311 West 43rd Street, Suite #1100, New York NY 10036. Tel: 212.586.1033 Toll Free: 800.883.1033

LECTROSONICS CAPTURES POLAR BEAR TAGGING IN THE ARCTIC FRONTIER
To study their habits and migrations, scientists keep close tabs on world's largest predator

Kaktovik, Alas... With each day seemingly colder than the one before, a combination of scientists and a BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) production crew recently set out to document the effects of global warming on the Arctic frontier. With a focus on the plight of the region's Polar Bears as well as the melting permafrost, the group worked from their base camp in this northern village on the Beaufort Sea coast and traveled by helicopter in search of the highly dangerous, yet vulnerable animals. Capturing audio on a mission of this nature is challenging enough, and in this harsh environment--with sub-zero-degree temperatures and high wind--the task becomes even more difficult. Wireless microphones were a necessity and, to ensure production quality worthy of the BBC, the mission critical performance attributes of Lectrosonics wireless technology were placed into service.

Scot Charles, owner/operator of Blue Charles Productions of Seattle, WA, was contracted to provide location sound for the documentary--named Planet Meltdown. Charles, whose company also provides audio post production services, is a veteran location sound engineer who, over the years, has worked on numerous projects broadcast over the PBS, NBC, and CBS networks. When queried about his choice of wireless microphones for this project, Charles offered his reasons for using Lectrosonics equipment.

"The weather there was extremely cold and windy," explained Charles. "On a job like this, you need to know your gear is going to work, because there's no second takes. Mobility was also a big issue. My subjects weren't actors and they needed to move about freely as they medicated and tagged the bears. When you're working on an 800 pound bear, the gear must absolutely work the first time, because the bear isn't going to wait on you while you make a change if something fails!"

For this project, Charles' arsenal of gear included several Lectrosonics systems, including UCR205D diversity UHF receivers, UM200B UHF beltpack transmitters for on camera subjects, UM450 high power miniature beltpack transmitters andUCR205D receivers for the camera, and for the director and production crew, a portable T1 multi-frequency IFB transmitter along with R1a synthesized UHF beltpack IFB receivers.

"I carried eight systems for this project," notes Charles, "though at any given time, I was actually running just 4-5 of them. I chose Lectrosonics because their gear is designed in such a way that it's easy to use in the field. When you need to clip a transmitter onto a subject quickly and know that it's going to stay there until you're ready to remove it, you don't want to be fiddling around with tape, little bags, and other accessories. You want to be assured that transmitter is going to stay put. Lectrosonics has obviously put a lot of thought into this sort of thing. The metal cases are rugged and the squeeze clips are easy to use and very secure."

"I tapped into the radio communication system of the helicopter so that I could capture the communication between the scientists and the helicopter pilot during flight," said Charles. "The interaction between the pilot, scientists, and correspondent were mixed and fed wirelessly to the camera using my Lectrosonics UM450s and this communication was simultaneously captured as discreet tracks on a Sound Devices 744T digital field recorder."

Charles also often used a wireless boom mic to capture ambient sounds in addition to the RF packs that he had on the scientists and the correspondent. "The UM450s are designed to output a hotter signal than my other transmitters," says Charles, "so I used them for the RF links to camera. I did redundant back-up on the 744T of the camera tracks, as well as wild stuff such as 'bear grunts' and ambient sound--and burned those tracks to DVD for use later during audio post production."

Reflecting on the project as he prepared for his next endeavor, Charles offered this closing thought. "Both the BBC and I were very happy with the audio on that project," said Charles. "It really helped capture the essence of what we experienced up there. Global warming is occurring at a much faster rate than most people ever anticipated and we need to get a handle on the situation. I believe this effort will help people understand the urgency of the matter. Anything that each and every one of us can do on a personal level to contribute to the cause would be well served."

Rode Microphone Distribution and Service Center in Carpinteria, Ca.

Monday, July 28, 2008,  Rich Topham Jr. visits with Rode employee Kyle Tefft at the Rode Microphone Distribution and Service Center in Carpinteria, California.

For over 60 years, the AES Convention has been the largest gathering of audio professionals and enthusiasts on the globe, attracting delegates from over 100 countries worldwide.

The pro audio exhibition, technical sessions, exhibitor and application seminars are but a few of the assets that visitors and participants benefit from.
 

Taught by Professional Sound Services, our workshops cover the tools, techniques, and procedures used in the professional sound business. Students gain an appreciation of the aesthetic aspects of sound recording, learn tricks for creating an audio design and explore how to manipulate room tone, dialogue, and effects tracks for a realistic sound presence. Pre-production planning, boom and wireless microphone operation, microphone planting, tape-deck signal setup, and other techniques are also addressed. In addition, students are introduced to the latest DAT and analog systems, inter-format recording for music videos and commercial production, time code and other management tools for post production.

Call us today 212.586.1033
to find out more about PSS's unlimited sound
knowledge they can share with you!

