John Landsman
A1, FOH, System Engineer
Technical Director
Project Manager
Historically, it’s been just me, working out of my home office.
No fancy office building made of glass and steel. No giant warehouse overflowing with gear.
What I offer is over 36 years experience in the industry, a pile of manufacturers certifications and a passion for the job.
AS AN AUDIO ENGINEER...
I will show up to your job site early and prepared to work.
I’ll bring a drawing, input list, speaker prediction, cable plan, console file and an RF coordination.
I come with a Smaart rig, dual matching MacBook Pros for playback, main and back up analog interfaces,
a switch for Dante applications, over 1 TB of music, play ons, VOG’s & sound effects
and a tool kit with all the necessary provisions to get me through the tight spots.
I have worked for diverse clients in situations from ballrooms and convention centers to arena’s and beaches.
My expertise include: system design and trouble shooting. Installation. Room timing & EQ. Transparent operation.
Attention to detail with a friendly can-do attitude and professional appearance.
A1, FOH, Systems Engineer and Monitors.
AS A TECHNICAL DIRECTOR OR PROJECT MANAGER
Over the years I’ve dabbled in many different specialties.
My background includes Audio, Video, Projection and Lighting. With over 30 years in the Audio Visual field,
I’ve spent decades doing technical drawings, making solid crew contacts and dealing with facilities and unions.
This makes me a natural choice to lead a crew through the planning
and tough decisions that it takes to create today’s involved productions.
MY WORK
Here are some examples of my work, with other companies, on their productions.
Hover over the picture to see a description.
Click on the picture for a full size view.
Certifications, Training and Experience
Avid Profile & SC48
Clear-Com FreeSpeak
Clear-Com HelixNet
D&B Array Calc and R1
Dante Level I & II
Digico SD 9 & 10
DPA Microphones
IAS Wireless Coordination
L’ Acoustic’s K1, K2, Kara, Kiva, V-Dosc and DV-Dosc
L’ Acoustics Variable Curvature Level II SoundVision
L’ Acoustics Network Manager
Shure Axient, Axient D & Wireless Workbench
Telex RTS & BTR
Smaart Live
SSL Live Consoles
Yamaha Rivage, CL5, QL5, QL1 & M7
Vectorworks
The Commander Headset Interface
The Commander headset interface was born of the need for a flexible, comfortable com headset. Adding the ability to monitor a secondary signal from a record deck, console or computer means no more wearing a headset AND a pair of headphones.
Got a favorite pair of headphones? Add a mic and you can wear them all day while staying on com.
Got a noisy environment? Pick a hyper-cardioid mic better suited for that environment, than the mic on most common headsets.
Wear glasses or have pretty hair? Tired of the skull crushers squeezing the glasses into your head or having your pretty hair turned into“headset hair”? Choose from one of the light weight headsets below.
The combinations are endless.
For the time being, I will be making these by hand and offering them for either RTS or Clear-Com. A 4pin turn around is all that is needed to use your RTS version with Clear-Com (and vice-versa). The Commander has all of the connections on top (best for sliding into your back pocket) and has an easily accessed 9v battery compartment. I expect the 9v to last at least a few weeks with normal use. There are many belt clips available on the internet should you decide to add one.
Choosing a Mic for Your Commander
The Commander is designed to use the Shure standard TA4F connector. As long as your mic comes with that connector you should be able to use it with the Commander. Here are a few suggestions for a sexy com set up.
DPA d:fine. The inspiration for the Commander was the DPA d:fine Broadcast Headset Microphone. It was originally intended for use with on air talent, with an IFB. With the Commander, it can now be the single best com headset combination on the planet. Available with 1 or 2 headphones, multiple colors and multiple patterns (including cardioid - for loud environments),.
Countryman E6 with the EM2 cable. The Countryman E6 is a well known hi quality mic, available in a few colors as well as either Omni or Cardioid patterns. What is not so well known is that Countryman makes a combo cable that allows the use of the E6 in conjunction with most Shure Sound Isolating headphones. It is called the EM2 Cable.
For you folks looking for the turn-key solution. You can buy this mic from me. It is black, omni-directional and sounds great in most environments. If you are on tour with Metallica it may be a bit loud. For most corporate or back stage environments it will do just fine. I've used one myself. Just add your preferred headphones!
$60 30 days “no questions asked” guarantee.
The Fine Print
I am making these things by hand. Please do not think that you can run over them with a truck. They are not indestructible, but should last a lifetime with proper care. I have made every effort to try these with every mic I come across. There are definitely mics I have not tried, that might not work. If you have any questions about your preferred mic...just ask. I have made every effort to connect the phones input to various devices. There are definitely devices I have not tried, that might not work.
Instructions for use:
The LED
The LED on the face of the Commander lights only when a compatible mic is connected and a working battery is installed. When the mic is connected, the battery is being used. Conversely, when no mic is connected, the unit is off and the battery is not being used.
The Mic Gain
This screw on the back of the Commander is used to adjust the volume of your connected microphone. Most condenser mics will be louder than the average com headset mic. You can use this to compensate. It is possible to remove the set screw by turning it counter clockwise too much. Don’t do that. The mechanism holding the screw is glued in place. Do not put too much pressure on the screw. Doing so may break the glue.
Phones Input
This input is designed to be connected to the headphones output of the device you wish to monitor. For example: The headphones output of your computer, the headphones jack of a audio console etc. Be wary of ground loops. Make sue that the device you are monitoring is on the same ground and phase as the COM base station to avoid any unwanted buzz/noise.
Headphones
The Headphones jack is for your headphones. Any TRS headphones will work. 4 conductor headphones with an integrated mic, such as ipod earbuds will NOT work with this system.
Microphone
The microphone input is where you connect your “Shure compatible” mic. “Shure compatible” is defined as a mic that is set up from the manufacturer to work with a Shure lav transmitter. This circuitry includes an impedance converter necessary for the bias power circuit to work. Most mics with a TA4F connector should be compatible.
To Purchase
Your Commander will come with the interface (configured for either RTS or ClearCom), a 3’ 3.5mm stereo to 3.5mm stereo cable, a 3.5mm to 1/4” adapter, a case and a 90 day “no questions asked guarantee”
$90 plus shipping.
Adapters are $30 with the purchase of a Commander.
*Adapters sold with purchase of Commander only. Not sold separately.
CC to RTS Adapter
RTS to CC Adapter
Lightweight Omni Mic
Commander - CC
Commander - RTS
Contact me for more information or to discuss an order.