gear Questions - Social Sound Design

best mac keyboard for sound editing

2012-01-29T15:37:12Z

so as we upgrade our studios in the coming months I'll be looking to upgrade the one piece of gear that I come into contact with more than any other - my keyboard.

as such, here are my specific needs:

silence. I'd like the keyboard to be relatively quiet so that I can do regular setup type things with the talkback mic open. ultra silent would be magical, but I don't exactly know how heavily I weight the silence thing in my needs vs other things. The biggest plus of the standard mac keyboard is the silence of the thing.
mac specific. forget about remapping keys man, the mac market is big enough that I can certainly find what I need with the mac functionality designed in.
seperated F keys. my biggest beef with the stock mac keyboards is that all of the F keys are too small and that the separator gap doesn't exist. I use those F keys constantly, and I do it by touch, so I think it'd be huge to have the F keys be the proper size and have the separating gaps in place.
usb hub - we swap dongles a fair amount in the studio, and its nice to be able to just look at the keyboard and see who has what.
durability - I'd like a keyboard that can take heavy use for years on end without struggle.

things I don't care about:

macros. I use quickeys, so macros don't really matter to me.
look. Most good keyboards look fine IMO. I'm not really picky.

In my searches I've come across the das keyboard S professional silent model for mac, and the Matias Tactile Pro 3.

any other suggestions or any experience with either of these would be appreciated.

thanks!

Furthest Distance You've Successfully Used a Dynamic Mic From?

2011-11-05T04:16:25Z

Have a fun SFX recording session going down Sunday - Source is going to be about 140 - 150db, about 100m from me.

Definitely bringing some high SPL shotguns, but was considering using a dynamic. The thing about dynamics is that their frequency response tends to get a little wonky after a distance, but the level of the sound tends to "extend" their reach.

What's the furthest you've ever successfully (as in got a good sound out of) used a dynamic mic?

For me, I think it was about 10m, while recording gun shots.

Who's going to AES in October?

2011-09-23T01:09:28Z

Wanted to started a group to see who will be at AES in NYC this October.

I'll be there from Oct 19 - Oct 24.

I'm presenting "Techniques in Field Recording" in the Game Audio track on the morning of the 21st.

I'd love to get together with some of you - both those I've met and those I haven't!

Hope to see some of you there!

Would you rather use flat headphones for monitoring?

2010-07-12T18:41:48Z

Hey guys,

If you cannot afford nearfield monitors yet and will work only using headphones, would you rather look for flat ones or it doesn't matter much? I'm afraid of, let's say, buy a headphone with too much bass and add less bass than needed in the mixing, y'know? If you had to choose a headphone, would you look for the most flat possible then?

Thank you very much!

Yamaha HS80M vs KRK RP 8 G2 vs Mackie MR 8

2011-02-07T19:16:33Z

Hey everybody,

I went to the local music shop and asked for a monitor solution for a small room (with a budget around 400 - 500 Euro, i know - that´s not really a budget but I cannot afford more) and these are the monitors that were shown to me:

Mackie MR 8

Yamaha HS80M

KRK RP 8 G2

I really liked the transparency of the Yamahas but missed some of the bass... The MR8 sounded ok but less transparent. KRK... dunno... I would go for the HS80M.

What do you think? Do you have any experience with these speakers? Any recommendations?

Thanks a lot!

Best use of ergonomics in an Pro Tools editing environment?

2010-03-16T06:29:16Z

If you're anything like me you spend up to 12 hours a day sitting at an audio workstation, toiling away at your craft. Very often these workstations are set up in an office-type setting, ie. desk, keyboard, monitor and mouse, which arguably is not the best setup for this sort of thing. I mean really, is the QWERTY keyboard the best input device for a sound designer?!

So, who has devised good ergonomic strategies? Who's using tablets or scroll wheels, control surfaces or touchscreens (including iPads)? How many video monitors is enough? Quickeys or other software automation packages?

Portable Mic Preamp... Suggestions?

2010-05-04T14:48:15Z

I am in the market for a portable, battery-powered microphone preamp for my shotgun. My Zoom H4n portable recorder does not seem to be driving my Rode NT2-A well enough, I would like to give it more juice through an external pre.

The main one I have found is a Sound Devices MM-1. Anyone have any experience with this pre? I know a lot of people record straight into their Sound Devices recorders, so I am thinking this would be a solid option.

I am also open to exploring DIY options. Are there any kits available for this sort of thing?

