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I'm still stoked on my 400 series Lectro gear. Bought my first one in I want to say 2012? and still have it. I first used Lectro gear on set in film school in January 2009 on a shoot (pictured below during a night shoot in the famous "Bookman" book store in Orange, CA). I was blown away back then by how great the pair I had on a shoot sounded and the range was fantastic vs the very old Audio Technica sets I had used prior. I already have a DSR4 on pre-order and it's fantastic that I can still use the stuff I purchased in 2012 alongside anything new in the digital domain as time goes on.

For sure there can be. But that's not what the error message said: "Phase difference between Left Channel and Right Channel found..." So, if it's finding phase issues between the two channels, something's gone wrong somewhere.

You'd have to get the upcoming DSR4 slot receiver which can spit out 4 channels of AES each slot. That will work in the Octopack and actually turn it into a Hexadecapack? once released.

When I was starting out and had wirelesses from a couple of different makers (all of them dead or gone now) I hated the connector-compato issues I had to deal with on every shoot. A very long time ago I standardized on Lectro...and then Lectro "unstandardized", having a couple of different connectors and wiring schemes. It seems like most soundies try to keep their package as interchangeable as they can. For a newb today, probably buying used gear mostly, I'd say Lectro was still the best bet in terms of compato, being able to rent more-of-same and getting service, and is likely to be sellable at some price as long as it still works and is legal. Financing really expensive new wireless gear of any kind seems terrifying these days..tough choices, don't envy you guys.

maybe？

There is no such thing as buy once! I started with new 'Lectro gear long ago (185s) and have continually upgraded. I will go all digital soon, 'Lectro of course, and have learned to upgrade early enough so that my old gear has a higher cash value on the used market. As IronFilm noted, compatibility with others is a huge advantage, as is backwards compatibility within a system. Cheers, Tim

It would have been cool if they would have somehow made 833-888-Scorpio models with wireless built in. Maybe just double the price and give each wireless channels corresponding to how many faders on front. 833 6 wireless, 888 8 wireless etc. I'm sure that's where things are headed (Technically the Nova already kinda does this).

Got some answers regarding these: 1. Is not waterproof resistance. "Don't submerged in water", that wasn't my question, but clear need protection. Since when Sound Devices don't know when location sound people asking about waterproof resistance what we mean? Anyway. No word about dustproof. 2. - 3. No calibration tone if you don't use 8 series recorder. It's on feature request list. 4. Sunlight performance has the same as MixPre Series. MixPre costs 2K euros, while this one costs like a new car. Anyway. 5. Glass performance (durability) is like Gorilla Glass. 6. True Diversity across 16 channels. ==== Really extreme poor advertisement-communication from Sound Devices for Production Sound Dept. here. Anyway, starting to think that SD want to be in other market - industry since merge, but this is different conversation.

this is a bit of a bullshit sales quote. IRIG B transmits time and day once a second, and the duration of the whole 'the time / date is now exactly: yadda' takes one second. As I've explained earlier, that does NOT mean it can't be highly accurate (Like in music, the metronome dictates the beats, but NOT the exact moment a note is played.) But I don't see IRIG B has a place in the syncing world.

Hi Douglas hi all i’ve called 3 times to reach some “sensitive” telephonist and they didn’t give me the contact. so if someone has a clue on how to contact him you are welcome! me be another local 52 sound mixer can have his number by phone? Thanks all for your help!

Yeah if you care about being able to easily access compatible rentals anywhere in the world, or need to be able to tune into other systems (such as on large reality shows, where equipment will be mixed and matched together) then both Sennheiser's and Sony's pro grade wireless systems should be at the bottom of your considerations. And Lectrosonics should still be the #1 consideration. I think all the brands have DC powering options for their rack receivers? (or half rack) Lectrosonics / Wisycom / Sound Devices Wireless / Shure / etc (hmmm.... except the Sony DWR-R03D, sadly it is AC only. The older Sony DWR-R02D had DC powering!! Very sad Sony removed this for the 3rd generation DWX. Oh, and except for Zaxcom as well, because they don't have any rack receivers at all, they're on their own path instead. Edit: hmm... the Sennheiser EM 6000 and Sennheiser EM 9046 rack receivers are also AC only. Yet another reason we never see Sennheiser or Sony pro wireless in our little niche!)

