Nagra 4.2 User Manual
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Nagra 4.2 User Manual

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See also: Instruction Manual
Guide to the
Nagra 4.2
and
Production Sound
Recording
nd
2
Edition
Written by
Fred Ginsburg,
Ph.D. C.A.S.
Price:
© Copyright 1994, 2003 by Fred Ginsburg.
All rights reserved.
It is illegal to make copies of this publication
and its contents by any means mechanical,
photographic, or electronic without express
ISBN 0-9713941-0-5
written consent of the copyright owner.

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Summary of Contents for Nagra 4.2

  • Page 1 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 Production Sound Recording Edition Written by Fred Ginsburg, Ph.D. C.A.S. Price: © Copyright 1994, 2003 by Fred Ginsburg. All rights reserved. It is illegal to make copies of this publication and its contents by any means mechanical,...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    This publication is a compilation of articles dealing with Production Sound Recording for Motion Pictures and Video. It includes the popular "Guide to the Nagra 4.2" operations manual along with an assortment of short pieces covering various aspects of sound recording for film and video. Many of these articles were originally published indepen- dent of each other in trade magazines, so it is not unusual to find some redundancy.

  • Page 3: Guide To The Nagra

    (the mic pots on a Nagra are as good as any found on a mixing panel; something that cannot be said for DAT recorders);...
  • Page 4 “sync cable” that linked the two together. A 60 cycle sync pulse was generated by the camera motor, and this signal was recorded on the Nagra as an indicator of the exact film speed. Due to motor and battery variances, the film speed tended to vary slightly, and the 60 cycle sync pulse would reflect these speed changes.
  • Page 5 Double system recording is not just limited to motion picture production. Sometimes in video produc- tion it is preferable to record the audio separately from the video, and a sync recorder such as a Nagra, DAT, or multitrack is used for that purpose. Rationale for double system recording in video includes: concert recording, protection backup tracks, audio only interviews &...
  • Page 6 When the two sync pulses are played back over the head together, they cancel each other out. That is why you will hear the sync pulse if you play back a full track Nagra tape on a quarter-track or half-track recorder.
  • Page 7 Europe. Most Nagras have an internal switch to change from 60 Hz to 50 Hz. But if a mistake is made, and the Nagra crystal is left on 50 Hz during one’s shoot, it is not a major problem.
  • Page 8 To replace your batteries, turn the main selector to OFF (nine o’clock position) and flip the power switch to EXTERNAL (just for extra protection). Turn the Nagra upside down, and use a coin to unlock the battery compartment.
  • Page 9 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division removed with your fingers and inspected. If they need to be replaced, use 2.5A 5x20mm. These fuses will blow if batteries are inserted wrong, or if a battery reverses its own discharge.
  • Page 10 The MIC inputs accept professional, low impedance, balanced microphones with standard XLR 3-pin mic cables. Nagra recorders can be equipped with a choice or selection of different microphone preamps inside the machine to interface with different types of mics. Make sure that you know which type of mic preamps your machine is equipped with, or else some mics will not work with your Nagra! The basic mic preamp is known as the “QPSE-200-XOYO”...
  • Page 11 12 volt positive on Pin 2, and 12 volt negative on Pin 3. Nagras produce 12 volt positive on Pin 3 instead, and negative on Pin 2. So to power a shotgun mic from a Nagra, it is necessary to switch pins 2 and 3 inside of the mic (known as “red dotting”), or to use a phase reversing cable that accomplishes the same...
  • Page 12 This knob controls the volume of the internal loudspeaker of the Nagra. The speaker itself is located on the other side of the machine (the output side). The loudspeaker only functions when the Nagra is in the Loudspeaker Playback mode (the lowermost playback setting of the main selector switch).
  • Page 13 But sometimes during the record or playback process, it is necessary to use a different sync signal for the Nagra to lock up to, such as 60 Hz from an AC line, or 59.94 Hz for transfer to video, or camera sync from a special effects/process photography system, etc.
  • Page 14 Education & Training Division If the crystal plug is removed (or becomes loose) from the Nagra, and no other sync cable is plugged in to replace it, then no sync pulse will be recorded by the Nagra. This situation will become apparent to the operator because the pilot indicator flag on the face of the machine will not turn white, or may flicker! Once sync on a take is lost, it cannot be added later.
  • Page 15 The level you have just set in your headphones represents loud conversation. (Remember, the -8dB setting on the Nagra is equal to 0 VU, which is pretty close to maximum volume for mag film or video.) Normal recording levels of regular dialogue should seem like a pleasant telephone chat with a friend. Not too loud, not too quiet.
  • Page 16 The exceptional recording and playback capabilities of the Nagra can be deceiving. Tracks that sound absolutely great on the Nagra may easily distort after being transferred to an inferior medium such as mag or video. Audio on the Nagra will not distort until around +4 dB or higher on the modulometer. But you should never get that loud unless it is a momentary sound effect.
  • Page 17 PILOT FREQ is used in conjunction with the (optional) QFM frequency indicator circuit board that may or may not be in your Nagra. A deviation of up to plus or minus 4% is indicated comparing the pilot signal versus a 60 Hz crystal. In the old days, this was used to check the stability of camera fed sync pulse. I have used this position to check that the internal crystal is set to 60 Hz and not 50 Hz.
  • Page 18 During playback transfer, the playback level of the Nagra should be set so that the -8 dB head tone on the tape plays back at -8 dB on the Nagra, and is rerecorded at 0 VU on the mag or other recorder.
  • Page 19 The TAPE/DIRECT switch also plays a special role during playback. In the tape position, the Nagra will playback audio at a factory set, fixed output level. In the DIRECT position, the output level of the Nagra can be user controlled by means of the middle (Line Input) pot on the face of the machine.

