pindrop

Yes exactly that Super CMIT with CCM8 (MS), works very well, I've thoroughly tested the results using Waves S1 Stereo Imager, and it really brings many recordings to life, streets, markets, unplanned music events, wildlife, atmos. etc etc. So on docs I have the advantage of the 1 channel switchable super directionality and one channel standard CMIT (for MS) plus CCM8 for when stereo is good, permanently rigged via a 5 pin XLR. and I use a VDB internal cable, and discovered that not all coiled cables are made equal.......

VDB's are 6 section rather than 5 section of many others, therefore have greater range between closed and fully extended length. Lots of people use 8 feet poles for doco work, but I find them just that bit too short, too often, and use a VDB 12.5 footer. VDB's are good at not transmitting handling noise. VDB internal cables are good quality, and the stereo version is one of the few that are sufficiently well screened to have an analogue mic signal running alongside a digital mic signal without noise being induced in the analogue mic. signal. My VDB has the older style collar which can be set so that the pole can be pulled out without touching the collar but still has sufficient friction to stop a mic in windshield from twisting, a precise setting which some other poles cannot achieve, and are therefore slower to use. I sometimes end up in situations where I have to adjust pole length during a shot, corridors, one room to another etc. and it's good for this. I have not used he new threadless collars though. VDB's are light in weight. So I guess it's clear I like VDB's......:)

Thanks Glenn the Deva 24 is a masterpiece of design, but I hope you can see that the situation and scant information about the internal Zaxnet implementation (why's scant information necessary anyway?) is not ideal for a very keen potential purchaser like myself. As it requires another $1350 dollar outlay (IFB200 with additional weight and clutter in a bag), on what is already a substantial outlay, for something that might be made available for no additional cost, at some indeterminate time in the future, leaving one with an orphaned IFB200 at some point. I note you keep implying that older Deva's required the IFB200 so what's the problem, but as a former Fusion owner ( ultimately really too bulky for bag use) and Nomad user, I'm intending to implement a Deva 24 for bag use. Can you confirm any of what was said, and is still available to read on the Gotham website from September last year "Initial shipments will not have ZaxNet enabled, since it's pending FCC approval. When it's approved, there will be no charge for the ZaxNet board and it'll be installable by the end user or a dealer." I'm disappointed that you're implying that the Zaxnet board for the Deva 24 has not even been submitted yet. Sorry to push on this, and of course there may be reasons why the information is so scant that you don't want to disclose on a public forum, in which case please tell me to shut up. But I really am keen to know what the situation is, and if any further information or approximate timescales can be made available or confirmed, I'd be grateful?

Yes ok but the EU haven't changed the rules so that they now have some kind of problem with built in 2.4Ghz narrow band TX's like the FCC has for some reason. I don't know what the FCC are trying to do, and why they're now making it a problem, when it was ok before? It's not that it's difficult, it's that there is now a new specific problem, stumbling block, with the FCC, which doesn't exist with the EU. I don't know if precedent counts for anything with the EU, but the Nomad with built in Zaxnet has been ok for years. Zaxcom as a company hopefully has been doing what need to do with the EU for Deva 24 for some time now, like they have with the FCC, except that the FCC have a problem causing delays, which the EU does not, so it should already have been dealt with, for the EU hopefully?

It's Zaxnet for $1350 (a not insubstantial extra $) via IFB200, extra weight and clutter in a bag , and then when/if the Deva 24 Zaxnet board (for built in Zaxnet) is made available (for no extra cost?), you're left with the quite specialized IFB200 to sell, in a limited market with others doing the same, it's all quite unfortunate, but I don't suppose the FCC gives a monkeys, and it might be on a long list with higher priorities to be dealt with by a committee, I don't know? Anyway the question remains whether the Zaxnet board for the Deva 24 can be made available outside of the USA, can't see any any good reason why not really, except that USA customers might be a bit miffed I suppose?