I like the initial question. I think there are a few sides to this for wireless units. The issue is if you are starting out then you have limited capital and cannot buy the best quality choose any make/models . Used wireless equipment that is only 10 years old is not going to be all of today's brands. So in a forum thread you have to ask it one way or both ways. Starting out today in 2022 (post 600Mhz FCC spectrum selloff and illegal in 2020) you really need to have the knowledge of wideband Tx and Rx and why NOT to just get say 2 wireless units used in Lectrosonics Block 19 or say Block 25 (illegal...yes except for that guard band yes yes...) Starting out in your career where you need to buy your entire sound kit (mixer, boom, mics, etc) do you go with Prosumer level like Sennheiser G4 units and buy just 4 and then move up once access to more capital? Or the other way this thread conversation is If I were to do it all again today [buying a wireless system from scratch and NOT owning any wireless hardware you MIGHT want to have compatible to use] but you had a large amount capital are you mostly doing narrative or docu, reality, network news, sports? If it is narrative having the ability to remote your receivers not just the sharkfin antennas may be the way to go. So receivers that have Dante may make sense. half rack semi-portable units like Lectrosonics DSQD fit that bill. compatible with older Digital Hybrid transmitters. You could buy used Tx to start and move up to digital Tx for new. I like the competition of the brands selling fully digital pro wireless units Audio Limited, Lectrosonics, Sennheiser, Shure, Sony, Zaxcom. Wisycom is NOT in that group. For remoting wireless receivers there is the idea of using a interface/converter box like a Ferrofish Pulse16 that could take analog inputs from any brand's receivers and go Dante down to the sound cart. You might be able to even get rackmount receivers but they have AC power requirements and that is an issue with generators. If you are really NOT doing narrative and using a soundcart for 50% of your work currently (and plan to for more of) you need fully portable receivers. Not a lot of research available but I read that Sennheiser Rx gets hot and is power hungry. I like that the Sony is 3rd generation digital. Audio LImited & Shure Axient sounds good but a couple small issues. build-quality of bodypack Tx is very important as they DO get dropped. plastic, aluminum? These days with higher track counts seeing the features like Superslot compatibility is a huge factor for many in the Sound Devices world. AES outputs on Rx and how you are getting them into your mixer come into play. Another major consideration is repair speed and customer service. a regional sound rental vendor making repairs or shipping to the brand mothership. Another consideration is in the type of work do you need to share a talent Tx with another soundie where you both have a compatible receiver? Lectrosonics in the same block has been pretty standard for broadcast TV type work for years. Another consideration is the type of connector for lavs to Tx and needing to rent more lavs. TA4F, TA5F, LEMO3pin , 1/8"screwon, and repairing/rewiring connectors. Another thought is would you be repurposing a Dual receiver to use as a broadcast quality L/R camera hop required in some types of work: sports ENG/Network News quick turnaround? Seeing more Tx products being released shows the support from a brand. The more Tx and Rx products being released means you have access to more tools with features. It also means seeing how much R&D brands are putting into wireless units. I haven't done ALL of the research I'd need to on the above but having access to rent a model you are considering to buy means limited brands. Many sound vendors don't carry all of the brands/models in their inventory. I've never seen a Sennheiser pro system in the field or Sony for that matter. Thanks Ironfilm for the Sony videos. I'd like to lean towards Shure Axient personally then Lectrosonics.

a) you'd need to have a receiver that outputs AES over Superslot (none of the SR receivers do that. You can get a baseplate for them which will do AES, but that's from a TA3. So not compatible with the Octopak) b) alternatively, you could have a line level to AES convertor. For instance I use the AJA ADA4: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/899105-REG/AJA_ada4_4_Channel_Bi_Directional_Audio_A_D.html c) how are you going to get 8 channels of AES into the Scorpio? I think it natively just has 2x pairs of AES. So I presume you'll be using the XL-AES as well? (that's what I use with my 833)

Let's start with the "brains", SRb and SRc does not have AES output.

