Between the Truck & the Flypack

[Steve F]

Just wondering if there are any others out there that have gone beyond the Flypack - cart all the gear into yet another unknown concrete bunker - but nowhere near a full blown Steve R. type pro truck setup ?

For myself I "acquired" a 16ft trailer, gutted the insides and turned it into a small CR with equip racks etc. It's not big enough to fit an analogue machine into so I use MDM's. Over the years there have been a few different consoles but at the moment it houses a Tascam M600.

There are a few advantages of a small remote unit over the big ones - 1. you can park it in/around/behind all sorts of places, 2. not a lot of maintenance costs if it doesn't get used for a while.

Anyway, does anyone else have this sort of setup ? Maybe in a small 7 ton truck ? whatever ?

Cheers

[Remoteness]

Hey Steve,

When you say, "gone beyond the Flypack," what do you really mean?

A portable flypack is as good as the equipment that's included in the package. The same goes with small, medium and large remote trucks. The equipment installed is an important consideration on many levels. Some portable rigs I've seen, blow the tops off of many mobile units out there. It's a difficult question to answer with a broad stroke.

We have quite a few "smaller" mobile units in the States. Check out the Aura Sonic links page, under Audio/Video mobile units, and you will find a few listed among the "big" trucks. > > > ASL's mobile unit list - links page

Good luck with your 16 foot trailer. It's interesting that you said, "It's not big enough to fit an analogue machine into, so you use MDM's." My first remote truck had a control room with a 12' X 7' X 7' box. I build it in 1977 when I was just a teenager. By the early 80's I built it up the facility to handle, various consoles; a Harrison console or Soundworkshop Series 30 were the main desk choices that shared the space with two 24 track analog machines, a couple of sub mixers, a variety of 2 track decks and toys. It was a tight fit, but it worked well for us before we moved to our second truck in 1984. The funny thing was, it was only four feet longer then my first truck; that's only 16 feet, just like your new trailer.

I know about the advantages in having a small remote truck. It's a great way to do it. We call our straight truck, "the Lil' Big Truck." The new dual expanding wall truck is called, "the Big Lil' truck." Insiders and close friends know them as "Jethro" and "Elroy."

Don't get me wrong, huge trucks are a lot of fun. Both small and large trucks, portable flypacks, etc., all have their place in our industry. I believe, it's really about knowing the benefits of each system and knowing which one to book for which production venture.

I hope this helped.

[NYC Drew]

In a stunnig display of ignorance, NYC Drew asks...what's a flypack?

[Remoteness]

A "flypack" is another word for "breakaway" or "portable" rig that's used on the "fly".

You know, a portable; breakaway recording setup that can "flyaway" on a big jet airliner... I've heard the "flypack" or "breakaway" terms used in the video world, but many others have adopted the term for their portable rigs.

[Remoteness]

I was cleaning out my basement and found a few old truck pictures...

Here's a picture of my first mobile unit, which was built in a 12 foot box on a 1966 Ford 600 series truck.

The image may be a bit fuzzy, I took a picture of the picture instead of scanning it.

[Remoteness]

Here's a closer (inside) shot of the first truck. The Soundworkshop Series 30 desk happened to be in the truck the day we took the photo. Remember we also had two 24 track analog machines and a bunch of 2 track decks in this 12 foot box!

The first truck ran from 1977 to 1984. I redesigned and/or upgraded the rig at least three or four times before we junked it and moved to the second vehicle.

[Remoteness]

Here's a picture of the second truck. This 16 foot control room was online from 1984 to 1987...

We went through at least two re-do's before we moved to the third rig in 1987. The third truck is 16 years old and still in use today.

[7rojo7]

WOW!!
I've been doing the flypack for awhile now, never had a truck. However I am currently thinking about having a system I can move from my fixed studio to a truck or on remote without ever leaving the flypack theory.
In other words, never take the stuff out of the flightcases, just set up and reconnect with multipin connectors where ever I go.
Any suggestions?

[Remoteness]

That's exactly how the new (dual expanding wall) remote truck I designed will operate.

