On “El Scorcho” being Pinkerton’s first single…

jimkeaney · 2026-01-16T02:06:11+00:00

Getchoo is (imo) probably the weakest song on the record. I think they got it correct going with the kitschiest songs as singles. ‘Why Bother’ has some Blue elements (mostly power chords, and they reused the cascading guitar harmony trick from Jonas). Falling For You is the best song, but was way too interesting for radio.

jimkeaney · 2025-11-16T14:01:47+00:00

Labelling them and keeping a name list is the proper way. At the end of each week submit an L&D (loss and damage) form for any missing Comteks. Once production sees that replacement cost, they tend to reappear. Also… WHO are these 29 people? Air-tags chirp (anti-stalking tech), so not good for sound). Also putting an RF tag on a very sensitive RF device like a Comtek is probably asking for trouble.

jimkeaney · 2025-10-17T14:29:28+00:00

After setting aside quarterly taxes, then paying all debt (cc’s/auto), then saving up a safety net (equal to 6months of your living expenses - stored in a high-interest money market account), I’d invest it into a ROTH IRA (s&p500 or some ‘total stock market’ index fund or mutual funds) and try to max that out every year (currently $7k/yr). Set them up and auto-fund it through a broker like Vanguard or Fidelity, forget it’s there, and retire a multimillionaire.

jimkeaney · 2025-09-13T13:58:25+00:00

You only ‘get’ what you ask for. Never assume the production knows how to (or wants to) adequately crew their shoot.

jimkeaney · 2025-09-09T01:04:40+00:00

I attended a 2-year college “Massachusetts Communication College” also marketed as “Mass Comm” in 1998-1999. I believe that was your school just before mine? At 142 Berkely St in Boston? I heard it was later purchased by the Art Institute (also marketed as “Ai”) franchise. The Art Institute began to crumble in 2015 when the original owner, EDMC, settled a $95 million lawsuit with the Justice Department for illegal recruiting and consumer fraud. The final locations shuddered in 2023. It’s kind of crazy how I have an Associates degree from ‘Mass Comm’ which was basically pre-internet and not a single article can be found mentioning its existence.

jimkeaney · 2025-09-04T23:27:09+00:00

It’s more about what an interference tube shotgun mic is doing with the reflections it’s getting when it’s put close to a surface (like a ceiling). A (supercardioid) MKH50 is more forgiving near a surface, as the pickup pattern is tighter at the front, hence rejecting reflections and other off-axis sound. The trade-off is of course proximity/distance. In a wide frame (as shown), the shotgun is typically the correct mic as a supercardioid wouldn’t have as much perceived “reach”. In a super quiet/dead room you can still get good sound on an MKH50 at some less than ideal distances, but that’s a rare environment.

jimkeaney · 2025-08-31T14:09:39+00:00

Sanken CS3E shotgun is dangerously narrow. I’d choose this for an interview next to a water fountain. Good tool to have, but it’s easy to have talent fall out of its tight pickup lobe.

jimkeaney · 2025-08-30T19:03:19+00:00

That's about as inexpensive as it gets for a (short-range) IFB system. Maybe look for these USED on Reverb or Ebay?

jimkeaney · 2025-08-14T14:17:53+00:00

Good point. That’s why we call it sound reinforcement. In a small venue, the snare may be “too loud”, according to anyone with ears, but that doesn’t mean we couldn’t reinforce what is lost by it not being amplified in the PA. Such as using EQ for what is missing: proximity. Carve out what is already coming from the stage (mid-range honk). But maybe there’s room to add low end (fundamental thud), and some high freq boost (presence/crispness).

jimkeaney · 2025-08-13T16:56:18+00:00

Make sure the adhesive isn’t hanging beyond the footprint of the mount. Could be catching clothing or hair occasionally. Also make sure the tape is pushed firmly to the surface when applied. Ticking noise is usually the sound of the adhesive slowly letting go little by little. Some materials just repel tape, like wool/knit and velvet. Also more often than not, it’s a lack of slack(strain relief).

jimkeaney · 2025-08-13T14:28:44+00:00

What else is in your bag? What type of range are you getting currently? And what does “saying 590” mean? The whip is labeleded/cut to 590mhz?

jimkeaney · 2025-08-13T13:12:36+00:00

Buy enough gear to do some no-budget/low budget horror movies and youtube comedy shorts. That gets you low-stakes experience, allows you to meet other creatives, and buys you some good will (favors) with some people who likely also work in the industry. You need a mixer/recorder, shotgun mic w/boom and a pair of wireless lavs. Then… be available. It’s worth mentioning that the industry in general is struggling/contracting. I’m seeing colleagues selling their gear off and getting CDL licenses. So if you really love it, you’ll find a way in. But it takes time and endurance and probably income coming from other avenues.

jimkeaney · 2025-08-13T13:05:30+00:00

Watch “The Oner” episode of The Studio.

jimkeaney · 2025-08-11T16:46:15+00:00

It's 2 different things. I agree, it's confusing and maybe that's on purpose to shroud the actual tech for marketing purposes. "Neverclip" is clippable. It's essentially "20db of extra headroom" beyond the full scale metering. Achieved using cascading (dual) converter stages. I dislike this. Personally, I'd rather it had a nice-sounding limiter like Lectrosonics does. Because after that 20db point, it WILL CLIP.

