User sepulchra - Social Sound Design

Answer by sepulchra for Favorite External Enclosure?

2011-12-09T18:44:45Z

If it is just staying on your desk, I would use on of these: http://www.newertech.com/products/hdddocks.php I keep my drives in cases and got rid of a bunch of external enclosures this way. Less power supplys to worry about.

Michael Rabbit Ears Audio
SFX: http://rabbitearsaudio.com
BLOG: http://sepulchra.com/blog/

Answer by sepulchra for River/Large Stream Sound Design.

2011-12-09T04:57:12Z

Not to pimp myself out here, but I do have a large collection or rivers and streams here: http://rabbitearsaudio.com/rea007-brooks-streams-waterfalls/

Answer by sepulchra for Mid Side monitoring on PCM-D50

2011-11-25T20:12:41Z

Doesn't the SQN 4S allow you to monitor a matrixed signal in your headphones? I'm pretty sure it does. You also have the option of decoding your outputs as well.

this is the mixers I'm talking about: http://www.sqn.co.uk/4SMspec.html

Is that the one you have?

Answer by sepulchra for Black Friday Discounts

2011-11-24T16:40:54Z

We are having a black friday sale through sunday at Rabbit Ears Audio. We are doing 20% off all single-user licenses with this discount code: rabbitfriday

The sale will start today and run through Sunday (-500 GMT)

Thanks,

Michael Raphael
Rabbit Ears Audio

Answer by sepulchra for Sound Devices MixPre-D vs USBPre-2

2011-11-13T15:38:16Z

I totally agree with Shaun and if you are just looking for a solid front end for your recorder to use in the field you might try and find the original mix-pre used, which has since been discontinued. Personally, I think it sounds a lot better and it has a much creamier sounding limiter.

Answer by sepulchra for looking for vehicles 1939-41

2011-10-31T03:57:18Z

thanks Rene. If you need Military Vehicles, we did a large collection of tanks and APCS with tons of exterior coverage and 6-8 channels on board each vehicle:

http://rabbitearsaudio.com/rea005-military-vehicles/

Michael

Answer by sepulchra for Free MP2 Converter for Mac

2011-10-17T02:52:24Z

PRX is a radio org in the US and they provide a free MP2 encoder: http://www.prx.org/tools-and-resources/prx-tools

Answer by sepulchra for Deals Deals Deals

2011-06-14T15:34:11Z

And just to add to what @timeprebble said. I would never do anything for a buy out unless it would buy me a house which is never going to happen. Get a percentage of the sales and make sure you are licensing the sounds to them. It is very important that you retain ownership of your work. You are licensing to them to sell, not buy. You should also try and make it non-exlusive so if you so choose you can sell it elsewhere. That might be a sticking point for the licensor, but you can negotiate. If the licensor wants exclusive rights for a set amount of time (say 3 years) then ask for a higher percentage. You'll be in the best position to negotiate if you are willing to walk away.

Answer by sepulchra for Low freq rumble with Sennheiser Mkh30

2011-05-14T00:04:03Z

It seems like you have some good suggestions for troubleshooting but High Pass Filters are really necessary when you are "cueing" when using a Rycote. Whether it is on a boom or handheld with a pistol grip, you are going to need a high pass. As Nathan mentioned, the connbox is a step in the right direction. Personally, I feel like the connbox should just be a standard part of the product. If you look at the Rycote product design, you have mics that are suspended by bands and they are designed to move a bit, so that is where he high-pass comes in. The newer lyres don't function this way, but having a 60 Hz roll off is never a bad idea. The MKHs also have an exaggerated low end, so I can't image having a gentle 60 hz high pass is going to be a real issue for your recording, but it will definitely deal with a lot of "vibration"

Answer by sepulchra for Porta Brace audio recorder case AR7 design fault?

2011-05-07T12:29:21Z

I did not have this issue. I would sometimes get annoyed that the bag's side panes would close at the wrong times, but if you spend some time "working out" those panels it is a quite useful and durable bag. It you play around with it you can use the velcro to almost keep the panels "permanently" open.

Answer by sepulchra for What are your sources for new/unknown music? - Not exactly sound design but...

2011-05-05T02:18:32Z

Aquarius Records in SF has a great weekly email and they always provide samples to playback on their website: http://www.aquariusrecords.org/

Answer by sepulchra for Sick of the Moleskine

2011-05-05T02:08:11Z

I'm a big fan of Rhodia pads. I used to be a moelskine guy but I switched to Rhodia when I kept wanting to tear pages out. I used the grid based pads. http://www.rhodiapads.com/rhodia_pad.shtml

Answer by sepulchra for Recommend a good quality blimp and dual-mount system for pair of Oktava 012s?

