CLEVELAND, OH – Lectrosonics noted that Cleveland-based production sound mixer Henri Rapp has been turning to the company’s wireless products for various projects including The NFL, Netflix, LeBron James and Loctite. “No matter what unique needs a job has, with Lectrosonics, we can figure out a solution that makes sense for what we’re trying to accomplish,” Rapp said.
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In the dynamic world of production sound, flexibility, durability, and reliability are paramount, especially when working across a wide range of projects in diverse locations. For Cleveland-based production sound mixer Henri Rapp, Lectrosonics wireless products are the cornerstone of his workflow, including SR-series and DSR-series receivers, SMWB, DSSM, HMa, and IFBT4 transmitters. Together, they enable him to capture high-quality audio for everything from live news broadcasts and comedy specials, to challenging narrative features, and even shows filmed on active construction sites.
Rapp’s journey into sound for picture began after years in music production. At the early age of 14, he found himself recording bands and later worked full-time at Bad Racket Studios in Cleveland, focused mostly on music production. His transition to sound for picture occurred when his neighbor, a camera operator, introduced him to a local sound mixer seeking a boom operator for a tier-1 union feature film.
This first experience on a film not only opened his eyes to a new dimension of audio but also gave him his first exposure to Lectrosonics products which he found ” immediately user-friendly and intuitive.” That same individual provided Rapp with the initial inspiration to “dive in headfirst” into the world of sound for picture. Rapp reports, “that’s when everything clicked.” He adapted his fundamentals from the studio world and expanded his skillset with an understanding of RF and other wireless system concepts, eventually coming to focus exclusively on sound for picture.
Working outside major markets like New York or Los Angeles requires Rapp to be “more well-rounded and flexible” in the types of productions he takes on. His work spans commercials, narrative features, documentaries, live news for networks like ABC and NBC, and Netflix comedy specials. He describes his clientele as “anyone who has a need for sound for their production,” and that variability is what makes him so reliant on the Lectrosonics line. From easy deployment to spectrum flexibility to rock solid durability, Lectrosonics gear has proven indispensable in overcoming the challenges presented by Rapp’s varied projects.
When called upon to provide audio for breaking live news broadcasts for the likes of ABC or NBC, speed is of the essence. “You can’t overstate the benefit that comes from Lectrosonics already being used in all areas of audio for the networks,” said Rapp. “Their receiver is often built into the camera. I can just dial up a transmitter into the same frequency and be good to go, it’s a huge timesaver. Their familiarity and dead simple operation also mean that I don’t have to explain their usage to producers or anyone capturing on location.”
Rapp also finds that with Lectrosonics, sometimes less is more. On a commercial for Ladder Sports featuring LeBron James and a fitness influencer, Rapp faced a wardrobe challenge where the influencer wearing only a sports bra on top. “There was nowhere to run a cable! Being able to tuck a tiny SSM transmitter under her armpit without it being visible on camera is another example of where Lectrosonics has saved the day.”
He’s come to rely on Lectrosonics products for their range as well. “My larger Scorpio bag has two IFBT4s, and the range on those is rock solid, no matter what. In doing jobs for the NFL, I’ve had people not take a single hit the entire time they were on the other side of the stadium.”
But foremost in his reasoning for continuing to choose Lectrosonics products are their durability and reliability. “The dynamic nature of capturing sound in the field means that life sometimes happens,” said Rapp. “you can’t risk losing a job just because something hits the concrete. Lectrosonics products can take a beating and they just work.”
For the narrative feature Asleep in My Palm, filmed primarily in unheated indoor spaces and outdoors during winter, the crew faced “extreme conditions”. Rapp states, “The Lectrosonics stuff never missed a beat, despite temperatures dropping below zero degrees.” And when working on a YouTube show for Loctite, filmed on an active construction site, Rapp recalls an environment fraught with risks for his equipment. “People were swinging sledgehammers among other hazards, but Lectrosonics is durable and none of my gear took any damage throughout the entire filming.”
Ultimately, for Rapp, the ability to “stay flexible” comes down to “being able to problem solve”. He trusts Lectrosonics gear to provide the technical foundation, stating, “No matter what unique needs a job has, with Lectrosonics, we can figure out a solution that makes sense for what we’re trying to accomplish.”
