Return-Path: X-Scanned-By: RAE MPP/Clamd http://raeinternet.com/mpp X-Scanned-By: This message was scanned by MPP Lite Edition (www.messagepartners.com)! X-Real-To: stagecraftlist [at] theatrical.net Received: by prxy.net (CommuniGate Pro PIPE 4.2.10) with PIPE id 23099061; Wed, 15 Jun 2005 03:00:44 -0700 X-ListServer: CommuniGate Pro LIST 4.2.10 List-Unsubscribe: List-ID: Message-ID: From: "Stagecraft" Sender: "Stagecraft" To: "Stagecraft" Precedence: list Subject: Stagecraft Digest #428 Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 03:00:20 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-Disposition: inline X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.3 (2005-04-27) on prxy.net X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-5.6 required=5.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.0.3 X-TFF-CGPSA-Version: 1.4f2 X-prxy-Spam-Filter: Scanned For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see --------------------------------------------------- Stagecraft Digest, Issue #428 1. Re: we're getting old by "Stephen E. Rees" 2. Re: advice on mounting a boom position by "Dr. Randall W.A. Davidson" 3. Re: Vermont electrician licensing by "Dr. Randall W.A. Davidson" 4. Re: Portable Lighting Consoles by "Abby Downing" 5. Re: advice on mounting a boom position by Jerry Durand 6. Re: flying fx training by Delbert Hall 7. Rental Fees for Theatre Spaces by "Johnson, Keith" 8. Test by Bill Sapsis 9. AHJ and meters by "Davis, Thomas J" 10. Re: advice on mounting a boom position by "Dr. Randall W.A. Davidson" 11. Re: flying fx training by "Dr. Randall W.A. Davidson" 12. Re: advice on mounting a boom position by Michael Powers 13. Re: AHJ and meters by "Tony Deeming" 14. Re: Portable Lighting Consoles by "Jonathan S. Deull" 15. Re: AHJ and meters by "Richard Wolpert" 16. Re: advice on mounting a boom position by "Stephen E. Rees" 17. Re: AHJ and meters by "Paul Schreiner" 18. Re: Portable Lighting Consoles by "Michael Finney" 19. Re: AHJ and meters by "Cyr, Dale" 20. Re: Sound Levels? by FrankWood95 [at] aol.com 21. Re: AOL workaround by FrankWood95 [at] aol.com 22. Re: AHJ and meters by FrankWood95 [at] aol.com 23. reposting of TD job. by "RICHARD FINKELSTEIN" 24. Flashlight Replacement by CB 25. Re: AOL workaround by CB 26. audio cables by CB 27. Re: Sound Levels? by CB 28. Re: Sound Levels? by CB 29. we're getting old by CB 30. mixer question by "David R. Krajec" 31. Re: Sound Levels? by CB 32. Re: we're getting old by CB 33. Re: Sound Levels? by CB 34. Re: Sound Levels? by Charlie Richmond 35. Re: Sound Levels? by CB 36. Re: Sound Levels? by CB 37. Re: audio cables by FrankWood95 [at] aol.com 38. Re: audio cables by "Tony Deeming" 39. Re: Sound Levels? by FrankWood95 [at] aol.com 40. Re: Sound Levels? by FrankWood95 [at] aol.com 41. Re: Sound Levels? by FrankWood95 [at] aol.com 42. Re: Sound Levels? by FrankWood95 [at] aol.com 43. test by Michael Beyer 44. Re: Portable Lighting Consoles by "Daniel O'Donnell" 45. Re: Portable Lighting Consoles by "James, Brian" 46. Re: Flashlight Replacement by Eddie Kramer 47. Re: Vermont electrician licensing (long response) by Mitch Hefter 48. Re: Flashlight Replacement by "Andy Leviss" 49. Re: Flashlight Replacement by Bruce Purdy 50. Re: mixer question by Mat Goebel 51. Folding Chairs, Large Outdoor Assembly, and Safety by Mat Goebel *** Please update the subject line of your reply to use the subject *** line of the message you are replying to! Please only reply to *** one message subject in each reply. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-ID: <42AED50B.9070803 [at] fredonia.edu> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 09:00:59 -0400 From: "Stephen E. Rees" Reply-To: Rees [at] fredonia.edu Subject: Re: we're getting old References: Hi all, My wife, who is now a remedial reading teacher K-3, is doing exactly that with the children of parents who met in high school while... wait for it... in her remedial reading and math class! Some apples don't fall too far from the tree. Steve Rees, TD SUNY-Fredonia John Bracewell wrote: > The worst is when you realize you're teaching your former students' > children. > > --JLB ------------------------------ From: "Dr. Randall W.A. Davidson" Subject: RE: advice on mounting a boom position Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 08:27:08 -0600 In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Always back plate, and if that is impossible, epoxy the anchors. doom -- Dr. Randall W.A. Davidson, Risk International & Associates, Inc. - www.riskit.com Latest workshops for Educational and Entertainment Industry Performing Arts Personnel (Riggers, and Public Assembly and Educational Technicians) www.riskit.com/workshops International Secondary Education Theater Safety Association (ISETSA) - www.isetsa.org -----Original Message----- From: Stagecraft [mailto:stagecraft [at] theatrical.net] On Behalf Of Steve Larson Sent: Monday, June 13, 2005 6:41 PM To: Stagecraft Subject: Re: advice on mounting a boom position For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see --------------------------------------------------- I'd go clear through the wall with a plate on the back side, ...if there is access. Steve > From: "Steven Haworth" > Reply-To: "Stagecraft" > Date: Mon, 13 Jun 2005 18:20:14 -0500 > To: "Stagecraft" > Subject: Re: advice on mounting a boom position > > For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see > --------------------------------------------------- > > I'd go w/the bubble gum. :-) > > > - Steven (sjh [at] idm.com) > --------------------------- > http://www.stagelights.info > > ------------------------------ From: "Dr. Randall W.A. Davidson" Subject: RE: Vermont electrician licensing Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 08:31:24 -0600 In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Licensing and certification is coming. I have encountered this in litigation, where an incident occurred and everything was perfect except the prosecution asked if the electrical work had been done by a licensed electrician or an electrical contractor, and though the technician was one of the best in the industry, he was not licensed. As most of you know, for more than a quarter century I have been pushing very hard for this certification, along with some USITT members, and now it is my belief that ESTA may address this. Dr. Doom -- Dr. Randall W.A. Davidson, Risk International & Associates, Inc. - www.riskit.com Latest workshops for Educational and Entertainment Industry Performing Arts Personnel (Riggers, and Public Assembly and Educational Technicians) www.riskit.com/workshops International Secondary Education Theater Safety Association (ISETSA) - www.isetsa.org -----Original Message----- From: Stagecraft [mailto:stagecraft [at] theatrical.net] On Behalf Of Jared Fortney Sent: Monday, June 13, 2005 7:42 PM To: Stagecraft Subject: Vermont electrician licensing For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see --------------------------------------------------- A question to anyone working in VT as a stage electrician: I have been told that I may have to hire a licensed electrician to tie in my power at all my tour stops in the state of Vermont. Does anyone familiar with the Vermont state electrical code know this to be true? I'm running an 80KW genny, with limited power distribution, to an outdoor tent circus. Any of that make a difference? Any help on the subject would be appreciated, especially since our third build up takes place on the 4th of July. I don't really want to pay an electrician double time for something I can do myself. Thanks, -Jared Fortney Tech. Director Circus Smirkus Big Top Tour 2005 Phone: 802-533-7443 Fax: 802-533-2480 ------------------------------ Subject: RE: Portable Lighting Consoles Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 10:47:19 -0400 Message-ID: <7AE59BA9B8D15D4787EB1C7A2DB6DFBA2A05E7 [at] jekyll-sbs.ollsi.local> From: "Abby Downing" Check out the ETC SmartFade line of consoles. Sounds perfect for your black box/use and store situation. Abby ------------------------------ Message-Id: <6.2.1.2.0.20050614074918.03d092d0 [at] 192.168.0.13> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 07:51:23 -0700 From: Jerry Durand Subject: Re: advice on mounting a boom position In-Reply-To: References: At 05:45 PM 6/13/2005, you wrote: >The plate welded to the pipe has four holes. >How should this mount to the cinderblock wall? Lead anchors, expansion >anchors, old bubble gum? I hope the wall is cement block, NOT cinderblock. When I lived in Florida the houses were made of cinderblock, not what I'd trust for strength. (A cinder block is made of the stuff that comes out the bottom of a coal-fired power plant, a cement block is made out of ... cement.) ---------- Jerry Durand Durand Interstellar, Inc. 219 Oak Wood Way Los Gatos, California 95032-2523 USA tel: +1 408 356-3886, USA toll free: 1 866 356-3886 web: www.interstellar.com ------------------------------ Message-ID: Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 17:10:29 +0200 From: Delbert Hall Reply-To: Delbert Hall Subject: Re: flying fx training In-Reply-To: References: On 6/12/05, RODOK!!! wrote: >... Initial training in rigging from someone who > wasn't as thorough and meticulous would have had potentially disasterous > results. If someone says it's easy and they can quickly show you how to > rig a fly system, hire someone. thanks Delbert. > Rod Osiowy > Wild Theatre Your are very welcome Rod. =20 I am in Rome and it is a fantastic city. Mark H. - I got to St. Ignasous (sp) yesterday and the ceiling was as great as you described it. It is about 2 block from my hotel and the Pantheon (which I love, is only one block). Got to run. -Delbert --=20 Delbert Hall Phone: 423-773-4255 ------------------------------ Subject: Rental Fees for Theatre Spaces Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 11:39:26 -0400 Message-ID: <2175145D8764B145B932DA9D45DE6C48899BD9 [at] FACSTAFF.facultystaff.eku.edu> From: "Johnson, Keith" Greetings to all, I have been asked by the powers that be to suggest some rental fees for = our university theatre spaces.