I'd definitely get your microphone looked at, a 70's design, tweaked in the 90's has no right to be competing with a new 2012 design it should be noticeably noisier, it can't be allowed to undermine our confidence in never ending progress and expenditure .....:)

I dare say there's a strong possibility of adding Automix in firmware when Zax get a chance. I've used the Nomad automixer only a couple of times but it's pretty good, and did what I needed it to do, and I found myself tweaking the parameters on the fly to improve the response, which was actually quite effective. Automix was added to the Nomad well after the initial release. Likewise probably with 96Khz with some limitations about number of tracks perhaps? My timecode workflow with TCS is always permanently radio linked so I don't get involved in the accuracy of stand alone boxes and whether they've been tuned to each other etc. as even if you use very high spec boxes there's still that element of whether they've been tuned to each other. Yes the business of strapping choc ice dispenser like, front trays to ourselves has long been ridiculous and bad for us, very well done indeed Zaxcom, for addressing this, and making much more sensible arrangements a possibility, as far as I'm concerned it's a major step forward, and something I'm surprised has not been addressed by any other manufacturer even now. As far as I'm concerned it's been a glaringly big issue that's needed addressing for years, and unreliable, limited control tablets etc. just don't cut it. The Deva 24 is also very small and light for what it does anyway, not in small part as a result of the touch screen, look at what the Cantar has to do with two massive crown wheels to make menu selection easier?

Very good detective work Matthias Now that kind of information is some large part what I wanted to know, however it's dated 15th September 2017, so unless something has changed since then, the 'no charge for the ZaxNet board and it'll be installable by the end user', is very useful to know if still true? Gotham does say "Please remember that things are subject to change before release, so we'll keep you updated." and the sales spec now says "ZaxNet is supported by an IFB200 connected to Deva 24" $1350 How long could the FCC take? In the interim, what would be the problem of making these no charge and end user installable Zaxnet boards available in Europe one wonders? https://www.gothamsound.com/taxonomy/term/349/product/maxx

Thanks Glenn, I'm sure you'd tell us more if you could, but I'm guessing it might be delicate.......

Yes Zaxnet antenna in place, however further information would be nice if possible, it's quite a disincentive for me to upgrade from Nomad 12 to Deva 24 if it has no integrated Zaxnet and I'm in Europe where the FCC does not apply? There are many things I'd like upgrading from Nomad12 to Deva 24, increased capability (no more awkward juggling of Nomad modes), integrated SSD, triple media, touchscreen (a big plus), detachable front panel (another big plus), no increase in size and weight from Nomad 12 with FP8, but I'd really miss integrated Zaxnet as I use it all the time, and have invested in ERX's, like to remote control my TX's, and send timecode & guide track to small second cameras etc. etc.

What about integrated Zaxnet on Deva 24? Do we expect FCC to approve, any idea when? Can customers outside USA have Zaxnet on Deva 24? How is it retro-fitted? What's involved? Where does it fit? Is there a space for it? Has it been tested with Deva 24? etc. etc.

Likewise, never had a problem with my CCM's and have used them in a wide variety of climatic conditions. I think the module configuration of the CMC's might be more prone to occasional connection problems, but CCM's are one piece units.

There are some things you can't hear, like SD633, 4 sample gaps between supposedly sample accurate contiguous file joins at 2GB etc. But like you say good to know about these things, and somewhat puzzling.

Well looking at it in more detail it turns out that these sync boxes, cameras, recorders, need to be tuned to each other otherwise they do drift, and you can't be sure how much, and the tuning is not trivial, even with a top of the range Ambient for example. The advantage of RF sync is that this is done whenever the units are in range and continue highly accurately when out of range. Personally I love this degree of accuracy and assurance, I'm not left wondering if the boxes are in tune, have lost tune, need retuning, how long was it since they were last tuned, do I need to tune these hired in units etc. etc. Or you can have this fun.....! From the top of the range Ambient ACC501 – Timecode Master Clock manual ACC501 – Timecode Master Clock This menu is used to tune (calibrate) other Lockit devices or for the Controller to calibrate its reference oscillator to an external source. The internal reference can be tuned to + - 10ppm with a resolution of 0.15 ppm per digit. The tuning number DAC is shown on the display as well as recent tuning history. The tuning process may have to be carried out several times if the tuning error is large (over 4ppm). The tune values are estimated and the final value approached and met after up to 5 tune processes.

