audio check list, what's missing?

Charli

Charli

cool little "title"
I'm putting together a basic kit and I think I have everything.
Please let me know if I am missing something that's truly needful. I need to
move on now and buy light kits and lens.

Oktava hyper
Rycote BBG & Windjammer
Audio Technica 4073a
Rycote Softie
Cables (by Matt)
Pop Screen (for voicevers)
MixPre
K-SM shockmount
Sony 7506 headphones
Boom pole (still deciding)

Would this supply my basic interior/exterior needs? I pray I am good to go.

Charli
 
You have a really nice kit built there so far. As you move into different projects you might consider adding a wireless kit or two, a mixer, and an external recorder, but as of right now you have your shock and wind protection covered, which is what most people overlook.

As far as boom, once you make that decision you're really in business. I also believe every boom operator should have a couple of appleboxes just in case you need to stand on something, but in general, you have a really nice kit built.

One nice thing to have in the bag is a headphone amplifier. I have been using mine a lot lately when I have done sound for people locally.

Good News: Nice Kit

Bad News: Your next steps are expensive

-Jeremy
 
he has a mixer there, jeremy, the mixpre.

not a bad start, but jeremy is right, the next steps are expensive.

i will say this - the mixpre is two channel, and while thats fine for most boom based work, the second you start adding lavs into the equation, you really need three channels or more. also, the mixpre has somewhat limited monitoring and limiting features.

for the increase in price, tbe 302 is undoubtedly worth it, but naturally, its all down to what you need.
 
timapter said:
he has a mixer there, jeremy, the mixpre.
Click to expand...

I looked through the list five times after reading that and kept going, where is the mixpre? There is no mix pre listed. Finally I took my finger went down the list and saw it... For some reason I am having a hard time reading today :)

Still, good kit and you're set up for the projects you said you're interested in.

-Jeremy
 
Thanks for the advice. I do have an eye out for appleboxes just the same.
Getting those later.

I think I need to post up a picture of myself. I AM A GIRL! It's okay, another user thought
I was a uh, girly-guy. Now THAT was funny.

Charli
 
You know, I have met audio guys with their own apple boxes (one guy spray painted his orange so grips didn't grab it at the end of the day) but never got one myself. I have a milk crate in my trunk for extra tools, sandbags, etc. I just flip that thing over in a jam. Rest of the time I just take what apple boxes I need for the day from the grip truck :happy:

I lug around enough stuff in my car everyday...to me apple boxes are just impractical and I know I would lose em faster then I do vampire clips.

I completely agree with Tim about the Mixpre. It is a great device but leaves little room to grow. The 302 is well worth the extra money now instead of having to upgrade later. If you are on a super tight budget then you can always sell the Mixpre and upgrade later but that would be less then ideal. (you will find yourself wanting wireless later and will need 3 or more channels then)

Cheers
 
I just bought the MixPre and I don't have the budget to buy the 302. I'm
starting from scratch, just bought the dvx camera, am putting my son through
college and paying his rent, ain't gonna happen today.

One nice thing about the MixPre is that it has excellent resell value.

Charli
 
i think just about anything from sound devices will have a great resale value.

i'm getting ready to upgrade from my sd 302 to a sd 442 and i can't decide if i really want to sell my 302.

their stuff is so well made you hate to part with it.

besides an apple box i would recommend a decent c-stand with a boom mate or something similar so if you have people who are stationary you can set the boom up and leave it alone instead of holding it all day for no good reason.

apple boxes are great because your assured you have a place to sit.

matthew
 
On the low-tech side of things, I'd reccomend a lightweight folding camp table and chair. Also, pack several rolls of tape (gaffer tape, gun tape, flourescent safety orange duct tape, paper tape, etc.)

Rechargeable batteries for the MixPre will save you a small fortune in a short time. Aphex makes a large counter-weighted mic stand that is an afordable alternative to a C-stand and a second (shorter) boom. Hushheels can be pretty useful, but tend to be a bit expensive. Mover's blankets make cheap and effective sound-blankets, and can be rolled up sleeping-bag-style for easy storage.

Go down to the local army surplus store and stock up on belt pouches. Magazine pouches are great for holding spare batteries, mult-tools, and water bottles. Just be sure to get an extra heavy-duty belt that won't distend when you start hanging tools from it.

A butane solderring iron can get you out of a major jam, and a heavy-duty tool box will never go amiss (especially if it's strong and stable enough to stand on).

A small first aid kit is also a good idea, since on many low-budget shoots noone else will think to bring one. If you're working in cold environments, add a handful of chemical hand warmer packs to your kit (you'll be glad you did).

Other than that, always have way more plug and gender adapters than you'll possibly ever need (they tend to wander off during the course of a day's shoot).
 