  • Page 20: Main Function Selector

    The second playback position is PLAYBACK LOUD- SPEAKER. The speaker in the Nagra is now functional (if you do not want it on, just adjust the speaker volume control on the left side of the machine all the way off). The internal resolver is automati- cally activated in this playback mode, providing that there is one installed in your machine.
  • Page 21 The usual cause for loss of speed & power is low batteries! Check your volts per cell on the meter. Change them if the reading is below 1.2 volts. If the batteries were not your problem, then cease using the Nagra until a trained service tech can check it out.
  • Page 22 But there are differences in the bias settings for these tapes, so make sure that you use only the correct brand and stock number of tape that your Nagra has been set up for. We use Quantegy 406 and 408 tapes on our machines, but many folks like the BASF 468.
  • Page 23 Newer machines are equipped with a hinged, playback head shield that guards the playback head from stray radio interference. When threading the Nagra, make sure that the tape goes in between the shield and the head itself, and then simply close the shield over the tape.
  • Page 24 General Notes on Threading the Nagra Unscrew the reel lock nuts and store them on the clutch lever so they won’t get lost. Nagra reel nuts are a special thread and very expensive to replace! Open the clutch lever all of the way.
  • Page 25 “Production number/working title... “Production company/studio... “Date... "The following is a -8 dB headtone recorded at 7 1/2 ips on the Nagra 4.2 with a 60 Hz sync pulse." (followed by 30 seconds of continuous reference tone) While recording the tone, you should switch your monitor to the TAPE position, so you can listen to the tone as it was recorded, in order to detect tape drop-outs.
  • Page 26 Use the Nagra the way it was intended. Read these instructions carefully. Practice with the machine to become familiar with it. You will discover that the Nagra is not as complicated to operate as it looks, but proper operation is something that you need to take the time to learn.

  • Page 27: Simple Instructions For The Nagra Iv-Stc

    24 fps or 30 fps. Do not use other settings without WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS from your production company, or they may complain to you later when they can't get stuff to sync! Turn Nagra function switch back to TEST and repeat STATUS and NEXT STatus check to verify settings.

