Recently while on tour, many house engineers commented on my snare bottom mic technique, so I figured I would share a quick post on what I’m using.
A year or two back, I came across the $50 K&M 240/5 mic clamp while looking for a way to attach a mic to a piece of truss. It basically is a 2 mic clamp that can tighten down to any round or flat surface. When thinking through my mic stand needs for the tour, I pulled out this clamp to affix it directly to the center post of the snare hardware stand to get the bottom mic exactly where I want it consistently and it tightens enough that it never moves throughout the entire set. The tightening portion of the clamp has a soft felt so there is no scratching or damage to the hardware. Furthermore the drum riser keeps clean of unnecessary mic stands and clutter as the clamp is very unobtrusive. This same technique could also be expanded to cymbal mics, etc.
The K&M 240/5 clamp is a great versatile mic clamp that for $50 feels like an invaluable tool to have in the workbox.
If you have recently installed a new Plex Media Server and when you load the manage URL you see a big 404 Not Found. Fear not, this is a simple fix thanks to this forum entry.
Plex Media Server is dependent on rsync but is not installed automatically like it should be. Run:
sudo apt-get install rsync
service plexmediaserver stop
service plexmediaserver start
You upgraded your version of WordPress, however now in custom themes that you have built, your “Custom Background” that is defined via Appearance > Background no longer appears? Easy fix:
Make sure your <body> tag has the following: <body <?php body_class(); ?>>
I finally completed my first “major” Arduino project which I’m dubbing iShutter. Here’s the scenario:
Willow Creek Community Church
The problem is that at Willow Creek Community Church, a large church with a theater-like stage, often uses a center rear-projection screen for graphical elements during the services. However, this screen is on a motorized batten so that during portions of the service where the screen is not needed, it is flown/raised out of sight, and lowered back in when needed.
However, the projectors sit on the ground at the rear of the stage. The problem here is that when the screen is raised, if the projectors are not disabled/shuttered, the projection image will be projecting into everyone’s eyes…a quite undesirable scenario. This shuttering of the projectors has been done manually up till now, but alas, Arduino to the rescue.
iShutter - TX & RX Modules
Introducing iShutter. This consists of 2 Arduino Unoscommunicating to each other using the XBee chip. In a nutshell, the transmit module attaches to the side of the projection screen and uses the PING Ultrasonic sensor aimed towards the ground to detect when the screen is at it’s lower limit. Once this threshold has been passed, the transmit module then tells the receiver module to communicate via RS232 to the projector whether to open or close it’s shutter. A button on the transmit box allows users to set the threshold limit.
So, screen lowers in, projector turns on. Screen raises out, projector turns off.
Features:
Wireless Transmission between two Arduino Uno control boards
9v Powered Screen/Transmit Module
Audio Module to confirm threshold set (plays C chord on Transmit module, followed by a D chord on the receiver module to confirm communication)
LED Status Indicator (On TX and RX): Blue (Shutter Closed), Green (Shutter Open), Red (Threshold Not Set)
RS232 to Projector – Projector Specific RS232 code to talk directly to device
Relay Output of Status – Via Cat5, cabling travels 300ft form receiver module to Video Director to indicate tally of whether projector shutter is open/closed
iShutter - Transmitter Module (Open large to see descriptions of each elements)iShutter - Receiver Module (Open large to see descriptions of each elements)
Learnings:
To help increase battery life on the transmitter module, I added the sleepPin logic to put the XBee to sleep when not in use, and only fire it up when a transmission is needed to be sent.
Had to dumb down the sensitivity of the PING ultrasonic sensor as it is extremely sensitive!
Needed to get a converter chip for RS232 to transmit the proper RS232 voltage so that the projector would see correct RS232!
Aluminum enclosures, while sexy looking, seriously decreases the wireless transmission distance! Sad – had to leave the covers off of the enclosures so that the wireless transmission would be solid.
Lakewood Condominiums in Schaumburg, IL refuses to digitize their Rules and Regulations documentation that they require all of their residents to follow, even going as far as to charge people for the paper copy. How about this…here’s the digitally scanned copy for those looking. Enjoy.