2011-04-26T16:05:46Z

I know someone who mounted schoeps on a stereo rycote hot shoe bar http://www.rycote.com/products/accessoriesspares/stereo_bar_assembly/ the smaller one and used the rycote ball gags for wind protection and it worked quite well. he was doing ORTF In the field. You might want to give Buzz Turner a call at http://turneraudio.com. he's been the guy who distributes rycote in the US and is super knowledgeable. He's helped me work through a number of funky setups over the years.

Answer by sepulchra for Sound Design Birthday Ideas

2011-04-24T19:03:35Z

Check out "into great Silence" -- lots of silence! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0478160/

Answer by sepulchra for How do you thank somebody for letting you record their stuff?

2011-04-24T17:40:03Z

If it is a museum, I often make a tax deductible donation.

Answer by sepulchra for DPA 4061 as Lavalier?

2011-04-19T02:32:48Z

The 4060s are definitely more sensitive than the 4061 and handle a little less SPL. That said, I used the DPA 4060s when recording my rocket library and they did pretty damn well.

Answer by sepulchra for New audio interface

2011-04-14T18:09:08Z

I have the usbpre2 when I head out on he road and it is rock solid. I actually like the headphone amp better than the Apogee Ensemble I own.

Answer by sepulchra for Vocal Microphone upto 1800 dollars!

2011-01-15T16:16:07Z

I have the transformer balanced Blue Mouse (the black one) that sounds great for VO, but it is the model of the the MIC before they went through all of the legal trouble with the guy in Latvia who was making their capsules and some of the electronics. The Blue Mouse that is on the market post their legal split uses a different capsule which I have not heard.

If you google around about the blue stuff from years ago you'll find lots of ridiculous threads out there. It was quite a dramatic fight.

If you can find one used from before 2005 it would be worth it.

Answer by sepulchra for Fieldmixer / Recorder combo suggestions?

2011-01-15T15:51:45Z

I've been dying to check out the new SONOSAX recordings, but here in the states their pricepoint is just a bit high for what they offer. I'm sure they are more reasonable in europe:

http://www.sonosax.ch/recorders/recorders_index.html

Their gear is no joke and i would check it out.

Answer by sepulchra for Mixing Midside Mid and Side Brands

2011-01-04T03:53:26Z

Testing everything out is extremely important. I often use the MK4 instead of the Mk41 because I am looking for something a little more natural and open. The MKH 50 and the MK41 are great respectively, but I find the cardiod to just sound more natural when it comes to ambiences -- that goes for the schoeps and the sennheiser models.

Answer by sepulchra for any good sound designing memories through photos to share?

2011-01-04T04:18:36Z

Recording at Corkscrew Swamp in Naples Florida. My brother is a sick photographer and he documented the day:

http://daveraphael.com/blog/christmas-swamp/

and the recordings are here:

http://sepulchra.com/blog/?p=835

Answer by sepulchra for What do you think about Sanken css 5 for recording ambience?

2010-11-26T20:55:47Z

I think it is a great sounding mic, and I too wouldn't recommend it for quiet ambiences. It is a mono compatible design, but it is not true M-S. it actually has 3 electronically balance capsules which accounts for some of the noise when they gain is cranked. That being said, I've heard plenty of great ambience recorded with that mic.

The MKH series will be one of the more popular choices for ambiences.

Answer by sepulchra for Sound Devices usbpre 2 as a location field mixer, thoughts?

2010-11-24T06:44:38Z

I've been testing the USB Pre for just over a day now and it definitely works great as an computer interface. It has been rock solid from 44.1 all the way up to 192. I have a 744T and I have yet to take out the USB Pre in stand alone mode for channels 3 and 4, but honestly, I've already got the Sound Devices MP-2 (pre-cursor to mix pre) and it runs on AA batteries. Not having to worry about a USB power supply means I will most likely continue to use the MP-2. Plus, I like the sound of the MP-2 a bit better than the pre-amps on the 744 and the USB pre.

I could see Michael's reasoning in using it with a recorder with a digital input and this unit seems well suited for that. I'll probably buy the USB Pre so I can have a nice mobile interface when I'm on the road.

Creaky Wood and Metal SFX?

2010-11-07T03:54:27Z

Hey Folks,

I'm working on a project where I need a lot of wood and metal creaking FX. Any suggestions? One colleague recommended going to Amish ship builders in Ohio where they are constantly bowing wood . . . but anything beyond the typical creaky hinge or squeaky door?

Thanks!

How many folks going into record and walk away in quiet settings?

2010-10-10T01:40:16Z

when recording nature sounds and ambiences I often setup and get out of the way . . . literally! How many folks going into record and get out the way when overlapping your recordings is a high risk.

Answer by sepulchra for Where are you from and what do you do?

2010-10-14T15:40:41Z

I live and work in NYC. I'm been working in Radio for 10+ years and have dabbled a bit in post and game sound as of late. I've been on the content and technical side of radio production, mostly working for NPR shows in the US. During that time I've also been a recording nut.