  • Page 28: The Soundtrack: Aesthetic Elements

    Hollywood, I took immediate employment at a motion picture equipment Sales/Rental house, and also began freelancing on the side. On one particular shoot, the Producer was desperate for a soundman, so I “switched hats” and took over the Nagra. That same producer hired me again several times—as his Sound Mixer! Soon, I found that I could work a lot steadier and advance quicker mixing sound than by loading magazines &...
  • Page 29 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division WHY DO YOU THINK THEY CALL THEM “TALKING PICTURES”? If audiences didn’t care about dialogue, but only were interested in the visuals—Hollywood never would have bothered to invent sound motion pictures.
  • Page 30 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division Narration can be recorded in two different ways. The first way, or style, is to have the narrator view the film and record live commentary while it is projected. The lines may be from a script or totally improvised, depending on the film in question.
  • Page 31 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division Sometimes, music can creatively overlap both of these categories, by starting off as extraneous and then being revealed as practical, or vice versa. Music for a soundtrack can originate one of two ways: canned or original score.
  • Page 32 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division Sound Effects The third of our soundtrack elements, in addition to narration and music, is the category of “Sound Effects”. Sound Effects (commonly abbreviated as “FX”) refer to the sounds—other than dialogue—that objects or people make, along with those sounds that occur naturally in the background.
  • Page 33 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division The soundperson should avoid the temptation to record any more or less elements of the effect than called for by the editor. For instance, if the editor needs the sound of a hammer striking a nail, don’t embellish the track with background construction noises and wild dialogue (“Hey, Ralph, hold this nail for me!”).
  • Page 34 (As you can see, there is a lot more to this business than just knowing how to plug a microphone into a Nagra or VTR!) Page 34 ©...
  • Page 35 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE SOUND EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION PROCESS Sound for film - The traditional double-system process After the production tracks have been recorded in the field, the ¼-inch audiotape are sent back to the lab or studio for transfer to either 16mm or 35mm sprocketed magnetic film.
  • Page 36 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division The film Mix After all of the elements have been assembled onto separate reels and checkerboarded, the sound is ready for “re- recording”, “mixdown”, or “dubbing”—as the process is known as. (Although some people also think of foreign lan- guage replacement as “dubbing”, that is not the correct usage of the term.
  • Page 37 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division The next step, after production, consists of the first picture edit. Film is transferred in a telecine to video, along with matching keycode or SMPTE time code numbers. Sometimes the location audio is transferred in sync with the video.
  • Page 38 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division CHAPTER SUMMARY There are four basic elements of a motion picture or video soundtrack: narration, music, sound effects, and dialogue. Narration can be recorded sync to picture, where the narrator comments on what is being projected, as it is being projected.

  • Page 39: Pre-Production Planning

    Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division PRE-PRODUCTION PLANNING The route to achieving good production sound Good production sound does not happen by accident nor on its own. It requires concerted efforts from all the production executives (producer, director, production manager) as well as from members of the crew.
  • Page 40 “best people” are asked to do camera; others to fill in on lighting & grip; someone organized and literate to handle script/continuity; more bodies to supervise make-up, wardrobe, and props; and finally, somebody to run the Nagra or DAT.
  • Page 41 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division A meticulous sound mixer or boom operator does not have the time, concentration, nor the endless stamina to properly perform more than one job. Sure, times will occur when the sound crew can help out other members of the crew in setting up—and sometimes in those cases, the sound crew should lend a hand.
  • Page 42 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division There is so much to learn, and only a lifetime to do it in. Only fools think they know too much to continue learning.
  • Page 43 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division Production Mixer The Mixer is the head of the Production Sound Department (usually just called the Sound Dept.) on a show. The Mixer is responsible for recording the dialogue and effects necessary for the editors to cut the show. Crew and equipment contributing to that end fall under the supervision and control of said mixer.
  • Page 44 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division back at the mixing panel or recorder end. (Note that ping ponging the volume level up and down during the take might balance the voices, but would create editorial havoc with the background sounds.) Maintaining framelines and keeping the mic out of the shot is required, but so is keeping the mic in as close as possible.
  • Page 45 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division Back in the Golden Era of Hollywood, cameras and sprocketed sound recorders (not exactly portable, but at least the trucks that carried them could drive around) had to be physically linked by thick, three-phase power cables that drove the sync motors.
  • Page 46 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division gencies. For instance, I once mixed an automobile commercial where they wanted me to record a few lines that the storyboard indicated were to take place in an office interior. Easy enough. Most of the commercial consisted of exterior drive-bys of the car—no sound.
  • Page 47 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division mixing panels can be purchased for under $200, so there is no excuse not to have one! Again, the selection and operation of specific equipment will be discussed in detail in upcoming chapters.
  • Page 48 Daily rental is approximately $150 to $300 per day. Location Channel What if the Nagra or DAT was to break? Do we cancel the shoot and all go home? Or do we just sit around for hours while someone drives back to the rental house for another? In either case, it is not a good scenario.
  • Page 49 Daily rental is approximately $250 to $350 per day. Video Mic Channel The Video Mic Channel is merely a Stage Channel complete except that there is no Nagra or DAT recorder. It is for film-style video production, and includes a soundcart, mixing panel, fishpole, condenser mics, etc.
  • Page 50 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division on. There are even supernatural “black holes”, akin to the Bermuda Triangle! If you are going to use a radio mic, bring along extra units. Sometimes changing to a different unit on a different frequency helps.
  • Page 51 The most popular model Nagra that can record S.M.P.T.E. time code is the IV-STC, which is configured for two- track (stereo) plus time code. Daily rental of a Nagra IV-STC or timecode DAT is approximately $85 to $125 per day, or about double that of a Nagra 4.2.
  • Page 52 Batteries Just about everything on your soundcart operates from batteries. Nagra recorders use 12 “D” cells, and will run two to four days. But always have a spare dozen standing by! Power supplies for your mics generally use two 9-volts.
  • Page 53 Their credit check is not to guarantee that you’ll pay them the fifty bucks for the rental of the Nagra, but that their ten thousand dollar recorder and you aren’t just going to disappear! Sometimes, the rental can be billed directly to the account of the production company hiring you.
  • Page 54 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division If you are acting as the “agent” of the production company—in other words, doing the ordering and picking up of the equipment, but not financially responsible—make sure that this fact is clearly understood by the rental house. Do not let them confuse your personal rental account with that of your client or employer.
  • Page 55 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division phone. Again, these things must be negotiated in advance. Shipping charges are normally paid for by the renter. It is usually far cheaper to ship one-day air and pay more for shipping but save on the rental.
  • Page 56 Types of equipment packages include: One-Mic Channel; ENG Mic Channel; Stage Channel; Location Channel; Timecode Channels; Video Mic Channel. Accessories to the basic packages include: wireless mics; Fisher boom; sync playback; time code Nagra w. elec- tronic slate; Comtek wireless audio feeds; and walkie-talkies. Expendables include: recording tape stock; batteries; and assorted sundries.

