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Zaxcom Nomad - operating questions, plus tips & shortcuts


Jack Norflus

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From the online manual, "WARNING: While Lithium batteries are installed, DO NOT connect the unit to external power. There is no way to disable the built-in charger. If you do, they will EXPLODE and SEVERLY damage or DESTROY the unit. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!" I talked to Glenn and he indicated that is wrong. Just don't use alkaline batteries.

Gabe

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From the online manual, "WARNING: While Lithium batteries are installed, DO NOT connect the unit to external power. There is no way to disable the built-in charger. If you do, they will EXPLODE and SEVERLY damage or DESTROY the unit. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!" I talked to Glenn and he indicated that is wrong. Just don't use alkaline batteries.

Gabe

Currently the charger is not enabled yet.

And yes alkaline batteries are very bad in Nomad.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

New Nomad software has been posted on the Zaxcom user forum. There are a a lot of improvements in this version but some of the highlights are:

  • While in playback mode you can use the PFL button to solo individual playback tracks.
  • In the Slate page if you hit the menu button a bloop tone is emitted as the TC freezes and is outputted to all buses that has tone assigned to it.
  • When Nomad has been powered down the TC clock accuracy has been improved.
  • You can now choose to apply limiters to the Tape and Mono outs.
  • Tone isn't affected by the output limiters make up gain anymore.
  • Plus there are several items that improve the overall performance of Nomad.

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The addition of the PFL solo during playback is a welcome relief but is there a way we can actually see individual levels during the playback? Having to go back into the main page during playback to PFL the tracks is a pain but will accept it due to UI and space. Thanks Glenn and Howy!

Gabe

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The addition of the PFL solo during playback is a welcome relief but is there a way we can actually see individual levels during the playback? Having to go back into the main page during playback to PFL the tracks is a pain but will accept it due to UI and space. Thanks Glenn and Howy!

Gabe

More work will be coming to the playback mode in the near future ... so stay tuned.

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I am plowing through my new Nomad 8 and have a question (only one?)

I am using two QRX100's into digital input 1/2 and 3/4. I assign the digital input to output 1 & 2, great everything works.

I want to control the transmitters using Zaxnet. I go to the Zaxnet Setup menu item, then to the Input Configure panel and select a setting that will indicate AES 1&2 and AES 3&4 as on: position 7. I try to turn on Zaxnet and a window pops up telling me to set the Input Configure number to 8 or higher. I return to the Input Configure panel and Position 8 switches all of the AES inputs off and Position 12 switches AES 1 &2 on but leaves AES 3&4 off and I can't find a way to switch it on.

I am assuming it is operator error and would appreciate some guidance.

Thanks,

Paul

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Hello. I've been thinking more and more about Nomad, but i have some doubts that need to be cleared. I don't want to lose any functionality i have now with my 442+DR 680 Combo.

Recently i worked on a set when i used to boom with either MK41 or KMR81, used two radio mics, and recorded translation on the set - the director didnt understand the language and the documentary action had to be translated. So i sent the production tracks to the translator wirelessly (with a G3) then, miked him up and recorded his translation on the 6th Channel of the recorder. This way he didn't have to listen to his voice and i don't have to listen to the translation and can focus on the production tracks (as i monitor the mixer's output). Then i did a stereo mix on the recorder for director with production tracks on the left and translation on the right side. I used the stereo headphone jack of the recorder for this. I had to lower the production tracks a bit in the mix on the recorder (without touching the gain of iso tracks, just the headphone mix) for her so the translation would be heard better.

After this lenghty introduction here is my question: How would i do this with Nomad? I know it has two headphone outs, but how do you set the _levels_ of the iso tracks relative to each other with this recorder? What is the process of setting a headphone mix except for panning it L, R , C? I could not find anything about that in the manual. Do you do it with faders? How do you adjust two mixes, if director's mix is different that what you're feeding to the camera? With two boxes mixer and recorder, this is very easy and i can have two different mixes with pans and levels in no time. Thanks for reading this. I hope there is an easy and elegant solution, as i couldn't find a video yet that would illustrate this simple tasks like using faders and headphone mixes.

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I am plowing through my new Nomad 8 and have a question (only one?)

I am using two QRX100's into digital input 1/2 and 3/4. I assign the digital input to output 1 & 2, great everything works.

I want to control the transmitters using Zaxnet. I go to the Zaxnet Setup menu item, then to the Input Configure panel and select a setting that will indicate AES 1&2 and AES 3&4 as on: position 7. I try to turn on Zaxnet and a window pops up telling me to set the Input Configure number to 8 or higher. I return to the Input Configure panel and Position 8 switches all of the AES inputs off and Position 12 switches AES 1 &2 on but leaves AES 3&4 off and I can't find a way to switch it on.

I am assuming it is operator error and would appreciate some guidance.

Thanks,

Paul

i think that this is a limitation of the current firmware in that of all the inputs available to you, only a certain amount appear to be active at any one time and the options currently available wont let you do what you require.

this may not be a bad thing though, as last i heard, the effects like hpf and notch filter werent available on the digital inputs, and this may also include gain settings.

ive not measured this on the nomad, but using the digital ins on my 788 had a small increase of the system delay due to the sample rate converter.

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There are some limitations in terms of processing power and what Nomad can handle with the number of tracks, sample rate, digital ins and outs, Zaxnet and effects.

In your case you need more digital inputs so something else will have to be sacrificed so in your scenario it is Zaxnet.

The current software I/O selections I believe was designed as a baseline and I believe that a future revision can give you what you want but keep in mind something else will most likely have to be "sacrificed".

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There are some limitations in terms of processing power and what Nomad can handle with the number of tracks, sample rate, digital ins and outs, Zaxnet and effects.

In your case you need more digital inputs so something else will have to be sacrificed so in your scenario it is Zaxnet.

The current software I/O selections I believe was designed as a baseline and I believe that a future revision can give you what you want but keep in mind something else will most likely have to be "sacrificed".

Okay, so how was Glenn himself able to use Zaxnet to control the "digital sound bag" in the Coffey Sound presentation? He was running 2 QRX (one could have been in single mode, but it wouldn't matter as AES turns on in pairs) into Nomad via AES and had control of the 3 transmitters via Zaxnet. Which, if I'm not mistaken, is exactly what Paul is trying to do.

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Glenn,

What's the official word on Zaxnet in the Nomad? We've been told it's fully implemented, but I haven't found how to "Wake" or "Sleep/Low 2" the transmitter, yet. How is that done? Also, how do you remix from the Nomad using the transmitter's recordings? You demoed that at Coffey, but it doesn't seem to be operational.

BTW: Transmitter gain adjusted via a Nomad pot is slick. I used it on set for the first time yesterday.

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When using Zaxnet IFB one of the AES inputs is used to get the IFB audio in and out of the system. There are 6 AES channels (3 pairs) still available.

Glenn

Thank you Glenn for getting back to me on a Saturday.

When I have the Zaxnet Input configure page set to position 12 which is the only one above 8 that shows digital inputs switched on, I only have one AES channel available, channels 1&2 all of the others are unavailable.

I am sure I must have something earlier in the chain switched to the wrong position. Could you give me a rough run through on settings for getting this to work.

Thanks,

Paul

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