Introducing The Ambient Lockit+

Introducing:

For over 30 years, Ambient Timecode has been synonymous with precision and reliability. Like the Lockit, the Lockit+ provides all timecode and Sync formats and full ACN compatibility.

We called it Lockit+ because of its modular design and the many added values.

The Lockit+ combines the state of the art, high-accuracy Ambient Lockit Timecode and Sync technology with advanced metadata management options to improve your workflow between set and editing.

It’s the successor of both the MasterLockit and MasterLockitPlus. A lot of user input has gone into further development to make the Lockit+ the true flagship of the Lockit family

The Power of Plus

It’s a highly accurate Timecode and Sync Generator

+ Modular Hardware designed to be elegantly operated both from the sound cart and sound bag

The Lockit+ is designed to serve different situations on set or in the studio. With the Standard Extension it can be elegantly operated both from the sound cart and sound bag. In future there will be different extensions available. 

+ WiFi Access for advanced control and monitoring

The built-in server spans a local WiFi, giving users browser-based access to all the Lockit+ features via mobile device or computer. The web interface gives access to advanced generator settings and monitoring of all Lockit devices within the ACN.



+ Frequency Scanning

Plug the separately available antenna into a USB port of the Lockit+ to perform a full frequency scan. In the web interface you get concrete suggestions for available frequencies for your transmitters and receivers.

+ Metadata Hub between cameras and our LockitScript App

The Lockit+ can extract technical metadata from compatible cameras to broadcast it via WiFi to the Ambient LockitScript App for script supervisors.

+ Frame-accurate lens metadata processing for Cooke /i protocol

The Lockit+ stores key Cooke /i lens metadata frame-accurately in an open file format – at the same time it makes the data accessible live via WiFi or Ethernet.

+ Remote Control for Sound Devices 6 and 7 series recorders

+ More Connectors

While the front of the Lockit+ offers the same two outputs you know from the Lockit (Blue TC & ACN Connector / Yellow TC & Sync Connector) – the Standard Extension provides additional connections for different setups. In total the Lockit+ with Standard Extension has:

  • 2x Blue TC & ACN Connector
  • 1x Yellow TC & Sync Connector
  • USB-A connector (Frequency Scanning Antenna)
  • USB-C connector (Camera Metadata / Powering)
  • USB-C connector for Midi TC
  • Hirose (Powering)

+ Flexible Powering

The Lockit+ can be powered by 6 to 24 Volts DC via a Hirose 4-pin connector or via the USB-C socket. 

It is also possible to run the Lockit+ only with the two included BX1 batteries. In basic operation the batteries will last for up to 4 hours.

Contact Jose on +27 (0)87 551 1034 or jose@www.stratosphere.co.za to place your order.

Viviana Pads – Now available in beige!

The Viviana Pad is a multipurpose soft foam with hypoallergenic tape across one side. It’s your go-to for when you have to mic up, or for when you’ve miced up already. Use as a universal concealer foamie to create space between the lav and the fabric, place it behind a noisy object, or wrap it around the TX antenna for a quick-fix solution.

Available in:

VIVIANA PAD SMALL

12 pcs and 30 pcs per box

Three colors available: black – beige – white

VIVIANA PAD XL

Available in a box of 2pcs Size XL: 7x5cm – cut it to fit

Two colors available: black & white (please check if beige is available when ordering)

Contact Jose on +27 (0)87 551 1034 or jose@www.stratosphere.co.za to place your order.

 

 

Capturing the sound of disappearing glaciers – Bubblebee Industries

 Do you know what a glacier sounds like? 

Sound recordist Thomas Rex Beverly describes his groundbreaking work in one of the world’s most awe-inspiring wildernesses, Greenland. 

“I assumed they would make some sounds, but they were surprising in a whole lot of ways. They sing, and I find it amazing. They are like slow motion thunderstorms, and you can’t help but be awed if you get to witness their beauty and natural power first hand.”

Read about Thomas’ journey, and how he managed to capture the sound of these disappearing glaciers here >>>

Bubblebee Industries – Three examples of how you could use the Invisible Lav Covers – Original

Aj takes us through three examples of how you could use the Invisible Lav Covers – Original to hide a radio mic on talent. If you can spare 5 minutes from your busy day, why not take a little break with us?
 