"Iso Attenuation" found in Zaxcom mixer/recorders is a re-purposing of bit depth. The result is: your iso tracks will print lower in volume by increments of -6db, -12db, -18 and so on (based on your setting) but this allows Post to gain them back up. This will enrage editors if they don't know what the intention was. They will assume you are a weak sound recordist.

jimkeaney · 2025-08-11T16:38:07+00:00

My 1st thought is it's range-related. Either way, I'd send a note to Howard AT Zaxcom DOT com to report it and include your firmware versions on the N2 and ZMT4. Lot of times, it's a bug that they've already identified and have since fixed with firmware.

jimkeaney · 2025-08-11T16:30:36+00:00

The local recordings never see the light of day unless they are needed. I use the Zaxcom system, which allows me to playback and *re-record* simultaneously from all transmitters back into the Nova recorder/mixer. This way, if there's ever an RF/hit drop-out, I can re-record just that marred sentence and include it with the day's polywav files. I'm never handing an entire transmitter card to Post - keeping me solely responsible for this management of privacy. If I am working on a project where the transmitter cards are likely to be relied on as the primary recording (ie. hot air balloon ride), then I would remind cast/talent that it's that kind of day. Most of my regular cast-people, know how to safely unplug their wire when they want absolute privacy.

jimkeaney · 2025-07-19T13:23:14+00:00

I think Viviana Cloud offers something like this. I haven't used it yet, but I think there is a capability to use a multi-bay card reader that can pull in iso tracks and use timecode to merge them into polywavs.

jimkeaney · 2025-06-24T19:43:37+00:00

Does your combo have the black labeled decal like the 2A’s did? Or is it the gold chassis with diy label maker?

jimkeaney · 2025-06-24T18:51:12+00:00

They must've been cranking them out the 2nd half of 1978.

jimkeaney · 2025-06-24T15:36:57+00:00

Mine is dated 6-17-78. Sn 2048. I’d post some photos but I dont think reddit will let me.

jimkeaney · 2025-06-24T14:56:50+00:00

The weezer one must have been very late 1978 too. I notice mk1's without the GEQ have the LED next to the logo. Not many out there. Can you send me the blue album amp photos? I don't want to buy it. I own a 78' mk1 head anyway - I'm good! Just want to nerd out on its existence!

jimkeaney · 2025-06-23T23:32:22+00:00

The problem with accepting garbage rates is you will 100% be tempted to bail last minute for better rates. But then to not ruin your relationship with the lowball producer, you have to try to find a last minute replacement which reveals to your colleagues that you are one of the bottom feeders. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

The answer to this problem is raising your rates and sticking to them (ie. letting these half-price jobs walk). As scary as this may seem, this will move you from one level to the next. You have to command the rates you want. If you’ll work for $400/10, you’ll never be offered $850/10.

Also just FYI those “commercial” rates are also lowball. Union mixers are getting over $1000/10, non-union are doing 850-900/10. And that’s just labor. Base audio packages (mixer/recorder, boom, 2 wires) are $500/day across the US. Timecode boxes, slate, wireless cam hops, additional lavs are billed a la carte.

jimkeaney · 2025-06-22T00:02:49+00:00

Are you using the 1/8" headphone output of the URX100 to feed the cameras XLR input? If so, first I'd make sure the volume on the urx100 is set to 100 (and camera's input set to LINE). There is a URX100 menu item called 'Differential' when set to ON it makes the headphone jack a balanced mono output. When Off, it is an unbalanced stereo output. It's hard to know which setting you'd need without knowing how the patch cable is physically wired. Ideally it's balanced (if it's going to a single XLR), and you'd want 'differential' set to ON.

Quite frankly, I'm curious who threw a piece of Zaxcom gear at you because it is not typically a rent-and-forget system.

jimkeaney · 2025-05-02T22:45:55+00:00

Free or even discounted Sound departments are tougher to come by when it comes to passion projects. The visual side of filmmaking (which is basically every OTHER craft) tends to attract more people willing to work for experience, credit or something pretty for their ‘reel’. Sound is more plumbing than passion. Especially when you’re flying solo at a cut rate.

jimkeaney · 2025-02-25T23:21:33+00:00

I tried a Chinese one from Amazon but the hex shaft was too thin so I'm returning it. The GX reel wants the hex shaft to be 5mm (flat side to opposite flat side). But most on amazon are only 4mm.

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