  • Page 57: Production Sound: An Introduction

    Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division PRODUCTION SOUND: An Introduction Production Sound Mixing is the complex craft of recording live dialogue and sound effects on the set during principal photography of a motion picture or videotape.
  • Page 58 Audio monitoring is off of professional grade low impedance headphones or ear wigs. The sync recorder may be anything from a reel-to-reel Nagra (either a 4.2 mono or IV-STC two-track) to a multi-track digital. Always try to monitor out of the record deck rather than the mixing panel, in case of RF interference or ground loops.
  • Page 59 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division Radio mics are an option. They are relativley expensive, and even the best of them can be unreliable due to outside factors (such as RF interference, magnetic voodoo, etc.). However, there will be instances when the sound is either gotten off of radios or not at all.
  • Page 60 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division There is no difference (to the mic) between a fishpole that is not moving and a C-clamp. Fixed microphones, also known as plant mics, can be strategically deployed around the set to cover isolated characters that would be impractical to reach with the boom.
  • Page 61 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division Lightwave). Wind tends to gust unexpectedly, and simple foam is ineffective against anything more than a wisp of a breeze. Handheld microphones (performer or reporter mics) aren’t used very frequently in theatrical production, but can have their uses.
  • Page 62 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division Rigging radio mics is a complex art in itself, but the most important point to remember is to never allow the mic line and the antenna to cross. Also, the antenna should be kept somewhat rigid, and never looped over itself. If the antenna has to run in a direction other than straight up or to the side, flip the transmitter unit around.

  • Page 63: Hierarchy Of Microphone Techniques

    Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division The Hierarchy of Mic Techniques Achieving clear, crisp dialogue and sound effects on a film or video production is no easy task. Produc- tion Sound Mixing is a craft that requires a blend of technical expertise and proper tools.
  • Page 64 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division Personally, I find that it is much more difficult to boom from below, due to the presence of set furniture or the choreography of foreground persons. Camera operators also have to be much more careful, since it is more likely to widen the frame to show more of an actor’s torso than to show more empty headroom above.
  • Page 65 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division For example, an instructor will sound more dominant on a lavalier. But a community relations spokes- person will sound warmer and more natural if miked with an overhead boom.

