Hella Solutions blog: "Document. Share. Inspire."

This has got to be the best flash animation I have seen in a long time. As someone who stares at the same program window on my computer for hours, if not days, at a time, I can imagine how the inspiration for this began…very cool and funny. Check it out over at DeviantArt.com.

Yes, another one of those big “M” words. What would we all do without those we look up to, admire, respect and learn from? I know that for me, I would not be half as far as I am today. So, a big thank you to all those who I have the deepest of respect and gratitude for sharing your brilliance with me (Loretta, Jonathan, Kathy, Eric, Chuck, Devin, Lenny, Dazon and Robynn are just a few).

Today I am embarking on a new mentoring excursion. As I’ve mentioned before, I am a member of the Association of Independents in Radio (AIR) and as a member I am eligible for a set number of mentoring hours with a selected pro AIR member. I am really excited, and even a bit nervous, because I have been paired up with a local producer whose name I have heard many times on the radio as I have grown up here in the San Francisco Bay Area – Gregg McVicar. He’s got a really chill yet very tight style and has a largely varied musical taste and this is very much where I see myself moving (now I just have to get that “tightness” under my belt ). Anyway, who knows where this will lead but regardless if it lasts just the number of AIR-hours or if it leads to a little more, it’s really inspiring just to be able to sit down with someone who you respect and be able to ‘talk shop’ and ask questions.

Thank you AIR and thank you Gregg! I am looking forward to this day…

…you can find more on Gregg McVicar here:

Radio Camp
Hearing Voices
“Editing and Mixing Tips” at Transom.org
Gregg McVicar on PRX

Peace!

This year is shaping up to be one of many milestones. First, in January I turned 40 years old! Yeeee-haaaaa! It feels good! I feel like I’ve lived one complete life and now another one awaits. A bit nervous but excited all the same…Second, I recently made a commitment to a specific microphone. If you’re in this biz of audio production and don’t have limitless funds you’ll know how difficult a choice this is. It’s daunting to say the least…do I get a dynamic or condenser, a directional or omni-directional, stereo or mono, blah, blah, blah…After much waffling I decided on making my marriage commitment to the one they call Sennheiser. More specifically, the Sennheiser K6/ME66.

Why and how did I finally decide on this one? Man, each person has their style and preference and at a certain point you just have to stop listening to all the advice you can receive and listen to your own self (many thanks, though, for those that took the time and gave great advice to me).

Anyway, it came down to these factors: I used this particular mic a lot and found that my best audio captures (voice and ambient) came from this mic; It’s actually a swappable mic in that the K6 is a particular power module that can also be used with other capsules besides the ME66 (and while I have no experience with these other capsules the idea of being able to expand on existing equipment was appealing); It’s a well made mic and has a very strong reputation. So, experience, variable, and reputation were key to me.

The criticisms that come with this mic is that it is very susceptible to handling noises (basically, it will pic up finger movements, taps, and other object encounters associated with handling it much more so than some other mics). However, in my experience, I really haven’t had any problems dealing with this and I’ve used this mic while walking on a farm and capturing people talking, walking and wind blowing. Okay, I did encounter a little problem with wind sensitivity (even with a Rycote softie) but nothing I felt was overly sensitive.

Another criticism is that it is not as durable as some other mics. This is true. Yet, I used one that traveled the world before my use and it came along with me as I traveled to South Africa. No problems. Just make sure you use a hard case to transport it. Otherwise – unless your prone to dropping things and tend to be rough with your equipment – it’ll handle many years of travel and use.

What I like most about it is the fact that it’s very ‘directional’. Meaning that, it captures what’s right in front of it really well and at the same time is able to ‘push aside’ sounds that come from the sides or behind it. I found this to be especially good for my style as I like to be out “on the street” and capturing life as it happens. And with this mic it is capable of capturing a specific spot even at a distance (leaving the extraneous noise at a tolerable background level while maintaining a strong central focus).

And finally, some say that it can sound a little odd when used in doors (especially small, somewhat “echo’ey” rooms…though, I’ve done interviews in just those types of surroundings and I didn’t find anything ‘wrong’ with the captured audio).

What should you consider when deciding on a mic? Well, be aware that each mic performs differently on different recorders. This was also one of the main reasons I chose the Sennheiser – I used it on my recorder (Sony MZ-M100 Mini-Disc) and liked the output. The other mic that comes with a lot of recommendation is Beyer but because I had never used one on my particular recorder and I got word that it can perform a bit softly with my recorder, I decided against it. So, if you’re going to get yourself a mic be sure to match it with your recorder and this is best done by working with as many mics and recorders as you can and that are in your price range and then thinking about each as you make your purchases (kind of like buying an engagement ring…you need to be aware that it should be able to fit both physically and stylistically with the wedding band). See what you like, what works for you and your style. Are you going to be mainly doing studio or indoor interviews? Or are you likely to be in more diverse situations?…the Beyer is supposed to be good for all of these and it is what the Kitchen Sister’s use (or at least Nikki does). But then the “This American Life” folks use shotgun mics like the Sennheiser (that’s at least what I’ve read). What will you use? Good luck and enjoy the process…

And as I await the arrival of my new partner, Sennheiser, I contemplate the big M…but I’ll leave that story for later .

Must read resource for choosing a mic:
Transom.org

Good Package deal on Sennheiser: B&H

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