Backpack or suitcase Recording Rigs

[loji]

if you could only fit enough gear for a single backpack or suitcase (including mics. cables, computer, etc...) what would it be ...

This was a good exercise for me, I left for tour, and had to decide what to bring (fly) with since I wasn't about to pack mics in anything but my carry-on! (and for the record, they thought my QTC-1 were some kind of new evil ray-gun . . .

I have a OGIO bag that fits a 15" laptop (not even big enough for the 17" models)
and in it ..

1x Metric Halo 2882 +DSP
1x Metric Halo ULN2 Legacy
1x PowerBook G4 12" + Spare Battery
2x EarthWorks QTC-1's (single matched pair wood box)
2x DPA 4061's
1x Sony MDR 7506
1x Djembe 10" (shell from Ghana & the skin is from Senegal)

+ all adapters, cables, power supplies, tools (wrench, leatherman, etc..) and even some non-audio stuff *gasp* like paperwork and ear warmers and markers . .




not too bad .... but the hope-goal-dream would be to get a 4 pin battery pack, since my laptop can only power 1x MH unit at a time ... and I'd have to do some cutting and reinforced stitching to make 2 gap holes between compartments so i can plug everything together and have the entire rig running WHILE I'm wearing the bag and walking around . . . Gain levels can still be changed from a handheld Zaurus through a wireless VNC connection even with the bag closed


What's in your backpack? Any recommends for mine or suggestions?

[AdamJay]

I'll play.... but i gotta admit, mine isn't much unlike yours.

I use an Ortofon Digibag as a backpack, also has a great big padded single shoulder sleeve for when its not so heavy.

Inside:

13" Black MacBook with 500GB internal HD
Bus powered 500GB 2.5" USB drive.
Metric Halo MIO 2882+DSP and 15ft firewire cable.

A few of my "light mics"... i.e...
Beyer M201
AT4041 pair
Beyer M160
EV RE-50b Omni
i used to own a pair of TC30k's but no longer... those would be in there if i still had em.

Sony MDR-7506. Power supplies, and some lightweight redco standard cables
a pair of socks, pair of underwear, stick of deodorant, tube of toothpaste.

That would be me at a moment's notice.

If i had a week to get ready, i'd try to scrounge up $$ for or borrow a buddie's Tascam DR1. What a great little field recorder that can record 24bit .wav on SD cards. I did some "touch up work" to a live jazz show that was recorded with one, it was put on the bassist's music stand and i was quite impressed with the outcome.

Okay now you have me wanting to take a backpacking trip with my MIO and a DR1.

[Gaston69]

I am waiting for my laptop trolley which I will use to pack/transport my mobile recording equipment when I move to Qatar (Arab Emirates) next week:

Metric Halo ULN-2
DPA4060
Macbook 13"
Headphone AKG K-271
Korg MR-1000

https://www.shopeezee.co.uk/proddeta...S-3845&cat=565

Gaston

[loji]

yea ... wheels would be nice ... but I'm in the snow (yesterday was -14) DAMN

water proofing is tough ... I scotch guarded the whole bag and it works, water doesn't seep in ... but I can't think of anything short of a giant shower cap that would keep it all truely dry in a 'real' storm

by the way .. i all weighed in at 33 pounds .. I'm gonna get buff

[Ozpeter]

A not very big holdall here has...

R-44 & H2 & RH-1 recorders
Naiant monitor mixer
Sennheiser MKH series MS pair
Oktava MC012 pair with capsule sets
4 x Naiant Omnis
2 pairs headphones
2 battery packs and other rechargeables
Power supplies and relevant cables (rarely needed)
Shockmounts and mic clips
Sundry bits and pieces eg torch, pen, notebook, interconnects

The way I store the stuff within the holdall is in three flattish plastic boxes (one originally for food use, the other two for fishing kit). So when I open up the boxes I don't have to rummage to find things - everything's spread out in more or less one layer in each box. Recorders in one box, monitor mixer etc in the second, everything else in the third, plus the headphones and Sennheiser original boxes loose.

Cables and mic stands of course are separate but I often carry the holdall in one hand, the cables over my shoulder, and the stand(s) in the other hand.

In years gone by I used to turn up at the Wigmore Hall in London with an even smaller kit on the back of a motorbike. That was an HHB PortaDat-based kit, but the Sennheisers were the same, and they didn't seem to mind being bounced around on the back of the bike. Everything was suspended there, so no stands required.

[tsvisser]

Although its not a backpack, here is my rig / soon to be rig...

Nagra VI
Nagra MX
2x MKH 800 Twin
AEA SMP stereo bar & K&M Soft Touch stands
2x DPA 4060-BM with stereo kit, to be replaced with...
2x MKH 8040 (to be purchased)
2x MKH 8020 (to be purchased)
4x Schoeps MDZ 10 (attenuators)
2x Schoeps LP 40 U (LPF)
Sound Devices 302 (to be replaced by...?)