  • Page 66: Selection And Application Of Shotgun Microphones

    Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division Selection and Application of Shotgun Microphones In the previous article, I presented a general overview of microphone techniques or strategies used in the recording of production sound and effects for either motion pictures or video.
  • Page 67 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division frame during screenings! To achieve the closest mic placement, always begin with the mic clearly visible in the frame, and then move it outward gradually until it clears the viewfinder. If you began from way out of frame, and gradually moved closer -- the camera operator would probably panic and tell you to stop too far above the frameline.
  • Page 68 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division Dynamic mics tend to naturally compress loud noises, making them a good choice for recording explo- sive and crashing sound effects. A loud sound effect, unless carefully recorded, will tend to be “blown” right off of the recording tape, which is why real gunshots that leave your ears ringing only sound like dull pops on a videotape.
  • Page 69 There is one more complication to be aware of, namely the term “red dot”. In the early days of filmmak- ing (“b.bc.” or before Beta Cam), people only used Nagra recorders for audio. Because Nagras are positive ground, they were set up with T-powering that was pin 3 PLUS and pin 2 MINUS. To correct for this, most mics intended for film use were modified to match this reversed standard, and were designated as “red dot”...
  • Page 70 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division and free of echo. They offer the advantage of increased overhead range and headroom on wide shots. Their disadvantage on interiors is: 1) they are physically longer and may bump a low ceiling; 2) they must be precisely cued or aimed because of their narrow pattern (to cover two actors requires a very good boom operator);...

  • Page 71: Tips On Using Your Boompole

    © Copyright 2003 by Fred Ginsburg. Page 71 All Rights Reserved. QUIPMENT MPORIUM Education & Training Division Tips on the use of your Mic Boompole by Fred Ginsburg C.A.S. Why use a boompole? probably the best choice 90% of the time.
  • Page 72 © Copyright 2003 by Fred Ginsburg. Page 72 All Rights Reserved. QUIPMENT MPORIUM Education & Training Division thigh, or waist level with good results. The sound will be slightly Percussion is noise created by the cable banging against the more bassy than miking from overhead, but still quite usable and remaining tube sections of the boompole.

  • Page 73: Microphone Placement

    © Copyright 2003 by Fred Ginsburg. Page 73 All Rights Reserved. QUIPMENT MPORIUM Education & Training Division the process of mounting your shockmount to the pole, because it Keep your arms close to your head, sort of like a capital will no longer be necessary to open up the windscreen and dress “H”.

  • Page 74: Shockmounts And Windscreens

    Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division Shockmounts & Windscreens Two of the worst problems that plague location sound recording are RUMBLE and WIND NOISE. Rumble can be defined as unwanted bass vibrations transmitted through objects into the mic capsule itself.
  • Page 75 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division CORRECT way to insert a mic. The WRONG way to insert a mic. lower rubber band mount is pulled Simply placing the mic into the...
  • Page 76 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division The pistol grip shockmounts sell for around $170, give or take, depending on manufacturer, model, and your personal discount. In general, this class of shockmounts are more fragile than the cheaper ones. However, the pistol-grip mounts are quieter and more efficient at their task, especially when it comes to the longer shotgun mics.
  • Page 77 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division The distortion created by contact wind noise cannot be fixed in post-production. It can only be chopped out along with the accompanying dialogue; and a new piece of dialogue cut in to replace it.
  • Page 78 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division Hollywood sound mixers often manufacture “rain hats” made from rubberized “hogs hair” to slip over the blimps. The hogs hair is a rubberized, thistle type material that disperses the rain drops upon impact, thus eliminating the “pitter patter”...

  • Page 79: Red Dotting And Microphone Powering

    Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division Microphone Powering The topic for this article is “red dotting” microphones and other basics pertaining to “phantom” power- ing of mics. If you are already intimately familiar with such terms as: T-powering; A-B powering; phantom powering;...
  • Page 80 (You may also need a suitable XLR to stereo mini adapter.) Condenser microphones may also be powered directly out of a Nagra — providing that the proper pre- amps are installed in the recorder. Nagras employ two microphone pre-amp modules, which commonly are of the following varieties: QPSE-200-XOYO QPM3-5, or QPAU-T/QPU-T.
  • Page 81 Nagra because it converts the line input pot into an additional microphone input. Two mics can now be mixed into a Nagra III, or three mics into a Nagra 4.2, without an external mixer. The KAT is switchable for use with either T-powered condensers or regular dynamic mics.

