Elucidation Request
Today's Cross•Spectrum blog post left me wanting, if have to say. And since I cannot figure out a way to comment there, I do so here. :)
First, I would like to know what's not to like about Cloverfield? Unless you suffer from motion sickness, I thought it was a very clever movie built around a tired old theme ("bad-thing-destroys-Manhattan"). My thought for the sequel: Another video is found that documents the same event from a different person's perspective. IMO, the whole thing wouldn't get old for at least 2 or 3 more movies.
Second, I have to concur, at least partly, about the B&K 2250. I say partly because I do like the sound recording to compact flash option. If you get a compact flash card with, say, 64 GB capacity, you can record (according to B&K's specs) over 185 hours of audio as 16-bit, 48 kHz WAV file(s). If all you need is a few hours - or even a full 24 - that leaves plenty of extra space for data. However, the major drawback to this (IMO) is that a 44.1 kHz sample rate does not appear to be an option. Guess the folks at B&K don't like to burn audio CDs...
(Of course, if someone would simply develop a way to attach a Type 1 mic and preamp to an somehow-record-enabled portable music player... But that's another bLog for another time...)
Another reason I concur is that there is HUGE feature that has been left out of the 2250: GPS capability. IMO, this needs to be a standard feature on all new SLMs from this point forward. At least on SLMs of B&K caliber. If they had included GPS and a way to access the meter remotely (Bluetooth, anyone?), it would deserve the hype.
Of course, over the years, a colleague and I have gone back and forth adding all sorts of bells and whistles to imaginary SLMs, only to conclude that what we really want is an acoustical automaton that replaces not only our bulky field survey equipment cases, but also replaces the operators (us), thus removing the need for us to have to travel with our bulky field survey equipment cases and go poking around cornfields, deserts, and well-to-do suburbs at 3 a.m.
But back to the real issue: What's not to like about Cloverfield???!!! :):):)
posted by Savant at
4:28 PM
2 Comments:
Elucidation you want, elucidation you shall have!
I have no problem with filmakers trying to redefine a genre, or even tyring to focus on the "little guy" in a time of great turmoil. I actually really like movies like "The Abyss" (extended edition) or "Titanic" which are really love stories masquerading as sci-fi/dramas.
There were lots of unrealistic issues (running on high heals on ballast & tie track? Who do you think you're kidding? The station is high enough to get cell phone reception but deep enough to not collapse under the miltary/monster carnage above? The Army/Guard gets tanks to the scene before aircraft?). But it's a movie, so I can suspend belief.
My problem with the movie is that it focuses not just on the little guy, but on stupid little guys. Little guys, who when faced with decisions time and time again always chose the stupid option - and of course the movie tries to mask those decisions as heroism.
Not to mention that the characters really weren't all that likable. Seriously, I spent the whole moving thinking "I really hope the monster eats these people."
I'm fine with someone wanting to make a movie about the little guy dealing with an extraordinary circumstance. I just have little patience for abject stupidity from those little guys.
As for the 2250 - there's lots to like about it, but it's (IMO) too pricey, too power-hungry and too buggy.
As for attaching a Type 1 mic to a digital recorder - that's exactly what I've been doing for the past 3 years. I connect a Type 1/2 mic and a PCB ICP power supply/preamp to a Marantz PMD670. With a 4GB microdrive I can get 24-hrs at 24kHz sampling (Type 2 quality) and I use Matlab to A-weight the resulting calibrated WAV file and calculate whatever metrics I want.
I love this approach because I don't have to think about what metrics I might want to use for analysis. If I want A-weighted, 1-minute Leq's and hourly L90's I can do that. But if I change my mind and decide that I want C-weighted 1-second Leqs and L33's I just have to rerun my Matlab scripts. Plus I get to listen to the noise source.
Not bad for $1,600 in hardware costs (compared with $7,000-$10,000 for the equivalent 2250).
Touché, herb. As always, a pleasure to exchange with you! :)
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