Thinking about getting a mobile recording truck

[studio1117]

Working on it again. I got pretty busy selling gear and re-doing our regular studio. Looks like we'd be yanking the Capricorn out and selling it and the spare off and possibly putting in a Euphonix and a large DSD system.
I'd probably not be involved with much of the day to day stuff. Just excited to be making music with it again, hopefully soon.

[philper]

Post some pix of the changes you make! Good luck.

phil p

[studio1117]

Ok, So the truck is here and in much better shape than I thought. Guy drove it straight over from Nashville. I had my local "truck guy" check it out and he was extremely impressed with the condition.
Trying to work my way around the capricorn. I may keep it in for awhile until I can get a good deal on a Euphonix to toss in there.
Really fun history lesson as I look at the truck. All the original Wally Heider labeled communications/headset boxes are still in there. Receipts from when it was MARS ( Mobile Audio Recording Services) as well as some stuff with OMEGA labels.
Right now I'm just going through and getting things all cleaned up and straightened up, but I think it's going to be a clean little truck when it's all done. Alreay working on the first 3 or 4 recordings. First one is dec 12th so we are hauling ass trying to get this thing up and cooking. I'll post pics when I can.

[talbe1019]

Can you post some pics?? Would love to see the truck.

[studio1117]

Well as soon as I figure out how to post pics I'll post some of the progress.
It's been like going through an archive. You can see all traces of history throughout the truck.
Receipts from various owners, etc. So far the coolest are the original "Wally Heider" Cue boxes that we are restoring to be used as our basic cue system. But we've found lots of stuff in there.
So far I can trace the ownership from Heider's to Mobile Audio Recording Services (MARS) out of Muscle Shoals. Then it seems they moved to Dallas and were then part of OMEGA productions. Either the console or the truck was then part of TNN as some of the disc with settings for the Capricorn were referenced with their stuff. Then Belmont University got ahold of it in some partnership with RCA Nashville and Oceanway.
Ive found some old pics of the original truck way back with Heider's that I'll post as well.
I am restoring the splitters that I guess date from the Frampton Comes Alive sessions that the original truck did. They are pretty cool and have Triad A67J transformers throughout. Ive already used the splitters on some Christmas sessions and they worked great. I guess "if it ain't broke..."
Having a spare Neve Capricorn has been handy as we've been able to pull additional cards and add more EQ/Filters and Compressors as well as more MADI ports.
The next step is to add a "guest panel" that we can also tie our Studer A800 into. What's that you say? A Studer and a digital board? Well I always say..what can make digital sound better? How about 2" analog tape?
We're really just having a lot of fun right now and not being too concerned with making this thing pay for itself. We just want to do what we've always set out to do and that's make some great recordings and we hope we can do that soon with this classic truck.

[Jim Williams]

I had once entertained the idea of a small truck or stepvan as a mobile recording rig.

Then something happened. No more 500 lb. recorders, 8 foot long consoles, racks of extra stuff, etc. No more 300 foot snakes.

My current recorder is the same size/weight as my old Tascam cassette recorder. I have small 1RU 8 channel mic preamps and a small monitoring console.

I like being on set rather than off on some side street away from the action. That way I can react quickly. No more long snakes with their losses, I use short runs of quality data cable for very low loss. Snakes suck out the tops and digital solutions, no thanks, I don't need to digitize my mic feeds.

Now it all fits in the back of my 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, plus I can get anywhere with that lifted, modified off road Jeep.

"Honey, they shrunk the gear"!

[Remoteness]

Aaron,

You already posted some pictures, so what gives?

Originally Posted by studio1117

Well as soon as I figure out how to post pics I'll post some of the progress. <snip>

[studio1117]

Well when I go to post it says link to a website? To be honest it's been so loing I've honestly forgotten how.
Jim, I really think portable remote and large remote are 2 different worlds. I also have the little rig, but as I was sitting at the theater the other night with a full symphony, choir, solo singer and acoustic guitar in a little room off to the side of the stage with a pair of Beyer DT150's on...I was thinking man it would shure be nice to be isolated in a space I know and a large pair of genelec 1034's to listen on. Not to mention all of the extra gear that I couldnt bring along in an easy portable rig like my LA2a's and 1176's and countless other goodies.
Some gigs obviously dont require the "big rig" but whenever possible I'll choose the truck.
Oh yeah and Jim I have a Range Rover for my small rig so when your Jeep gives out and you need me to come pick you up to get the rest of the way to the gig up on top of that mountain, let me know. :-)

[studio1117]

Ah yes I have found the pic thingy. Here are some of the classic pics of the truck. As you can see the first pic is the original old truck. (white truck with GMC truck under). The other pic shows what the truck looks like now. The outside hasnt changed much since the later pic with the Kenworth underneath. When I get more work done inside, I'll post some of my own pics. The space that has been added under the original truck (where the driving cab was) Houses all the computers, recorders and power amps for the Genelecs, cues etc.