  • Page 82: Selection And Use Of Lavalier Microphones

    Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division Selection and Use of Lavalier Microphones A brief history: Originally, the term “lavalier” referred only to the “neck-worn” or “body-worn” class of small micro- phones.
  • Page 83 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division penny AT803 ECM44 MT350 TRAM ECM77 MT830 penny The drawback to transparent mics is that they are much more sensitive to background noise, and also require greater skill to hide under clothing.
  • Page 84 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division AT899 body mics. They sound very natural, and intercut perfectly with overhead boom The Newsman's Loop mics. They make excellent plant mics hidden in sets. They also allow the pickup...
  • Page 85 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division toilet tissue first. Velcro straps are fine on males, but will destroy fine hosiery and stockings. Clip-on lavaliers are often attached to the center chest opening of a shirt/blouse or to the necktie. They can also be attached to the lapel of a sports jacket.
  • Page 86 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division conducts noise, so it is best dealt with by applying or spraying a little water mist around the mic placement area, as well as in any other areas that would not appear obvious to camera.
  • Page 87 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division Transparent lavaliers also work well as hidden mics in the set. A mic in the centerpiece can give you a restaurant table. A mic in an executive pen set can pickup both sides of an across the desk encounter. A mic on the inside of a doorjamb can give you that short line from a passerby poking his head into the office.

  • Page 88: Using Wireless Microphones

    Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division Using Wireless Mics There is a saying in Hollywood that the use of wireless microphones is more of a mystic art than it is a science. In spite...
  • Page 89 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division either due to an internal electronic malfunction or on account of local RF interference on its frequency? Do we all get to go home for the afternoon? Add to this the cost of batteries.
  • Page 90 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division better front end filtering, are preferred in situations calling for a large number of radio units to operate simultaneously. The smaller ENG units sacrifice some of the more exotic front end circuitry in order to achieve com- pactness.
  • Page 91 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division close to each other (compared to UHF TV stations), and may encompass 30 or 40 frequencies per each TV channel. But there is usually enough spread to move you into another TV channel, or far away enough from another user to avoid the interference from other radio mics at the same venue.
  • Page 92 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division Places to rig transmitters on a female include the small of the back (waist belt), the backstrap of the bra, upper back (X-shaped rig), under the arm, on the inside thigh (intimate, but works for short, tight fitting skirts), the back of the neck (under long hair), inside a leg warmer, under a hat, or even under a wig.
  • Page 93 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division Place your receivers as close as you can to the actors. Receivers can be just on the edge of the set, or even hidden within the set. It is more efficient to run a long length of audio cable from the receiver back to the mixing panel than to run a long antenna cable.
  • Page 94 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division Another way to increase your range is to shorten the distance between the transmitter and receiver. Have someone carry the receiver and walk the distance parallel with the actor.
  • Page 95 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division A popular technique is to sandwich the mic head between two sticky triangles made from camera tape. Start with a two inch long strip of (one inch wide) camera tape, and fold it corner over corner like a flag, sticky side out.

  • Page 96: Introduction To Mixing Panels

    Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division Introduction to Mixing Panels for Production Sound Why use a mixing panel? Script, and a way to send audio to the boom A master gain control will raise or lower operator.
  • Page 97 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division tive three or negative five on the camera. (Regardless, you would still record your color bars & tone at zero level on the cam- era).
  • Page 98 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division tion was when I had a lot of radio mics range can help to improve clarity. If you Aux 1 and 2 working in addition to my wired micro-...

  • Page 99: Headphone Monitoring

    Others assign the input signal to a specific track if on the mix panel to –8 dB on the Nagra — It is a common practice to provide au- in the case of the Mackie, it would be okay you are recording in stereo (2-track).

  • Page 100: Consistency In Production Sound Recording

    Recall that when using a peak reading and video is the consistency of all of the repetitively appearing meter such as that found on the Nagra, a level of minus 8 is the elements of the soundtrack from scene to scene. As a scene (or an rough equivalent of zero on a VU meter.
  • Page 101 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division especially attentive that the levels of the new shot match and be audio levels. This is an art form, not a controlled manufacturing intercuttable with the previous angles. Tough Guy should still be process.

  • Page 102: Recording Audio For Minidv

    Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division Recording Production Audio for DV, Hi8mm, etc. Small format video (DV, Hi8mm, SVHS) is tape changed, or battery changed. Unless you are being used ever increasingly for professional applica- meticulous, the resumption of videotaping may be tion.
  • Page 103 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division audio problems that many law enforcement agencies Studio One makes the XLR-BP-PRO, which is were encountering with the use of their Canon a beltpak adapter box featuring two XLR inputs, LX100's and Sony's.
  • Page 104 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division a clean signal entering the camcorder if that signal is recorded out of phase on left and right, which means worthless to begin with!