PREPPING YOUR LAV MIC MOUNT (0:28)

To make the mounting process most efficient, it’s very important that you prep your lav microphone mount before approaching your talent. The packs of The Invisible Lav Covers – Original come with everything you need to do this.
Stick your lavalier mic on the Invisible Lav Tape with the mic capsule sitting in the middle of the pre-cut window. This keeps your microphone free from sticky residue, and helps to create a space of dead air around the capsule.
When sticking your The Invisible Lav Covers – Original to the tape, ensure the bigger holes are facing out and the smaller holes are being stuck to the tape.
You’re ready to go to set!

MOUNTING A LAV MIC ON THE CHEST (1:18)

For this mount, we’re going to hide the lav mic straight onto the chest, in the middle of the sternum. It’s perfectly safe to apply The Invisible Lav Covers directly to the skin as our super sticky Invisible Lav Tape is hypoallergenic. Using some micropore tape, you can secure the cable to the side of your talent’s torso.

MOUNTING A LAV MIC IN A SHIRT 1 (2:44)

A great way to mount your lavalier microphone in a shirt is between the shirt seams amongst the buttons. For extra transparency, it’s best to mount the microphone with the capsule facing out of the shirt. The choice of three different The Invisible Lav Covers – Original colours allows you to closer match your lav mic mount with your talent’s costume.

MOUNTING A LAV MIC IN A SHIRT 2 (3:38)

Another way to hide your lav microphone in a shirt is by folding over the top edge of The Invisible Lav Covers – Original to encase the capsule. The pre-cut window should be big enough for you to do this without getting glue stuck to the lav capsule. Now you can place the microphone a little closer to the edge of the shirt seam, and the extra protection helps against very low winds and those pesky vocal plosives. This mount is also great when mounting in the brim of a hat.

 

Bubblebee Industries – Choosing the best Invisible Lav Covers for hiding your mic – What’s the difference?

The Invisible Lav Covers are the ultimate tool for hiding your lav mic.

The Invisible Lav Covers are available in 3 variations: OriginalMoleskin, and Fur Outdoor. But what’s the difference?

We made the three versions to cover as many different microphone hiding options as possible, giving you a complete set of tools for quickly and cleanly micing talent under the rigours of life on set.

In this video, Aj talks through the differences between the 3 versions of Invisible Lav Covers and when best to use them:

 

KEY POINTS

0:29 – ORIGINAL
Designed for ultimate TRANSPARENCY and INVISIBILITY when hiding your lav microphone. The combination of porous material and space of dead air around your microphone’s capsule ensures your mic will perform at its best.
 
0:44 – MOLESKIN
Designed for ultimate INVISIBILITY and NOISE REDUCTION when hiding your lav microphone. This low-profile mount is made from super-soft, sustainably-sourced bamboo material, helping to reduce friction noise in tighter spaces.
 
1:00 – FUR OUTDOOR
Designed for ultimate WIND PROTECTION and NOISE REDUCTION when hiding your lav mic. Acting as a furry microphone windscreen, this synthetic multi-pile fur cover is the best lav mic mounting tool for situations with heavier layers of clothing or reducing wind noise.
 
1:21 – THE INVISIBLE LAV TAPE
The hypoallergenic Invisible Lav Tape is compatible with all variations of The Invisible Lav Covers. The pre-cut window allows your microphone’s capsule to remain free from a build up of sticky residue, maintaining its natural frequency transparency. The Invisible Lav Tape is included with all standard Invisible Lav Covers packs, and is available to purchase separately for use with the Big Bags or if you need a top-up!

Lauren Banjo talks tools and speed in capturing high quality sound for ENG

* Pic above – US-Based Sound Engineer Lauren Banjo with The Lav Concealer and Zaxcom TRXLA3

US-based sound engineer explains how having the right tools for the job helps her achieve the best results for her clients.

Location recording engineer Lauren Banjo works in the fast paced world of ENG, corporate and social media content creation and has joined a growing band of professionals who are turning to Bubblebee Industries for their specialist sound accessories.

“Most of my projects involve one or two days of shooting, in various locations,” Lauren explains. “I’m also often involved in ‘Run & Gun’ productions, where environments can change quickly and there is no set subject or script. In those situations, I am the person who follows the camera crew wherever they go, which could mean being inside one minute and outside the next.”

Lauren Banjo holds The Spacer Bubble over the Hudson River
* Pic – Sound speeds over the Hudson River with The Spacer Bubble

Topping off her list of favourite Bubblebee wind protection is the Spacer Bubble, a multipiece adaptable windshield solution for shotgun microphones that is specifically designed to help boom operators and sound recordists cope with changeable conditions.

