My original collaboration with Chinhda produced a sound cart based on the PSC unit but with several important modifications. We mounted larger wheels to better negotiate curbs and stairs, mounted the mixer in a shock-mounted drawer for protection and ease of transport, and located the recorder in a shock-mounted enclosure on the top shelf. Together these changes improved the utility of the basic cart without significantly increasing weight or size. The shock-mounted components made it possible for gear to safely live on the cart and eliminated the need to assemble the components at the start of each day. At wrap one would strap the cart into the truck or load it into an ordinary station wagon for transport home. The recorder, mixer, and wireless only needed to be removed from the cart when shipping gear to another city; otherwise it could just live on the cart with all connections intact.

The Double Recorder Platform

Some years ago I found my business changing over from Nagra based recording to DAT as the primary recording medium. Because the DAT recorders were inherently less reliable than the Nagra, most mixers adopted some back-up system. Sometimes a second DAT recorder was employed, sometimes a Nagra made a simultaneous recording. Producers became aware of the risks of the digital media and often demanded some form of additional recording. And, as back-up recordings became available, mixers learned that having a recording of a scene shot last week could be very handy. On several occasions I have been able to play for an actor a scene that precedes or intercuts with the scene to be shot. For a variety of reasons, the simultaneous use of two recorders became commonplace.

We redesigned the recorder platform to address the need to use two machines and also to provide some shelf space for some small accessories. The greatest challenge was constructing a pull-out shelf to facilitate loading for the recorder in the lower position. And, we also addressed some minor issues like mounting rack rails for drawers and attaching new handles to help negotiate stairs. In the chaos of remodeling, I took the opportunity to complelely disassemble the original PSC cart, strip the finish from the rails, and apply an anodized finish.

Two design requirements made the pull-out shelf for the recorder a difficult design. Recorders typically have audio and control cables plugged into each side. We wanted a design that permitted easy movement without constantly snagging cables. We also hoped to implement a double recorder mount without significantly increasing weight. Although regular drawer glides are an obvious answer, they are typically made of steel and are surprisingly heavy. Chinhda eventually settled on a U-shaped frame made of thin-wall steel tubing and oriented on its side. The bottom rail is bolted to a platform and raised about 1/4 inch by stand-offs. The pull-out shelf is attached to glide brackets made by cutting square aluminum tubing lengthwise. The glide brackets are one-size larger than the square steel tubing that forms the U-frame. Since the frame is mounted slightly above a platform, it is possible to slide these brackets along the metal frame. A post screwed into the steel frame catches a cutout in the aluminum glide to prevent the shelf from opening too far. Aircraft pins can be inserted into holes to lock the shelf in working or loading position. We reasoned that the shelf would only be slid open a few times each day for loading whereas the mixer drawer would be moved whenever the cart was moved or one needed access to something in a lower drawer. We were willing to pay the penalty in added weight to achieve smooth operation for the mixer drawer but not for the recorder drawer. In practice, it works very well; one pulls out an aircraft pin to release the platform and the recorder slides out easily for loading. Push it back when done and reinsert the aircraft pin to lock it in place. With just occasional oiling, operation is reasonably smooth.

Although it is illustrated here with Nagra and Fostex recorders, the shelves are large and could easily accommodate other gear. Both a Deva and mirroring DVD drive could easily fit on the lower shelf or a PD6 in the upper position.

The double recorder stack is suspended on the same shock absorbers used for the single recorder housing. Rather than individually suspending each piece of gear, the entire superstructure is shock-mounted to the benefit of any small accessories mounted on the shelves. The shock mounts were originally designed to protect panels of avionics on airplanes and the extra weight is within their design limits. However, two recorders and some small accessories are about the limit of their functionality.

Extra Handles for Negotiating Stairs and Curbs

In spite of our best efforts to keep everything light, soundcarts are becoming quite heavy because power demands of multiple recorders and other devices require a larger battery. Carrying a cart up stairs or over large curbs is a two-man job but the “downstairs” person doesn’t have a good handhold. Chinhda built some folding handles to address this need. This is an off-the-shelf component for him and he has versions to fit both PSC and Magliner carts.

Rack Drawers

We added some rack rails to the frame to facilitate mounting drawers. It is very handy having most of the key elements of the kit, like radio mikes, immediately on hand. Not having to run to the truck for a plant mike means that it can be deployed very quickly and increases the likelihood of being permitted a moment to get it in place. These drawers are also a good way to keep the gear organized and protected. Regrettably, the drawers are not designed for mobile applications and they are quite heavy. They do vary somewhat among manufacturers. I believe that Mid-Atlantic makes one of the lighter drawers but the base is fabricated from 20-guage steel and 16-guage steel is used on the top and sides. The faceplate is anodized aluminum but everything else is steel. A 2-rackspace drawer made from all this steel weighs about fifteen pounds empty. Clearly this is an area of cart construction that could use some attention. If anyone knows a resource for all-aluminum rack drawers or any variation that would keep the weight down, we would be very interested.

Adding a Drawer Case to the R2 Unit

A support cart made of interlocking cases - we call it the R2 Unit because of its squat appearance - was part of the original design. We added a third case to hold microphones so all the primary equipment is now contained in the two carts. Only deep back-up gear stays on the truck and almost anything needed for a shot is at hand on-set. The other drawers hold accessories, a Pendaflex file, Comteks, a power inverter for the limiter, etc.

This cart draws attention whenever I take it out. But it’s the skateboard wheel on the top shelf that gets the most quizzical looks. It’s for turning the cart on its head or making a quick escape. Send me your suggestions for a clever rejoinder and I’ll award a prize to the best lines. Actually, there’s a real purpose to the wheels. With the top tray folded down for transit, the skateboard wheels permit easily sliding the cart into a car. Without those wheels, rolling the cart up a ramp is easy enough but one has hold up one end, like a wheelbarrow, to position the cart in the car. That can put a lot of strain on the back and the skateboard wheels allow one to roll the cart those last few feet without holding one end up or scraping it on the floor.

The Future

I think this is about as far as we can go reworking the original PSC design. It's very effective in this configuration. The footprint is small so the cart can fit in tight corners. The weight is reasonable and two people can get it up stairs without too much difficulty even with gear aboard. Both the cart and the R2 support cart can fit into a mid-size wagon (I use a Volvo V70) so one doesn't have to haul around a van or SUV just for the occasions of pick-ups or commercials where one has to bring the gear. Everything is ready to hand and everything is well protected for every occasion except long haul shipping.

There are still some limitations: With rack drawers mounted, the cart is heavier then I would like. Shipping to remote locations requires packing the cart into a heavy and clumsy case. I think all of the shelves might benefit from having a pull-out capability similar to the recorder shelf. And, it would be good to have power and microphone wiring harnesses built in to the cart to provide clean and simple connections (with the option of making conventional connections as needed, of course). I am in discussion with Chinhda about building a sound cart from the ground up that might incorporate all of our needs and function as a "self-shipper" without the need for a protective case. The bad news is there is no way to accomplish this cheaply; the resulting cart would be considerably more expensive than a PSC cart or a Magliner with accessories. However, it would be the last cart you would ever buy and it would make your life easier every day that you used it. And, it might justify its cost in reduced car and fuel payments. Let me know if you might be interested so we can consider what the demand might be.