Now Doing Regular Recording for the GBS!

[Mark (Basspig) Weiss]

In November, I was contracted to make a multichannel recording of the GBS concert with cellist Allison Eldredge. That turned out great.
As soon as I was done unpacking my gear at the studio, the new director of the orchestra asked me to book December 11 for another concert recording. I am now in the early editing stages of that project.
Each time we do one of these, I find ways to improve on what I've done, whether it be more precise method of white balancing the cameras, or ways to hand the mic array in a less obstrusive manner.
Presently, the largest challenge is communicating my vision and style of covering the event to each of my c camera operators.
This past saturday, we brought an intern/trainee into the fold. I have two other well-seasoned camera operators who already do a pretty good job.
This weekend, the GBS presented it's annual holiday concert. The first half was the complete performance of Scheherazade, which, by the fourth movement in the editing suite, was giving me goosebumps!
The second half was all Christmas music. Being closely involved with the Anderson family (I live close by to Leroy's surviving wife, Eleanor, and one of their sons, Kurt, who manages a classical FM station that I also worked for for about 13 years in a technical capacity) I have been involved in the restoration and archiving of all of Leroy's works. So when the GBS performed some of his original work including Sleighride, it piqued my interest and I listened with a keen ear.
This was the most dynamic GBS concert I have been involved with in the four years' time that I've been recording them. This time they had the full orchestra, a big bass drum, a larger percussion section, five double basses and a young, bright and very energetic conductor (who is also the new director) leading. All I could say was "wow!" when I finally got the surround sound audio tracks dropped into my NLE and heard what I'd captured. I can't wait to get the rough edit on to Blu-ray disc, for the preview next weekend!
The GBS has finally set up a Youtube channel, and I just delivered the disc with the h.264 clips for them to upload to Youtube, so it should be very soon that the November concert becomes available online and the rest of the world can finally see/hear something I've created!

 

[JackD201]

Good for you Mark! So will we be seeing "20,000 Watts of Driving Surround Sound" soon after your good fortune?

 

[Mark (Basspig) Weiss]

Well if I'm really lucky, I might be able to avoid losing my home, but that's going to take a large sum of money! I doubt I'll be doing anything more in terms of sound system work. Maybe add animorphic support for my projector one day, but all else is peachy. Right now I'm working like a dawg to catch up on back taxes. These concerts are a blessing, but only a tiny percentage of the money I need to raise!

 

[Mark (Basspig) Weiss]

Wow! Got the Blu-ray preview disc done this afternoon and watched it on the big screen this evening. Double-wow! All cameras were in tip-top focus and all images are extremely clear--like 20/20 vision. Sound was much lower on this transfer, because the slap-stick in Anderson's "Sleighride" is so much louder than anything else, when I normalized it to maximum level, that set the 0dBfs reference. With a boost on playback volume, the sound of the orchestra is detailed and plentiful. I could have used more direct bass drum, but the percussionist explained that there was no room to turn the drum so it faced the mics/audience, so what we got is the edge of the drum and ambient bounce off the shell walls. Still very nice though. Scheherazade was a trip, especially the last movement. The slapstick in Sleighride was ear-pearcing--almost like a report from my H&R .22 pistol. The spread of instruments was very broad and filled in with the various sections, so that you could point them out.
We're having a preview with my camera crew later today.

 

[Gregadd]

Mark the hurdle always looks higher than it is.

 

[mep]

Well if I'm really lucky, I might be able to avoid losing my home, but that's going to take a large sum of money! I doubt I'll be doing anything more in terms of sound system work. Maybe add animorphic support for my projector one day, but all else is peachy. Right now I'm working like a dawg to catch up on back taxes. These concerts are a blessing, but only a tiny percentage of the money I need to raise!

Losing your house? Back taxes? Did I miss something here?

 

[Mark (Basspig) Weiss]

That's the result of having lousey social skills and trying to go off and start a business.. my first three businesses failed and I have been perpetually earning 1958 wages since my 'retirement' in 1985. Last year, I grossed $3,080. This year, I'm doing a LOT better, but that's not saying much. I remain an undiscovered genius, although the new Exec Director of the GBS seems to have discovered my unique talents and has actually lined up underwriting to cover the cost of recordings. This year, I'll quadruple my income of 2009, with just work from the GBS, which is a minor dream come true for me.
Meanwhile, we're a family of six living in a 2-bedroom house and we desparately need a bigger place, but can't afford the taxes on the place we got. But it's been my home for the past 44 years and the only home strong enough to tolerate my vibrational activities and remote enough not to have me arrested for massive disturbance of the peace. House needs a tremendous amount of repair (an ongoing project since 2003), and in the past ten years, my assessment has quadrupled, then tripled again, so now I'm paying the purchase price every year in taxes, which is ridiculous. For the past 6 years, the annual tax burden has exceeded my gross income, hence, the problems we're now having with the local constabulary. Folks who know me in other venues are aware that I'm a patriot who lives by Patric Henry's famous declaration. I worked hard to build this house and I'm not going anywhere.

 

[JackD201]

Wow, 44 years and assessments quadrupling then tripling within just 10 of the 44 years. Somehow things don't add up. Have you consulted a tax attorney yet?

 

[Gregadd]

No doubt the result of another ridiculous tax scheme. Be careful since delinquent property taxes can be purchased by anyone and possibly they can get your home for the taxes they paid.

 

[Mark (Basspig) Weiss]

Massive influx of wealthy New Yawkers in the late 1980s. They brought their demands with them (the same demands that made Westchester County unaffordable) and made our simple farming town into a shopping metropolis full of wealthy soccer moms in 5-10K sq ft Mc Mansions. Land skyrocketed. They say the 2000 revaluation was a result of no revaluations for thirty years. The avg property tax is $15K, but then the avg income is $125K around here. Two of my neighbors earn over $1M/year. One's a Wall Street guy and the other is a land developer who owns the largest marina on the eastern seaboard.
No one is going to get this home--at least not while I'm alive. I've had a few conferences with the local police and they are fully aware that an attempt to steal my home will be regarded as an act of war and will be responded to with full military force. Also the fact that environmental cleanup on our property would cost the town more than it might be worth, makes the taking of the property less than attractive, so we've been in a sort of standoff stalemate for half a dozen years. But the stress has left me unable to sleep well for much of this decade and it's taken a toll on my health.
Ever the optimist, I hope that I'll soon hit the 'big time' and start making the big bucks, recording orchestras all over the world and commanding top dollar. Then perhaps I can $$$ my way out of this Socialist crap situation.