your ears. That $1,000 mic might not sound so good for that person’s voice, and that $30 mic might not sound good for anyone’s voice.
8. Use a good shock mount to reduce handling noise or any floor vibrations.
9. Do not stand too close of far from the mic. About 4 to 6 inches away is ok. Trust your ears.
10. Use a pop filter for plosives and sibilance reduction.
11. Use closed-back headphones.
12. Roll off around 100 Hz with around an 18 dB slope for clarity and pop reduction.
13. Pay with compressors and other dynamic processors for you desired sound.

All of these tips are universal whether recording musical vocals or voices for visual media. Music can get slightly more complex but as far as voice-overs go these are good starting points.

Visit Videomaker here:
http://www.videomaker.com/video

K-Tek Stingray Audio Bag and Harness

The previous post was about the Sound Devices 633 mixer and recorder. A lot of great reviews on this device and a lot of great feedback was given. The conclusion was the 633 is everything you could want in a compact design, for a great price. But what do you carry it around in while on production?

Look no further than the K-Tek Stingray Audio Bag.  The Stingray features aluminum internal frame to protect electronics from exterior force as well as exterior aluminum frame to help protect the device from impacts. The aluminum interior also keeps the bag upright and from tipping over due to heavy loads inside.

The Stingray has sides that unzip completely for easy access to inputs and outputs with adjustable straps so the device won’t slide around. When K-Tek designed this bag, they kept the Sound Devices 633 at the forefront of their minds. The bottom of the bag opens up as well to accommodate extended battery packs and for access to the device.

The bag comes with two Velcro pouches for wireless receivers to clip on the device.

Retractable handles make it easy to carry around while tucking them away keeps them from interfering with the controls of the device.

The K-Tek Stingray also hooks up to the K-Tek audio harness to help relieve the fatigue one feels from mixing or booming all day. Instead of putting pressure on your neck like most simple audio straps, the harness distributes the weight to the hips and lower back to keep you comfortable during production.

Search around for a good price and add this to your locations sound kit as soon as possible.

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Sound Devices 633 Overview

If you are looking for a compact, lightweight, all-in-one mixer and recorder, then look no further than the Sound Devices 633. It offers three high-bandwidth mic/ line inputs on XLR connectors (3+3), complete with phantom power, high-pass filter, input limiter and variable pan. All inputs are assignable to its six output buses, left/right plus Aux 1/2/3/4. It records and playsback either WAV or MP3 files for quality and compression preferences.

All six inputs plus output buses left/right and Aux 1/2 can be recorded to individual tracks. The 633 offers 10-track 24-bit, 48 kHz uncompressed WAV recording (96 kHz and 192 kHz sampling up to six tracks) to SD and CompactFlash memory cards. The two cards can be set to the same file type, recording either identical material for a real-time backup, or to a WAV and MP3 combination. Redundancy is king.

Film editors rejoice! The Sound Devices 633 not only accepts Timecode from other devices but also has the ability to generate Timecode at seven different frame rates with five different modes to keep all devices on set in sync. It has seven sampling frequencies ranging from 44.1 kHz to 192 kHz, with 24 bit A/D.

Weighing in at only 2 lbs 9 oz without batteries and around 3 lbs with batteries, it shouldn’t put as much stress on your neck and shoulders as it’s heavier counterparts.

The 633 can change between 4 different power supplies automatically when the previous one runs out or is removed. One can easily shoot on battery power all day long before having to plug in.

Roll sound! With a two-second power on-to-record time the whole crew won’t have to wait around for the sound crew to roll. Click the switch, wait two seconds, and hit record. Sound speeds!

The menu/meter screen is visible in all light conditions and can be inversed if you want a light or dark display theme. Streamlined menus make it easy to navigate through all the parameters and options/settings. There is also the ability to make quick notes or add quick notes to a take, Good, Bad, and many other phrases built in to help with editing later. Or you can plug in a keyboard and type notes or sound reports. You can easy allocate and set up routing of signals as well.

All this in one location mixer with no need for external recorder, it is quickly becoming the standard for small and larger productions due to its flexibility and cost. Kits with mixing bags, batteries, cables, and SD cards are priced around $4,000.00 and the mixer alone is around $3,000.00. You can shop around to build your own personal location sound kit as well but make sure above all else, it includes the Sound Devices 633 field mixer and recorder.

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