=A0 It seems that with tuition going up = and financial support from the state governments going down, our = educational institution is looking for ways for enhancing revenues.=A0 = We have only done nominal charges for outside entities, and sometimes = for insiders as well, to use our theatre facilities and now would like = to make the charges more realistic.=A0 So I thought I would request the = garnered wisdom of this group for some suggestions.=A0 I am very aware = that there will be a great margin of differences based on regions of the = country, supply and demand, and services rendered when using said = facility.=A0 I would appreciate any suggestions you may give. We provide very little support in terms of personnel, one supervisor = type person, and labor must be supplied by the renter.=A0 We do not do = lighting set-ups, there is a standard lighting plot that has several = options that all must live with.=A0 Sound is another matter, and it = could be set up depending on the circumstances.=A0 We are in a fairly = small community which is trying to stretch itself as much as possible = and bring in as much to the campus as it can and we (the University) = would like to provide support, but said support is costing us instead of = paying for itself. We have four facilities to consider: 1 A large auditorium, seats 1600+ with flies and a very weak lighting = system and hanging positions.=A0 40 foot proscenium with adequate wing = space stage left and little wing space stage right.=A0 Very nice = facility, even if not well suited for an active theatre.=A0 Have done = theatre, concerts, and speaking engagements. 2 A theatre space which seats 360+ with flies and a standard setup for = lighting.=A0 This theatre has a 40 foot proscenium with a 25 foot +/- = thrust in front of the act curtain and a depth of about 25 feet for the = stage house. =A0Adequate wing space stage right and excellent wing space = stage left.=A0 20+ line sets with blacks and three travelers.=A0 A = working theatre space for the theatre programs productions.=A0 Sound and = lighting other than the standard set up are not provided. 3 A theatre space similar to #2 above only with no fly system.=A0 This = is a new venue, only a year old, with adequate lighting system and = sound, but a limited number of lighting instruments.=A0 This theatre has = a standard lighting set up as well. 4 Another theatre space, but quite small.=A0 This theatre seats 120 +/- = and has no fly system.=A0 It is a theatre with about a 20 foot = proscenium.=A0 Lighting is poor, but will be corrected in the next year = to be adequate.=A0 This theatre will also have a standard lighting set = up, and will provide no sound, not really necessary as the facility is = so small. I am open to suggestions of rental charges for each of the above = facilities and would appreciate any given.=A0 You may email to me off = list or to the list as a whole, some others may be interested in = suggested rental charges as well. Thank you for your time, Keith W. Johnson Associate Professor Designer/Technical Director EKU Theatre 306 Campbell Bldg. Eastern Kentucky University 521 Lancaster Ave. Richmond, KY 40475 phone:=A0859-622-1321 email: keith.johnson [at] eku.edu ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 11:55:54 -0400 Subject: Test From: Bill Sapsis Message-ID: In-Reply-To: Hi folks. This is a test. This is not an actual emergency. (at least not for you) If it were an actual emergency you would instructed on where to place your head...... As to my problem...I lost my e-mail program last night, including my address book. If I had your address before, or if you want me to have it now, please send it to me PRIVATELY. Do not send it to the list otherwise the list police will hurt me. Sorry about all this. Thanks Bill www.sapsis-rigging.com 800.727.7471 800.292.3851 fax 267.2778.4561 mobile ------------------------------ Subject: AHJ and meters Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 12:09:12 -0400 Message-ID: <3CF87682970858499CA56707FB1F092B0A91B3 [at] wscc-s-003000.westshore.edu> From: "Davis, Thomas J" Hi one and all, I have been reading the list now for a couple weeks, and would like to thank all of you who have been contributing to the recent discussions. By way of background, I am TD of a very small college theater in West Michigan. I've spent most of the last 30 years in professional theater and TV, with a hiatus in a cabinet shop, followed by several years as a starving artist before taking on the job here five years ago. My strongest skills are in carpentry and scene design (I owned a scene shop in Chicago for quite a number of years), and have been considered a competent lighting designer, stage electrician and flyman (as opposed to rigger, although I have done some of that as well). Now, you will note I don't call myself a "sound guy." The sound guy I work with most frequently will tell you I know just enough to impart all sorts of incorrect information to my students. Although I can coil cable (even audio cable), and have become reasonably adept with using wireless mics for vocal reinforcement. On to my questions 1) Just so I know, would you please tell me what the acronym "AHJ" stands for? (So that if I am referred to as the AHJ by my friend the sound guy, I will know just how big an insult it is.) "Volume" (as in "Tom, the volume is too high, take it down 2 points"- one of these days, I need to learn what a "point" is- lol) is often a question in our small space. One thing I have noticed over the years is that our "older" audience (in this case, even older than I am) perceives anything they don't like (metal, rap, etc.) as "too loud" and anything they do like (classical, jazz, big band) as just fine, even when the latter is louder by measurement. =20 2) It would be good for me to have a more precise way to measure sound pressure than my personal opinion. Would anyone out there care to recommend a meter or metering system for use in small indoor venues? (most commonly 275 to 700 seat theaters/auditoriums) Thanks Tom Davis West Shore Community College ------------------------------ From: "Dr. Randall W.A. Davidson" Subject: RE: advice on mounting a boom position Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 10:14:44 -0600 In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Concrete block made from cement. doom -- Dr. Randall W.A. Davidson, Risk International & Associates, Inc. - www.riskit.com Latest workshops for Educational and Entertainment Industry Performing Arts Personnel (Riggers, and Public Assembly and Educational Technicians) www.riskit.com/workshops International Secondary Education Theater Safety Association (ISETSA) - www.isetsa.org -----Original Message----- From: Stagecraft [mailto:stagecraft [at] theatrical.net] On Behalf Of Jerry Durand Sent: Tuesday, June 14, 2005 8:51 AM To: Stagecraft Subject: Re: advice on mounting a boom position For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see --------------------------------------------------- At 05:45 PM 6/13/2005, you wrote: >The plate welded to the pipe has four holes. >How should this mount to the cinderblock wall? Lead anchors, expansion >anchors, old bubble gum? I hope the wall is cement block, NOT cinderblock. When I lived in Florida the houses were made of cinderblock, not what I'd trust for strength. (A cinder block is made of the stuff that comes out the bottom of a coal-fired power plant, a cement block is made out of ... cement.) ---------- Jerry Durand Durand Interstellar, Inc. 219 Oak Wood Way Los Gatos, California 95032-2523 USA tel: +1 408 356-3886, USA toll free: 1 866 356-3886 web: www.interstellar.com ------------------------------ From: "Dr. Randall W.A. Davidson" Cc: delbert.hall [at] gmail.com ('Delbert Hall') Subject: RE: flying fx training Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 10:15:34 -0600 In-Reply-To: Message-ID: St. Ignatius. doom -- Dr. Randall W.A. Davidson, Risk International & Associates, Inc. - www.riskit.com Latest workshops for Educational and Entertainment Industry Performing Arts Personnel (Riggers, and Public Assembly and Educational Technicians) www.riskit.com/workshops International Secondary Education Theater Safety Association (ISETSA) - www.isetsa.org -----Original Message----- From: Stagecraft [mailto:stagecraft [at] theatrical.net] On Behalf Of Delbert Hall Sent: Tuesday, June 14, 2005 9:10 AM To: Stagecraft Subject: Re: flying fx training For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see --------------------------------------------------- On 6/12/05, RODOK!!! wrote: >... Initial training in rigging from someone who > wasn't as thorough and meticulous would have had potentially disasterous > results. If someone says it's easy and they can quickly show you how to > rig a fly system, hire someone. thanks Delbert. > Rod Osiowy > Wild Theatre Your are very welcome Rod. I am in Rome and it is a fantastic city. Mark H. - I got to St. Ignasous (sp) yesterday and the ceiling was as great as you described it. It is about 2 block from my hotel and the Pantheon (which I love, is only one block). Got to run. -Delbert -- Delbert Hall Phone: 423-773-4255 ------------------------------ Message-ID: <58f67b0f05061409191b1fb3c2 [at] mail.gmail.com> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 12:19:10 -0400 From: Michael Powers Reply-To: Michael Powers Subject: Re: advice on mounting a boom position In-Reply-To: References: "David R. Krajec" writes: << ..... advice as to how to mount a new boom position........ How should this mount to the cinderblock wall? ....... >> David, Cinderblock is notoriously poor at supporting heavy loads when bolted through only one wall of the block, so, as others have already said, bolt through the wall with backer plates if at all possible. If it is not possible to bolt through the wall, extend the vertical member of the boom upwards until you can attach it to the building steel. The extension should be the same material the boom is made of or solid rod sized and speced by an engineer, no threaded couplings in any pipe etc. Under no circumstances should you use aircraft cable (wire rope) for the vertical support as it stretches under load. While the stretch may not seem like much, the constant lengthening and shortening as the boom is loaded and unloaded will loosen and weaken the attachment to the cinder block. HTH =20 Michael Michael Powers 413-863-4376 home 413-522-3036 cell << ..... ------------------------------ From: "Tony Deeming" Subject: RE: AHJ and meters Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 17:19:36 +0100 Message-ID: In-Reply-To: 1) Just so I know, would you please tell me what the acronym "AHJ" stands for? (So that if I am referred to as the AHJ by my friend the sound guy, I will know just how big an insult it is.) Authority Having Jurisdiction. Could be anyone from fire officer, electrical inspector, safety inspector, local council inspector, health inspector - well, you get the drift, yeah?? Ynot ------------------------------ From: "Jonathan S. Deull" Subject: RE: Portable Lighting Consoles Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 12:26:48 -0400 In-Reply-To: Message-ID: I will go out on a limb in saying that we have had really good results for the past three years using Horizon software on a low-end Dell laptop. Jonathan Deull Edmund Burke School ------------------------------ From: "Richard Wolpert" Subject: RE: AHJ and meters Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 12:39:25 -0400 Message-ID: In-Reply-To: AHJ is "Authority Having Jurisdiction". Usually refers to the local electrical inspector, but may include Fire Marshall, Electrical Review Board, etc. To quote the 2005 National Electric Code " Article 100 - Definitions: Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). The organization, office, or individual responsible for approving equipment, materials, an installation or a procedure. FPN: The phrase "authority having jurisdiction" is used in NFPA documents in a broad manner, since jurisdiction and approval agencies vary, as do their responsibilities. Where public safety is primary, the AHJ may be a federal, state, local or other regional department or individual such as a fire chief, fire marshal, chief of fire prevention bureau, labor department, or health department; building official; electrical inspector; or others having statutory authority. For insurance purposes, an insurance inspection department, rating bureau, or other insurance company representative may be the AHJ. In many circumstances, the property owner or his or her designated agent assumes the role of the AHJ; at government installations, the commanding officer or departmental official may be the AHJ." The FPN is another Code acronym - Fine Print Notice - a sort of explanatory note that is not an enforceable requirement. Make friends with your local AHJ. A cup of quality coffee and some Krispy Cremes can go a long way to avoiding problems later. Treat them with respect and they can be a great source information that will help dealing with Code issues. Richard A.Wolpert President Union Connector Co., Inc. 40 Dale Street West Babylon, NY 11704 Ph: 631-753-9550 ext. 204 Fx: 631-753-9560 richw [at] unionconnector.com -----Original Message----- From: Stagecraft [mailto:stagecraft [at] theatrical.net]On Behalf Of Davis, Thomas J Sent: Tuesday, June 14, 2005 12:09 PM To: Stagecraft Subject: AHJ and meters For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see --------------------------------------------------- Hi one and all, I have been reading the list now for a couple weeks, and would like to thank all of you who have been contributing to the recent discussions. By way of background, I am TD of a very small college theater in West Michigan. I've spent most of the last 30 years in professional theater and TV, with a hiatus in a cabinet shop, followed by several years as a starving artist before taking on the job here five years ago. My strongest skills are in carpentry and scene design (I owned a scene shop in Chicago for quite a number of years), and have been considered a competent lighting designer, stage electrician and flyman (as opposed to rigger, although I have done some of that as well). Now, you will note I don't call myself a "sound guy." The sound guy I work with most frequently will tell you I know just enough to impart all sorts of incorrect information to my students. Although I can coil cable (even audio cable), and have become reasonably adept with using wireless mics for vocal reinforcement. On to my questions 1) Just so I know, would you please tell me what the acronym "AHJ" stands for? (So that if I am referred to as the AHJ by my friend the sound guy, I will know just how big an insult it is.) "Volume" (as in "Tom, the volume is too high, take it down 2 points"- one of these days, I need to learn what a "point" is- lol) is often a question in our small space. One thing I have noticed over the years is that our "older" audience (in this case, even older than I am) perceives anything they don't like (metal, rap, etc.) as "too loud" and anything they do like (classical, jazz, big band) as just fine, even when the latter is louder by measurement. 2) It would be good for me to have a more precise way to measure sound pressure than my personal opinion. Would anyone out there care to recommend a meter or metering system for use in small indoor venues? (most commonly 275 to 700 seat theaters/auditoriums) Thanks Tom Davis West Shore Community College ------------------------------ Message-ID: <42AF094E.9090309 [at] fredonia.edu> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 12:43:58 -0400 From: "Stephen E. Rees" Reply-To: Rees [at] fredonia.edu Subject: Re: advice on mounting a boom position References: Hi, Not to get too picky about this, but cement (in one of its various types) is only one of the components mixed to create concrete (or concrete block). There is also sand and aggregate (of several types) added in very specific proportions to complete the mix and give the finished concrete specific strength characteristics. Likewise, mortar is a separate breed of cat with its own characteristics and components. To get back to the topic, I strongly suggest that a P.E. sign off on the proposed install. It will take you out of the liability loop or at least distance you from future problems. We are doing the same kind of upgrade here and it has now involved an architect, an engineer and the campus construction folk. Best Regards, Steve Rees, TD SUNY-Fredonia ------------------------------ Subject: RE: AHJ and meters Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 12:52:54 -0400 Message-ID: <6E497ADB607656479C24E6D7BF6B505A0196C84B [at] exchange.rmwc.edu> From: "Paul Schreiner" > 1) Just so I know, would you please tell me what the acronym=20 > "AHJ" stands for? (So that if I am referred to as the AHJ by=20 > my friend the sound guy, I will know just how big an insult it is.) >=20 > 2) It would be good for me to have a more precise way to=20 > measure sound pressure than my personal opinion. Would=20 > anyone out there care to recommend a meter or metering system=20 > for use in small indoor venues?=20 Since others out there have already answered question 1, I'll tackle number 2. While it's not a piece of ultra-high quality equipment, I've been very pleased with the Galaxy Audio CM-140. Selling for about $100-120, it's within most budgets, and provides accuracy within 1.5dB. It'll do both A and C weightings, as well as fast or slow readings. I had one at my last job, and am buying one for here this fall. ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Portable Lighting Consoles Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 10:06:10 -0700 Message-ID: From: "Michael Finney" On Mon, 13 Jun 2005 James Feinberg wrote: <> Personal opinion - I'd look at the ETC Express 125/250, but I'd probably = add a Reflection unit as a = back-up/general-use/playback-for-the-technically-challenged unit. I've = spec'd that combination for a couple of friends in similar situations = and it seems to work out fine for them. One other console that I'm liking right now is the Strand 300 (the = 125/250 unit with wireless Ethernet card) with the designer's remote. = Similar in size to the Express when open (it folds up - cool for travel = or storage), but the layout suits me a bit better (no good reason why - = I just took to the console quickly when I sat down at it the first = time). The cool thing about that combo is that you plug the designer's = remote dongle into your laptop and you've got all the console operations = sitting on your laptop screen (or you can just monitor what your = programmer is doing) live/real-time, as you're connected to the console = over the wireless network connection. That's been a very nice = combination when I've had a chance to use it (actually with the 500 = series consoles, but the interface is the same) - and it means that you = could leave the console in a control closet and just interface using a = laptop. I'm looking at one to add to our office kit for special = events.... I don't know that I'd go with a PC based unit for this application = (mostly because of the user interface), but there are some nice ones out = there. I'd have to disagree with Mr. O'Donnell about PC based consoles = being inherently evil(depends on the unit, of course)(and I certainly = understand his negative comments about them...more in a second). For = instance, I've use the Horizon unit (now sold by Rosco) on some pretty = large projects and didn't have any problems with it. Ditto any number = of show control based units. The caveat (and I think this might have = been Daniel O'Donnell's experience) is that I've seen people try to run = them on the same unit that they're using for word processing and = spreadsheet work and email and game play...and it's not at all uncommon = to run into all sorts of nasty hardware/firmware/software conflicts in = that instance...and some of the most common glitches are exactly what = Daniel was describing...my favourite being the guy I ran into in a small = local venue who had his control software open (and operating a = rehearsal) at the same time he was trying to play Halo. Didn't work all = that well...he crashed the stage to black *and* he really, really sucked = at Halo..... Michael Finney Thinkwell Design & Production mfinney [at] thinkwelldesign.com www.thinkwelldesign.com =A0 ------------------------------ Subject: RE: AHJ and meters Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 13:06:24 -0400 Message-ID: From: "Cyr, Dale" -----Original Message----- >> Would anyone out there care to recommend a meter or metering system=20 >> for use in small indoor venues?=20 From: Stagecraft [mailto:stagecraft [at] theatrical.net] On Behalf Of Paul Schreiner >While it's not a piece of ultra-high quality equipment, I've been very >pleased with the Galaxy Audio CM-140. Selling for about $100-120, it's >within most budgets, and provides accuracy within 1.5dB. It'll do both >A and C weightings, as well as fast or slow readings. I had one at my >last job, and am buying one for here this fall. the option that paul suggests is good. radio shack sells one for about half that, same features, not quite as accurate. might be 'close enough' for your purposes, especially if cost is a 'major' consideration... see http://www.digital-recordings.com/audiocd/radio.html for a comparison of the accuracy of the RS model vs a pro B&K model. dale cyr Training Supervisor IATSE Local 93 Spokane Wa ------------------------------ From: FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Message-ID: <85.299cd2fe.2fe0719b [at] aol.com> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 13:44:59 EDT Subject: Re: Sound Levels? In a message dated 14/06/05 04:37:35 GMT Daylight Time, megironda [at] att.net=20 writes: > Lord, I wish I could quote specifics; my recollection was that 2dB was wha= t=20 > the sound mixers in Hollywood observed to be a noticeable change. Can't=20 > remember where it came from though... Back in the days of mono, and of stud faders, these had 1.5dB steps ove most= =20 of the range, increasing to 2dB at the bottom. While the 2dB steps are not=20 really detectable, the slightly smaller ones gave a smoother action. When stereo came in, stud faders went out. When you tried to gang a pair of=20 quadrants to make a stereo channel, they never quite managet to have the ste= ps=20 in absolute sync, and the sound image used to move. To avoid this, the signa= l=20 wnt through the faders in M/S form, rather than A/B. This just gave minor=20 width variations in the stereo sound field. All this was using existing mono= =20 desks, adapted for stereo.=20 Once stereo was the norm, proper stereo faders were used in the desk designs= .=20 These were horribly expensive; =A360 or so each, back in the early seventies= ,=20 as I remember. Then conductive plastic came in, at half the price. Frank Wood ------------------------------ From: FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Message-ID: Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 13:57:01 EDT Subject: Re: AOL workaround In a message dated 14/06/05 06:14:08 GMT Daylight Time, MissWisc [at] aol.com writes: > Ask which version of AOL he's using. When I'm on my Mac, it's an older > machine and I run AOL 3.0. No HTML, and downloading attachemnts is iffy at > best. My version is a bit younger, AOL 5.0, on a PC. I have no trouble with this. I have later versions available, but they all send mail with MIME attachments, which are automatically rejected by this list. AOL does have some funnies. I access my bank accounts on the net, but to do this, I have to go on line with AOL, and then call up Explorer, Yahoo, and then my bank, which seems not to like something that AOL does. Frank Wood ------------------------------ From: FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Message-ID: <13d.1536ae70.2fe07bee [at] aol.com> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 14:29:02 EDT Subject: Re: AHJ and meters In a message dated 14/06/05 17:09:00 GMT Daylight Time, TJDavis [at] westshore.edu writes: > 1) Just so I know, would you please tell me what the acronym "AHJ" > stands for? (So that if I am referred to as the AHJ by my friend the > sound guy, I will know just how big an insult it is.) It stands for "Authority Having Jurisdiction". Depending on your local rules, this may be anything between your local Fire Marshal to some geek from OSHA. But they can require you to do, or not to do, anything which falls within their remit. > > "Volume" (as in "Tom, the volume is too high, take it down 2 points"- > one of these days, I need to learn what a "point" is- lol) is often a > question in our small space. The trick here is to take it down a lot, and then, when it's said to be too quiet, take it back to where it was. This works a lot of the time. The director doesn't know what "two points" means any more than you or I do. One thing I have noticed over the years is > that our "older" audience (in this case, even older than I am) perceives > anything they don't like (metal, rap, etc.) as "too loud" and anything > they do like (classical, jazz, big band) as just fine, even when the > latter is louder by measurement. In this case, I think that it is due to the nature of the sound. The sounds about which they complain tend to be 'jagged' , the others smoother. > > 2) It would be good for me to have a more precise way to measure sound > pressure than my personal opinion. Would anyone out there care to > recommend a meter or metering system for use in small indoor venues? > (most commonly 275 to 700 seat theaters/auditoriums) There are many around, and I don't know the US market. The jackpot answer is equipment made by Bruel and Kjaer, but I think that this is overkill for you. Frank Wood ------------------------------ Message-ID: From: "RICHARD FINKELSTEIN" Subject: reposting of TD job. Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 14:29:25 -0400 Greetings folks. This is a re-post of our TD job opening announcement. Although the pay is not high note that MFA is NOT a requirement. Experienced BFA and BA folks may apply too. Richard Finkelstein, James Madison University. == STAFF TECHNICAL DIRECTOR for active undergraduate NAST/NASD accredited theatre and dance program. Working with faculty and guest designers, supervise technical execution of scenery, props, sound and lighting for school productions, including a summer season. Supervise paid and volunteer student assistants in well-equipped shop. Possibly design or take on instructional duties. Skills in theatrical carpentry, welding, CAD, rigging, management, electrics and sound are desired. M.F.A. in technical theatre or B.A./B.F.A. with professional technical direction experience required. Position available August 1, 2005. Twelve-month staff position. Salary $28,143 - $32,000 plus full state benefits. To apply send a cover letter, resume, names and phone numbers of three references, and a completed state application form to: Human Resources James Madison University MSC 7009 Harrisonburg, VA 22807 EEO/AAO Please note: You can find a link (it's near the top if you look carefully) to the state application form at the following website. . . http://www.jmu.edu/humanresources/jobs/wage.shtml ------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.6.32.20050614131220.017121a8 [at] pop.west.cox.net> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 13:12:20 From: CB Subject: Flashlight Replacement > Question of the >morning - what do folks like these days for a belt-worn flashlight? Find out what kind of batteries your soundguy uses, and get the appropriate Mag. There is a tendancy towards brighter is better, and whiter is easier to see, but most of the uses I need an immediate light for are accomplished easily by a Mag. And, with the added bonus of free batteries. Most of my issues are too much brightness! Last tour we had some of the locals light entrances in dark scenes, idea being that they entered in front of a starfield adn were supposed to look like they were 'ethereally floating in pools of light'. Some of the 'Vegas Luxor quality handhelds ruined the effect. Kramer, you want to chime in on this? OTOH, if you are a rigger, you might need something that'll reach the grid from the floor, or vice versa. If I need something that bright, I have the 14.4 flashlight that came with the drill, and a 3D mag and a 6D mag in theroadbox. I think that some of these flashlights might be compensating for something... Chris "Chris" Babbie Location Sound MON AZ Delete key training and post trimming done by appointment. Rates negotiable, will trade for typing lessons/ADD treatment... ------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.6.32.20050614131409.017121a8 [at] pop.west.cox.net> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 13:14:09 From: CB Subject: Re: AOL workaround >He just says its a mac thing and i >finish up by sending him CDs thro the post. Is there anything I can do or >persuade him to do? I just post 'em to my website, and send 'em the URL. They get to download them from the web. Faster if I'm sending them to multiple recipients too! Chris "Chris" Babbie Location Sound MON AZ Delete key training and post trimming done by appointment. Rates negotiable, will trade for typing lessons/ADD treatment... ------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.6.32.20050614131854.017121a8 [at] pop.west.cox.net> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 13:18:54 From: CB Subject: audio cables > My question: Do we replace these cables with something of higher >quality that can take the abuse or stick the DJ quality and just replace >it more often? Depends. Do you want it to fail more often and go to the store more frequently, or make fewer trips and spend mor money? I'd buy a reel (100m to 500M, go in on it with someone if you don't need that much) of Belden cable and a box of Swithcraft A3M's and A3F's, and make 'em up as I needed them, with spares on hand. At least that way you know that the thing is put together well, and that it'll last a while. Then send them to my website or the stagecraft website and tell them to learn it. It's only the show going down that cable, ya know. Chris "Chris" Babbie Location Sound MON AZ Delete key training and post trimming done by appointment. Rates negotiable, will trade for typing lessons/ADD treatment... ------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.6.32.20050614133639.017121a8 [at] pop.west.cox.net> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 13:36:39 From: CB Subject: Re: Sound Levels? >The sound problem I was referring to is the theaters turn down the sound >levels because of complaints. Everyone has two jobs... Yeah, most commercial mixers (radio, TV, Films, CD's) compress the hell out of everything, looking to assault you with a constant barrage. Heaven forfend you be able to think about the piece, you might get up and leave, or change channels. You're right, movie sound tends to suck unless you like it big and loud all the time. Dialogue seems to be secondary. If I ever get to hear any uncluttered, maybe I'll know why. I only go to see the big screen epics anymore. I saw 'StarWars III' yesterday, and 'Kingdom of Heaven' while I was in Glasgow, (it was in a twelve story theatre!), but probably the last one before that was 'Shrek II'. If I go out to an event, I work. Whether or not I get paid, or get to manipulate the sound is another matter. I showed up for jury duty, and the judge asked if there was any reason we thought we might be too uncomfortable to serve, and I said, "I'll be perfectly happy to serve in a jury if you can make that feedback on your mic go away". For some reason, everyone laughed. I feel your pain, my brother! Chris "Chris" Babbie Location Sound MON AZ Delete key training and post trimming done by appointment. Rates negotiable, will trade for typing lessons/ADD treatment... ------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.6.32.20050614134922.017121a8 [at] pop.west.cox.net> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 13:49:22 From: CB Subject: Re: Sound Levels? >.... Dan and I are old >buds and I learned a lot from him in the early days (he's older than me ;-) so >you will have to be careful here... Oh, don't get me wrong, I got nothing but love and respect for Dan. I never meant to imply anything disparaging at all, just that it sounded as if there were ten equal spaces, each corresponding to a 6 dB shift, which would be linear. I'm guessing that the spaces were set up to correspond with the log taper. >Do you mean they weren't readable or they had to be changed for new levels? They weren't readable. This is back, mind you, when they were cutting dinosaur roars on discs, and you had to be a mad scientist or a record lable to have your own CD recorder. One of three was pretty good odds at that time! Levels on all three, of course, were fabulous. This is the design where one of the patrons, referencing the helicoptor landing sequence, remarked, "I was IN 'Nam, and the sound of the Huey is spot on. The only difference between the landing here and a real Huey landing is the Huey made more wind. And it was quieter". While the sound of the Huey landing in that room DID exceed 110 dB for a short while, all of the power of a huge helicopter in the room was provided by the subs locked up in the storage area under the seats, and vented very poorly. This created the feeling that the entire room was shaking, and 110 dB seemed like it was deafening. When the director and the dancer/writer/choreographer brought up this concern, I simply had the discussion with them while the sound cue was running. The fact that we could have the discussion with raised voices, but not having to shout, convinced them, along with the short exposure time (fifteen seconds for the entire cue, ramped up from nothing to really loud). Chris "Chris" Babbie Location Sound MON AZ Delete key training and post trimming done by appointment. Rates negotiable, will trade for typing lessons/ADD treatment... ------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.6.32.20050614135144.017121a8 [at] pop.west.cox.net> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 13:51:44 From: CB Subject: we're getting old >You know you're getting old when you go back to your elementary school and >it has been turned into a senior recreation center! Only if the same people are still going there... Chris "Chris" Babbie Location Sound MON AZ Delete key training and post trimming done by appointment. Rates negotiable, will trade for typing lessons/ADD treatment... ------------------------------ Reply-To: From: "David R. Krajec" Subject: mixer question Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 15:37:30 -0500 Message-ID: In-Reply-To: I have a Mackie 32*8 mixer that does something weird. It acts as if it is a powered mixer. Situation: I have a CD player plugged into say channel 31 and 32 (R & L). With the trim panned all the way down, the AUX panned all the way down, Mix B panned all the way down, the channel sliders panned all the way down and nothing being sent to any of the 8 submasters or the LR Mix, I still get some bleed-through on the booth monitors. I've had someone come out and he was just as puzzled as me. He called Mackie and we got some sort of statement that amounted to "some boards are hot". This doesn't seem right. The board was installed new in 1997 and has been lightly used since then (4 shows per year plus about 6 special events/talking heads per year). Any reactions? Thanks! David K. ------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.6.32.20050614135457.017121a8 [at] pop.west.cox.net> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 13:54:57 From: CB Subject: Re: Sound Levels? >I don't think that you appreciated what I meant. This was a logarithmic >fader, using individual; high precision resistors to generate the law. What