Any suggestions?

Black Friday Discounts

2011-11-23T12:57:12Z

As long as it's got an online store, we might all be able to buy, so if you've found a good deal, please share!

http://www.sweetwater.com/dealzone/computer-audio-deals the bulk of the better deals are for demo stock. The M-Audio Oxygen 49 is going for $99 (RRP $199) http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Oxygen2-49

http://www.sound-ideas.com/order.html Sound Ideas are having a 50% sale of all products

Amazon is having pretty decent deals, but nothing that I thought was overly smashing. Anyways, the idea is to share, so if you find something good please post it here. Let's target for discounts that are 50% or more and hopefully we might all be able to get ourselves some early Christmas presents.

Has anyone here replaced their MBP dvd drive with an SSD? I wanna run NI Komplete sans external HDD

2011-11-21T21:20:15Z

So, I'm going away for a bit and want to take my laptop with me. Including my NI Komplete so that I can make music when/where I want to...

I've been looking at getting an OCZ Vertex 3 250GB and moving Komplete onto it and throwing out the DVD drive (I haven't burnt a disc of any kind in about 2 years)

I know that SSDs slow down with age(and a lot of writing and 'erasing' causes this slow down, etc, but I'm wondering whether I need to be concerned about this at all as the iea is to use this drive solely for my NI stuff, including the great instruments made by Tonehammer, Twisted Tools etc. So no writing/erasing taking place....only streaming from disk.

The forums I've looked seem to discuss the pros/cons of using an SSD as main drive, but there doesn't seem to be much out there in the way of music/sound specific tricks.

@joecavers @C3Sound @JayJennings

What do you know?

Has anybody used Earthworks microphones for sound effects

2010-05-12T08:30:14Z

I think some of you may find this video interesting for the sound recording link text

My question is, does anybody use Earthworks microphones on here as I am thinking of investing in a pair. On this video they can apparently pic up the sounds of ants walking on foil and squeaking. Also I am told they have zero handling noise which would be very useful. The ones I am interested in are the QTC30 and M30 models. Thanks

What is a good place to rent mics from?

2011-10-15T20:24:26Z

Specifically I'm looking for eight wireless face mics that would be good for use in a musical. I'm located near Philadelphia if that helps.

re: recording ultrasonic frequencies

2010-07-28T22:36:14Z

I'm looking into putting together a rig that can really capture ultrasonic frequencies for the purposes of varispeeding down during sound design, and I'd like a little input from those of you who have experience in such things.

Most mics preamps and A/D converters really don't list specs above 20kHz, and I'm not entirely up to date on the science of the stuff, so any resources you can direct me to would be appreciated.

Ok, Questions;

Am I correct in assuming that the biggest hardware obstacle to recording sounds above 20k is generally just the microphone (not the pre or D/A)?
how well would the preamp and A/D of say a 744t handle supersonic frequencies (if recording with an appropriate mic)?
How about a lower end recorder like a Zoom H4n (again, with appropriate mic)?
What pitfalls should be avoided when processing high sample rate files with supersonic frequencies in them? If I take a file and just trim heads and tails in a two track editor like Izotope RX, will I ruin it or will it handle it?

that's pretty much it. Any input on specific mics and recording devices would be appreciated. I'm considering the earthworks mic, but I'm not married to anything right now.

thx!

What are the small bits in your field recording bag?

2010-03-10T03:09:11Z

Yes, yes, we've all got preamps and recorders and mics and cables and hoary marmots in our field recording sound bags. But what else is in your bag? What are the little bits and bobs you really shouldn't leave home without? (Don't include what you can't carry, or all the extras you leave in the car just in case...we'll save "What's in your Grip Truck?" for another day! :-p)

My list includes:

Gaffer's, medical, electrical and paper tape in various colors (rerolled on small 1/2" PVC pipe segments and hung on shock cord attached to a carabiner, or wrapped around pens)
Sharpie and regular pens
At least one extra battery
At least one extra memory card
One spare cable in every length I bring (usually just 1-2 lengths per outing)
Variable In-Line Attenuation Pad
In-Line Phase Inverter
Extra o-rings and mic clips for windscreen/zeppelin/blimp
Comb for fuzzy windscreen cover
Shower Cap (for rain, in case my weather covers don't fit or wet out)
Lav mounting kit, if applicable (blue tacky gunk, medical tape, topstick strips, self-adhesive moleskin, and standard lav mounts)
Black twist-ties
Black zip ties
Bongo Cords
2 pairs of latex or nitrile gloves
Sometimes a small folding tripod stool

For extra credit: What do you keep all this stuff in while in the field? (For me, it's a LowePro Magnum 200 AW and a PortaBrace field recorder bag with RM pouch.)

