Trusty Lectrosonics kit does sound recordist a world of good

Sound recordist, location mixer and boom operator Igor Marlot has experience working on feature and short films, but it's documentaries that dominate his résumé. Whether his career takes him to the Sahara Desert or the Amazon Jungle, he relies on his Lectrosonics inventory of two UM400 Frequency Agile UHF Digital Hybrid Belt-Pack Transmitters, to SMQV Dual Battery Digital Hybrid Wireless Belt-Pack Transmitters and two SRc Dual-Channel Slot Mount ENG Receivers.

Having started in sound as a young teenager, working in the rock and alternative scene in his home country of Switzerland, Marlot learned to use sound boards, patch lists and also how to get the most out of cheap and DIY gear. He then went exploring in Western Africa for a few years and landed his first shoot wrangling cables for an African telenovela.

Upon returning to Switzerland, he studied audio theory at Centre de Formation aux Métiers du Son (CFMS) in Lausanne and earned his diploma in audio engineering. He started accumulating a working kit as he worked on student projects and developed interests in immersive audio, virtual reality, and Ambisonics techniques.

“I read about Lectrosonics reliability online,” Marlot explained. “I had been ‘nerding’ a lot, spending countless hours reading reviews, comparing specs and manuals of different products. I saw that everywhere in the world, serious setups used Lectrosonics stuff.” He saved his money and bought his first SRc receiver and two second-hand UM400 transmitters. Later, he added another SRc and two SMQV transmitters to his sound arsenal. He added: “I wanted to get into serious action and Lectrosonics was the way. No doubt!”

Marlot’s documentary work has taken him to the Arctic Circle, southern Asia, Scandinavia, the African bush, barrios in Guatemala, the Sahara Desert, and many other fascinating locations. Working sound in the wild so far afield presents challenges that seldom come up in studios – for example, there’s isn’t a way to get spare parts or replacement units, so everything has to work and continue to work for the duration of the project. Marlot said his Lectrosonics gear has the qualities and performance to meet his needs. “Oh yes, range and solidity! It gives me peace of mind.”

He insisted the transmitters, which he typically pairs up with DPA lavalier mics, can take a serious beating and will still work, adding that sometimes the talent may accidentally drop one of his transmitters on the floor, but it keeps on working. He admitted that such incidents make him worry needlessly, but he is always pleased that the Lectrosonics pieces keep on sounding “perfect”.

Marlot confessed the documentary project Cosmic Birds in the Amazonian jungles, shot in VR, was his most challenging. The conditions were very difficult, with humidity and insects. Still, he said his Lectrosonics equipment delivered without fail. “Oh, I’ve had lots of luck during my young career. I’ve travelled a lot,” he said. “I have seen lots of amazing places and met super interesting people – indigenous tribes, Masai people, Touareg people in the Sahara.”

He describes the Touareg as a tribe of welcoming, proud, and absolutely great people whom he got to know very closely during a late 2021 shoot in the Sahara for a yet-untitled documentary. The Niger government granted permission to shoot there on the condition that the crew would be constantly escorted by heavily armed soldiers to prevent any possible kidnapping or even assassination. The guards accompanied them in four heavily armoured vehicles, two of which were armed with a large machine gun mounted on the back. But Marlot remembers the sky at night, as well as the people. They had some very deep and beautiful moments, like impromptu concerts of Touareg guitar. Comparing his world with the one he was visiting, he concluded: “These men have all been into serious action. My tools are mics, booms, poles, and wireless; theirs are rifles, knives, and surviving in one of the harshest regions in the world.”

New adventures await Marlot and his Lectrosonics kit, as he revealed that his upcoming documentary project will bring him to Turkey.