Pro Location Sound LLC

I am always looking for equipment to make life easier and improve my workflow. More and more recently clients want a timecode slate used to show the cameras the timecode numbers but often we don’t have an AC or someone available to slate or they put the slate down and it is hard to locate for the next shot. 

This is where the Betsco timecode stick comes in. It is a light weight timecode display with an integrated battery with up to 60 hours of life. The stick can either be clipped on the front of your sound bag or put down on something so camera can just shoot it whenever they cut and roll. It is also offered at a great price point. 

I look forward to putting it to good use. 

It has been a busy past few months here at Pro Location Sound. We just wrapped the feature film “Birth of a Nation : The Nat Turner Story along with RBC Bank spots and a new series of Dental Videos for Product 13. With some down time I will get back to posting about a variety of things 

A quality shock mount is the best way to help prevent handling noise and trying to find the right one for the right microphone can be difficult. I already own a variety of shock mounts from Rycote and Ktek they all work well but I always like to try and do better. The new PSC Mc Donald M5 Pro Shock Mount has many features that make it attractive option. The ceiling bumpers are a new feature that looks promising a well with a MSRP of $112.00 the price point is also very attractive. I have one order and when I get it I will post a comprehensive review. Seek the link Below for more info 

http://professionalsound.com/specs/m5shock.htm

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is “I already own a MKH-416 I want  2nd microphone what should I get?” Despite many new microphones on the market today from DPA, Sennheiser, and Rode I still think the MKH-50 offers the best bang for your buck. It is a great indoor microphone that is forgiving on and off axis , its compact, matches well with a 416 or Rode NTG-3 and has a built in -10db pad if needed. It also is a great outdoor microphone when put into a Rycote Windshield. The best reason however is price at $1200.00 you can buy two of them for almost the cost of 1 Schoeps CMIt 5u which is $2200.00 which is my other favorite microphone. I love my CMIT as well but if I was on a tight budget the MKH-50 is just as good of a choice. So if you haven’t listened to a MKH-50 take a a listen to one 

I often operate on shows and productions with 8-10 Wireless in play. Good planning and coordination is key in making sure these productions go off without any issues. I employ 2 programs to help me with this FREQ FINDER which is an IOS or Android based app that allows you to input your devices and frequency blocks it then looks at the FCC Database of what is in the area and recommends your best frequencies it works very well. Obviously you should always scan on location to make sure that your frequencies are good.

For more in depth needs I use the PC based program IAS by Professional Wireless it provides alot more features but I only break it out for very large jobs as Freq Finder does a great job. I had IAS before Freq Finder was available.

Lectrosonics will also help you do an coordination as well if needed. The most important thing to do though is SCAN at every location to make sure your day goes smoothly.