How will weather effect equipment?

G

Gesspacho

New member
I am shooting a feature film where majority of the setting takes place in a trailerpark. There will also be some scenes shot on a lake in Michigan. We are recording audio straight to protools on a macbook pro, most likely using an MBOX2 and/or possibly a digi 002. The film is being shot from january to about april. The scene in Michigan is being shot in mid February.

We are expecting very cold temperatures while shooting (especially in Michigan) so my question is... Does anyone know or have experience with how the cold weather will effect the audio equipment?

Also does anyone have any suggestions to prevent problems if there are any?

- Thanks

also if anyone is interested in checking out the project
http://www.trailerparkmovie.com/
http://trailerparkmovie.wordpress.com/
 
My suggestion to prevent problems is to use a dedicated recorder made for location sound, put it in a bag under your coat to keep it from freezing.
Good luck with the laptop!
 
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A laptop is not location audio equipment and I would be hesitant taking one onto most shoots nevermind the one you are talking about. A laptop should only be used as a backup at most. You really need a proper location recorder. Something like a Deva or Sound Devices.
 
what are the downfalls of recording straight to a computer?

I have also been looking at Fostex field recorders but I am unsure what is best and the zoom H-4 which i just read about another recent post. However isn't it much more difficult to hear what has been previously recorder when recording to a field recorder?
 
Gesspacho said:
what are the downfalls of recording straight to a computer?

I have also been looking at Fostex field recorders but I am unsure what is best and the zoom H-4 which i just read about another recent post. However isn't it much more difficult to hear what has been previously recorder when recording to a field recorder?
Click to expand...

I would say, something like the Zoom H-4 would be sort of like... a no brainer... setting up a laptop even for capturing the video stream sounds difficult to me, well awkward at the very least, the tethering, powering, especially in outdoors cold... (or in my area, outdoors heat, or in the desert with wind storms... whatever...)

Since I'm not familiar with the various devices and what have you, my 'general principles' would be for battery operated, and the 'easiest' to use in difficult conditions... if the weather closes in, and you have to close down the shoot, having only to take camera, and 'simple' recording device, seems easier...

One of the reasons why I'm jumping for joy on the issue of 'solid state' recording devices, is because no moving parts... no getting dust, rain, or sea air (in my case) in to the works... ok, still leaves connectors to deal with... and usually less power so the concept of battery power is more achieveable...

But batteries also have the problem that in cold weather they do not last as long as in warm... the chemical processes involved in energy storage, and release, are slowed...

As for microphone behavior in cold... others can comment on that sort of thing... but my guess is there will be changes in their response characteristics...
 
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im not sure how well the computer will run in very cold temperatures. As for recording to computer on location, its totally viable depending on the nature of the show. I have used a cart based system with a laptop as others due. Many use it as a backup. I use it as a primary with a 2 track backup ( fostex fr2)

I would say look into other options than protools that are built specifically for location sound such as
metacorder
http://www.gallery.co.uk/metacorder/intro.html

or boomrecorder
http://www.vosgames.nl/products/BoomRecorder/

you would generaly use a anolog to digital converter like rme fireface, metric halo products, apogee products, motu, etc with a mixer of some sort on the front end. Some like me use a control surface and use digital mixing software.

The main thing in real cold conditions are that batteries die FAST and that LCD displays ( even on recorders made for location) can fritz out. I havent tried this, but it wouldnt hurt to surround your recorder(whichever you use) with some hand warmers.
 
You really need a proper location recorder like a Nagra or Sound Devices.

If money is very tight, either hire or go for an Edirol R9 Pro (4-track), Fostex FR-2TC or Tascam HD-P2 (stereo). All these have timecode.
 
Forget about the Microtrack and the ZoomH4.

I've looked at your website and appears this is a student film/video shoot.
Surely you must have a production recorder available for your use.
 
All,

Boom Recorder and Metacorder have proven to be very reliable - dare I say it, as reliable as a Deva or Sound Devices recorder - with a caveat. You have to treat your laptop as if it were a dedicated field recorder (i.e. not browse the web on it or install all sorts of other extraneous stuff). I've used Boom Recorder on a large number of projects and it works great. Never once have I had a problem with it. It can record to multiple outputs simultaneously, and can handle as many channels as your setup can throw at it (I've recorded as many as 16 separate inputs simultaneously - there aren't any dedicated recorders that can do that). The primary limitation is that it is difficult if not impossible to use in a bag situation. On a cart, not a problem.

Now, back to the original question - humidity tends to be a problem for Schoeps, mics, but that probably won't be an issue in Winter. Whatever method you ultimately use for recording, you will have to check to see what the temperature rating is on it. I'd bet though that if your camera is tape-based, it will have problems with the cold before your recorder will.

Phil
 
The computers LCD display may stop working in really cold temperatures if back-lit by CCFL, if back-lit by LED it will operate just fine. Battery life is shortened in cold as well.
 
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