The Spacer Bubble consists of a mesh base for use indoors, protecting against light winds caused by moving the boom, and a long-haired fur cover that slips over the base, providing excellent wind protection when moving outdoors. The whole setup can be easily adapted in a matter of seconds, so you always have the most transparent option for your surroundings.

“The Spacer Bubble is so lightweight and portable, and I can quickly slip the fur cover over my microphone and be confident that the sound will remain clear and intelligible” ~ Lauren Banjo

“The great thing about the Spacer Bubble is that it is so lightweight and portable. If I’m outside in windy conditions, I can quickly slip the fur cover over my microphone and be confident that the sound will remain clear and intelligible. And when I don’t need it, the cover can be scrunched up so that it fits easily in a bag or in my pocket.”

Based in New Jersey, USA, Lauren spends most of her working life in New York capturing sound for film and television, as well as for corporate clients who want professionally produced content for their internal communications and social media channels. In recent months her client list has included Adidas, Michael J. Fox, Samsung, World Umami Forum, Michael Bloomberg, New York Comic Con and Coach.

A musician at heart, Lauren’s interest in sound recording was initially triggered by her desire to record her own band. This led her to discover the music technology programme at NYU, from which she graduated in 2015. In her final year she attended a career’s talk about location sound recording and realised this what she wanted to pursue.

Lauren Banjo on set
* Pic – Lauren Banjo hanging out under the stage capturing redundant multitrack recordings for NYC’s Silver Sound

“It was my last semester, so too late to take any classes in it, but I had a friend who was in film school and he asked around on my behalf and found some people wanted help with the sound on their projects,” she explains. “Film people all need sound so there were a lot of takers because no one goes to film school to be a sound person. It’s a shame they don’t pair people at film school with people at audio engineering colleges! I started taking on these projects and realised it was lucrative because not a lot of people were doing it and I was picking up quite a bit of work. It helped pay off my student loan but it was also really interesting and I quickly found I was enjoying it.”

Lauren believes her success in her chosen career is mainly down to networking and learning from other people who do the same job. Within three years of graduating from NYU, she was working full time as a sound engineer and the only time work ran dry was during the COVID-19 pandemic when the entire industry stopped for a few months.

“Live sound work was hit hard by the pandemic, but it didn’t take long for production sound projects to come back online, so I began focusing on those,” she says. “I love everything about sound, and I don’t like doing the same thing all the time, so it’s nice to have different projects to tackle and go to different locations.”

Film makers and content creators – especially those who are new to the business – often don’t realise how critical sound is to the success of a project. A common, and costly, mistake is believing that poor sound can be fixed in post production, but as any sound engineer will tell you this really isn’t the case. If a crucial part of an interview is rendered unintelligible by external noise, the only way to save it is to record it again.

Lauren Banjo prepped to capture great sound
* Pic – Lauren Banjo prepped to capture great sound

“Outside of the studio environment you are at the mercy of the elements, and weather is certainly a factor you need to pay attention to,” Lauren says. “You also need to be aware of external noises and how sounds you don’t want can interfere with the audio you are trying to capture. A few weeks ago, I did a job where we were filming on the water in wind that was gusting at 55 miles an hour. Apart from being horribly dangerous, my main problem was the wind noise and how to deal with that. I used my Bubblebee Spacer and it was amazing – you could hear that it was windy but there was none of the distortion one would normally expect. If I had tried to record without the Spacer, I wouldn’t have been able to hear anything except wind.”

“Having the right accessories does make a difference”, Lauren adds, and “investing in the best tool for the job is always money well spent. If I am working quickly and I don’t know in advance what the wardrobe will be, using Bubblebee concealers is always a safe bet.” ~ Lauren Banjo

“I am not snobby – I use what works best for me,” she says. “If a product, be it a microphone or an accessory, is reliable and sounds good, then I’m happy to use it, even if it isn’t the most expensive. Having said that, when I first started out and couldn’t afford to buy accessories, I tried making my own solutions using things like gaffer tape. But eventually I realised that properly designed products are so much better and more cost effective because I could use them again and again.

For instance, I really like the Bubblebee concealer products for lavalier microphones. The rubber mounts have a very slim profile, and the metal guards stop friction noise from reaching my mic capsule. These days I use them as my default mounting option because they work well with the majority of wardrobe options. If I am working quickly and I don’t know in advance what the wardrobe will be, using Bubblebee concealers is always a safe bet. I also like Bubblebee’s lavalier Windbubble because these totally work when it comes to removing unwanted noise.”