[Jim Williams]

Originally Posted by studio1117

Oh yeah and Jim I have a Range Rover for my small rig so when your Jeep gives out and you need me to come pick you up to get the rest of the way to the gig up on top of that mountain, let me know. :-)

That gave me a good laugh. Here in California, Range Rovers are bought by those that seem to think it will get them down to the local Starbucks after a earthquake. They are the "official" vehicle in Malibu, CA. The parking lots are full of them, all black.

Out here in the Anza-Borego desert, I've had a bit of fun with them.

Once I climbed out of a canyon where my 35" mud terrains and rear lockers were having some 'problems'. I had to manuver a bit to get out of that bad patch. On the way out, I passed a nice guy in a shiny new all Black (manditory here in California with our scorching summers, go figure) Range Rover. The nicely dressed metrosexual couple asked how the trail was.

I said, "it's fine, go for it". I never saw them again, maybe he's still out there?
I figured he had a better cell phone than me so he could probably call out for a rescue.

In reality, Rovers are never found in the places Jeepers go, unless they have an older model that's modified with lift kits, large tires, etc. It's just not safe to take those off road here. Watch some of those off road cable TV shows to see some of the rock crawling rigs we use out here. They are handy if you get a location recording gig at the top of a ski lift like at Snow Summit in Big Bear, CA. Beats shoving all the bits and pieces into a ski chair.

[studio1117]

Ah the old my (enter vehicle here) is better than a land rover story. I've owned em all. Range Rovers, Discovery's and Defenders even the weakest of them goes where others can not. We better agree to disagree or my fave agree that I'm right.
Actually I'm not much of an off roader to be honest so you could probably take a VW Beetle places I couldn't go with my Range Rover!!
Now I do have an old CJ5 that I should restore because it is the coolest looking little jeep in the world. I should be posting pics of that instead of the remote truck!!

[studio1117]

Found a couple older pics. one (B/W) from Heider days and one from MARS days "Big Blue"

[philper]

Originally Posted by studio1117

Found a couple older pics. one (B/W) from Heider days and one from MARS days "Big Blue"

what years for those pix--when did they go from the small truck frame to the bigger one? Those 3M decks were heavy!

phil p

[Jim Williams]

Originally Posted by studio1117

Ah the old my (enter vehicle here) is better than a land rover story. I've owned em all. Range Rovers, Discovery's and Defenders even the weakest of them goes where others can not. We better agree to disagree or my fave agree that I'm right.
Actually I'm not much of an off roader to be honest so you could probably take a VW Beetle places I couldn't go with my Range Rover!!
Now I do have an old CJ5 that I should restore because it is the coolest looking little jeep in the world. I should be posting pics of that instead of the remote truck!!

CJ's are cool, but a very bumpy ride. When I got done off-roading in my old jeeps, I felt pretty beat up. You should fix it up and take it up to the San Juans in Colorado, not too far from you. It's great up there.

The new Wrangler 4 doors are just too comfy now, those 4 wheel coil springs with adjustable shocks, 35" fat tires, the air con blasting and the 500 watt stereo crankin' with the 8" subwoofer does seem like your floating over the earth rather than rolling over it.

Crushing rocks, sailing through sand, it's going to be fun out there this weekend. We got 75 degree weather this week here in San Diego.

[studio1117]

Well Philiper I'm not sure on the era of the pics. I believe the pic way up above of the original truck is from around 1974 or 75 I think the interior with the 3m's is about the same. The later picture of "big blue" must be post 1985 as that's the year of the truck. I'd guess 1988?

As it seems I may be pulling the capricorn out after all. We really would like to have an analog desk in there for the Sonoma system VS. pres on stage feeding the sonoma and then using the capricorn stricktly for monitoring. (that would work of course as well)
I'm thinking of a Euphonix CS2000 or 3000 If one can be found reasonable. The capricorn is an amazing desk with everything but the kitchen sink thrown in (although it may be in there somewhere). It sounds really good and the compressor work great, but I do have concerns about the "roadability" of the desk. It's run fine sitting in the truck in our warehouse, but the proof will be at a few "test shows".
If I can get the thing prettied up a bit more and get some guys to help me move the spare Capricorn out of the truck I'll snap some pictures.