  • Page 105: Step-By-Step Audio For The Canon Xl1 (Courtesy Of Canon)

    Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division This article is presented courtesy of Tim Smith, Senior Tech Rep / Western Region Video for CANON USA. Many thanks to Canon for making this article available to everyone. All rights and copyrights are the property of CANON USA.
  • Page 106 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division by 6 dB; so you can roughly gauge a digital system’s dynamic range by multiplying its digits, or bits, by six. For example, a fourteen-bit system has 84dB of dynamic range, and a sixteen bit system (such as the compact Disc) has 96 dB.The number of bits in a system, limits the dynamic range.
  • Page 107 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division left on the tape while new audio (music and narration, for example) can be added without erasing the original sound during the editing process.
  • Page 108 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division produce a more natural sound. Select the recording level method. Normally, the camera sets the audio recording level automatically, as long as the REC LEVEL switch is set to A. You can set the recording level manually: Slide the REC LEVEL switch of the AUDIO 1/Mic controls to M.
  • Page 109 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division AUDIO 1 INPUT FOR TWO CHANNEL RECORDING (Stereo 1) USING RCA JACKS SOUND SOURCE: XLR type microphones XLR microphones are attached via the MA-100 Microphone Adapter/Shoulder Pad which contains 2 XLR inputs (L and R).
  • Page 110 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division This assigns the MIC mini jacks as the source for the audio input. In place of thesupplied microphone, you can attach an external microphone to the mini jacks.
  • Page 111 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division Camera Recording Located just below the audio meter, on the left side of the camera, the audio monitor button allows you to select the sound source you want to record: stereo 1, stereo 2 or a mix of both.

  • Page 112: Introduction To Smpte Timecode

    Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division Introduction to Timecode Recording Over the past several years, it has become ever being done in video! increasingly common to record production tracks with a...
  • Page 113 Timecode and Sampling Rates the connection to External is released, the internal code The Nagra IV-STC stereo timecode recorder is an will keep in step with the external timecode source for a analog reel to reel machine. The tape runs at 7 1/2 inches...

  • Page 114: Is Timecode Always Necessary

    Nagra, a DAT, or any other sync device. The sound being played back is only so that talent has something to hear on the set.
  • Page 115 Nagra and resolved as previously described (either on a timecode Nagra or a 60Hz Nagra); or else the DAT tape must be played back on a special DAT studio machine capable of altering its sampling rate to perform the required slowing down.

  • Page 116: Formatting For Sync Playback

    HHB machines that have timecode ca- playback: pability, it is essential to remember that If you will be using a Nagra IV-STC tape speed and timecode speed can be stereo timecode reel to reel recorder as independent of each other in the DAT your playback source, adhere to the domain.
  • Page 117 48.048K, with the establish a tempo, and then mute the the playback Nagra on the set to 30 code reset to 30 frame non-drop. speaker playback just prior to the dia- frame non-drop.

  • Page 118: What Your Crew Expects

    Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division What Your Crew Expects The following is an article I wrote a decade ago about the plight of working freelance for various industrial video, and magazine television producers. Although some of the technology has changed over the years, business practices generally have remained the same.
  • Page 119 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division don’t seem to matter. Like the cameraman, the soundman is something that comes along with the camera package. As for the rest of the crew members—camera assistant, boom man, gaffer and grip - they only exist after forceful negotiation by the cameraman and re-submission/approval of the original budget.
  • Page 120 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division In videotape, there is a 10 to 15-second delay between the time the tape operator starts the machine and the time it is okay to begin recording the scene. Not only does it take a few seconds for the VTR to stabilize, but in the event that anyone actually plans to edit the videotape, it is essential to record several seconds of “leader”...
  • Page 121 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division Bathrooms are also nice to have around. Usually, small production companies only think about personal con-veniences if there are important actors. Crews are just supposed to fend for themselves. If you are plan- ning to be out where there is nothing but ugly streets and locked buildings, or in the boonies somewhere, then arrange for a motor home or honey wagon.
  • Page 122 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division worked in an assort-ment of production capacities, perhaps in-cluding editor, writer, cameraman and even producer or director. So why are we working as specialists on the crew? A number of reasons, varying from individual to individual.