I also run this SFX company: http://rabbitearsaudio.com and this Blog: http://sepulchra.com/blog/

I'm an avid road and track cyclist and love food.

Answer by sepulchra for Who has / uses a single point surround mic?

2010-10-08T01:10:27Z

There is a nice piece about Chris Watson's exploration with surround in the field here:

http://www.soundfield.com/news/news_watson.php

Apparently he became a big fan of the Soundfield ST350 after he took it to Antarctica on a BBC project.

Answer by sepulchra for What bag do you use for your field recorder?

2010-10-02T23:21:26Z

Hey Tim,

I'm a big fan of the portabrace stuff. I use this bag:

http://www.portabrace.com/productA-AR-7

I like it for a few reasons:

the inputs and outputs are easily reached and you can use the velcro to keep the bag fixed open or fixed closed depending on your needs.
Access to the battery pack . . . the bottom has a velcro opening which means you never have to take the recorder out of the bag to change batteries. This is a huge time saver. I'm so thankful for that bottom flap. http://www.portabrace.com/assets/images/ar-7d.jpg
The portabrace series is also very modular, which means you can strap on different front pouches based on your needs. You can even attach another recorder on the front of the bag.

The main drawback of this series of bag is all of the velcro . . . I know I just told you that I love it so much, but when you occasionally forget to fix your panels open and you are recording it can suck to get the bag open quietly. I can't tell you how many times I've had to use my pinkie to adjust the volume of my headphones because the side panel of my bag is closed and I'm in record.

Answer by sepulchra for What's the strangest sound you've recorded?

2010-09-24T20:21:50Z

This question actually caused a dream last night and then prompted a blog post:

http://sepulchra.com/blog/?p=1247

Tim, thanks for triggering a funny memory.

Answer by sepulchra for Recording an ice hockey session

2010-09-22T18:10:27Z

Yeah, I was just about to write about Nokes. He pretty much has the definitive hockey collection at this point. He did all of the work for Miracle and a couple of figure skating films. He wired up a tremendous amount of different skaters and rent a rink in Manitoba for over a week to put together an insane collection of sounds. You'll see from those videos that he recorded in the dark to try and minimize the sound of the rink.

Comment by sepulchra

2011-12-10T21:09:08Z

@sonsey those RTX cases are great.

Comment by sepulchra

2011-12-01T15:33:02Z

@rene don't tell anyone but there might be a second round of these . . . shhhhhh

Comment by sepulchra

2011-11-30T02:35:03Z

@rene your undying love for my rocket library just warms my heart.

Comment by sepulchra

2011-11-26T15:56:46Z

I know that mixer well. My bro has that unit and I think it sounds way better than the current offerings from SQN.. Way better.

Comment by sepulchra

2011-10-17T02:53:30Z

i'd be up for that.

Comment by sepulchra

2011-08-06T19:08:01Z

@andrew Spitz is tge bx_solo actually a decoder or is it just used the solo the parts of MS?

Comment by sepulchra

2011-05-16T03:27:32Z

@what recorder are you using? If you are looking for a barrell filter in-line schoeps LC-60s are great.

Comment by sepulchra

2011-05-14T00:06:30Z

Rene was that the Nolan Ryan before or after the gut? I could see micing being more of a challenge post gut

Comment by sepulchra

2011-04-20T03:32:25Z

andrew, what reasons did they give for the 4061s?

Comment by sepulchra

2011-01-15T15:54:57Z

@timeprebble have you ever had to replace the rubber filler strips on yours? I just had one dry out and start creaking. Only 10 years old

Comment by sepulchra

2011-01-04T04:22:13Z

@NoiseJockey Beautiful. I hate New York City more now.

Comment by sepulchra

2011-01-04T03:54:02Z

@noisejockey who are you calling a stage actor!?

Comment by sepulchra

2010-11-24T16:37:38Z

One roundabout solution that I have heard of other users using (for other applications) is to get a NP-1 to cigarette lighter adapter (like in a vehicle), which is something that is available. Then you can go from that to a USB jack with a standard cigarette lighter to USB jack adapter which you can find at any general store. I haven't heard of this solution being tried with the USBPre 2 yet, but I don't have any reason to believe it wouldn't work. I've heard good things about a company called Blue Cow Cables, in terms of getting custom cabling done like this. bluecowcables.com "

Comment by sepulchra

2010-11-24T16:36:24Z

I just go this reply from sound devices when I asked about powering both the 744 and USB PRe with an NP style battery: "There isn't a manufactured solution to get 5V regulated from an NP-1 that I know of, but it would be pretty easy to set up for anyone who knows their way around power supply electronics. Just like the various BDS systems out there can have 12V and 9V regulated outputs on Hirose 4 pin or coaxial jacks, this would be the same concept: A 5V regulated output on a USB jack. (cont)

Comment by sepulchra

2010-10-10T16:32:08Z

I really loved that piece. Great read!