Jim Brennan
VHS Member Old Skool
Anyone ever tried one? I know some portable gennie's run louder than others, so we are on the lookout for a quiet one. Just wondering if anyone has had any success blimping one on their own.
DIY Generator Blimp?
- Thread starter Jim Brennan
- Start date
David G. Smith
Steak Knife Member
We built a blimp with three sheets of plywood and sound blankets and it helped. We were shooting in a small town downtown and we had a small generator, I don't remember the specs, but it was no bigger than a household emergency generator. It was around the corner of a row of store fronts, about a half a block from the outdoor set. We put together three sheets of plywood, covered with sound blankets and a sound blanket over the top. The third side was situated so that it pointed out into an open area, out over a river. It cut the sound of the generator down enough that all of the audio was usable, I could still hear it in quit parts of the production tracks, but it was real low and was covered by some effects ambiance.
Jim,
You can buy generators that have sound enclosures, but they do run the cost up quite a bit. These are usually made of aluminum sheet with sound absorbing foam attached.
Though they don't have a true sound enclosure, the inverter series Hondas are really quiet. They come in a few sizes 1kw to 3kw I believe. They are a little pricey compared to some, but they are top flight. I have the 1kw, and you can literally carry on a normal conversation standing right next to it.
If you do a DIY, be careful to not block the cooling of the unit. And, if using wood and blankies, be careful to avoid FIRE.
Grant
You can buy generators that have sound enclosures, but they do run the cost up quite a bit. These are usually made of aluminum sheet with sound absorbing foam attached.
Though they don't have a true sound enclosure, the inverter series Hondas are really quiet. They come in a few sizes 1kw to 3kw I believe. They are a little pricey compared to some, but they are top flight. I have the 1kw, and you can literally carry on a normal conversation standing right next to it.
If you do a DIY, be careful to not block the cooling of the unit. And, if using wood and blankies, be careful to avoid FIRE.
Grant