My intention is to dual a dual M-S or M-S-M array simultaneously with 8040s in ORTF mixing in the 8020's for the low end. (I'm a location sound crew trying to branch out a little with this pitiful film/TV environment we are experiencing right now)

[boojum]

Depending upon the gig it is 1 or 2 SD 722's and/or SD 788T plus DPA 3506 (4006TL kit) plus Schoeps CMC64's and a CMC68 if I am doing MS. I am postponing out of laziness a Schoeps DMS rig (CMC64x2 + CMC68). I cannot afford the factory setup so I am trying to think of a way to do it that will fit my pocketbook. Read very little.

I shove the mics and recorders in a workman's tool bag - $20 on sale - and carry the Samsonite case that is the 3506. An icebag carries cable (Canare star quad with Neutrik connectors) and I make a second run to the truck for mic stands, depending on need.

Small gigs I do with one recorder, the MS rig and a small mic stand. All the gear and cable fits in the tool bag and I carry the one small stand.

[I LOVE YOU]

Can you gys post some pic's of your rigs?

They sound really cool!

Please help me put this puzzle together:

Would like to combine these into one rig if it would meet the carry on requirements:
RACK/Bag A:
Gordon M5 mic preamp + Gordon Gain Controller OR Gordon M4 mic preamp
Prism Orpheus

RACK/BAG B
Macbook Pro 17" + wall wart
Apogee Duet
Two 3.5" Hard drives w/ case and psu
UPS / power strip / surge suppressor
cables
Mics (DPA 4011TL, M930, M295, UM900, etc.)
Headphones
BONUS: Focal Solo 6BE or the like (Also have K&H o110's and are considering genelec 6010's)
BONUS: sturdy, compact, collapsable table
Bonus avant metal pop filter
bonus some cool mic stands / goosenecks / littlelites built into the rack
Wesco folding hand cart: Wesco Folding Hand Cart - The Best Things

[John Willett]

My "keep it small" rig:-
Nagra VI
MKH 8040 stereoset
Grace SpaceBar
MZD 800
Neumann "video" connection kit (the version with the hirose connector)
Y-cable
AES XLR cable
HD 25-1 headphones
Samsung X360 laptop

If there is room I also take the Grace m902B and the HD 800 headphones

[Corran]

I'm still getting together my "small rig."

Right now it's my 12" netbook with an original MBox for two inputs, and two Schoeps CMC6's with MK4's and an MK8 for ORTF or MS. Works fine for two-track recordings, though the MBox pres kinda suck. I'm looking for a way to get 4 (good) mic inputs but still be able to run off my netbook battery. I haven't found any USB interfaces to do this and don't have any Firewire devices to try. Does anyone know if there is a good Firewire interface that'll be powered off of a 6-pin FW ExpressCard port?

[therecordinghous]

i have often thought about what i would pack if i had to do this. i am a pro tools guy, but i would probably use:


macbook pro (logic)
appogee ensemble
api lunchbox
421's, 414's, 57's.

that would give me enough inputs to record drums. heck, i could still probably get my octopre with digital IO in my carry on or laptop bag too.

[Petrus]

My minimalist rig:

SD722
DPA 4060 stereo pair
carbon fiber stand 2.8 m high (8 & 6 mm tubes)
enough cables (max 2 x 15 m Mogami)
cans

this fits in a backpack with room to spare. Without the stand it fits a small purse, wrap the cable around your waist... Weight is about 5 kg, most of it in the form of a hand dumbell weight for the stand.

If you want to minimize, loose the AD/computer combo and get a Sound Devices or Nagra recorder. Smaller, simpler, more reliable.

[Murton]

Originally Posted by Corran

I'm still getting together my "small rig."

Right now it's my 12" netbook with an original MBox for two inputs, and two Schoeps CMC6's with MK4's and an MK8 for ORTF or MS. Works fine for two-track recordings, though the MBox pres kinda suck. I'm looking for a way to get 4 (good) mic inputs but still be able to run off my netbook battery. I haven't found any USB interfaces to do this and don't have any Firewire devices to try. Does anyone know if there is a good Firewire interface that'll be powered off of a 6-pin FW ExpressCard port?

I'm fairly certain the apogee duet does?

My small rig:

Dell Studio 17"
external 1TB eSATA
Roland RH200 cans
Profire 2626
AKG SE391's
Two Stage Ninja scorpion mic clips
Leads
Power

All fits into a small over shoulder bag small enough for carry on luggage. Can fit more mics/leads as required. Handles up to 8 inputs.

[Corran]

Originally Posted by Murton

I'm fairly certain the apogee duet does?

PC's here!

[therecordinghous]

i am curious what you all would do for mic stands.

[Don S]

I've walked through the subway with a backpack and a Bogen light stand. Extra protection!

My compact Rig:
SD702
50ft 2 pair Mogami snake
AT-M50 cans
Vark stereo bar
Schoeps MK21/Mk4's
Gaf Tape
M-Audio Microtrack II (backup)

[Gaston69]

Pelican cases

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by therecordinghous

i am curious what you all would do for mic stands.

