Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/987068
34 I met him twenty years ago when I sought someone to make custom alterations to my sound cart. There's not a crowded field of skilled machinists willing to take on cockamamie projects so I was keenly interested when both Neil Stone and Mike Denecke recommended Chinhda right away. Mike gave the project a boost when he took me in hand and personally introduced me. Chinhda hated meeting with clients but he had an especially close relationship with Mike, who used to bring him along as his boom operator when he was, at that time, still doing commercials. Without Mike vouching for me, Chinhda might not even have met with me. Peter Weibel of KEM Editing Systems was Chinhda's first employer in California. The KEM was a marvelous but sometimes temperamental beast and Peter needed a service technician. He asked a teacher at the Los Angeles Tradetech to send his best student. Chinhda showed up, was hired, set up a machine shop and serviced KEM editing tables throughout the west for many years. Peter said his work consistently exceeded expectations. After Peter moved on to other endeavors, Chinhda continued to service KEMs as an independent technician and set up a company with Joe D'Augustine to rent Avid systems. He also mixed One Night with You for Joe D'Augustine. Over time, Chinhda became a part of the small film community that settled into an industrial corner of North Hollywood not far from the current Local 695 offices. Mike Denecke, Manfred Klemme, Ray Cymoszinski and Neil Stone would get together often for lunch, an Algonquin Club for movie engineers. Chinhda's work for me also exceeded my expectations. He haunted the aero surplus shops, especially Joe Factor Sales, to find specialty latches and instrument shock mounts to provide protection for the equipment. When I picked up my cart, I mentioned that I thought there was a market for a cart purpose-built to production needs. He nodded and we parted. Remembering Chinhda Khommarath was the most imaginative, creative, technically-savvy, generous, exasperating, shy, opinionated and mercurial individual I've known. It was a love of fast motorcycles and rock-and-roll that brought him to our community. More than three years later, Chinhda called and said, "I'm ready." 1954 –2018 C H I N H D A Mike Denecke "Father Time," also a Local 695 Production Sound Mixer, designed and manufactured the first practical timecode slate. He is profiled in the Fall 2009 issue of the 695 Quarterly. [Fall 2009 - Volume 1 - Issue 3 - PDF] Manfred Klemme At various times, Manfred Klemme was a representative for Cinema Products, Nagra and Sonosax. He assisted Mike Denecke in the development of the timecode slate. Later, with Mike's encouragement, he established K-Tek as a supplier of boom poles and other professional audio tools. Ray Cymoszinski Ray Cymoszinski was a Local 695 Sound Mixer working primarily in television. His credits included Everybody Hates Chris, Columbo, Turks and Crime Story. He was also a skilled electrical engineer and designed a portable battery system that Chinhda supplied to local outlets like Location Sound and Coffey Sound. Neil Stone An independent service technician, Neil developed a timecode conversion for the Nagra 4.2. by David Waelder Photo courtesy of Trew Audio