Every major piece of equipment shall be in portable roadcases, that can be mixed and match as per the clients request.

Only the patch bay, interface panels, video monitors, main crm speakers, DAs, comm, computers, power, HVAC and stuff shall be standard in the new rig.

[Tubelover]

Originally posted by NYC Drew
In a stunnig display of ignorance, NYC Drew asks...what's a flypack?

You weren't the only one wondering what the hell it was.

[NYC Drew]

Originally posted by Tubelover
You weren't the only one wondering what the hell it was.

Well,

It get's more disturbing, since I've had TWO (flypack rigs) for the past 3 years.

....I wonder if I can claim them as dependents on my next tax return?

[Tubelover]

Originally posted by NYC Drew
Well,

It get's more disturbing, since I've had TWO (flypack rigs) for the past 3 years.

....I wonder if I can claim them as dependents on my next tax return?

I've worked this way for many years, just didn't know I could Fly with it

[Steve F]

After a bout of busy-ness I've finally got back here.

When you say, "gone beyond the Flypack," what do you really mean?
To me a Flypack has always been a portable rig designed to relocate into any available space at a venue - the spaces are never the same. I've used (been allocated !) highly reflective rooms, a space behind an office partition, a corner of a passageway (with lots of foot traffic), etc. I had looked at it as being you had to "Fly" in and out - you ain't got time to walk !

It's interesting that you said, "It's not big enough to fit an analogue machine into, so you use MDM's."
The bit I missed out was that this trailer was originally a mobile lunch room for linemen out on site. It is a steel frame structure which empty weighed over a ton and a half. The doors are very narrow and so short of rebuilding the door frames and building new doors I can't get a standard format multitrack into it. However, we did use a Fostex G24S for a while which was rack mounted - but this has long gone. The mixer was taken in in two sections then bolted back together.

I'll have to take some more photos then paste them up. The ones I have are all out of date.

Here's a thought - what about a "Show me yours and I'll show you mine" section/thread as a side bar to the Role Call thread that has pictures of remote rigs as used by us. Is there a limit to size/space/whatever ?

Cheers

[Remoteness]

Originally posted by Steve F
After a bout of busy-ness I've finally got back here.

When you say, "gone beyond the Flypack," what do you really mean?
To me a Flypack has always been a portable rig designed to relocate into any available space at a venue - the spaces are never the same. I've used (been allocated !) highly reflective rooms, a space behind an office partition, a corner of a passageway (with lots of foot traffic), etc. I had looked at it as being you had to "Fly" in and out - you ain't got time to walk !

Well said Steve.

Originally posted by Steve F
It's interesting that you said, "It's not big enough to fit an analogue machine into, so you use MDM's."
The bit I missed out was that this trailer was originally a mobile lunch room for linemen out on site. It is a steel frame structure which empty weighed over a ton and a half. The doors are very narrow and so short of rebuilding the door frames and building new doors I can't get a standard format multitrack into it. However, we did use a Fostex G24S for a while which was rack mounted - but this has long gone. The mixer was taken in in two sections then bolted back together.

Now I totally understand.

Originally posted by Steve F
I'll have to take some more photos then paste them up. The ones I have are all out of date.

Why not post what you have, then post the new stuff as you grow. Kind of like a work in progress.

Originally posted by Steve F
Here's a thought - what about a "Show me yours and I'll show you mine" section/thread as a side bar to the Role Call thread that has pictures of remote rigs as used by us. Is there a limit to size/space/whatever ?

Cheers

We have a thread called...

show & tell thread



You must adjust the GS thread viewer to see "all the posts" from the beginning. The GS thread default is set the view the last 30 days worth of threads..
You may have missed it due to the default settings.

Either way let's do it. It's a good idea. I'll make it a "sticky" so it stays on top. Just post your pics at the original 'show and tell" thread or make a new one, specially for remote rigs. I'll sticky the post your in! I'll also try to add some stuff to it. Perhaps others will add to it. Sounds awesome! Go for it!

show & tell thread

[Remoteness]

A little blast from the past...

How do these concepts fit in 2009?