Over at G+, Zack Allen asked for some details on my 2.4GHz antenna scheme. Here you go, Zack!

A video from my colleague & friend Paul Pouthier (who got the solution from mutual friend / colleague Tom Varga), in answer to my question as to how the heck he did this. This simple solution is what I like to call ‘elegant’.

Thanks, Paul. Thanks, Tom.

Published with permission.

Geek’ed out new pet observational moments.

Bunny Cam

When I’m working, the bunny cam will be active. When not working, I’ll be making and streaming videos about the cart and work.

I can see this as a solution to lots of situations, not least of which those increasingly-familiar phone call scenes where the off-camera talent is actually on the phone for performance, and the director wants to not only hear the conversation, but direct it. When all that’s going on, one might certainly want to record the resulting off-camera dialog / instructions, and this iAV would be a very cool way to accomplish that once a conference call is established.

Thinking low budget / web series, with this device, a FaceTime call could probably be routed and a screen cast similarly recorded for the other side of the conversation.

Possibilities.

Sounds like a great product and I look forward to needing it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QyUuApLSjg

This is what I’m up to today: installing the snaps on the two canvas cart bags I had made up in exchange for warehouse storage of some furniture.

The woman who made this came over twice before sewing these magnificent devices, and neither time did she take any measurements. I was a little bit worried as I offered her paper and pencil and she declined. As it turns out, she’s got a darned-good eye.

More when the snaps are installed.

Unusual for the camera people to be on the same page as the sound people, but here it is…

Solution? Soundies are making custom right-angle input cables to route the audio interface to a less-intrusive spot on the camera.

When all is ready to load into the truck, I’m in the habit of documenting everything. Dunno why, just do.

I’ve been a steady LittleLite buyer / user for nearly 20 years.

All the units I’ve installed had the BNC connectors that were the typical fail-point in the system, closely followed by the base.

When this summer another BNC connection failed, began to imagine other possibilities.

Found a 4-pin LittleLite model, and my first and continuing thought was and is, “Problem solved!” At least the problem of the less-than-robust BNC interface. 4-pin connectors are pretty darned rough-and-tumble, moreover, they are easy to repair. Even in a pinch.

B&H carries them, but you have to make a minimum order of six of ‘em. No. I didn’t think so.

Finally found a company willing to sell me one.

Come to find out, these units are wired differently than our standard 12-V DC systems. Let the re-wire begin. It would have been straightforward but for conflicting wiring diagrams provided, that had me and others scratching their heads, “WTF?”

More than that, there’s no integral on/off switch.

Fine.

Fine.

Thankfully, an esteemed colleague suggested the Rocso LitePad. Bingo.

Rosco’s smallest panel is 3″ x 3″, light as a feather, Velcro mountable, pulls a scant .1 amps, is daylight balanced (if you wish), has those sexy 60,000-hour LED’s, offers a couple of rather expensive options for dimmers you can add to the package, and can come with a reasonably-priced 4-pin cable that will attach to the proprietary DC connector probably familiar to lighting types, but unfamiliar to me. I’m now looking for a simple on/off switch to add to the setup.

I tried LittleLite’s LED offering. It wasn’t bright enough.

The LitePad throws a lotta light. Am thinking I might construct a kind of egg crate for it so it’s not thrown so completely over the entire deck of the sound cart. Will also scavenge some ND from the trash, just in case, for mood lighting. Can imagine this light good enough to wire someone close to the cart in an otherwise dark night exterior or stage.

Unless LittleLite does something quickly, they are going to lose the film / television sound geek market.

Rosco’s kinda all over it. When I posted the image of my cart with the LitePad on Flickr, within 24 hours I’d been contacted by the Rosco social media maven, who asked me to post the photo to his Rocso Facebook page. Very 21st Century, Rosco. Maybe it’s time for your marketing geeks to consult with some sound geeks for sound-friendly tweaks / additions.

I’m a fan.