It is similar for me too, over the years I'm mostly purchased secondhand Lectrosonics (although, sometimes purchased new or near new Lectrosonics). And I think that is absolutely the right decision. Buy up secondhand Lectrosonics! As historically (i.e. back in the 2000's or 2010's, which is likely the vintage of any gear you'd be buying secondhand) then Lectrosonics was absolutely king. And leading the pack. It makes a lot of sense to buy that equipment, if that is the era you're looking at. (i.e. secondhand) But if buying brand new in the 2020's? That's trickier... I feel Lectrosonics has fallen off the pace, and has let the competition catch up (and even go past them). So maybe I won't buy any more Lectrosonics in the future? However... Lectrosonics is still keeping in place their awesome backwards compatibility! Thus I can see myself buying one more piece of Lectrsonics gear next year: the Lectrosonics DSR4! Really looking forward to it, and I hope the user reviews of it turn out to be awesome. (oh, and maaaybe I'll buy a Lectrosonics UCR411/UCR401 blk22 or Lectro LR B1, if I see a good deal on it secondhand. But otherwise I see my Lectrosonics collection as fairly "complete", and I'll just be getting as much extra lifespan out of it as I can. I've got over a dozen channels of Lectrosonics, I don't need more. Unless it is bringing something special to the table, like the DSR4 quad receiver) But going forward I can see myself very gradually and slowly transitioning to another system. (in no rush whatsoever though, as Lectrosonics Digital Hybrid is still very good! I'll get many more years out of them) First step will be switching over my boom to be fully digital booms. As for years I've been using a Sound Devices MM1 sending line level into a Lectro Digital Hybrid bodypack transmitter. (for the Boom Ops I've got 2x MM1 preamps, and one MP1 preamp) As I feel this gets the absolutely best possible quality and performance out of Lectro Digital Hybrids. But it is a slightly awkward setup (thus sometimes when it isn't appropriate to use a MM1, I've used a Lectro UH200D instead. But only rarely, say when I'm just helping out mixing a student short film for a film school project and the student boom op I'm given is very very green then I might have them use a UH200D instead just to make their life as easy as possible while they try to learn to boom) Am already starting this process to switch over to fully digital booms, is going to happen this month! Already got some parts for it, and finally just yesterday the other key parts (the Sony DWT-P01N and the receiver) got released from NZ Customs (so should be arriving at my door any day now!). Very strangely even though Sony has been making wireless systems since the 1950's and were one of the first to create digital wireless and remote controls over the transmitters (they either beat Zaxcom to being first with both of these features, or where a close second place. I need to look up and check the exact timings when this happened for each) they never became very popular in the Sound Dept on films/tv. Although a few Sound Mixers were using Sony DWX, such as: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2018/08/08/storied-sound-engineer-continues-to-innovate-with-sony-dwx-wireless-mics/ I think the biggest issue Sony had which really very seriously held them back in a big way from gaining widespread usage in our niche is their lack of a Superslot compatible receiver. But this all changes now with their third generation DWX wireless, as they've released the Superslot compatible Sony DWR-S03D: The other big problem with Sony is that they focused all their promotion and marketing of their Sony DWX digital systems to cameramen and camera rentals houses instead of paying attention to us and our needs. Could you imagine if ARRI only bothered to market their cameras to us? And not to folks in the camera dept. That would be a very weird world. I think the Sony DWR-S03D and the Sony DWT-P01N combo is what really swung me in favor of Sony DWX, as I reckon Shure Axient Digital in a bag doesn't quite match the bag capabilities of a Sony DWX setup. (or at least, not until Shure brings out their ADX3 transmitter??) Plus Sony DWX digital wireless is a little cheaper than any other comparable digital system from Shure / Lectrosonics / Sound Devices Wireless / etc. (such as the price difference between a Sony DWT-B03R vs Shure ADX1M vs Sound Devices A20-Mini. The Sony is the cheapest. Although... the Lectrosonics DBSMD is the cheapest of them all! But lacks the same kind of silent remote control feature set) https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1445263-REG/sony_dwt_p01n_30a_dwt_p01n_plug_on_transmitter_channels.html https://daleproaudio.com/collections/shop?q=sony dwx&fbclid=IwAR0ujss4SJFXIMnokrojxTEPvIklidbkiWwT0QfAPv8cxOIXmqhZCfBlstA#/filter:ss_price:1000:1500/filter:ss_price:1500:2000/filter:ss_price:2000:* Anyway, mainly only switching over my Booms to Sony DWX. The bulk of my talent bodypacks will mostly remain as Lectrosonics Digital Hybrids for the foreseeable future. No need to rush into the digital future for everything. Who knows how the future might change over the next five plus years! Perhaps Sound Devices Wireless will release an A20-Nexus quad receiver at half the price? And some normal sized A20-TX transmitters? There are many many changes which might happen that could swing the pendulum in favor of one system or another.

