Hey all,
Just thought I'd share some info about my new setup (yet to be field tested...that's coming this weekend. ;-)
I went ahead and bought a Mac, added an Alesis Multi-mix FireWire mixer (16 channels) and added Boom Recorder into the mix.
I hooked everything up tonight, and after spending about an hour trying to figure out why the Mac wouldn't recognize the mixer (you have to install the drivers...d'oh!) I got everything working great. Connected the slate to an open channel on the mixer and watched BR sync the timecode (very cool), hooked up my Tascam, ran in 4 mics to the mixer, recorded myself babbling, played it back and everything is looking very cool.
The sound report BoomRecorder generates is amazing. It has everything in it. I can include my notes for each take right in BR, and they gen into the report easy as pie.
A few lessons learned already:
1. Install the drivers that come with your mixer. ;-)
2. If you need to buy a Mac, go into an Apple store if you can. They have what they call "refreshed" units that are $300-500 less than retail and carry the full warranty.
3. The pre vs. post fader issue that Jeff Wexler reported with the Alesis mixers is there, but for me it does not appear (yet anyway) that this will be a problem. I can see where it might be down the road, but by then I will be able to upgrade.
4. I am still sending boom L and all wireless summed R to my Tascam (the way I was operating before adding BR into the mix) as a backup and using BR as my primary recorder now.
5. The biggest problem I think I'm going to have is how to fit everything on my cart. The mixer is huge, the mac is big, and then the Tascam just sits there. ;-) I may pick up a blue tooth keyboard and then just stick the mac on top next to the Tascam (the Mac comes with the cutest little remote that I can actually use to start and stop BR - Take comes through again!)
Anyway, if anyone has any suggestions/comments/helpful hints, etc. I sure would appreciate it. I'm going to set it up every day this week in my office and keep testing prior to hitting the set (shoot starts Friday and runs through Sunday).
Thanks!
Phil
Just thought I'd share some info about my new setup (yet to be field tested...that's coming this weekend. ;-)
I went ahead and bought a Mac, added an Alesis Multi-mix FireWire mixer (16 channels) and added Boom Recorder into the mix.
I hooked everything up tonight, and after spending about an hour trying to figure out why the Mac wouldn't recognize the mixer (you have to install the drivers...d'oh!) I got everything working great. Connected the slate to an open channel on the mixer and watched BR sync the timecode (very cool), hooked up my Tascam, ran in 4 mics to the mixer, recorded myself babbling, played it back and everything is looking very cool.
The sound report BoomRecorder generates is amazing. It has everything in it. I can include my notes for each take right in BR, and they gen into the report easy as pie.
A few lessons learned already:
1. Install the drivers that come with your mixer. ;-)
2. If you need to buy a Mac, go into an Apple store if you can. They have what they call "refreshed" units that are $300-500 less than retail and carry the full warranty.
3. The pre vs. post fader issue that Jeff Wexler reported with the Alesis mixers is there, but for me it does not appear (yet anyway) that this will be a problem. I can see where it might be down the road, but by then I will be able to upgrade.
4. I am still sending boom L and all wireless summed R to my Tascam (the way I was operating before adding BR into the mix) as a backup and using BR as my primary recorder now.
5. The biggest problem I think I'm going to have is how to fit everything on my cart. The mixer is huge, the mac is big, and then the Tascam just sits there. ;-) I may pick up a blue tooth keyboard and then just stick the mac on top next to the Tascam (the Mac comes with the cutest little remote that I can actually use to start and stop BR - Take comes through again!)
Anyway, if anyone has any suggestions/comments/helpful hints, etc. I sure would appreciate it. I'm going to set it up every day this week in my office and keep testing prior to hitting the set (shoot starts Friday and runs through Sunday).
Thanks!
Phil
