Honolulu, HI (August 15, 2011)–L.A.-based production mixer Robert Janiger used an arsenal of Lectrosonics gear on the first season of TV series Hawaii Five-O.
Having used Lectrosonics equipment for the better part of the past 20 years, Janiger’s current complement includes four Lectrosonics SMa, two SMQ, and two SMV Super Miniature transmitters, plus five UM200 frequency agile transmitters. His receivers include five UCR211 and four UCR411a compact receivers in conjunction with UMCWBL 4-Channel Wideband UHF Diversity and UMC 200D multicouplers.
For IFB (interruptable foldback for in-field broadcast among the production staff), Janiger has three IFBT1s and an IFBT4 compact transmitter as well as 18 R1A beltpack IFB receivers. Rounding out his Lectrosonics setup is a combination of two Lectrosonics high gain log periodic and two SNA 600 dipole antennas.
“We’d shoot all over the island of Oahu, sometimes multiple locations in the same day,” he explained. “Due to the frequently noisy surroundings, the nature of the action, and multiple camera shoots, we were on radio mics for almost every shot. We typically used three to seven radio mics a day–often in very challenging RF environments. Between the international air traffic at the nearby airport, radio, TV, and a host of additional signals, there’s a lot of RF congestion nearby. The ability to quickly and easily scan the area to find open frequencies is one of the strongest attributes of this equipment. This feature enables me to have the gear operational in no time.”
Range is another important aspect of Lectrosonics wireless equipment that Janiger finds indispensable. “Occasionally, we’d find ourselves working over what I consider to be incredibly extreme range. We were working from up on a hillside, shooting down on a scene from a distance of roughly 200 yards. This is where my log periodic antennas really saved me. With multiple camera angles, there was simply no way to get any closer to the talent.”
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