Lauren Banjo on coast guard duty with her trusty first-mate, The Spacer Bubble!
* Pic – Lauren Banjo on coast guard duty with her trusty first-mate, The Spacer Bubble!
 
Creating corporate content for social media channels has become a large part of Lauren’s work and this means that she often works with people who are not film and television professionals.
 
“When I’m involved with corporate projects, the main difference I encounter is that people are not used to being mic-ed,” she says. “Actors will happily lift their shirts and let you stick microphones wherever you like, but corporate people find that disconcerting. They don’t work with costume designers, so they don’t realise what is involved when it comes to sound. They might turn up wearing a dress with a high neckline, for example, and you can’t clip a microphone onto that because it will sound terrible being so close to their throat. Also, they don’t realise how much their movements impact the sound – for example, if they touch their chest and knock the microphone. They can’t hear every movement they make, but the microphone can, and I can’t just go to the costume department and ask them to sew a mic pouch into a jacket.”
 
Lauren adds that speed is also of the essence when she’s creating content for social media because clients want a quick turnaround.
 
“These projects don’t get a lot of post-production, so the sound needs to be as good as possible from the outset,” she explains. “It is a challenge, and you have to learn not to be too much of a perfectionist, but it does help if you have accessories that allow you to create better sound in the first place.”

World’s most recorded guitarist Paul Jackson Jr. demonstrates why he uses Lectrosonics Wireless!

Paul Jackson Jr. is one of the world’s most renowned guitarists with multiple Grammy Award recognitions as a composer, arranger, producer and guitarist! He has recorded with artists such as Michael Jackson, Phil Collins, Quincy Jones, Stan Getz, Herbie Hancock, the Temptations, Luther Vandross, Patrice Rushen, Chicago, Whitney Houston, Elton John, Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis, Ella Fitzgerald and others.
 
Here he gives a short demonstration on why he uses and likes Lectrosonics wireless audio.
 

Capturing great sound at altitude – Herbert Verdino

With over 60% of the country in the Alps, it’s likely that anyone choosing to shoot a film or TV programme in Austria may find themselves in a mountainous location. This could present difficulties for an inexperienced crew, but fortunately Austria has an established film industry with crew that are used to dealing with extreme conditions.

Herbert Verdino at the peak of Großglockner in the Austrian Alps

Production sound mixer Herbert Verdino is one of them. A ski instructor in his younger days, he has occasionally been called on to deploy his mountaineering skills while filming various documentaries.

For his most recent projects – filming the Austrian-German TV crime drama Der Pass and two feature films in the Alps – he often had to contend with the remoteness of some of the locations and the impact cold and wind could potentially have on the audio he was capturing and his sound equipment.

“Recording audio at altitude requires a lot of forward planning,” Herbert says. “Every film crew member I know in Austria, including myself, is used to packing gear as lightly as possible so they can shoot in the mountains. You get used to shooting in locations that are not easily accessible by car, so you must think ahead. How much gear will I need? And when there is nowhere to charge them, how many batteries?

“Also, especially in winter when it can be very cold and windy, what accessories do I need to capture great audio and keep my equipment protected? What you wear has to be carefully considered as it can get really harsh in the Alps. It does become complicated, and you do need to choose carefully when you don’t have the option of throwing everything into the back of a truck.”

Some of Herbert’s favourite sound tools and accessories are from Bubblebee Industries. “Bubblebee products are incredibly well made, and I have been using them for several years now,” he says. “Reliability is so important when you are on location and, because they have such a full spectrum of products, the chances of finding a product to solve a problem increases a lot.”

Herbert adds that for the second series of Der Pass (aka Pagan Peak), which is currently screening on Sky, he made good use of Bubblebee’s virtually invisible Sidekick IFB In-Ear monitors. These communications earpieces feature a unique micro driver that fits comfortably and invisibly into the ear canal, removing the need for an acoustic tube outside the ear and providing a good alternative to earwigs. Because they are so small and lightweight, they can also be worn comfortably for hours on end.

Boom Operater using The Sidekick IFB for comfort

“Sidekick IFB monitors are absolutely great and have become one of the mainstays of my sound kit,” Herbert says. “They are very discreet and the Sidekick 3 can be easily switched from left to right ear to accommodate different camera positions. During shooting for Der Pass my boom OP and script loved the Sidekick because its sound quality was so good for such a light and tiny earpiece.”

