André Zacher Selects Sound Devices' 788T

Production Sound Mixer, André Zacher has captured audio for more than 50 documentary and feature films over the past 11 years, having travelled to Africa, Scandinavia, and the remote mountains of the Himalayas.

Zacher was introduced to Sound Devices in 2004, when he used one of the first 744T recorders in Germany, provided by Ambient Recording Munich, on the German documentary Windstärke 8. At the time, the 744T was the smallest high-quality four-track digital recorder on the market. Zacher still uses the 744T today, along with the accompanying 302 mixer as backup for playback situations. He also owns other Sound Devices' equipment, including two 788T recorders and a CL-9 linear fader controller.

"Using the 788T was the next logical step for me after using the 744T for such a long time," said Zacher. "With the 788T, Sound Devices has managed to improve and enhance the recorder with some great features, such as the advanced metadata tweaking. What truly sets Sound Devices apart is that its recorders provide very high reliability in diverse and extreme shooting conditions, and are extremely compact. Also, the microphone preamps are state-of-the-art."

Another important feature of the 788T for Zacher is the unit's timecode functionality, along with the accuracy of the built-in clock.

"The interaction with the Ambient Clockit system is flawless," he added.

For his equipment rig, Zacher has both a sound cart and a portable bag set up for his 788Ts. His Lectrosonics wireless receivers are positioned together in their own custom-made bag, so he can switch between the cart and bag-based rig. He also uses a variety of Schoeps microphones (SuperCMIT 2 U, CMIT 5 U, CMC 6/MK 41 and CCM 41). For the digital SuperCMIT 2 U, it was important to have the level-adjustable AES42 input and the built-in sample rate conversion on the digital inputs of the 788T.

"My Sound Devices recorders are always vital to my productions' success," Zacher continued. "With Sound Devices, there is never a shadow of a doubt in terms of reliability and functionality, and I plan to continue to use them for many years to come."

Zacher is currently shooting a German theatrical feature, the screen adaptation of German fairy tale, Das kalte Herz (Heart of Stone), with director Johannes Naber.

Image: André Zacher with Reinhold Messner

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(JP)