Neumann KMR 81i

2010-05-22T01:42:28Z

Does anyone have any experience with the KMR81i? I know it's mainly a dialogue short-shotgun, but do you use it for any other application? Foley? In combination for a M/S? Ambience?

What speakers do you use for Worldizing...

2011-02-28T17:24:17Z

Hi All,

I'm working on a film that the director and I want to do a LOT of worldizing on. Now I've done some, but I thought I'd throw it out to the brain-trust around here. What speakers do YOU use for worldizing (especially in Outside environments) and why?

Thanks!

Recording Music For A Doc, In The Amazon Jungle

2011-09-13T01:49:28Z

Hello Friends,

I come seeking advice about a potentially awesome opportunity to record an amazing group musicians in the amazon jungle in a couple of months. The Doc will revolve around the journey into the jungle, and recording the musicians improvising off of natural sounds of the jungle. So this will require me to record the ambiances of the jungle in real time, wile also recording the musicians playing along to the sound of the jungle.

The core question is, which mics are best suited to handle the extreme conditions of the amazon jungle. Which mics are least susceptible to humidity? Additionally what other gear (audio related or otherwise) do you think would be essential to recording this experience successfully ? Have any of you doing something similar to this? What was your set up like?

The gear that I plan on bringing with me so far is as follows:

Tascam DR-680 field recorder Rode NTG-3 Shotgun (I have to get it repaired first) Sony PCM-50 (Planning on using it to record stereo ambiences, but do the built in mics handle the humidity well?) Marantz 661 AT 2022 stereo mic (again, will humidity be an issue?) Sennheiser G3 lav kit

I also have about 6 dynamic mics of the usual sm57 to 58 range. How well do dynamic mics hold up in high humidity?

Oh and lastly instrumentation break down is a keyboard, guitar/singer and bass/singer, (which i'm hoping i can run DI from their amps/ portable pa system) and 2 percussionists/singers playing hand drums

I know i just asked a lot. I'm looking for any and all input, experience, thoughts, questions, concerns.

Thank you very much for your time everyone!

Cheers

-Kevin

Which body packs to go for?

2011-09-07T12:47:55Z

I have a choice between the Sennheiser EK 2000 or the Sony URXP2/4244. Which of the two works better?

Anyone beta testing the nomad?

2011-08-22T19:44:10Z

So I know this thread is on many other sites, specifically jwsound, but I would like to get the take from post audio minded people, not just production sound guys. I am looking at the Nomad 6 pretty seriously instead of a 744/442 combo.

My main concern was max sample rate, but it has been said that 96k is possible and 192 is possible with track limitations.

I take production sound/eng gigs on the side to supplement my post endeavors until they increase to the point of sustaining me financially, so having a mixer is great.

Anyone have any thoughts/ideas on the nomad and how it may not be what I am looking for. I considered the 552 until I found out of the sample rate cap and not being able to name files. The naming convention has not really crept into any thread so I am assuming you can name all your files and tracks accordingly since so many Film mixers are considering them and purchasing them.

I am looking at doing the upgrade to something with at least four recording tracks. With the 744 I still have to purchase additional preamps to utilize 3/4, so the price range of a 744/442 combo is right in the area of the nomad 6. I would love to get something bigger and more tracks like the 788 or deva of some form, but I cannot quite justify that purchase.

What are your thoughts on the Nomad and what may be some things I am overlooking? It seems like the perfect solution for me, high inputs for eng mixing, and ability to multitrack record when I am doing sfx recordings.

Travelling with gear (customs)

2010-03-27T14:25:54Z

So far I have never declared or had issues on arrival but as I'm getting more gear, I'm getting a little apprehensive when going through customs. All this expensive electronics could amount to a serious set back if one has to pay import duties.

I'm very unclear as to how it all works. What am I supposed to do on departure and arrival. Must I always declare when I leave any country, or is it a once off thing to be done when leaving the country where I purchased the gear from? I don't have any receipts for my older gear.

Any experience or knowledge you would like to share would be hugely appreciated.

This a little variant of my question... My girlfriend is visiting me from the US, and equipment is literally double in South Africa so I want her to bring me back some needed gear. If she declares it on her way out, will she not need to pay on her way into SA (if she says it's her personal gear)? What about on her way back with no more gear, will they check?

