The Gotham Gazette

December 2007

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 21

Do Good. Sound Better.
This holiday season, when you buy certain items from Gotham, we'll send you a Charity Check, which you can use to help the non-profit organization of your choice! See below the jump for more specifics.
FULL STORY

Lectrosonics Update

Lectrosonics Reblocked
Wireless frequencies are about to undergo some necessary shuffling, due to the FCC auction of the spectrum above 700 mHz, which will take effect February 2009. Lectrosonics is no exception, making Block 27, 28, and 29 no longer available except by special order in 2008 and entirely unavailable thereafter.

To compensate, Lectro will be expanding the blocks available on the lower end of the spectrum. Blocks 19 and 20, pending FCC approval, will roll out first quarter 2008, with a possibility of further expansion later. In addition, more products will be added using block 944.

New Stereo Wireless!
In other news, Lectrosonics has announced a new two-channel slot-mount Digital Hybrid Wireless™ diversity receiver with two independent channels. It fits into the standard video camera slots found on professional cameras and the two audio channels can feed separate inputs or can be mixed internally to feed a single input. More information here.

New Venue Wideband Receiver
Lectrosonics will also be releasing a receiver for the venue with a 230 mHz span of bandwidth. It'll be ale to accept transmissions from modules on any Lectro block. Look for it in February 2008.

2008 Stocking Stuffers

We continue our annual holiday tradition of pointing out some neat things you could give the sound man in your life.
FULL STORY

Fostex Update

Fostex PD-606 Now Here-ish!
If they had arrived yet, we'd be saying:
Come and get them! The new Fostex PD-606 is here and it's super awesome!
But they haven't arrived yet, so call first. They should be here Wednesday the 12th.

Fostex PD-6 Media Discontinued
As anticipated, Maxell is going to stop selling the DVD-RAM in its current form, but fear not! There is a solution. From Fostex:

In an effort to make media more readily available for the PD 6, Fostex and Hitachi Maxell Ltd. have come to an agreement. The shuttered cartridge-held 8cm DVD-RAM disk (model DRMS-V28R.1P*) will be discontinued in its present form beginning March 2008.
No need to panic! The following solution for PD-6 users will be as follows. Bare 8cm DVD-RAM disks will continue to be manufactured and supplied in the regular plastic case package due to high demand from various market segments.
Fostex will begin supplying a dedicated caddy adapter approx. March 2008. This adapter accommodates the bare 8cm DVD-RAM disks for PD 6 use. It offers PD-6 users the ability to purchase bare 8cm disks off-the-shelf that are more cost effective and readily avaailable.
The discs are easily put it into the Fostex caddy to adapt to the PD-6 optical drive. Users may re-use the shuttered cartridge adapters for multiple discs. There is no need to purchase one per disc.

Gotham has purchased a significant number of the original cartridges and will do out utmost to support all our PD-6 users. If you anticipate needing an unusually large number or want to lay in a supply, please give us a call so we can accommodate you!

Help us pick our 2008 T-Shirt Design!

Do you prefer skulls or sexual innuendo in your t-shirts? Literary references or license plates? Come check out the options for next year and let us know what you think!

FULL STORY

2008 Price Caveat

Unfortunately, with the appreciating Euro, the cost of many of our products that are manufactured in Europe, including those of Audio Developments and Sennheiser will be rising next year, but there's still time to get in at the current price point! Buy before the end of the year and save (plus they make a great tax deduction!)

Great Moments in Sound History

Otto Preminger - now there's a man who knew how to keep a sound mixer happy! Roger Ebert reports from the set of 1968's Skidoo:

Preminger, whose temper is said to make Genghis Khan resemble Colonel Sanders, moved impatiently onto the set...But just then a conversation from off the set became audible.

He marched out of the set and onto the platform, high above the floor of a sound stage at Paramount. A man with a mustache, who turned out to be the representative of the studio head, was talking to a cameraman.

"You!" Preminger roared, pointing an accusing finger at the man. "Out! Get off my set. Yesterday you come and make noise, and today you come and make noise, and that is all! All! If I see you on this set again, I will take my bare hands, and . . . I hear noise!" Preminger thundered. "Mr. Von Stroheim, do you hear noise?" His nose lifted up as if sniffing out the offending conversation.

"Nothing out here,” said Erich Von Stroheim Jr., Preminger's first assistant director.

"All the same." Preminger roared, "I hear noise. I cannot stand noise, and I am the director, and this is my set, and that is my privilege!"

...Preminger marched to the telephone to talk to Paramount's front office.

"Number one," he shouted, "do not ever let that man on my set again -- that what's-his-name. That's number one."