NYC Production is 'BOOMING'

PROJECTS IN PRE-PRODUCTION/PRODUCTION:

City Island Company: City Island Pictures Address: 36-32 34th Street, 3rd Floor, LIC, NY 11106 Contact: Canella Williams Scout: 7/1/08-7/20/08 Shoot: 7/21/08-8/29/08
 

Watching the Detectives Company: Kaufman Film and Television Address: 601 W.26th St, Suite 1762, NY, NY 10001 Contact: Natasha Eng Scout: 5/9/08-6/9/08 Shoot: 5/12/08-9/15/08

ItemS of the month

New Shure Micro-Bodypack Is Smaller Than Small

Weighing only 2.2 oz without batteries, the UR1M Transmitter is the most compact bodypack available from Shure. Operating on the premium Shure UHF-R® Wireless platform, the UR1M offers superior wireless audio and an industry-leading tuning range - all in a durable, ultra-compact and lightweight form factor.

The UR1M circuit board is specially treated to greatly enhance the sweat resistance and durability of the device, allowing it to be worn close to the skin. The miniature bodypack is available with a choice of TQG or Lemo-3 connectors and selectable alkaline, lithium primary, or NIMH battery curves for accurate power metering. PSS Low Price $2699.00. Buy now and mention this newsletter and receive a free Shure White or Black Neoprene Pouch for your UR1M Transmitter!

KOALA SOUNDMAN SUN HAT

Available in 5 Sizes: Medium, Large,
X-Large, XX-Large and XXX-Large!

Rich's Recommendations & Product Highlights

Sony MDR-7500 Series of
Professional Headphones

Sony's range of professional headphones are engineered for a combination of strength, comfort and practicality and are used daily in broadcast and recording studios worldwide. Designed to accurately monitor the wide dynamic range and extended frequencies delivered by modern digital audio equipment, the MDR-7500 series is precision manufactured using the highest grade materials.

MDR-7509HD

Designed for critical listening applications, the MDR-7509HD headphone features newly developed HD Driver units that deliver ultra-wide dynamic range and incredible power handling capabilities. With 3,000 mW power handling capacity and 80kHz ultra high frequency reproduction, the MDR-7509HD model precisely reproduces every nuance recorded using the latest generation of high-quality audio formats such as DSD or high sampling linear PCM. The 50mm HD Driver units utilize 360kJ/m3 high power neodymium magnets to reproduce clear midrange. Equally important to sound quality is wearing comfort. The MDR-7509HD headphone features an Auranomic circumaural design - where the driver units have been designed in accordance with the angle of the ear, thereby helping to eliminate pressure on the ear and to reproduce a natural, wide soundscape.

The Structure of the HD Driver Unit

The newly-developed driver unit features a Reinforcement Ring between the voice coil and the diaphragm. It assists spreading ultra high frequency vibration generated by voice coil to the HD diaphragm with a coherent phase.

    
MDR-7506

An extremely high quality, unobtrusive reference headphone. The lightweight MDR-7506 model has been engineered to be comfortable to wear for extended periods, making it ideal for use in broadcast and studio environments. A 40mm PET diaphragm and neodymium magnet provide performance exceeding the requirements of digital sources such as CD, MD and DAT.

MDR-7505

Thanks to an acoustic design that positions the sound field very close to the ears, the MDR-7505 headphone makes detailed listening possible, even in noisy environments. An Auto-Swivel earpiece enables single sided monitoring. The 40mm PET driver & neodymium magnet provide excellent sound quality and extended frequency response. An adjustable, padded headband offers durability and comfort. Oxygen Free copper cable is used to preserve signal quality.

MDR-7502

A cost effective, general purpose headphone. The lightweight, closed design of the MDR-7502 model allows long term use without listening fatigue. The neodymium magnet (used in all Sony professional headphones) is virtually five times more powerful than standard ferrite magnets, delivering dynamic sound, high sensitivity and deep bass response.
 

THIS MONTHS FEATURED ONLINE PRODUCTS

Fostex PD-204 DVD/HD Location Recorder
-- Our Low ONLINE Price: $3,499.00

Fostex PD-606 Portable Professional 6 Channel DVD RAM Location Recorder and Mixer
-- Our Low ONLINE Price: $7,999.00

DPA 4017 Shotgun Microphone
-- Our Low ONLINE Price: $2,079.00

Sound Devices 702T Portable Digital Recorder with Time Code
-- Our Low ONLINE Price: $2,495.00

Sound Devices 744T Digital Audio Recorder with Time Code  
-- Our Low ONLINE Price: $4,095.00

* Greeting permit applicants (producers, location managers and other industry professionals) and supplying the appropriate forms for their particular projects.

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NAGRAS, DIGITAL AUDIO, WIRELESS MICS, WALKIE TALKIES, Q SYSTEMS, MICROPHONES, SPEAKERS, PLAYBACK SYSTEMS, SOUNDCARTS, SIGNAL PROCESSING, FISHPOLES & BOOMS, INFRARED TRANSLATION SYSTEMS, MIXERS, TIMECODE SLATES, CELLULAR PHONES and now VIDEO EQUIPMENT AND LIGHTING!
 

PSS SERVICE DEPARTMENT

Do you have equipment that just sits in the corner of your room that is collecting dust due to the fact that it's broken? Say no more, here at Professional Sound Services not only do we rent and sell  equipment but we also repair equipment. Plus, if you bring any of your equipment to Professional Sound Services and you need to rent that same item while it's in Service we will give you a 50% discount on that item. We fix anything from Transmitters, Receivers, Mixers, Recorders, Microphones, Wires and etc...at incredible rates. Let our highly trained Service Technicians help you out by fixing your equipment at a very low rate!