Lectrosonics wireless easily withstands the horrors of the new Stephen King mini series "Desperation."
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: For over two decades, production sound mixer Lisa Pinero has worked on a wide variety of interesting recording projects including documentaries, commercials, long-form television programs, and feature films. Most recently, the busy recordist completed work on a mini-series for Touchstone Television entitled "Desperation," which is based on the Stephen King novel of the same name.
As in each of her previous shows, Pinero enjoyed every second of her work on "Desperation." "I've learned from every film I've been involved in," she reveals. "I like the diversity of the work: different directors, crews, locations, and the camaraderie on each of the sets."
Among the challenges of location recording is anticipating what sonic hazards a particular locale may present. So being prepared with a superior arsenal of gear helps to reduce the many possible, and sometimes frustrating, variables. A dedicated professional, Pinero has built a reliable and distinctive recording rig.
"I value quality, reliability, and manufacturer support when I make equipment choices," explains Pinero. "I currently use a Zaxcom Deva IV non-linear digital recorder as my primary recorder. I have purchased, and am currently testing, the Gallery Metacorder location sound recorder. I've used a Cooper 106 mixer on my cart for many years and have recently added the new Sonosax SX-ST mixer for, among other things, its formidable routing capabilities. I also use a variety of microphones including the Schoeps Collette Series, Neumann KMR 81 and KMR 82, the Sennheiser MKH60, and the Sanken CS-3E, CUB-1 and COS-11. I've also owned, used, and been very satisfied with a variety of Lectrosonics wireless products."
Speaking of Lectrosonics, Pinero cites the company's Venue Digital Hybrid Wireless™ system and UM400 digital wireless transmitter among her most valued equipment selections. Per the encouragement of Nashville-based professional audio dealer and good friend Glen Trew, Pinero took a close look at the Venue system at the 2004 NAB Convention in Las Vegas and simply loved what she found. "The Venue struck me as the most sensible design I'd ever seen for a sound cart-mounted wireless microphone system," says Pinero. "The wireless technology incorporated in the new cart system was already field-tested and proven, so I put in an order immediately and promptly put the system into use. I have not been disappointed."
The Venue receiver system is a modular UHF design that works with Digital Hybrid Wireless™ transmitters - such as Lectrosonics' UM400 - as well as with analog transmitters. It uses a host assembly incorporating an antenna multi-coupler, computer communications interface, and rack mount capability for up to six receiver units. The Venue system offers the best of both digital and analog operational worlds: it combines 24-bit digital audio with an analog FM radio link to provide superior sonic quality and the far-flung operational range of the best traditional wireless systems.
Along with its exceptional performance, the Venue's functional size and easy controllability, says Pinero, is most appreciated on the set. "I really like the modular design of the Venue rack," she explains. "Space is a precious commodity on sound carts these days and housing six wireless receivers in one rack space is a big plus. All the receivers can be controlled from the front of the rack unit or through Lectrosonics' LecNet software. The LecNet software allows me to keep tabs on frequency selection, signal strength, and transmitter battery strength simultaneously from a USB-connected laptop computer on my cart. My crew and I check for frequency strength and interference issues on location with the walk test feature available in the LecNet software. We've experienced excellent range, stability, sonic quality, and outstanding reliability from the Venue system."
During the making of "Desperation," Pinero and the rest of the film and sound crew experienced a truly desperate moment when an accidental fire raged on the set, damaging most of Pinero's sound equipment. Faced with replacing most of her recording rig, Pinero gave Lectrosonics a ringing endorsement: she purchased yet another Venue Digital Hybrid Wireless™ system. "I took a long look at what was currently available, and I considered past performance on what was lost," she explains. "The decision to purchase another Venue system was simple - it performed flawlessly for us in the field, and its unique design is well suited to my sound cart configuration as well as for the work that I do."
