[Tech1] Some details of the Pye desk in Type 2 scanners.

[Mike Giles]

Geoff reminds me - and stop me if I’ve told this tale before - but I had the unfortunate honour of imprinting a row of lines on Arthur Negus’s forehead with a 4033. Going For A Song from Bristol followed an absolute formula, with Max Robertson and the panel on a fairly high curved platform, atop a set of curved steps. For his party piece on an item of furniture, Arthur would lead us into the item whilst seated, in a mid-shot, so the boom needed to be reasonably tight on him, then he would stand on a cut to the wide angle, continuing to speak as he went down the steps. Fortunately it was on rehearsal, but on one infamous occasion, as I lifted the boom fairly sharpish for the wide shot, the 4033 slipped from its bungee rubber collar and dropped to the extent of the cable, which was just long enough for the bottom of the mic to catch Arthur fair and square on the bonts! He was awfully nice about it and there was no blood, but make-up had to pay a little attention to the imprint before transmission, which was always live. 

The mic was clamped into the boom cradle by tightening a metal collar with wing nuts, with the bungee rubber providing mechanical insulation, but it was a compromise between tightening too much, in which case there was significant rumble when racking, or being too loose with the consequences above. The thistle connector was pretty good at preventing the mic from parting from its cable - I’m pretty sure there was a pin on the locking spring collar which mated with a hole in the stalk of the mic. I also fancy that I recall the need to leave a fair bit of cable between the mic and the first cable clip, otherwise that conducted rumble too. Thinking about it now, I can’t imagine why we didn’t have a couple of nylon restraints to prevent the mic from dropping as far if it did come loose. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, even if it is fifty odd years too late!

Mike G



> On 7 Apr 2021, at 00:02, Geoffrey Hawkes via Tech1 <tech1 at tech-ops.co.uk> wrote:
> 
> When I was on Sound in the autumn of 1963 as part of my initial training and post Evesham in the spring of ‘64, I enjoyed the boom operating experience. It seemed to me that the 4033 was wedded to the Mole Richardson boom and the lighter, more modern D25 was designed for the Fischer boom. While I couldn’t comment on the differences in sound capture, the 4033 looked more “BBC”, having a gravitas about it, if not to the extent that the AXBT of Radio had, but along with the 4038 and the “Apple & Biscuit” it looked like it belonged the same family. The 4033 had a literal gravitas too and avoiding clonking anyone on the head with that was a caution given to all of us trainees, though a bash from the back end of the boom could be even more painful. Was it Gordon Rolls or Ebu who informed us that we were responsible for the front end and it was up to others to watch out for the rear when passing by or under it, especially while the operator was swinging the arm across the set during a scene? Fortunately I can’t recall having offended with either, or to have been on the receiving end myself, though it’s likely others were.
> Are booms still used as much on drama today or is it all done with personal mics? The trouble with those is the absence of sound perspective and it seems unnatural to hear dialogue in a long shot sounding the same as if it was in close-up,
> 
> Geoff
> 
> 
> 
> Geoff
>> On 6 Apr 2021, at 09:13, Nick Ware via Tech1 <tech1 at tech-ops.co.uk> wrote:
>> 
>> Last December, as part of my easing-towards-retirement sound kit sell-off I got £2400 for a pair of KM84’s. They were in near mint condition and, when new, cost me £125 each from FWO Bauch, probably as long ago as late 1970’s.
>> 
>> Say what you like about the 4033, but I maintain that for a whole host of reasons, drama sound was much better and more natural-sounding then than now.
>> 
>> N.
>> Nick Ware - Sent from my iPad mini 5
>> 
>>>> On 5 Apr 2021, at 22:23, Roger Long via Tech1 <tech1 at tech-ops.co.uk> wrote:
>>> The STC 4033 was a thirties design from Westrex
>>> Ribbon omni hybrid. Cardioid
>>> The ribbon gave a bit of suck to the response
>>> The D25 newer, lighter and brighter.
>>> Wide cardioid
>>> Not so much suck.
>>> Last year I sold both on the Bay
>>> The 25 made £725 ,the 4033 £650...
>>> The AKG had a rare Boom wind gag.
>>> Roger
>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>>>> On 5 Apr 2021, at 15:56, Dave Plowman via Tech1 <tech1 at tech-ops.co.uk> wrote:
>>>>>> In article <606b1663.1c69fb81.8844e.b346 at mx.google.com>,
>>>>>> patheigham via Tech1 <tech1 at tech-ops.co.uk> wrote:
>>>>>> The standard 4033‘s went out of favour when the Mole booms were replaced
>>>>>> by Fishers — the 33‘s were too heavy, and the AKG D25‘s were favoured
>>>>>> instead
>>>> The 4033 was a fairly awful mic. An attempt to produce a cardiod of sorts
>>>> using two mics matrixed together. But then the D25 a much newer design.
>>>> --
>>>> Dave Plowman     dave at davesound.co.uk     London SW 12
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