My question is a bit unclear because I don't understand this world, I tried to find answers online but it's impossible.

Thanks for your help.

Going Into Debt for Gear

2011-08-15T17:54:04Z

I expect to get very few responses for this one because it's such a personal and difficult topic, but I think the experiences of the people here could be very informative.

While there seem to be many well established SDers on this board, I have a sneaking suspicion that there are just as many who are kicking on doors just trying to get a foot in. Even the established guys/gals were once out trawling for XP, so although we're at different paragraphs, at least we're all on the same page.

Gear, gear, gear, gear, gear. Love it and hate it and covet it, we all do. I like it, I want it, I need it. So many wonderful toys, and people use words like 'essential', 'must have', 'makes those noisy recordings sound like an angel's tear falling from heaven to land on the silk ribbon tied through a unicorn's hair' ; Izotope RX2, Sound Toys, MKH-416s, SD788s, Scheopps this, and Waves Platinum that.

While part of my brain is able to read conversations and reviews of these sexy sound objects from an abstracted, wouldn't that be glorious? kind of standpoint, there is a still larger part that feels that I'm somehow less able to do good work than the dudettes who have all that stuff.

The real problem is that you need something to get started with. You wanna make a sandwich, you're gonna need some bread. But a $1 item when your bank account is $0 might as well be worth a million times more.

Enter the Credit Card or the Line of Credit, and voila, the toy chest opens and the world is your free-money oyster.

So, as a young person who is just beginning to plant his feet, my question is: Have you ever gone into debt - heavily or otherwise - for the sake of buying gear or renting space? and was it worth it? Did you make it out ok? or did it all go terribly wrong?

Horror stories and hero stories are welcome in kind.

EDIT: You guys are awesome! I really didn't expect any answers at all. This is all extremely helpful. Keep em coming.

Best 192k interface

2010-03-30T21:18:13Z

What interface is everyone using for editing 192k audio files? I am using an mBox Pro at home but am limited to 96k, but want to start taking full advantage of the beauty if 192k recordings when I use my Sound Devices recorder.

Thanks, Nick

How (do you) use Kyma?

2010-05-18T05:35:16Z

Hey folks!

I'm deeply interesting in purchasing a Pacarana. I use Max/MSP a lot, and while that's super powerful for tool creation, it's also super difficult to get something to sound awesome.

Oh, yeah, and super time consuming.

What can you say about your experience with Kyma? How does it fit into your workflow? Your answers will help me decide where to put this $3k I was otherwise going to spend on things like eating and rent.

Entry Level Field Mixer

2011-06-28T15:06:43Z

Hi, I'm wondering what a entry level field mixer would be/cost?

I'd like to have an indoor recording package and have a Zoom for recorder but the pre-amps are too noisy for what I can tolerate. I'm looking for something with as few as 2 great preamps. I'm hoping not to spend more than 400 for it.

What non-standard gear is an important part of your kit

2011-05-17T19:38:01Z

Let's leave the recorders, mics, boompoles and windscreens out of this list. What unique pieces of extra gear do you always have in your kit, and why? For example here are two items from our kits at work:

Number 1.

We use these to manage our cables; either coiling, or mounting to a boompole/stand. These are also great because they're entirely velcro, which means you can create a little fixed loop when wrapping it around things. Useful for hooking coils of cable slack to a carabiner on your recording bag while running around. We usually buy this stuff at Lowes or Home Depot.

Number 2.

The Scotty Baitcaster is a kind of a poor man's boom holder. We've removed ours from that mounting plate, and the post fits into a Matthellini C-clamp nicely. It's great for when we're doing static shot interviews, because the video guys always bring some C-stands with them. [Heavy, but useful more often than not.] So, I'll grab one, mount this on top, and I don't have to worry about handling noise or my arms getting tired during long interviews.

So, what other interesting pieces of gear are you guys using?

Is it bad to plug in a mic when phantom power is on?

2011-05-16T19:46:33Z

Should I switch off phantom power before plugging in my mics that require phantom? I hear a click when I don't switch the machine/phantom power off. I tend to do it, but if I don't need to that would save me some time :-)

Thanks!

Sony DRE-777 Sampling Reverb

2010-05-28T20:15:01Z

Hey There,

I have access to a Sony DRE-S777 Convolution Reverb, and we're trying to figure out how to sample for it. Does anyone know what format the samples need to be?

