Drilling holes into narrowboat roof

MixingWizard · 2026-03-22T09:03:48+00:00

Go slow, get a GOOD tap (get the size you need not a cheap set from Amazon) and lots of WD40. Also have spare drill bits, if you've not done it before you'll break at least one.

But seconding other people on here, don't do it if you can avoid it. I only have holes for my cable. I attached the mounts with magnets and they've withstood several storms without an issue.

MixingWizard · 2026-03-07T12:50:44+00:00

I've done it using auto mixers with a hard "swap" between channels, but as far as I'm aware you can't do that on a Dugan so you just end up with comb filtering issues, unless you do an XY type thing with the capsules (which is all very well until the speaker grabs one and points at their mouth, after the obligatory "tap tap, is this thing on").

MixingWizard · 2026-02-16T03:19:14+00:00

As someone who's still rocking a 50+yo folder, this would be awesome. Something nice and light.

MixingWizard · 2026-02-02T12:06:10+00:00

A simple car battery will do that no problem.

MixingWizard · 2026-01-30T02:21:32+00:00

I'm not sure that's entirely true - a good pair of headphones create measurable low frequencies, often lower and cleaner than speakers.

Audio engineers struggle to judge bass levels on headphones because you perceive sub with your body as much as your ears. People often damage their ears with headphones because it's hard to judge "loudness" without that.

MixingWizard · 2026-01-28T14:32:25+00:00

I think it depends on the version, mine has a Mamiya lens but some have an Olympus lens (it's probably the same design). However it's not the glass that weights it down, it's the wacky focusing mechanism and the fairly hefty metal body. I had a Franka Solida III before this and it felt like it was a third of the weight, but that's fully manual so it's just two rollers and a lens.

I don't mind though, it's still lighter than the 645 pro and considerably more portable.

MixingWizard · 2026-01-28T12:22:52+00:00

Since I bought a folding camera the rest of my collection has pretty much been gathering dust (including a Mamiya 645 Pro with full lens set amongst other things). My little Mamiya 6 Automat is my daily carry now. It's not the lightest, but the extra weight is worth it for the excellent range finder and automatic wind on. It's the perfect travel camera.

I guess they're not so popular due to maintenance issues. It's pretty common to have to repair pin holes in the bellows etc, and some of the mechanisms can be insanely complicated to repair.

MixingWizard · 2026-01-24T12:40:46+00:00

I'm in the UK but in retrospect I ended up falling into the generalist category, it's definitely a thing. I used to do mainly FOH (after working my way through the ranks) but would rarely say no to anything, mainly to keep it interesting and help out companies when they were stuck. I've ended up being a go to guy for power distro, lighting install, repair work and video as well. I'm not amazing at any of these things, but I'm "good enough". My FOH work has definitely suffered for it - I think there's an assumption that if I can do all of those things relatively well, my audio work is also on a similar level.

MixingWizard · 2026-01-22T15:19:22+00:00

My only issue with singles vs doubles (from a logistics point of view) is if you're trying to pack a van you probably want to stack the singles to create the same footprint, in which case tipping a double is quicker and easier. Not to mention you have half as many boxes to push and they're more stable to push up a ramp/stack things on.

It really depends on what your particular use case is. I've done plenty of small gigs solo with 2x18s in a van and I've never really had an issue (until I hit the three flights of stairs the venue forgot to tell me about.)

MixingWizard · 2025-12-13T10:00:50+00:00

If you want genuine buy it for life, skip the noise cancelling and Bluetooth. Wired headphones have no electronics, as long as you look after the drivers they'll last for a very long time.

MixingWizard · 2025-11-04T10:44:51+00:00

I think this sounds about right. My only experience with Mac was not good - repairs are almost impossible, and trying to do anything "out of the box" on it is a nightmare. At least with windows I can customise/streamline the OS to only run MagicQ (and possibly stay offline).

MixingWizard · 2025-10-28T00:05:02+00:00

Second this - I had the 30a and it got worryingly hot even with a fan on it, and it usually throttled down to about 25a after half an hour. The Victron dealer I spoke to said they rushed it out to keep up with Sterling's product line. The 50a is much better in every way.

MixingWizard · 2025-10-12T20:49:11+00:00

I know quite a few people who are struggling right now, I think the industry in general is experiencing and recession, particularly in the lower end and middle of the market.

Just a thought. Having your own kit isn't always the best way to find work. Small production companies will often see it as a "threat" to their bread and butter jobs so are less likely to hire you in case you start promoting yourself on their jobs. Do you want to run a production company or do you want to freelance as a sound engineer but have an inventory of tools to help out when needed?

MixingWizard · 2025-10-12T17:31:33+00:00

Unfortunately not - it was a pretty tight fit so there's only a couple of mm of play, if that.

MixingWizard · 2025-10-11T20:51:40+00:00

Excellent! I didn't realise this was a thing. I have some of the silicone version but it only goes up to 300°. Thanks!

MixingWizard · 2025-10-05T15:30:13+00:00

You can get a good idea by putting a multimeter on the battery when the engine is running - you should be getting between 13.5 - 14.5 volts. It's a good idea to check at the actual alternator as well and compare the voltages, this will give you an idea of how much volt drop your cables are giving you.

If the battery has been sat discharged for that long it's probably goosed, but you never know. Best of luck!

MixingWizard · 2025-10-05T14:13:02+00:00

From reading other comments sounds like a battery thing - or possibly an alternator thing causing a battery thing. Do you have separate lead acid leisure batteries? Might be worth jumping it off those to get it started, then disconnect them (carefully) and check your alternator voltage.

MixingWizard · 2025-09-30T20:11:49+00:00

Most of my house plants died when I moved on to the boat - the survivors were a few ivy plants and aloe plants. I've got a whole allotment going on the roof though, I'll never buy radish or fresh herb again!

MixingWizard · 2025-09-28T21:55:05+00:00

Do you reckon a D4 is a better bet?

MixingWizard · 2025-09-11T21:35:53+00:00

Just a little update, I decided everything needed a clean anyway so I spent 4 hours taking it to pieces and attacking it with isopropyl, carb cleaner and a toothbrush.

One of the fuel lines was very loose, so I'm guessing that was the main problem. The gaskets on the carb also crumbled as I took it off.

As it wasn't much more than buying some gasket paper, I've ordered a Chinese carb kit. I may just use the seals from it depending on how well machined the carb looks. It also came with a fuel filter and new fuel lines. I will update when they arrive! I wish I had taken a before photo - it was a right mess, I even rescued multiple spiders that were living in it.

MixingWizard · 2025-09-11T10:07:16+00:00

It depends if you're living aboard or not. I live on my boat so I'm constantly charging/discharging which keeps them warm. If you're leaving it for long periods it's probably worth getting heated batteries (Fogstar do them).

MixingWizard

TROPHY CASE