you describe is a logarithmic progressive, 64 position switch. Are there or are there not 64 preset resistance levels on this 'fader'? Or did you meant that there were 64 marks on the console next to the fader? Chris "Chris" Babbie Location Sound MON AZ Delete key training and post trimming done by appointment. Rates negotiable, will trade for typing lessons/ADD treatment... ------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.6.32.20050614135743.017121a8 [at] pop.west.cox.net> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 13:57:43 From: CB Subject: Re: we're getting old >While I was in high school, they tore it down and put up a >senior living center on the site. The last time I went to my high school, it was to shoot a feature. After that, they turned it into a used car lot. Kinda appropriate considering the education I got there... Chris "Chris" Babbie Location Sound MON AZ Delete key training and post trimming done by appointment. Rates negotiable, will trade for typing lessons/ADD treatment... ------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.6.32.20050614140541.017121a8 [at] pop.west.cox.net> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 14:05:41 From: CB Subject: RE: Sound Levels? >stage you won't even know there's a concert on at >all.... And that the speaker arrays would make it VERY difficult for the >neighbours to actually be aware of the gig. New, from the makers of 'Liquid Shadow' and 'Lit-B-Gone' (tm), its... 'Spray-On Phase Cancellor', and 'Liquid Freq-Stop'! Just spray new Phase Cancellor on your upstage rags, and sound will instantly be turned into heat! Liquid Freq-Stop on your fences will retard the passage of any frequencies between 20 and 20K Hertz! Youre neighbors won't even be aware of teh gig! I have a coupla Rolexes I have to get rid of cheap, too. See my e-bay page quick, though, they're at $28 and will be going soon! Chris "Chris" Babbie Location Sound MON AZ Delete key training and post trimming done by appointment. Rates negotiable, will trade for typing lessons/ADD treatment... ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 21:49:19 +0100 (BST) From: Charlie Richmond Subject: Re: Sound Levels? In-Reply-To: Message-ID: References: On Tue, 14 Jun 2005, CB wrote: > What you describe is a logarithmic progressive, 64 position switch. Are > there or are there not 64 preset resistance levels on this 'fader'? Or did > you meant that there were 64 marks on the console next to the fader? The latter.... ;-) Dan (and I) used extremely accurate, (later laser-trimmed) faders so we could ensure that the marks exactly corresponded with the carefully measured attenuation of a number of samples... And in fact, there were only 41 marks on Dan's faders (0-10 with marks at 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 point levels between each whole number). I had marks at 0, .1 to .9, and 1 to 10 with marks at 1/8, 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 5/8, 3/4 and 7/8 between each of those for a total of, um... 90 I think ;-) It sounds really stupid now in the digital age but the directors were totally into 'bringing it up/down' a point meaning a 6dB change -- and the .8-.9 change was also 6dB, just way down there... Like I said before, when everything went digital including lighting desks, everyone began to 'understand' that the full range included 100 numbers ;-) Charlie ------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.6.32.20050614141141.017121a8 [at] pop.west.cox.net> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 14:11:41 From: CB Subject: RE: Sound Levels? >Then he comes out with crap like "My friend, sitting >in row P seat 8, (who, by the way knows music and thus what he's talking >about) tells me that the mix was off tonight - DO something about it >please!" "Well, tomorrow night he is welcome to come sit behind the console where he can actually do something about it. Have him tell me which knobs to turn, and by how much, and I'll be happy to accomodate!" Hey, I work hard, and those comments are supposed to be made at sound check. If there is someone who wants to criticise, c'mon up! I could use a walk and a beer about now! OTOH, I have known MD's and Grande Dames, and others who are freakily canny about the mix. While they may not have the nous to mix, from teh stage I've had comments like, "Was that as loud as we had it in spacing rehearsal?". I've said yes, of course, but it was actually just a skosh low! If they can consistently hear a skosh from the deck, I'll give them whatever they want. Chris "Chris" Babbie Location Sound MON AZ Delete key training and post trimming done by appointment. Rates negotiable, will trade for typing lessons/ADD treatment... ------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.6.32.20050614142032.017121a8 [at] pop.west.cox.net> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 14:20:32 From: CB Subject: Re: Sound Levels? >my recollection was that 2dB was what the sound mixers in Hollywood observed to be a noticeable change. I dunno if Hollywood sound mixers are the ones I'd want to use as a reference... ; > With almost all of the topics being on sound and old age, I have accomplished NOTHING in the past few days. My apologies for posting so much lately, but it seems that I am expert on both subjects! Chris "Chris" Babbie Location Sound MON AZ Delete key training and post trimming done by appointment. Rates negotiable, will trade for typing lessons/ADD treatment... ------------------------------ From: FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Message-ID: <1a9.39a537ca.2fe0b027 [at] aol.com> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 18:11:51 EDT Subject: Re: audio cables In a message dated 14/06/05 21:02:35 GMT Daylight Time, psyd [at] cox.net writes: > > My question: Do we replace these cables with something of higher > >quality that can take the abuse or stick the DJ quality and just replace > >it more often? > > Depends. Do you want it to fail more often and go to the store more > frequently, or make fewer trips and spend mor money? It is always tempting to pull connectors apart by the cable. I can see two answers. The first is to use right-angle plugs. XLR shells are available like this, and unless your troops are really, really stupid hauling on the cable is out. The second is to use connectors which have been designed to withstand this sort of treatment. The only one I know is the B-gauge jack plug, designed for manual telephone exchanges in the very early 1900s, and still in use for audio patchbays. At that, only the ones to the original specifation. It was foreseen that the exchange operators would pull then out by the cable, and they were designed accordingly. The cable grip is a 1/2" long x 1/4" nut, into which the cable, and its screen connection are screwed, tightly. Frank Wood ------------------------------ From: "Tony Deeming" Subject: RE: audio cables Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 23:21:46 +0100 Message-ID: In-Reply-To: -----Original Message----- From: Stagecraft [mailto:stagecraft [at] theatrical.net]On Behalf Of FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Sent: 14 June 2005 23:12 To: Stagecraft Subject: Re: audio cables For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see --------------------------------------------------- In a message dated 14/06/05 21:02:35 GMT Daylight Time, psyd [at] cox.net writes: > > My question: Do we replace these cables with something of higher > >quality that can take the abuse or stick the DJ quality and just replace > >it more often? > > Depends. Do you want it to fail more often and go to the store more > frequently, or make fewer trips and spend mor money? It is always tempting to pull connectors apart by the cable. I can see two answers. The first is to use right-angle plugs. XLR shells are available like this, and unless your troops are really, really stupid hauling on the cable is out. The second is to use connectors which have been designed to withstand this sort of treatment. The only one I know is the B-gauge jack plug, designed for manual telephone exchanges in the very early 1900s, and still in use for audio patchbays. At that, only the ones to the original specifation. It was foreseen that the exchange operators would pull then out by the cable, and they were designed accordingly. The cable grip is a 1/2" long x 1/4" nut, into which the cable, and its screen connection are screwed, tightly. Frank Wood Option 1 - quite a sensible (if more expensive) suggestion. Option 2 - Hope you were jesting with this one, Frank! I know the PO jacks (intimately!) and can honestly say that for use in conjunction with standard 1.25" jacks these are really a bit unsuitable considering the inherent differences! The other problem is that the original post (I'm sure) was referring to XLR connectors, and NO-ONE will be (I'm sure) going to advocate changing those for PO Jacks!! Ynot ------------------------------ From: FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Message-ID: <60.5793ada1.2fe0b355 [at] aol.com> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 18:25:25 EDT Subject: Re: Sound Levels? In a message dated 14/06/05 21:20:35 GMT Daylight Time, psyd [at] cox.net