  • Page 123: Before You Sign That Deal Memo

    Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division Street Survival: Advice before you sign that Deal Memo Hardly a day ever passes that Tom and I deal where you won't be paid until the end are not besieged with phone calls from nov- of a lengthy shoot;...
  • Page 124 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division covered by Workman's Comp and Liability provided by the Pro- the amount of the sale was insufficient to pay off the deferred ducer. debt. The distributors purchasing the rights to the film always claim Equipment and expendables.

  • Page 125: Faq: Basic Audio Packages

    Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division For Hollywood caliber sound, FAQ's Regarding Audio tracks (if you are shooting with Canon you need to boom the mic from a or Panasonic). But for Sony, you will Packages...
  • Page 126 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division A shoulder bracket adds An assortment of mic cables, eavesdrop on entire conversations, not stability to your rig as well as present- including 30 footers and some 50's.

  • Page 127: Digital Recording

    Camcorders Nagra 4.2, operating at the slow (com- tend to distort easily, even though the pared to music) tape speed of 7 1/2...
  • Page 128 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division borrow a technique from the news not hear any difference in quality; and pause, FF, rewind, etc.). Headphone gathering profession. Stagger the you will save yourself tons of grief monitor is 1/4-inch stereo.

  • Page 129: Tape Boxes And Professional Labels

    Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division "Mixers on the March" Oct 11, 1998 No-Cash Productions mxr: F Ginsburg example of box spine of 1/4-inch audiotape box Tape Boxes examples of box and reel labels &...

  • Page 130: Guide To Microphones For Film / Tv

    Unlike the newer MKH60 and AT4073a, the 416 uses interference tubes and is NOT flat off-axis. Strong front reach but hollow & distant off-angle response. Early versions power from 12vT (standard and red-dot “Nagra” versions). Later mics available in 48v Phantom.
  • Page 131 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 and QUIPMENT MPORIUM INC Production Sound Recording Education & Training Division ENG Shotgun Mics for Senn K6/ME66 electret condenser capsule short shotgun. Uses internal AA battery or 48v broadcast news, docu, Phantom (improved performance with 48v). Excellent general purpose shotgun mic for interiors or corporate, and film schools...

  • Page 132: Production Forms: Production Timesheet & Sound Report (Okay To Reproduce!)

    Production Time Sheet EMPLOYEE: PAY PERIOD: PRODUCTION: DATE TIME IN MEAL OUT MEAL RTN TIME OUT NOTES Okay to reproduce and utilize this form.
  • Page 133 Sound Report [] print circled takes only Title Roll # Date:____/____/____ Sheet # ____ of____ Recorder type & sn Company Prod Number Tape speed or sampling rate Head Tone Xfer Equiv dB = Mixer Boom Sync: Hz or timecode rate_________________ [] non-drop [] drop Location Notes Scene# Take Index...

  • Page 134: From Audio Technica Us (Courtesy Of Audio Technica)

    Page 134...
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  • Page 136: The Nagra V Recorder (Courtesy Of Nagra Usa)

    MAC using USB2 or Firewire interface cable. Additional feature of the NAGRA V include dithering from 24 to 16-bit for backup on a DAT or CD recorder and optional available SMPTE Time Code generator and chase synchronizer for all current frame rates and video master reference with pull-up and down for post production.
  • Page 137 Education & Training Division menu-assisted set-up for all the operating parameters of the NAGRA V is made using the keys on the front panel, in conjunction with the LCD display. Specific settings can be stored and instantly recalled by using templates.The shift key allows for a multitude of practical direct access functions - even while recording.
  • Page 138 Nagra II - 1953 The Tradition Continues… Nagra V - 2003 NAGRA USA, INC. 800 813-1663 http://www.nagrausa.com mail@nagra.com Nagra USA is a division of NagraVision SA, 1033 Cheseaux, Switzerland Page 138 © Copyright 2003 by Fred Ginsburg. All Rights Reserved.

  • Page 139: About The Author; Acknowledgements

    Production Sound Mixer (retired) Manfred Klemme president of M.Klemme Technology Corp. (K-Tek) and formerly president of Nagra Sales (Hollywood, California) and Arri-Nagra (Canada). K-Tek manufactures excellent carbon graphite boompoles and the K-SM line of shockmounts. Audio-Technica US manufactures absolutely superb professional mics at affordable prices, and provides unparalleled customer support! Really a nice bunch of folks to deal with.
  • Page 140 Guide to the Nagra 4.2 Production Sound Recording by Fred Ginsburg Price: ISBN 0-9713941-0-5...

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