We all forgot.

My normal is one of these with a boom arm.

If I really have to go compact - then a foldable camera tripod with a thread adaptor - 1.2" camera thread to 3/8" standard mic. thread.

[RobAnderson]

This is what I normally use for a stand:

Shure S15A 15' Telescoping Microphone Stand

It is very compact and lightweight. It is not particularly durable though and the mechanism for tightening each section can be a pain in the a** sometimes. Not to mention the fact that it is silver, which is a bit of an annoyance to me at times.

As for my suitcase rig, I generally have:
mic's: 2x CMC64, 2x CMC62S, 2X MK21, 2x KM130 or 140
4x 50' XLR cables
1x 50 cm and 2x 20 cm SabraSom T-Bars
1x On-Stage Stands 15" T-Bar
25' edison
Tascam HD-P2
M-Audio Microtrack II (backup)
Mytek Stereo 96 ADC
Hardy M-2 or API 3124m
Hosa AES->SPDIF converter
shockmounts & windscreens
hanging gear (fishing line, mic hangars)
Sony 7506 headphones
Gaff tape
UltraClamp & Gooseneck
all interconnect cables (of course), power strip & cheater plug

It weighs a little over 50lbs, but fortunately it is a rolling suitcase.

On some gigs I'll also carry a backpack as well with a Mackie mixer and/or any additional items I might need.

Here's a pic for you:

[Corran]

Originally Posted by RobAnderson

As for my suitcase rig, I generally have: (...)

Nice! I like it.

[hughesmr]

Here's my back-saving 2-ch porta-rig with pics, posted earlier in another thread (lots of cool rigs in that thread ... worth a look):

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/1922403-post154.html

[leddy]

I also use a small rolling suitcase.

I have two R44's

Mics:
Beyer MC930's
Sennheiser MKH30
Avenson STO's
Beyer M160's
Oktava omnis/cards
Crown Sass
Core Sound Tetramic (arriving next week)
Jecklin Disc
A handful of misc. dynamic mics (EV, Beyer Shure)

Not everything fits, but I generally decide what to bring ahead of time.

[ohmoka]

I just came back from recording a live performance and all these things were in my suitcase:

1 MacBook
10 mts elect. exten.
Alesis 26 I/O
MB Jecklin Disc
2 Stereo Bars
Elastic suspensions
3 Mic Stands
4 Km184's
2 MBHO 648
6 15 mts XLR cables
Gooseneck mic
Crappy computer speaker
2 6 mts TRS cables
Headphones
Swiss knife
Duck Tape
Cannon camera
Notebook

Plus a some spare cables and headphones and bits and pieces...
(The mic stands did fit completely in the suitcase... they were 3 poles sticking out)

LOVE THE SUITCASE!

[bigcitysound]

Yip there is something really satisfying about having only a backpack full of gear and still knowing that you're getting a great quality recording..

My portable remote stuff is:
Sound Devices 788
Schoeps MK4 + MK2S pairs
Lithium Np1 battery x 2
Sabra Som stereo bar with 24" extended bar
10 ft Smith-Victor lighting stand
Sennheiser HD25 Mk2 hphones
Canare cable

what kills me is taking sandbags along to weigh down the tall stand.. although you can often get away without em.

JC

[David Rick]

Originally Posted by bigcitysound

Yip there is something really satisfying about having only a backpack full of gear and still knowing that you're getting a great quality recording..

what kills me is taking sandbags along to weigh down the tall stand.. although you can often get away without em.

Use water bottles or hydration bladders and fill them at the venue.

-- David

[Don S]

Originally Posted by David Rick

Use water bottles or hydration bladders and fill them at the venue.

-- David

Fantastic idea! What about something alcoholic for the ride home? I mean this setup IS meant for the bus or subway!

[gareth.h.rees]

Originally Posted by John Willett

..then a foldable camera tripod with a thread adaptor - 1.2" camera thread to 3/8" standard mic. thread.

John,

Where can I get these thread adapters? I've been looking everywhere and can't seem to find them - at least not from K&M!

Cheers
Gareth

[hbphotoav]

My portable rig:

Gator (4 sp) rack with DAV BG8; Apogee Ensemble; TASCAM 900 CD-R, power strip.

Swiss Army backpack with mics (Gefell m296 and DPA 4061 omni pairs, Sennheiser MKH 8040 cards, shock mounts. stereo bars), computer (MacBook Pro); two 2.5" SATA FW800 enclosures with spare FW cables; blank CD-R media; UltraSone 650s; compact 6-banger AC strip; gaff tape, console tape and E tape tied to the handle with trickline. Leatherman tool and LED flashlight are always on my belt.

StageWorks cloth stand bag with 3 tall Manfrotto stands (2x11.5'; 1x16'); 4x50' Mogami single pair and 1x200' Belden stereo mic cables, 50' power cord.

It's not a simple backpack, but it all goes in one trip from the car without (much) pain.