Co-created by Cyrill Boss and Philipp Stennert, who also wrote and directed the show, Der Pass is inspired by the Danish/Swedish series The Bridge and follows a very similar trope. Largely set in the Austrian-Germany border area from Traunstein to Salzburg, it begins with a body that is discovered lying precisely on the border between Austria and Germany, which results in a collaboration between German detective Ellie, played by Julia Jentsch, and Austrian detective Gedeon, played by Nicholas Ofczarek. The second series is also set in the mountainous border region.

“With some of the characters there was a requirement to sing because they listen to music in their cars and they sing along,” Herbert says. “There was one particular occasion where we were capturing a scene in a Land Rover Defender and everyone was piled into it – the actor in the front and the director, camera crew and me in the back. Dominic Marcus Singer, who plays the bad guy in the show, was supposed to be singing along to a song on the radio, so I put the song on my iPhone and connected that to the transmitter so I could give him playback through the Sidekick. Using this method, I was able to record his voice cleanly during the takes and it allowed the song to be added in post. This worked really well.”

The Sidekick IFB (pictured here the Sidekick 2) and Aaton Cantar sound recorder

The first series of Der Pass, which was also recorded by Herbert Verdino, won the award for Best Sound at the 2019 German TV Academy DAFF (Deutsche Akademie für das Fernsehen). Shooting for the second series took longer than anticipated because of the COVID pandemic but was eventually completed at the end of 2020. After that, Hebert was back in the mountains capturing audio for Klammer, Chasing The Line, a feature film that tells the story of Austrian ski racer Franz Klammer and his victory at the Winter Olympics in 1976. Half of the film was shot in a studio in Vienna, but the rest was filmed on the original 1976 ski slope in Tyrol, Austria.

“This was another situation where I needed to choose my equipment very carefully,” Herbert says. “For the mountain scenes we were shooting on ski tracks and slopes in a resort where there were also cable cars and snow mobiles, so logistically it had to be very well organised. However, I still had to fit everything into a backpack. My equipment had to be light enough to easily carry up the mountain but sufficient to record up to seven actors. I took lavalier microphones and two booms, plus a Sonosax SX-R4+ and Wisycom wireless systems, all of which fitted into two bags.”

Herbert began his career in audio as a boom operator, but notes that lavalier microphones have become more important on film sets in recent years.

“I mainly use DPA lavalier microphones and Bubblebee accessories because they have a lot of very useful tools that suit many different situations. Having them in your toolbox gives you a lot more options. After establishing mic positions for different costumes, you can equip your mic with these tools before placing them on the actor. Or you can just give the prepared mic to wardrobe or say to your assistant ‘last time I used a DPA 6060 mic with a Bubblebee concealer and fur on this costume and it worked well in this position’. These tools make communication easier, but as with every tool you need to know how to use them – and sometimes it’s better to use no tools at all.”

Alongside his filming work, Herbert also runs Filmzeug.at – an audio and video equipment rental business and online retail shop, both of which stock Bubblebee products.

“When we started Filmzeug the rental business, I wanted our range to include a few small products that we could sell,” he explains. “Bubblebee accessories fitted the brief perfectly because they are useful and reliable tools. Our customers like them, and they sell well.”

Herbert adds that the advent of digital technology has also made a difference to how films are made.

“I know sound mixers who used to capture an entire film with a mono Nagra tape machine and two boom mics. Now, we regular use up to 16 RF channels and more. We also shoot faster and capture more content because we are recording onto digital cards, which are cheaper than film or tape. Using two cameras has become the norm on a lot of projects.

“Although digital technology has helped create smaller and lighter equipment, this hasn’t reduced the amount of gear that is used in modern production techniques. Film crews can often carry a lot more – for sound, for example, more RF receivers, power banks and accessories.

Verdino using strong logic on set in the cold and snow

“It comes back to making careful choices at the start of the project, especially if you are on location, so that you only take what you really need and are well prepared for technical (and human) failures. Tools and accessories are important for solving particular problems, but you also have to know how to use them – and that’s where experience comes in. People think that if they buy certain tools their sound quality will improve because of that purchase, but the sound captured will only ever be as good as the skill of the sound recordist. You do need experience in this industry because you are only ever as good as your last job. You don’t hire a carpenter just because he knows how to use a drill or a hammer – you also want his skill and creativity. The same goes for the movie industry.”

Since completing the second series of Der Pass and Klammer, Chasing the Line, Herbert Verdino has worked on two more feature films, one shot in Germany and the other in Austria and Croatia.

“When I’m not filming, I focus on the rental and online businesses, which means there is always something to keep me occupied,” he says.