writes: > >The sound problem I was referring to is the theaters turn down the sound > >levels because of complaints. > > Everyone has two jobs... > Yeah, most commercial mixers (radio, TV, Films, CD's) compress the hell out > of everything, looking to assault you with a constant barrage. Heaven > forfend you be able to think about the piece, you might get up and leave, > or change channels. Some do, and some don't. To some extent, that's what the guy with his hands on the faders is for. The sound level has to be kept within the limits of the transmision path. When, as many of us do, we listen in our cars on the road, some degree of compression can be justified. Tyre noise, wind noise, and engine noise all conspire against us. The mix that is right for my sitting room isn't neccessarily right for my car. But, hard-driven automatic compressors, no! Frank Wood ------------------------------ From: FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Message-ID: <7f.602d54ae.2fe0b6ad [at] aol.com> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 18:39:41 EDT Subject: Re: Sound Levels? In a message dated 14/06/05 21:38:46 GMT Daylight Time, psyd [at] cox.net writes: > What you describe is a logarithmic progressive, 64 position switch. Are > there or are there not 64 preset resistance levels on this 'fader'? Or did > you meant that there were 64 marks on the console next to the fader? Yes, I meant a 64-step switch, with individually wired, high precision resistors to each stud to create the law. A Painton fader. They also often had micro-switches fitted to detect the 'off end stop' condition. These were usually used to cut the studio foldback, when a mike was even marginally live. Frank Wood ------------------------------ From: FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Message-ID: <146.467cb841.2fe0bb32 [at] aol.com> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 18:58:58 EDT Subject: Re: Sound Levels? In a message dated 14/06/05 21:56:37 GMT Daylight Time, psyd [at] cox.net writes: > OTOH, I have known MD's and Grande Dames, and others who are freakily canny > about the mix. While they may not have the nous to mix, from teh stage > I've had comments like, "Was that as loud as we had it in spacing > rehearsal?". I've said yes, of course, but it was actually just a skosh > low! If they can consistently hear a skosh from the deck, I'll give them > whatever they want. You get them, and worse. I have known of a film dubbing mixer who complained about the frequency response of his equipment, using as evidence his own 'golden ears'. It was our normal custom , before work started, that every replay machine and every recorder was checked out by an engineer, to conform to specifications laid down from on high. This involved doing a frequency response check, and noise and distortion checks, and in rectifying any errors. Thankfully, it was my day off. Had it not been, there would have been a serious confrontation. Frank Wood ------------------------------ From: FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Message-ID: <1b9.15817fc2.2fe0bcb3 [at] aol.com> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 19:05:23 EDT Subject: Re: Sound Levels? In a message dated 14/06/05 22:04:28 GMT Daylight Time, psyd [at] cox.net writes: > With almost all of the topics being on sound and old age, I have > accomplished NOTHING in the past few days. My apologies for posting so > much lately, but it seems that I am expert on both subjects! You and me both! Before redundancy hit me, I had spent 28 years playing with broadcast sound, to my employer's satisfaction, and my 66th birthday was about a month ago. Frank Wood ------------------------------ Message-ID: <468d228205061416455c704938 [at] mail.gmail.com> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 19:45:21 -0400 From: Michael Beyer Reply-To: Michael Beyer Subject: test test --=20 www.mjblightdesign.com ------------------------------ In-Reply-To: References: Message-Id: <8EDB0ABB-611E-4EA9-AB51-6A81B2F13A0A [at] mystykworks.com> From: "Daniel O'Donnell" Subject: Re: Portable Lighting Consoles Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 20:30:37 -0400 On Jun 14, 2005, at 1:06 PM, Michael Finney wrote: > > I don't know that I'd go with a PC based unit for this application > (mostly because of the user interface), but there are some nice > ones out there. I'd have to disagree with Mr. O'Donnell about PC > based consoles being inherently evil(depends on the unit, of course) > (and I certainly understand his negative comments about them...more > in a second). For instance, I've use the Horizon unit (now sold by > Rosco) on some pretty large projects and didn't have any problems > with it. Ditto any number of show control based units. The caveat > (and I think this might have been Daniel O'Donnell's experience) is > that I've seen people try to run them on the same unit that they're > using for word processing and spreadsheet work and email and game > play...and it's not at all uncommon to run into all sorts of nasty > hardware/firmware/software conflicts in that instance...and some of > the most common glitches are exactly what Daniel was > describing...my favourite being the guy I ran into in a small lo! > cal venue who had his control software open (and operating a > rehearsal) at the same time he was trying to play Halo. Didn't > work all that well...he crashed the stage to black *and* he really, > really sucked at Halo..... The Horizon is the system that I have used, all too often. The problems I have with the system is that the interface is a kludge. The layout is not designed for writing shows. It's designed for typing a letter. (And slowly at that.) When I sit down at any lighting desk I can use it, and if I haven't seen it before I can normally get it within an hour or so. After programing a number of shows on the Horizon it still takes at least twice as long to write cues. And editing on the fly is more or less impossible. When the changes need to be made within a couple of seconds, it just won't work. It takes too many keystrokes, mouse moves, mouse clicks, menus to go through... No, it's not that something else is running on the machine, or it's speed. It's that the system is not actually a lighting board, it's a computer that is trying to be a lighting board. --- Daniel R. O'Donnell dan [at] mystyk.com http://www.mystyk.com ------------------------------ Subject: RE: Portable Lighting Consoles Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 22:27:48 -0400 Message-ID: From: "James, Brian" Horizon is okay if you have time to program it ahead of time, however I = hate it for shows that require some make it up as you go, or a situation = occurs that requires some sort of manual over ride (i.e. delaying a cue, = etc). We have had good luck with our Horizon, however the ONLY thing running = on the machine is the Horizon, it can be a memory hog if you use a lot = of macros -----Original Message----- From: Stagecraft [mailto:stagecraft [at] theatrical.net]On Behalf Of Jonathan S. Deull Sent: Tuesday, June 14, 2005 12:27 PM To: Stagecraft Subject: Re: Portable Lighting Consoles For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see --------------------------------------------------- I will go out on a limb in saying that we have had really good results = for the past three years using Horizon software on a low-end Dell laptop. Jonathan Deull Edmund Burke School ------------------------------ Message-Id: In-Reply-To: References: Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 22:49:30 -0400 From: Eddie Kramer Subject: Re: Flashlight Replacement On 6/14/05 CB sent: >Kramer, you want to chime in on this? You talking to me? or http://www.msu.edu/user/svoboda1/taxi_driver/sounds/talk2me.wav But - I have and use a TerraLux MiniStar2 TLE-5 Its the best LED replacement for a AA Maglight. Eddie -- -------------------- Eddie Kramer IATSE #1 Member NEC Panel 15 ------------------------------ Message-Id: <6.1.0.6.2.20050614210822.030fa6d0 [at] mail.DesignRelief.com> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 22:09:36 -0500 From: Mitch Hefter Subject: Re: Vermont electrician licensing (long response) In-Reply-To: References: Apologies for the lengthy and late response below. These are not issues to be glossed over and I get the digest form and usually only can respond late at night. > >Jared Fortney wrote: > > > > A question to anyone working in VT as a stage electrician: > > I have been told that I may have to hire a licensed electrician to tie > > in my power at all my tour stops in the state of Vermont. > > to an outdoor tent circus. Any of that make a difference? Not really. If the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) says it must be done by a licensed electrician, then it is o unless you find something in the local laws that clearly state otherwise. I saw nothing in a quick scan of the link provided that would say otherwise. Seth Richardson then wrote: > > >Also the the genny will be out side of the tent and could be considered >not part of a "Complex structure" And if the genny was hooked with >cam tail or cam box would then be considered Stage power and as long as >you were to use feeder cable with the proper safety covering on the >path of the cable to a approved "Temporary Distro". I don't think you >should have a problem as long as you call it all "stage equipment" that >5-- of the NEC would work (I can't find the NEC book to give number).