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Zaxcom Nomad - It's Alive.


Jack Norflus

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How are the limiters working/sounding compared to SD stuff? I have 442 and heard 788 limiters are way better. Thinking about exchanging my 442/DR-680 combo for one box. Can they brickwall? Will they stay transparent at that stage?

I haven't had the opportunity to give the limiters a full on workout in the field yet. Though I have a job coming up that the limiters are going to be key - I will update after that when I am able to get a really good feel for them.

Glenn did mention to me that the limiters in Nomad has been completely redesigned from the Fusion and Deva limiters using some really great components - that I don't understand (it was explained to me but the electronics are way over my head).

Jack

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" Can they brickwall? Will they stay transparent at that stage? "

oxymoron...

an oxymoron, yes - if you think technically, but artistically for less technically oriented people - eg viewers, it's "transparent" as long as it does not degrade the sound in an obvious way. There are some projects meant for the internet where there is no budget for audio post - and so they need it to be mixed hot, and on camera. With some boxes you can deliver that, for ex. the 788.

Is there a place in Chicago, when i could see, hear & feel the Nomad in action during the next couple of weeks?

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an oxymoron, yes - if you think technically, but artistically for less technically oriented people - eg viewers, it's "transparent" as long as it does not degrade the sound in an obvious way. There are some projects meant for the internet where there is no budget for audio post - and so they need it to be mixed hot, and on camera. With some boxes you can deliver that, for ex. the 788.

Perhaps a bit OT but I'm still not convinced by the 788 limiters, though I suspect I might need more time to play and set them up properly for certain jobs. I've certainly had them clip in a fairly conservative setting in a way that my SQN 5 would never do.

Actually something that perpetually bothers me about SD products (or at least both the 552 and the 788) is that the headphone overload seems to be WAY below anything on my SQN, which can be turned up to deafening levels before distorting. I've had a number of occasions where the HPs have made me convinced a mic has clipped only to listen back to the recording to find that it's clean on tape.

I'd be interested to see how the Nomad channel panning works controlled by the menu knob - do you have to press other buttons to get it to that setting in the first place (on the hop) or can it be pre-set?

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I'd be interested to see how the Nomad channel panning works controlled by the menu knob - do you have to press other buttons to get it to that setting in the first place (on the hop) or can it be pre-set?

When the pan option is turned on all you have to do is press the Bus key once and the pan matrix becomes highlighted. And it stays active till you escape out of it or go to another function. So you can always leave it active if you desire.

You can assign any pair to this. So either one pair, any two pairs or all three. And out 1/2 is one pair 3/4 is the second and 5/6 is the third.

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Thanks Jack,

A couple of questions

On the Zaxnet menu:

Could you help to clarify TX power = 1, does that mean "on" or power setting number 1 (for varies power output setting of the TX?)

Also, the RX1 to 3 Freq = 0.002GHz, does it follow for the receivers plug according to the inputs 1 to 3 of the Nomad? but why all = 0.002GHz. Does it mean adjusting all the 3 RX together?

Also on the earlier post where you posted the 7 home screens. I would like to check on the 6th home screen that you posted, there is 4 blue boxes on the inputs 7 to 10, could you help to clarify what are those?

Sorry for the heap of questions..

Thanks again Jack,

Best Regards,

Lawrence

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On the Zaxnet menu:

Could you help to clarify TX power = 1, does that mean "on"

or power setting number 1 (for varies power output setting of the TX?)

Also, the RX1 to 3 Freq = 0.002GHz, does it follow for the receivers plug according to the inputs 1 to 3 of the Nomad? but why all = 0.002GHz. Does it mean adjusting all the 3 RX together?

Also on the earlier post where you posted the 7 home screens. I would like to check on the 6th home screen that you posted, there is 4 blue boxes on the inputs 7 to 10, could you help to clarify what are those?

The power setting number is a variable number that goes from 1 thru 10 with 1 being the lowest and 10 the highest. And that is the transmit power level from Nomad for IFB and zaxnet control.

RX number 1-3 are only half of them - actually there are 6 - that screen only shows the first three if you scroll down on Nomad you will see the other three. So there are 6 essentially one for each input channel. Those frequencies you see are not set they are at a factory default. What you would do is adjust them to match the transmitters zaxnet frequency to have zaxnet control them from Nomad.

Those boxes represent a slider that you would see on a linear fader. So since Nomad, without the optional 4 fader attachment, has only 6 hardware faders it is a visual reference of where the fader is.

Jack

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will be better than those in 788? Do you know when you will get your Nomad? I'd trade my 442 and my recorder for it too...

Like Senator writes, that's quite subjective. If the 788's Limiters were the same as the 442's I might just have bought a 788 and saved myself the wait. I have no idea when I will get my Nomad. I was hoping to get it in time for a film shoot that starts mid September but judging from all the delays so far I wouldn't bet on that.

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Those boxes represent a slider that you would see on a linear fader. So since Nomad, without the optional 4 fader attachment, has only 6 hardware faders it is a visual reference of where the fader is.

Jack

Thanks again Jack. Btw, has anyone seen or know how does the optional 4 fader look like? Any pixs? Or might this be a question to well ahead, since the nomad itself is not widely available as yet.

Best Regards,

Lawrence

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has anyone seen or know how does the optional 4 fader look like? Any pixs? Or might this be a question to well ahead, since the nomad itself is not widely available as yet.

The fader attachment will attach to the right side of Nomad over the output connectors it will have 4 pots each around the size of the headphone pot. It will have two rows of two. And it will be about the same width of nomad - so it should fit together pretty seamlessly.

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The limiters in Nomad should be better than any other location mixer. Each of the 6 main inputs has dual A-D converter design. This gives a input dynamic range of about 135dB. The 135dB signal is fed to our soft knee compressor for an ultra smooth limiter function. The limiter also has a "look ahead feature" that eliminates the distortion common to analog domain limiters caused by fast transients like gun shots, door slams ect.

We paid very special attention to the limiter function and think the results will be a very natural sound even during heavy limiting action. The Nomad meters will directly show the gain reduction.

Glenn

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Maybe these optional faders could be used in another part of the bag ? (are they linked to the mixer by a cable?)

From the explanation I got from Glenn many months ago, the Add-on fader module will be attached to the site of the Nomad and the connection between will utilize existing connectors (in the Nomad). It might be possible to remote the fader box but it probably would involve something a little more elaborate than just cable --- possibly a specialized remote assembly with appropriate mating connector housings on each end. I would imagine that if you were able to remote the fader box in a bag, would it not be a problem securing this box so that you could actually use the faders without the box/housing moving around?

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