A couple of other things I can think of:

1. C47's (you can never have too many)
2. Velcro cable ties (unless matt is generous and includes them on his cables)
3. Stomach aides (Tums, Pepto, GasX) (I know, sounds wierd, but you'd be amazed how many times I've offered them to talent who's stomach rumbles were making the dialogue unusable).
4. Gear bags to keep everything in - Padded for mics, etc. I use the largest Vanguard cases - you can pick them up on Ebay for like $40 each, much cheaper than Pelican, but not as durable.
5. Headphone extender cables, maybe even a headphone splitter so your script supervisor can monitor more easily (and an extra headphones to go with...doesn't need to be a $99 pair either...bswusa.com has 5 packs of low end Sennheisers for like $90.
6. I second getting a camping table and chair(s). I got my camping table (which has been my cart) from Target for like $10 on sale a while ago...it works great and folds up into one of those cases like the chairs.
7. Connectors and more cables. Take your current cable estimate and double it.
8. You are missing some way for the boom op to monitor. There are lots of different ways this can be accomplished. Wireless is best, but you can get cables built with monitoring...much more expensive (and I don't think Matt makes them...)
9. A rope or some other kind of tie for your tape rolls. A way to lock it to your table. ;-) If it isn' t hanging from your waist, mark it well, or it will disappear into the grip and/or gaffer department.
10. Tone generator (if the MixPre doesn't have one). The only Behringer product I have ever recommended is their combo cable tester/tone generator. Probably good to have in either case.
11. A cheap roll of tape for your disposable batteries. I usually buy a cheap roll of easily torn tape (usually blue scotch masking, though plain old masking tape will work too) to mark dead batteries. When I remove a battery, the first thing I do is tape over the + end, then swap in the good batteries. This way I always know the bad batteries are marked. (okay, so this has nothing to do with your kit, but I just thought of it and I'm not sure I've ever seen a battery workflow discussion. ;-)

Anyway, way too long a post. Sorry 'bout that. Hope it helps.

Phil
 
Always thought a good thread would be those audio "extras" we all learn to bring. The list can start to get pretty long quick but you guys have made a nice start. :thumbsup:

I would suggest bringing at least 2 chairs. On smaller productions you will often find people co-opping your chair. Have one for the director in case no one brings one for him. Bringing one will score you points with the production and you get lots of attitude if you are sitting while the director has to stand.

I remind my boom op to bring one for himself but will gladly give up my chair between shots if he forgets his.

Cheers
 
silly directors. :)

damn charli, sorry about that! blush blush :) yeah, you see charli on a sound forum, and, well, you just assume. good luck with your kit, seems like you are starting in the right place - and you're right, the resell on SD stuff is kick ass, so upgrading one day wont be too bad. Im going to second third and fourth the rechargable battery suggestion - its going to save you a lot of cash.


this is a damn good thread, by the way, i really like the suggestions of stuff to bring on set that isnt strictly sound stuff. i cant really add to the list as thats all stuff ive used in the past or still use today... one thing i love is this new double sided cellotape you get here - its really good for securing lavs.

phil - cool post.
 
No worries, time. I thought it was funny, really. On the gaffer's kit, that' a whole
different list I'm working on. Good thing the place I work has an account at a
hardware store, I can get stuff without sweating, including all the batteries I need
so I won't buy recharables until I leave this job.

Jeremy, I'm looking over at B&H for that headphone amplifier. Does it just boost
the sound? What's its purpose, if you have the time, please.

I think I'm set on sound. I'm getting some extra cables from Matt, so I should be
good to go. I just got asked to be someone's sound guy, now that ROCKS!

Oh, and on the C-stand, I just bought a Matthews C-stand on Ebay. Won that
early this week.

Charli
 
You're gonna be a sound guy? :) ha ha!

Jeremy mentioned the headphone amp because he missed the MixPre on your list, your mixpre has a headphone amp inside it, so you're all set I think.
 
Time - my crew and I are meeting this weekend, so I can't do the sound guy gig,
but it was nice to be asked just the same. It was rather funny. Thanks for the
heads up on the headphone amp. Other than choosing a boom pole, I am
good to go on sound.

Charli
 
two tips:

weight is a key factor to compare if you are buying online and cant feel the weight yourself.

internal cables save you a LOT of time and frustration with cables, but buy a pole that has been cabled by the manufacturer or you end up having to do it yourself, and its a pain.
 
A few more things I was thinking of while reading this (nice kit by the way!) -

1.) Bungie Cords (saved my ass a few times)
2.) Emergency Rain Ponchos (we shoved a Panaflex into one once in a flurried rainstorm that jumped on us during a shoot, I'm sure they'll be useful)
3.) A collapsible Wheelie Cart (the sort you can shove a decent ammount of luggage onto). Nice for those quick escapes with all of your gear boxes in tow or saving a few trips back and forth.
 
jaredsilvia said:
2.) Emergency Rain Ponchos...
Click to expand...
Wow, I totally forgot to mention that one. Aside from a poncho big enough for all your run-and-gun gear, an extra backup poncho's a good call. If you have room left over, a tarp can be pretty handy.

On the subject of rain, a hogshair rain cover is good to have (to break up the noise of raindrops hitting the rycote basket). My current rain cover started life as a $10 cut-to-fit furnace filter, so you don't neccessarily have to shell out the big bucks for this sort of thing.

I also like to pack a handful of extra large ziplock bags, each with one of those "do not eat" dessicant packets in it.
 
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