Tornado Hunt 2012 on The Weather Channel is off with a spin. This year, Sound Devices’ portable 302 field mixer was added in the mix (pun intended) to capture the devastating sounds of nature.
The 302 was used for audio coming from “The Host” in the front seat of the tornado chasing vehicle (known as “The Bettes Mobile”) as well as handling the audio from the tornado itself. Unlike other sets, there is no time to repair or troubleshoot equipment when a deadly tornado is approaching. The crew insists that the equipment must work perfectly exactly when it’s needed. That is the reason the 302 was chosen, says Kevin Parrish, senior RF engineer, NBC Network News, Field & Satellite Operations. “Due to the nature of this assignment, it’s not possible to provide field maintenance; everything needs to work correctly from day one. Equipment selection is key and that’s why we selected the gear we did.”
The 302 was designed for audio-for-pictures applications. It’s extremely portable, and is the most widely used compact-battery-powered professional audio mixer in its class.
To learn more about the 302 mixer and other equipment that Sound Devices offers, check out their website
www.sounddevices.com
