Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1122868
shooting of the scene. They want things done right. Last season, we had one scene with 14 talkers, 20 earwigs, and a band. I even brought in a second mixer to help. This show's nuts. It's the most challenging series but it's the best and the work pays off—it's all up on the screen. At the start of our conversation, you mentioned that today's shoot was one of the most challenging of your career. Can you reveal a little? Well, I do things on this show that I've never done before with many of the biggest challenges due to the extensive use of single shots for large cast, multi-page scenes with musical cues mixed in just for fun! And while I can't say too much, Midge (the main character played by Rachel Brosnahan) is going on tour and it will be big. Let's talk gear, then. What are you using? I've used the same Audio Ltd. wireless for 25 years and they always sounded great. I've had boom ops that are shocked with the quality of the wireless and have even said how much it sounded like they were cabled. They have a great beefy, warm sound. However, with the loss of the 600 MHz band and shifting spectrum, and Maisel being so big, I needed more mics and ended up moving over to Zaxcom. Interestingly, I may have been the second mixer in New York to own a Deva II way back in 2001. I now have a full complement of 12 wireless with their RX-12. I have a Deva 16 recorder with the Mix-12 control surface for now but I'm looking at their new Deva 24. I also have a Fusion 12 when I have to do a bag rig. The ZMT transmitters are great and saved me today when a source went way out of range since they record while they transmit. Plus, they are so tiny. Our female leads love them since they're much easier to hide. I'm also digging the ZAXNet stuff. What mics do you like? On The Sopranos, I exclusively used Neumann KMR 81's and 82's. I always had Schoeps CMC's, as well. However, I once sat in on a show for a week and they were using the CMIT and I was sold. So now I have two CMIT's. For lavs, I've always loved Sonotrims. I know I'm a little bit of an outlier, but they are really easy to hide with some types of clothing because they lay so flat. They're also open sounding and blend really well with Schoeps. I will also use Sanken COS-11's on ties because nothing works better for ties. I also keep some Countryman B6's on hand in case I need them because, as I like to say, "You don't wire the actor—you wire the clothes." Tell me about your crew. My crew is great. Our boom op is Carmine Picarello, utility is Spyros Poulos, and Egor Panchenko is our Pro Tools Playback. I'm not a "top down" mixer; everyone has insight and value. As mixers, we tend to be isolated. So, I like to get the insight from boom ops and utilities who have passed through and worked with other mixers. I really like when it's a collaborative project like this, as it's always more gratifying. DAVID BOULTON: ADR Mixer David Boulton is a New York City-based ADR mixer with 30 years of credits across numerous films. In addition to winning the CAS Award for this project, David also won in our Documentary category for his work on Free Solo. Are your parents or other family in the industry? My aunt Dagmar was a big actress in the 1950s and was even on the cover of Life magazine. We lived with her on Central Park West when I was young and there were always entertainment professionals around like Milton Berle, Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, etc. Plus an assortment of colorful New York City characters. So "Uncle Miltie" was actually like your Uncle Miltie! Yes! And then when I was a little older, I was friends with Steve Rubell, who became known for Studio 54. He was like a member of the family for a while. So, I was always hanging out with a crowd of eccentric entertainers. New York City in the 1970s was something crazy. Did that interaction lead to you getting into the industry yourself? No. We were really just partying and I wasn't going anywhere and realized that if I don't start focusing on something, where am I going to be in five years? So, I joined the Navy. Wow! It's very impressive that you were cognizant of that and took a big step to remove yourself from that environment. It was one Sunday morning, like in that Rolling Stones song "Coming Down Again." I walked by a recruiter's office and signed up. What did you do in the Navy? I learned avionics, which is the electronics in planes. Through luck of the draw, I got stationed in Key West, so that wasn't too bad. (Laughs) What did you do when you were discharged? I came back up to New York and worked for my stepfather in construction. This has got to turn somewhere. How did the Navy and construction work lead you into our world of sound? ADR mixer David Boulton