Sound Mixer Keeps 'Eargonized' With Petrol Bags

Production sound mixer Brett Alphin works on a diverse range of projects, mixing everything from the clinking heels of high fashion reality to the squeals of great sea mammals. Whether he is on location in New York, Los Angeles or a distant locale, he always shows up prepared and ready to go. He carries gear in the Deca Eargonizer from Petrol Bags, part of Vitec Videocom, a Vitec Group company.
“When I discovered Petrol’s PS602 Deca Eargonizer, it was my dream bag – simple, streamlined and compact. Exactly what I need when I’m on the go as much as I am,” Alphin explains. But getting there is just the start. Alphin believes, “The key to a successful career as an ENG mixer is that you must be easy to work with, get good audio, and make the process smooth. People are visual and most of the time, if they can’t see it, they don’t want to worry about it. I don’t want a producer or director to ever think about audio. I want them to know I have it taken care of and they can just expect excellence.”
“There is nothing worse than a sloppy mixer,” he says. “How can you have confidence in a mixer whose cables are hanging everywhere and their rig looks like a tornado hit it?”
Alphin’s Petrol Bags Eargonizer helps him stay organized. His current set up holds a compact Lectrosonics Octopack with two Lectrosonic SRB receivers, Sound Devices’ 788T recorder and CL-8 mixer. “The whole thing is about 22 pounds,” he says. “I love that the Petrol doesn’t add weight, but it is still sturdy and there is a place for everything. I can set up my gear the way I use it most and keep it that way. One of the other cool things about the bag that helps me blend in — on set, crew is required to wear black most of the time — and I appreciate that the bag is black. It blends into the background. A lot of other companies’ bags are blue and blue stands out, where black blends in.”
Alphin’s Deca Eargonizer is constructed of heavy-duty water-resistant Cordura and has removable internal dividers for custom configurations. The double floor provides headphone cable organization, the internal pocket houses a mixer battery, and four expandable snap-on pouches can hold transmitters or receivers. “Everything is exactly where I need it, and ready to go to work,” he says. “No one will ever wait on sound, with me, as long as I have my Petrol setup at hand and ready.”
Petrol Bags
(H/CD)