Concise summing up +1

Do Ultrasyncs and master, use a choice of 3 different continental UHF bands with a choice of 14 different frequencies for each, for radio sync between each other? (not wifi) 865.050 - 923.200 https://www.timecodesystems.com/products-home/rf-channels/ I think they might.....:) and I think this is what can give exceptional line of sight range, in my experience. Wifi gets used for metadata and to broadcast info for other purposes, wifi tablets etc. This is part of what makes the whole system exceptionally excellent as far as I'm concerned.

These look really great, and beautifully designed. I'd be very interested in the story of how you've gone about designing, developing, and producing these? I wouldn't know where to start, and would imagine it's difficult to make it economically viable, with all the work needed, the relatively small market, and keeping the price reasonable? Thanks in advance for all the work.

+1 for M-10 being really handy, two AA's, micro SD, remote control, however discontinued for some time. I found it was devilishly hard to get hold of, as I wanted it for some time for the very rare 5 second pre-roll, not usually available in a recorder of that size. I run it in parallel to my Nomad 12 to quickly record and playback selected problems for assessment on the fly, and 5 secs pre-roll is enough to catch events (hit record on the remote), without adding much weight, and saves having to mess with the rather long winded playback facilities of the Nomad, particularly for long takes. So when the director asks 'exactly which words / sentence did the motorbike, helicopter, jackhammer, angle grinder, scaffold pole, siren, jet, door slam, conflict with and how bad was it?' I can quickly playback the offending noise re-assess and confirm for myself, and give an accurate answer, or even give them headphones if they want. 'Did it really clip the last word and did it matter' etc. etc. Bit off topic, but the pre-roll might be another factor worth consideration for the OP, the D-100 is quite a bit bigger and heavier than the M-10, but does have the 5 second pre record buffer.

Thanks Glen, I guess this could well apply to the 3 pin Lemo adapter too, and may have scope for being changed? I will have to educate myself better as I realized I don't understand how the resistors work, as Larry's contribution - "As an aside, you can vary the "gain" of the DPA mics by choosing the bias resistor in the connector; smaller values give more gain (1k) and larger values (4k) give 12 dB less. 2k is a good middling value." is the opposite of what I thought, as I thought the resistor worked by leaking some of the signal to earth, so a higher value resistor would leak less to earth and hence give more gain. I obviously need to find out how it works.......

Thanks Philipp for posting this informative but rather depressing news, at those rates it has to mean two things, one, it will put experienced people out of business, and two, quality will suffer. Then as the skills required become hard to source, and many production companies have bad experiences, the realization will dawn on them that trying to save too much money, will cost them a lot more, it has to come around. "You think hiring a professional is expensive wait until you hire an amateur"

Some thoughts, not strictly on topic, but it has been something of a general discussion, comparison... Deva 24 will have a touch screen, very good for fast configuration access, less menu scrolling. Deva 24 will have a removable front panel / control surface, which offers unique ergonomic possibilities. Deva 24 will be very capable for it's size and weight. Deva 24 has some unique and very useful capabilities like Zaxnet built in, MixAhead? Deva 24 has external SSD built in Zaxcom have shown good commitment to getting the most out of designs without complete re-designs. Will there be a Deva 16 not far behind?

Thought pressurized containers including aerosols were banned anywhere on a passenger aircraft anyway, carry on or checked?

Daniel interesting way of structuring the rates but for 10h first 8 @ £30 = £240 plus two @ £45 (£90) that makes a total of £330 not £340? Lots of people myself included don't do half days (5 hours), as the travel time and prep time are not halved, apart from not being able to do another half day on the same day.

PSC sound recordist TV Factual, Documentary, Corporate, News 10h £340 without equipment 12h £408 without equipment I've messaged you with additional information.

Great thanks I've got a 406T which sounds great and would get a lot more use if it was P48, I'll investigate...... Further investigation - (forum insists on appending this to previous post rather than a new post?) Looks promising thanks, http://www.416tupgrade.com/416Tupgrade.com.html mention of the 406T 4.I have other microphones that are T-powered. Will you upgrade them? We also upgrade most Sennheiser 415, 435, 815 and 816T microphones. Please inquire about 406T mics.