US 
Canada NAB 2002: On the Vegas Beat
I woke up in a seedy Vegas hotel. It smelled of cheap perfume, cigars, and wasted fortunes. I came out to Vegas looking for what everyone comes to Vegas for. A shot at the big money. There wasn’t much call for detective work in Nashville this time of year and my bills were beginning to […]
READ MORETools of the Trade: ENG Mixers
(Originally published in Audio Media Magazine USA) In the field of professional audio, there are a select few who have found themselves, either by choice or by fate, in the specialized niche of location Television and/or Film production. A niche industry creates niche equipment needs, and in the recent past, limited options for equipment to […]
READ MOREThe Pearl MS8 Microphone
In the slow changing world of truly professional microphones, where all too often the wheel is simply reinvented, it is nice to have a fresh entry that actually offers something different. In my opinion, the Pearl MS-8 does just that, and does it very well. First, just a little bit about MS, or Mid-Side, […]
READ MOREThe Venerable Fostex PD-4 Timecode DAT Recorder
In the world of portable timecode DAT recorders (OK, the very small world), there was first the Fostex PD-2. This was soon followed by the StellaDAT which was soon followed by the HHB Portadat which was fairly soon followed by this article’s hero, the Fostex PD-4. To be fair, I must first voice my opinion […]
READ MORENagra Wear
People in business have to be conscious of changing trends and adapt to them. Location sound mixers are certainly no exception, and in this case we have to be aware of the effects trends have on our equipment. While Music Videos can no longer be considered a new trend, it hasn’t been until recently that […]
READ MOREAudio Technica AT-895
(Originally published in Audio Media Magazine USA) Shotgun mics do their job well: reaching 5′ across a film set, rejecting moderate ambience to enhance an actor’s conversational voice, with full range fidelity. Parabolic mics do their job well: reaching 150′ across a football field and isolating the cracks of helmets from the screaming fans, with […]
READ MORECountryman’s Tiny B6 Lav Mic
The latest entry in the already crowded field of lavalier microphones is the Countryman B6. With a diameter of approximately one tenth of an inch (2.5 mm), it is the smallest microphone available. If you’re mathematically challenged, by comparison the head of the microphone with the protective cap installed is only slightly larger than the […]
READ MORETools of the Trade: Portable Mixing Consoles
(Originally published in Audio Media Magazine USA) In this volume: Cooper CS-208 & CS-106; Sonosax SX-8; Zaxcom Cameo; Audio Developments AD-146, AD-147, & AD-149; PSC M8. For Film and Television production, these portable mixing consoles (or for our European colleagues, desks) pick up where even the best ENG (electronic news gathering) mixers leave off. Compact […]
READ MOREEverybody Hollerin’ Goat
In the summer of 1998, I received a phone call from Dolly Carlisle, a documentary Producer/Director that I had worked with many times before. She was producing a documentary in Como, Mississippi, on Othar Turner, a 90 year old man that plays the fife in a drum and fife band, and she wanted to know […]
READ MORESound Devices MP-1 Portable Mic Preamp
(Originally published in Audio Media Magazine USA& UK) Since the quest for tools that improve the quality of our work often leave us bleeding on the cutting edge, it’s nice to occasionally find a new one that’s actually a better choice. Such is the case with the MP-1 portable microphone preamp by Sound Devices. In […]
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