maximpactphotography

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  foreground: Electrolet shotgun mic on Rode shock mount and boompole; rear: Rode blimp containing NTG-4 shotgun mic on Rode large pole

  

  recorder mounting grip assembly

  

  Sachtler heavy duty audio harness with modular pockets

  

  Interior of Sachtler small audio bag with contents

  

  Zoom H6 recorder/mixer mounted on K-Tek Avalon graphite 12’6″ boom pole

  

  

  

  

  

  

This bag is IMO excellent as a reasonably priced ($165 new at Location Sound, North Hollywood, CA) dedicated, specialized bag designed to allow a single operator to capture, monitor, and deliver audio files in a well-organized central package. This company acquired Petrol recently, and their line sustains the overall Petrol designs.

I was impressed with the recommendation of the Sachtler bag line in a Rode video, as their crews use them for their productions. Highly modular, adjustable and comfortable… mine contains

(2) Rode -Link lavalier Filmmaker kits: digital wireless units which are very fast and easy to use, with excellent sound quality and very reliable anywhere (I would probably go) in the world with no need for a frequency license- since they rely on 2.4 GHz  128-bit encrypted Wi-Fi.  Optimized range: ~ 100 meters or 320 ft, powered by AA’s or USB w locking connections

Tascam DR-70D audio recorder, perfectly sized for this bag. 4 XLR inputs/ wired remote RC-10 allows most routine operations without having to open the clear top flap. In particular, I like the Mark button on the remote and the function buttons to switch between monitoring the sound from the recorder mix and from the camera.

Sennheiser MD-46 dynamic presentation microphone or ME-64 cardioid shotgun/K6 power module in lower compartment

Audio Technica MX-40 headphones; I use one detachable cable for the bag, the other for the separate Zoom H6 recorder

Adreama 12000 mAh power pack to supply USB power to the Rodes, or the recorder ;the bag has a dedicated rear compartment for this purpose. An alternative USB power source is the 10K mAh Tzumi Extreme, resistant to water and shock and with a bright LED light onboard. It is on a lanyard, very convenient for use with the Zoom H6 recorder as it can also easily hang from my neck

Both RodeLav mics using locking connectors are stored in a small Pelican case at the front pocket, with various cables

I like to pre-wire Channel 2 on my recorder with a short XLR cable, which can then connect to a Rode NTG-4 shotgun, the Sennheiser MD-46, or an Audio Technica Pro70 wired lav; I keep one of the wired mics on my harness in a pocket, since I often use it myself while employing other mics for subjects during interviews.

There’s a 3.5mm to XLR cable to use the Sennheiser handheld mic wirelessly with the RodeLink transmitter, until I  add a Newsshooter  transmitter in the future – that unit has 48v phantom power, which would allow use of the NTG-4 shotgun in the system.

A boom pole can be added to the front of the bag with velcro strips. One of my favorites is the K-Tek Avalon graphite 12′ model, which I usually use with a 90-degree XLR adapter to allow it to be safely stood on end.

This bag is amazingly versatile and adaptable, and can essentially be torn into components to make access to any interior part very easy-EXCEPT that I haven’t yet figured a way to access the SD card from the recorder without removing the DR-70D….  so I just directly connect the ‘bag’ via the already placed USB cable to my notebook, and start uploading.

It combines well with my Sachtler SN605 DECA harness for long periods of recording.

This entry was posted on August 10, 2016 at 4:54 am and is filed under Audio, Captain's Personal Log, Photojournalism, Video. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.