2010-05-28

Effective remote working

cineSync + iChat video conferencing

Working remotely is becoming ever more increasing within our industry. Having a fast internet connection now allows crew members to literally work together from all corners of the globe. 2 application which allows this process to be easier are cinesync and Apple's iChat.
cineSync was developed to address the issue of remote reviews and approvals, allowing directors, producers and supervisors to perform live run-throughs of work being carried out in another country, another city, or even the building next door, without needing to leave their office. It’s a simple, effective and inexpensive tool for assisting the management of distributed post production projects with a minimum of fuss.

Based on Apple ® QuickTime technology cineSync allows you to annotate directly onto the frame – you can point or circle objects in the frame, draw new elements into the frame and write text notes – all synchronised in real-time with everyone else in your review. You can transfer media for review quickly and easily from within the cineSync interface and export all your saved session information to your project management system, so you can easily keep records of every review.

iChat allows for conference video chats of up to 4 members. What has happened in the past is that video chatting has only been 2 way. Yesterday we screened some scenes of a film whilst running cinesync and iChat simultaneously on the same computer at all ends. 3 users were connected, and we suffered zero drop outs for the entirety of the screening of about 2 hours. Another user was on Skype, and they had about 3 dropouts during the screening. The bandwidth for iChat is more than Skype, however the quality and stability are worth it.


If you are using iChat and having problems connecting using video, make sure that you have the appropriate ports opened through your firewall. My previous iChat post lists the ports.

2010-05-18

Home made stereo Hydrophone for less than $10

Last weekend I decided to build my first hydrophone. I live on a lake and there are always interesting things going on around and in the water. Having been invited to also work on several art installations themed towards water, rivers and nature, I figured that something missing from my kit was an underwater microphone.

Not wishing to part with too much cash I decided to build my own. This was also because I wanted a stereo mic, and one built to my own specs. One built cheaply would also allow me the luxury of experimenting with several differing versions.
The microphone I decided to build was based on some Panasonic capsules hosted inside a set of stereo headphones, and then smothered in silicone. I also tied a fishing sinker to the mic so that it would submerge and be steadier in the water. I have to say I am extremely happy with my 1 hour build! The sound is so clear... and for only a few $$$.

I also used cable ties to keep both sides locked together so as not to have them hit each other in the water. The sinker is behind, and also held tight so as not to hit the microphones. The advantage of using the cable ties also allows flexibility in adjusting the angle on the microphones.

2010-05-14

Guitar rig on your iPhone



AmpliTube for iPhone

With AmpliTube for iPhone, you’ll have an entire guitar/bass rig at your fingertips, comprised of 3 recombinable simultaneous stompbox effects, an amp-head plus cabinet and a microphone.

With AmpliTube for iPhone fully loaded, you will be able to choose between 5 amps (clean, crunch, lead, metal, bass) with full controls, 11 stompbox effects (delay, flanger, phaser, overdrive, distortion, filter, wah, fuzz, octaver, chorus), 5 cabinets and 2 microphones (dynamic and condenser).


* Real time guitar and bass mobile multiFX app
* Full rig made by 3 simultaneous stompboxes + amp + cabinet + mic
* 11 Stomps, 5 Amps, 5 Cabinets, 2 Mics available
* Import and play with songs or backing tracks with real time effects
* 36 presets can be saved/recalled on the fly
* Includes tuner/metronome
* Free, LE and Full versions available
* Free and LE versions expandable with a-la-carte downloadable gear
* Same low-latency as Mac/PC systems

AmpliTube for iPhone will be available in 3 versions: FREE, LE and FULL.

For more info click here

2010-05-08

iZotope OS X 10.6

Attention Mac OS X Users:

Under rare circumstances, installing an iZotope product or demo and then applying any Mac OS X 10.6 update can cause some computers to experience problems booting. We have identified the cause of this issue and have provided a simple fix below.

Please download and install this patch immediately, even if you have not experienced any issues at this time. Also, make sure you delete and re-download the latest iZotope installers for Mac OS X. Please note that as of today (May 7, 2010), all of the Mac OS X installers on the iZotope website have been updated so that they no longer cause this issue to occur.

iZotope Mac OS X 10.6 Patch
If you suspect your computer has already been affected by this issue and you are unable to boot your computer, please follow the steps to fix in the iZotope Knowledge Base.