Noize Blog

To compliment our sound cart, we recently built a more portable version.  This allows us to get our equipment into places that would have been difficult with the larger one.  When this cart was built, we made sure that most of the functions were identical, so that you could go from one to the other in a matter of seconds and be up and running. 

A prime example was Vodacom “Single Ladies” where we had the big cart in Gandi Square for playback of a dance sequence of 100+ extras and actors, to using the small cart on the rooftop of a penthouse in the CBD.  (Yes, the small cart also has full playback capabilities, running entirely on battery power.)

The sound quality and monitoring on both carts are identical, with the smaller one having less mic inputs and less powerful playback.

Buzz tracks

As I do a lot of final mix I have been noticing that a number of location recordists are not doing buzz tracks on location.  It is very time consuming to try and steal buzz between dialogue and loop it over to provide a bed.  Also when recording buzz, use the dialogue mic or one of similar properties to make it easier for the mixer to match in post.  Time is money in final mix and time spent on being creative is far more productive than trying to panelbeat bad location sound!  So anyway, that was my little rant and if you need recording and playback on the top of Kilimanjaro with no power, You know who to call!!