Do I need to to a sweep? How long? Speaker / Mic setup? File Format?

These guys are pretty rare, so I'd be surprised if anyone knows, but it's worth a shot!

P.S. I have both the user's manual and the quick start guide. Neither touch on the subject :-/

EDIT:

To clarify, I know that the machine has a sampling function in it, but the unit is built in to the stage I'm working on, and I can't bring it around with me to sample environments. I'd like to find a way to do the sample elsewhere, then bring it back to the machine later on.

So you found $3000 under your couch. What do you buy?

2011-01-05T19:53:31Z

And you have to spend it. Because the couch-demons will come after it if you don't. And you have to spend it on audio stuff.

If it were me, I'd get either get a decent stereo shotgun (am undecided on what model... haven't tested yet) or a Paca (Kyma)

552 Mixer or 702 Recorder? (Sound Devices)

2010-04-06T15:15:31Z

Background:

My main focus is sound effects recording. A very close second at the moment is onset recording (no huge productions though).

I own a Fostex FR2 but it is slowly dying on me. It won't switch off unless I cut it's power supply, and it has a serious hard time importing the files and gives me the spinning wheel (Mac) forever. I have no doubt I will loose precious files one day. All and all, I'm always a bit nervous before taking it out in the field or doing onset recording.

Comparison:

The 552 Mixer has a built-in recorder for 2 of the 5 channels. This is awesome, however the A-to-D converter has a dynamic range of 103db. This is still slightly better than my Fostex FR2. The 702 Recorder has a dynamic range of 114db. Does this actually make a noticeable difference?

I've been reading this great article on the Sound Devices website that should answer all my questions, but I'm worried that they are being slightly biased to protect themselves from people purchasing the 552 instead of a 7-series. I'm also not very good at reading tech-specs so maybe someone here can help decode it :-)

Because it's not worth fixing my FR2, I will keep it as a second recorder. Now my question is do I buy the 702 and not own a mixer but have two independent recorders, or do I get the 552 mixer and use it's built-in recorder for 2 channels and the Fostex FR2 for 2 other channels (using it through the mixer too). In both cases I would end up with four separate channels.

If recording onto camera, can the 702 be used as a basic mixer? ie. use the 702's preamps and A-to-D converters and go via the outputs into the camera without adding much noise?

I keep oscillating between getting the 702 or forking out the extra money and owning the great 552. Any advice would be MASSIVELY appreciated!

Fieldmixer / Recorder combo suggestions?

2011-01-15T14:14:30Z

With the SoundDevices 552 and the anounced AETA 4minX the industry is providing us with some really great gear. Having both a professional mixer and a recorder in one device is awesome! Are there more of these devices out there?

I know of the Nagra LB, but that has only 2 inputs and I'm looking for a 3 input device. Something similar to a SoundDevices 302 but with an inbuild 3 track recorder.

Thanks.

Paradigm Shift - your ideal mobile recording rig

2011-04-06T19:10:04Z

Try not to think of products that already exist. Try to think of what you want the next things to do here.

How would your ideal mobile sfx recording rig work?

Here's my thought:

I think I'd like a series of tiny modular devices that can plug into my existing mics.

Ideally each module would be about the size and shape of the schoeps cut filter that goes on the collette system mics (only with a female xlr on one side and a closed end on the other)

This module would house a phantom power unit, preamp, D/A converter, and wireless xmitter. It would also have an integrated pad and hipass. Each module would have integrated rechargeable power supplies that could be supplemented with external battery packs if required. If it were a little longer than the schoeps pad in order to fit all of that I'd still be ok with it. :P

when recording, each module would power and capture the signal, then wirelessly transmit it to a master base station with routable channels and monitoring. From the base station you could remtoely adjust all parameters on each module including on/off, level, hipass, pad, sample rate, bit depth, etc.

the base station would have usb or firewire ports available for HD connections, and could also wirelessly sync with ftp and other cloud based services. of course full recording templates including routing, naming scheme and other things would be included.

with a rig like this you could essentially just leave the modules attached to the mics during transport. you're wireless, so you don't have to worry about hauling tons of cables around. You also don't have to worry about cable handling noise. all of your setup can be done the day before the shoot, so that when the shoot date arrives you just set up your mics, turn on the system and start rolling.

Of course, the major prereq for a system like this is that it would both work and be bulletproof. a buggy or unreliable wireless rig like this would be as much of a nightmare as a rock solid one would be a dream.