Sennheiser AVX review for Broadcast Pro Middle East
I recently reviewed the new Sennheiser AVX system for Broadcast Pro Middle East magazine. It was the first time I had reviewed a product and also my first published article.
Click here for the full review.
Tentacle Sync Timecode System
While working on a recent project, a DIT I regularly work with showed me the Tentacle Sync devices he bought. I had heard about them and thought they were very interesting, so it was great to be able to test them out. Although it wasn't the best project to use them on I still managed to test out the functionality.
The units are incredibly small, about the size of a match box, and don't weigh much more! They have a built-in Velcro back so they are easily mountable, and as they are so light and small don't get in the way at all.
The TC output from the unit is via a 3.5mm jack connector and the cables that were supplied (none are included and each have to be ordered separately) were well made and worked perfectly. I was using the cable for RED which is a very small LEMO connector so it was good to have the cable already made up.
There is only one button on the unit, and this just turns it on and off. All the other functionality is programmed using either a PC or MAC via the USB cable or using IOS or Android (app coming soon) via a TRRS cable. The interface on PC, MAC and iOS is very simple and easy to use. Just set the frame rate and and you're ready to go. User Bits can be set as well as the MIC / LINE level settings, although I found it's best to leave the level setting on auto. The is also a timeout setting, I set it to 12 hours as this should last a whole day. The battery life is said to be 2 days, I have yet to test this.
Jamming is as simple as turning the unit on and plugging in the jack, and plugging the other end into the mixer. I use the LEMO as I have Sound Devices, but you can also sync via BNC with the correct cable. The light on the unit flashes red and then fast flashing green when jamming and slow flashing green when jammed.
After using them for a few days I was thoroughly impressed and decided to make the DIT and offer for them. He agreed and i'm now a very happy owner of the system.
For more information check out www.tentaclesync.com
Star Trek Beyond
I have recently had the pleasure of recording sound for the Behind The Scenes of Start Trek Beyond that has just wrapped in Dubai.
Mainly I was recording the cast and crew interviews for the publicity of the film. These will be used on the DVD, BluRay releases and also online. The crew I was working with were from the US and Canada and had been working on the film for many months.
I managed to chat briefly to the main production sound crew headed by the very experienced sound recordist David Husby. It was great to see how a full sound team work and get some inside info. Being on a set that huge was an incredible experience.
Looking forward to seeing the finished film when it comes out in the middle of 2016.
Coca Cola, No Labels
I was recently involved in a Coca Cola shoot which has since gone viral with over 4.5M view on YouTube (correct at time of writing)
It was a nice project and the end result has come out really well.
Wisycom UPK-Mini
I recently bought the new UPK-Mini programmer for my Wisycom radio kit. This allows me to keep all the devices' firmware up to date as well as programming various functionality into the devices.
I can choose the frequencies that I use regularly and remove the ones I don't, meaning it's quicker to switch frequencies if and when I need to. I'm also able to save different settings for the mics I regularly use, these are easily selected on the transmitters.
The new firmware for the MCR42 receivers is excellent, another layer of menu has been included and different screens for frequency and audio levels. These screens are really useful if you want to see the information at a glance.
I highly recommend anyone with Wisycom radios to get the new programmer.
FYI. The software is currently only available to Windows, but i've heard that they are working on a MAC version.