If You Were Putting Together Audio Gear...

[NewsMan]

It would include what? Estimate price would be nice too.

Thanks,
Dave

[Run&Gun]

Sound Devices 442- 4 ch. mixer

Lectrosonics wireless freq. agile gear w/plug-on and belt-pack Tx's, at least 2 units.
Lav's for belt packs(Sony 77's or Sanken COS-11's or Countrymans)

Hard wired lav's
2 stick mic's

Good boom pole(K-Tek or VDB)
Shot gun mic(Sennheiser ME66/K6 or better)
Shock mount and windscreen

BDS-Battery distribution system and cables/adapters to run your mixer and Tx's and Rx's that are in the bag.

Good Headphones(Sony 7505's or 6's or 9's or better)

Cables (camera snake, XLR's, etc.)

Adapters, turnarounds, etc.

Good audio bag(I have the Petrol PEGZ-3(?), the biggest one they make)
Audio Harness(Versa-Flex, etc.)

I know I'm leaving some stuff out, but this will help you get started.

You can easily drop $5,000 to $10,000 on a good audio pkg. I have some audio guys who have over $10G's JUST in wireless units.

[PHX Shooter]

Besides the ME-66, what do you guys like for boom mounted shotguns? Let's assume you have another one for your camera mounted mic.

[The Daywood]

We have bought some Audio Technica 835B shotgun microphones for students...Not the best pick-up response, but they are pretty rugged and very reliable...And the price is right...

[News Active]

I'd go with Sennheiser 416 or 60. Sanken makes very good shotgun microphones too.

I'm a freelance photographer but also own a sound kit, that consists of:

- Sound Devices 302 field mixer
- Sennheiser 60 shotgun mic with zeppelin (shock mount & windscreen)
- vDb boom pole
- two sets of Lectrosonics wireless transmitter & receiver packages
- two sets of Sennheiser wireless transmitter & receiver packages
- Voice Technologies 506 lavalier mics for all wireless transmitters
- The good old Electro-Voice RE50 stick mic
- Sony 7506 headphones
- Porta Brace bag for field mixer and another Porta Brace "run bag" full of audio cables and adaptors


Most of the time I use professional soundmen with their own equipment. They usually have a wireless connection (two channels) from the field mixer (typically a SD 442) to my XDCAM. I think they use Lectrosonics 500 series.

It can sometimes get quite crowded in the 800 MHz frequency area, when doing a production shoot that includes four people with wireless mics, two wireless camera connections, two wireless audio monitoring TX's (producer / director and sound operator feedback from the camera) and even wireless intercoms. But, since I only work with professional sound operators, we have never had any problems. Lucky us. :-)

[Stoney]

What is the application for the sound kit? Just for news stuff or are you a freelancer who needs it for production type work? Run and Gun has a great list but that is unrealistic for a chief photog looking to outfit a staff of shooters.

For basic news, I would go with a Lectro 411 system (including plug-on transmitter) and a Sennheiser ME66. Very solid for news.

On the cheap, you could use Sennheiser G2 (?) systems but they are somewhat fragile (think broken antannae).

[Todio]

Geez R&G, have you been peeking into my gear bag LOL You basically described what I have.

I'd say your estimate is a bit low though. I'd price that kit in the 15-20 K range (2 Lectro 411's alone with full kit are gonna run 5K) Mixer is another 2500 Boom + mic (Senn 66) is just under $1000 at Trew and that's just for a couple of items.

My kit (mixer, 4 wireless, boom etc... + accessories) is insured for $25,000 replacement cost and I'm not sure I could get it all back for that price.

[NewsMan]

Thanks a ton for the input. This is very helpful.

[Run&Gun]

You may be right Todio, when you buy stuff at different times,you forget somtimes. I replaced my wireless stuff and lavs from a different vendor than the rest of "the bag". I think Trew tapped my CC for $5G's or $6G's for my mixer and boom and BDS, etc. A BDS system can add up and hurt you in a hurry.

Stoney had a good point, we should have asked what the kit is going to be used for: local news, high-end productions, somewhere in the middle?

[NewsMan]

Stoney had a good point, we should have asked what the kit is going to be used for: local news, high-end productions, somewhere in the middle?


The wife and I are looking at career moves, so the kit would have to be network quality.

[Flaca Productions]

network quality?
you really need good lavs - tram tr50s at least - probably the cos-11's or countrymans as mentioned above, tho. I have 2 trams, 2 sony ecm88's (all with lectro plugs as well as hardwire power supplies) and 2 sony hardwire ecm77s. and i'm not even a soundie!

i keep my sound kit as a backup or for when i work with a guy who doesn't have his own gear. as such, i can get away with having my 302, (complete with BDS!) but if you're all-sound, all-the-time then you really need a 442 or equivalent.

don't forget the cheap lavs that come with lectros. keep em around - you never know where you'll use em.

speaking of sankens, the cs1 is a great little shotgun (i have one on a ktek boom) - way better than a senn 66, but i agree on the 416 suggestion. that'd be the way to go - there's a reason its the industry standard.

A Shure SM87 and an EV RE50B or two and you're good in the stick mic dept.

if you're putting together a network sound kit, don't forget the ifb provisions. GKC dial boxes, audio implement earpiece kits, telephone interfaces, etc.

oh - and a couple of rowi clamps!

(i love sound gear...)

[Run&Gun]

The RAMPS board is a good resource, too...

http://www.trewaudio.com/frames/ramps.htm

[amp]

For a cheap but good lav, try the Shure 183 (Omnidirectional) and the Shure 184 (Super Cardioid). I love my 184. When I am live at fire scenes, it cuts down on all the firetruck noise dramatically. These mics do need phantom power. They don't have a power supply.