A COLLABORATIVE POST
WRITTEN BY BOOM BOX POST
Happy Holidays to all of you editors, mixers, engineers, recordists, professionals, prosumers, students, freelancers, and everyone in between. Whether you want to impress a special sound/post production person in your life or you work in the sound world and are having trouble filling out your holiday wish list we have you covered!
Budget Gifts
For those of us whose budget might be on the tighter side, but still want to give a gift to impress their sound friends. These gifts might be what you’re looking for.
For the not so tall mixer
The StrongTek Under Desk Footrest has been a popular item around the office. Under desk footrests allow you to maximize the support of your desk chair for any user height. They provide a more enjoyable and comfortable sitting experience while working long hours in front of the computer.
“ I use this every day on the mix stage. As a shortie, I often have the uncomfortable problem of feet that don’t touch the ground when my chair is at the right height for ergonomic arm position. Because it’s silent, it’s perfect for the mix stage. I’m so much more comfortable all day!”
Sound Apparel
For anyone who wants to tell people they work in sound without telling people they work in sound CMD + S has clothing and accessory options for you. The “Every Polar Pattern Tee” is especially appealing with an interesting look without being too in your face that you work in sound. Cmd + S also sells smaller items such as pins, mugs, and stickers, perfect sound themed stocking stuffers. Click here to check out the CMD + S store.
To help with the messy rigs
If you are having trouble keeping your work area cables under control cable holder clips are a perfect solution. As your home rig gets bigger and bigger cable management can become an absolute nightmare. These inexpensive clips can really help keep everything looking nice and tidy.
For the Pro Tools newbie
For newer Pro Tools users it can be daunting trying to remember every keyboard shortcut. Using a keyboard shortcut cover can be a great way to help you remember shortcuts without having to open up a new tab and google the specific shortcut for any given situation. If you are a new sound editor these can be a great asset!
“Using the keyboard cover in school helped me so much when first learning Pro tools.”
A Great Addition to Your Sound Effects Collection
If you need the perfect sound effect for your your sci-fi space opera or perhaps the indie first-person shooter you’ve been working on Boom Box has you covered. Our Robotic Creations: Futuristic Weapons library contains a wide variety of weaponized sounds ranging from intense laser blasts, to playful water guns, to tactical zip lines, to chaotic massive explosions. Take a listen to our Futuristic Weapons library now!
When you need to kill some time
For those long days at the desk or for those precious moments in between work and client meetings having something to keep your mind sharp and your hands sharper might be just the thing you need.
“I know, it seems totally random, but stick with me. As a mixer, I often find myself with short breaks of time that need filling. Those last few minutes waiting for clients to arrive for example. Or I just need a break from the barrage of sound! I got into cubing when my daughter asked if I could help her figure it out and we went down a YouTube rabbit hole. It’s fun to learn the tricks and then practice, takes little time, and uses a whole different part of my brain than my work in sound. It’s also cheap and small enough to stash in your work bag.”
Splurge a Little Gifts
These gifts are for those who want to take their sound gift giving up a notch.
For those looking to pick up the speed
Using a trackball mouse as opposed to a traditional mouse has multiple long term benefits. Ergonomically, trackball mice are much better for your hands and wrists which over years of editing and mixing can really save you from future pains and injuries. Trackball mice can also really increase your editing speed if you can weather the transitional learning curve. They are also ambidextrous, great for righties or lefties!
“Once I mapped out key commands to the different mouse buttons and button combinations on the trackball mouse I’ve noticed my Pro Tools speed increase exponentially. Going back to a traditional mouse feels so slow now.”
For the home recordist
Looking to take your vocal or dialogue recording to the next level. The AKG C214 is a great mic for any voice over, solo instrument, or vocal recording. This condenser mic comes with a 20dB pad as well as a bass cut to get rid of any unwanted proximity effect. This mic is great for anyone looking to upgrade to a mid level microphone.
for the field recordist
Can’t find exactly what you need from your sound libraries? You should go record it yourself. The MKE 600 is a great mic to help you capture field recordings out in the world. This shotgun mic sounds amazing and at almost a third of the price of the industry standard MKH 416 this is an easy recommendation.
Punch to the Pocketbook Gifts
These last gifts are for those who are itching to drop a large amount of cash. To them money is no object or they might be a little masochistic when it comes to their wallet.
Avid S3 Control surface
If you are looking for the shiniest top-of-the-line mixing controller to impress all of your friends, you can’t really go wrong with the S3. Coming directly from Avid, the S3 has every feature a Pro Tools mixer could want. Definitely not an inexpensive purchase, but if you have an extra 5k laying around you won’t need to look for another mixing console for a long long time.
“We use the S3 on all of our stages here at Boom Box and we love using them!”
For An all in one sound library
The Boom One full library is a great option if you want a hefty library that can do it all. Boom One’s extensive library includes ambiences, animals, vehicles, vocals, weapons, weather, and many other useful sounds for any editor. You can buy it all in one purchase or pay for a yearly subscription if you don’t want to commit to the full price. We recently purchased this library for the studio and have been loving it so far! Click here to check out the Boom One sound library.
The best seat in the house
Maybe the most overlooked piece of any post production setup, but arguably the most important, is the chair you sit in. Finding a chair that is equal parts ergonomic, comfortable, and durable is key to making your post work experience the best it can be. Here at Boom Box we almost exclusively use the Herman Miller Aeron office chair. They are comfortable and provide great support. If you are willing to spend a bit more money this year, buying a great office chair is money well spent.
If you found this blog post helpful be sure to check out some of our other posts:
FOUR PORTFOLIO REEL TIPS
NEW BOOM BOX LIBRARY: SHOPPING CARTS
THE MAKING OF A SOUND LIBRARY: SHOPPING CARTS