=20 >You can always claim that it's portable sound equipment if all else=20 >fails (with a extra 79kw hooked to it) Not a good or proper approach. Besides, 520 reinforces the licensing requirement. 2002 NEC Articles that likely apply in addition to Chapters 1 - 4: 518 - Places of Assembly (now Assembly Occupancies in the 2005 Code, but 2002 is in effect for the state). 520 - Theaters, Audience Areas of Motion Picture and Television Studios, Performance Areas, and Similar Locations 525 - Carnivals, Circuses, Fairs, and Similar Events I suspect that 520 and/or 525 are most applicable. Calling equipment "stage equipment" doesn't necessarily make it so. But if applicable, then 520.53(P) is probably one of the most pertinent sections related to your power hookup issue, and it clearly states: Qualified Personnel. The routing of portable supply conductors, the making and breaking of supply connectors and other supply connections, and the energization and de-energization of supply services shall be performed by qualified personnel, and portable switchboards shall be so marked, indicating this requirement in a permanent and conspicuous manner. And the 2002& 2005 Code definition of qualified: Qualified Person. One who has skills and knowledge related to the construction and operation of the electrical equipment and installations and has received safety training on the hazards involved. The trick is how do you prove this to the AHJ. One indication of "Qualified" to the AHJ would be licensing, particularly before the ETCP Electrician Certification is in place (first tests probably in 2006). In Article 525, note - 525.3 Other Articles. (A) Portable Wiring and Equipment. Wherever the requirements of other articles of this Code and Article 525 differ, the requirements of Article 525 shall apply to the portable wiring and equipment. (B) Permanent Structures. Articles 518 and 520 shall apply to wiring in permanent structures. Also note - II. Power Sources 525.10 Separately Derived Systems. (A) Generators. Generators shall comply with the requirements of Article 445. Remember, Temporary and Portable are two different things in the Code, and your use is likely to be considered Portable. Temporary in the Code (Article 527 in 2002, 590 in 2005) really applies to permanent equipment and wiring practices used in a temporary situation: 527.2 All Wiring Installations. (A) Other Articles. Except as specifically modified in this article, all other requirements of this Code for permanent wiring shall apply to temporary wiring installations. (B) Approval. Temporary wiring methods shall be acceptable only if approved based on the conditions of use and any special requirements of the temporary installation. Reminder, this is not a formal interpretation of the National Electrical Code -- formal interpretations can only be issued by the NFPA in accordance with NFPA regulations. Regards, . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------ Mitch Hefter Member NEC Panel 15 Office: Entertainment Technology / a Division of the Genlyte Group mhefter [at] genlyte.com ------------------------------ Message-ID: <50854.208.8.12.244.1118805672.squirrel [at] webmail.ducksecho.com> In-Reply-To: References: Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 23:21:12 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: Flashlight Replacement From: "Andy Leviss" Eddie Kramer wrote: > I have and use a TerraLux MiniStar2 TLE-5 Its the best LED replacement for > a AA Maglight. Heartily seconded; see my review of this and a few other units at: http://www.onefromtheroad.com/index.php?p=8 and http://www.onefromtheroad.com/index.php?p=15 and http://www.onefromtheroad.com/index.php?p=48 If you want the uber-bright takes a beating and then some, I second the Surefire recommendations. I'm in the midst of evaluating a Surefire L1 Luma Max LED for the website, and so far am in love. Not cheap, at $125, but built incredibly tough, very good battery life of of a single CR123 (and, as noted, great prices direct from Surefire on batteries). The beam is very tightly focused with custom designed optics; this may be a downside if you do a lot of real up close work with a flashlight, but Surefire sells the "beam shaper" (basically a diffusion adapter) that will spread it out if you need that functionality (I have not had the oppurtunity to try the shaper out, yet). --Andy ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 00:45:19 -0400 Subject: Re: Flashlight Replacement From: Bruce Purdy Message-ID: In-Reply-To: Sorry I'm a little late chiming in here - I've been out of town for a couple of days and spent the past three hours catching up on all the Emails! CB beat me to the punch on this a bit, but I would have to agree that it kind of depends on what you need the flashlight for! Speaking only for myself, I can see pretty well in the dark, and don't need to light up the grid from the deck, so a standard Mini Maglight is my best friend. I love the holster that come packaged with them, and it never leaves my belt. With all due respect to the gearhounds out there with the high priced hardware, I like the low priced flashlight and easily obtainable AA batteries, and it does anything I ask of it. As CB indicated, my only problem is TOO MUCH brightness. I have learned to hold the lens end of the Mini Mag in my fist and use my fingers as a "Light valve". For use in the wings during a performance, I also sometimes use a blue LED single cell penlight that I bought cheap at a Black & Decker store. It is also sometimes too bright, but the blue light works well backstage. HTH Bruce -- Bruce Purdy Technical Director Smith Opera House ------------------------------ Message-ID: Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 23:50:08 -0700 From: Mat Goebel Reply-To: Mat Goebel Cc: drkrajec [at] stritch.edu Subject: Re: mixer question In-Reply-To: References: Sounds like a mackie.... I don't know about those specific symptoms, but mackie's (in my experience) most commonly fall prey to power supply and ribbon cable problems. If you're brave enough, crack it open and wiggle and jiggle all the cables to make sure everything is seated properly, can air clean the insides, clean the faders. The supplies to do all that will be cheap, the greatest investment is your time. On 6/14/05, David R. Krajec wrote: > For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see > --------------------------------------------------- >=20 > I have a Mackie 32*8 mixer that does something weird. It acts as if it i= s a > powered mixer. > Situation: I have a CD player plugged into say channel 31 and 32 (R & L)= . > With the trim panned all the way down, the AUX panned all the way down, M= ix > B panned all the way down, the channel sliders panned all the way down an= d > nothing being sent to any of the 8 submasters or the LR Mix, I still get > some bleed-through on the booth monitors. I've had someone come out and = he > was just as puzzled as me. He called Mackie and we got some sort of > statement that amounted to "some boards are hot". > This doesn't seem right. The board was installed new in 1997 and has bee= n > lightly used since then (4 shows per year plus about 6 special > events/talking heads per year). >=20 > Any reactions? Thanks! >=20 > David K. >=20 >=20 >=20 --=20 Mat Goebel Audio Engineer / Sound Designer www.matgoebel.com Mobile: 510.693.1448 ------------------------------ Message-ID: Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 00:34:05 -0700 From: Mat Goebel Reply-To: Mat Goebel Subject: Folding Chairs, Large Outdoor Assembly, and Safety I'm looking for some advice on where to look for advice or specific regulat= ions. I'm doing some pro bono work for a high school graduation with 2,000 folding chairs. The whole thing is set up in a field outdoors, soI don't think number number of exits,etc, is an issue, but I want to make sure I am providing ample aisles and such. To generalise, each row is 84 seats wide. In the upstage-downstage direction, there is a 3 foot or greater aisle (4 feet in most places) at least per every 20 chairs. In the stage-left/stage-right direction, every 10 rows back there is a 6 or 9 foot aisle. There is 14" of clearance between the edge of any given seat and the back of the seat in front of it. I have 64 dedicated handicapped spaces, and 64 seats "reserved for those assisting the handicapped." I want to secure the chairs in banks of at least 3, but I'm getting lots of opposition to it "because it's too much work." Isn't this part of the NFPA life safety code? 9-4.4.3 I've seen referenced? If this is the case, can someone provide me with the verbage to help back me up? I know the most correct answer to all of this, ultimately, is "talk to your Fire Marshall", which I intend to do soon. I just wanted some extra input. Thanks for the bandwidth! --=20 Mat Goebel Audio Engineer / Sound Designer www.matgoebel.com Mobile: 510.693.1448 ------------------------------ End of Stagecraft Digest #428 *****************************