17
Jan
The impossible dreams.
by Trew Audio
/ 0 Comment
This isn’t going to be a tech savvy post, but I thought it would be nice to discuss my (and hopefully your) dreams for the next year. For the last several years our business has been dominated by new gear. Let’s face it, post houses are finally coming about and non-linear is here for the long haul. This has spurred you, our customers, to keep up with the Jones’ and graciously you did it with us. Recorders, their cables, their media, and their accessories have dominated our business. A close second, wireless technologies like Zaxcom’s TRX system and Lectrosonics Venue, and transmitter upgrades have also kept us busy. The question is, what is next?
I always love the rumor mill in our industry. It is very common for us to hear the rumors from you before the manufacturers can even confirm or deny them. The Lectrosonics SR stereo receiver is a prime example. One day I am emphatically telling a customer that they are mistaken, Lectrosonics does not have a two channel receiver. And the next day I received the memo from Lectro on the contrary. It was not a lack on information on our part, nor was it slow information release on Lectrosonics part. Simply one person found out before Lectrosonics told their dealer network, and the rumor mill started churning. We don’t know how these leaks start, but we don’t mind them either. Production sound is such a tight knit community rumors can’t help but spread throughout very quickly.
We’ve noticed ideas travel in 3 ways. First, message boards; your online communities; gear specific like the Deva or Metacorder groups and general like RAMPS and Jeff Wexler’s board, great places to pick each others brains and even entertain others with your spats over whose gear is better. Second, on the set. It is extremely common in film production to have several shows shooting next to each other. So when the bell rings and you go to lunch, you may go with the sound guy next door. After one of you teases the other about how long it took them to copy the mornings’ work for a mid-day film break, you talk gear over a fine craft services feast. Sometime in the afternoon our sales staff gets a call from you and it sounds like this…
Whispering, “Hey Skylor, this is Scene 4 Baker Take 2, oh sorry this is Bill. I’m on set.”
“No problem, how can I help you?” (whispering too, for no real reason)
“Hang on….Ok, yeah, so I was talking to So-and-so, do you know him? He’s mixing next door. He said that Manufacturer X is coming out with a cart mixer. Do you have pricing on that?”
“Sorry Bill, I’m not snubbing you, but we don’t have confirmation of that from the manufacturer. I’ve heard this same rumor before, but I can’t confirm it, and therefore, I don’t having pricing info. I’d be happy to call you if I hear something.
Awkward Pause.
“Bill?”
“Sorry again, no that’s it, but I’ll call you soon, we’re running low on DVD-RAMS.”
Third, (which is really heating up right now): For those of you in the ENG world, a presidential race is THE way to see what everyone else is using. Crammed into a press conference room, you look to your left and see a sound mixer listening intently on his headphones, boom overhead. Then suddenly your camera guy moves and pulls you right, following the candidate. Then the mixer from before is right next you, booming the same shot, but his camera guy is MIA. Hmmm. Obviously he’s sending audio wirelessly, but is he monitoring the camera or the live boom? I received a call this week about this exact situation. The customer was aware of the Zaxcom stereo wireless used as a camera hop, but not aware that return monitoring is a possibility (which it is…).
So talk amongst yourselves and keeping asking us and manufacturers for stuff you want. They are listening. Our small niche in the audio world has more customization and more user input than any other area of audio production. What is expected to make an impact this year? Here’s a short list…
Lectrosonics SR–Dual channel receiver, capable of slot drop-in on many industry cameras as well as stand alone use.
Sanken COS-11x–Same as the COS-11s with a stronger strain relief and water resistant coating. Now available is black, white, tan, and gray.
Schoeps CMR–Inline small preamp for use with the MK series capsules and various brands of wireless transmitters.
Sennheiser MKH8000 Series–small capsule based microphone system. Sure to lighten your boom while keeping the famed MKH quality.
What would I like to see, and what have I heard that you’d like to see? Here’s a list of our dreams for 2008.
Sound Devices cart mixer.This isn’t an unreasonable request, and many of you have asked me about it. Any company that is not introducing new products gets really itchy. Our friends in Reedsburg, Wisconsin haven’t released a truly new product since the 744T/722 in 2005. They added the 702T and 702, but they were just new members of the same family. The next logical step for them (it would seem) would be a cart mixer. Something with easy interface to their recorders, yet compatible with other brands. Or maybe even a built in recorder.
Lectrosonics Wideband Venue. A must. Lectrosonics recently released a wideband rack for 4 of their portable receivers. The Venue is the next step. I don’t know the complexity of engineering such a product, but it would be extremely convenient for all involved.
Bluetooth Lav. Hey, we’re dreaming right. If Phonak can make a wireless in ear receiver, and cell phones use Bluetooth, then lavs should be the next step. Bluetooth lav capsule transmits to the Bluetooth receiver, which plugs in to an actual transmitter. Naturally, getting audio quality to the current standard and wireless frequency security is important, but I’m not an electrical engineer so let them worry about it. Thanks to Sam Williamson in our sales department for this great idea.
Just dreams? Maybe. But nearly everything we use now was considered impossible at some point in the past. So, dream on. It is our sincere hope that you have a wonderful new year and here’s to some of the most outrageous industry rumors coming true. Maybe you’ll just get that option you’ve been hoping for.
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