Just remembered that I meant to post links to tests of the three mics. I wrote up the cardioid and supercardioid about a month ago, and the omni yesterday, so there are two links, which I give below. Cheers, Roland https://drbadphil.com/rycotes-new-mics-part-1-cardioid-and-supercardioid https://drbadphil.com/rycotes-new-mics-part-2-omni

"If I were to do it all again today, I'd go with something other than Lectro (...Sound Devices A-10, Shure Axient, Wisycom, Sony DWX...), but alas, I bought-in so long ago and now I'm stuck..." I've heard this sentiment a bunch lately, in forums and in conversation with mixers more experienced than myself. As someone who's just starting to build (currently dreaming of / saving-up for) my wireless kit from scratch, I'd love to know what wireless ecosystem(s) would you go with if you were building your kit anew today, and why? Note: So far I've built my kit from 98% used gear, and I've expected that's just the way it's going to have to be, at least for a few years... assuming the only way I'll affordably/realistically be able to start stepping up my wireless game (if not renting) is by finding a couple used Blk19/20 411a's/SRB/SRC's, and whatever wideband Lectro A1 Tx's I can find at good secondhand prices — especially since it seems like more established folks are starting to sell-off their old lectro's for the new digital kits. *But some of those digital kits aren't too much more expensive than the inflated used prices currently on the market... hmmmm... Side question/dread: Do you think "buy once, cry once" still applies to wireless in this economy, at the rate tech is advancing and as companies hop aboard the terrible avid/adobe/avarice train, requiring subscriptions/big fees for software upgrades in one's "own" hardware? [edited for clarity]

Please do let me know when they tell you what happened. Id like to know in case anything happens to mine. Thanks

It sounds good, I am just worrying that they are using the Same ac tools. In a dual mono both tracks should be in phase compared to each other. But there can be phasing issues in the mono mix itself.

It's not fully resolved yet, it's at the factory for repair. I managed to limp through the last few weeks of a job without major issue and have redesigned a better redundancy option to more easily replace the Scorpio with my 888 should I ever need to again.

any devices can make Lectrosonics Octopack (SRB bl29, SRC 'B1'C1) to AES output to Sound Devices Scorpio ? please advice.

Yes I‘ve been thinking about that, too. With the Nova that’s even more of a potential problem and why I am surprised so many people jumped on the Nova-train

Only IRIG i've seen is on a second track of BWF in aviation communications recordings. (I wrote an IRIG B decoder for MakeTranscriberFiles)

What happened to your Scorpio? I have a Scorpio and it’s been rock solid. Thanks

Having recently gone through a scare with a central piece of hardware in my cart (Scorpio) and coming to the realization that in a small market like Vancouver, BC there aren't great options for renting a spare on short notice I'd say that having one device which is so heavily software dependent seems like putting all of your eggs in one basket. You'd have to have a spare (or have access to one) @ $15k to reliably put that in your cart as it is an all-in-one solution. If it went down you'd be in hot water awfully quick on a modern film set without another one nearby. I've come to have a health respect for the modularity of all of my equipment and the safety that offers, when one thing goes down it doesn't sink the ship