Jason A

With the 3 out of 4 TRX's that I had go down, all were separate issues. One of them being "fixed a bad solder connection". Another just started freaking out once the micro sd was inserted. By freaking out I mean the lcd display characters became jumbled and never recovered. Even after reboot, etc. This was right out of the box. My point being, it doesn't necessarily mean it has to be the same thing triggering the failure.

SG- Unfortunately your guess that "iyou have either have had HORRIBLE luck, you're doing something wrong, or most likely a combination of the two." would be a misguided one. I ordered 4 TRX 2.5s last year and had 3 out of 4 failed. One of them with the exact same symptom as mentioned above. All 3 were repaired, or replaced. They were repaired because they malfunctioned due to to poor manufacturing. I then ordered an IFB200, that worked for a month, then it failed and was repaired. Same problems with my Nomad and 3 different Maxx units. Each time there has been a specific problem that was identified and then fixed. The point of the op post is that there are way too many problems. More than with other manufactures, who yes will have some issues, but not this many, and not so consistently. I've used Lectro and SD for years and had repairs here and there due to wear and tear, but nothing like Zaxcom. I just hope they work it out.

I feel you man. Having to deal with these issues from across the pond would have pushed me over the edge. Even though I'm on the opposite coast, I can at least overnight to get the equipment repaired quickly. All I can say is, your concern/complaint is valid and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Hey- This is the exact same experience I have had with my Zax gear. The majority of my Zax gear has been either DOA, or has broken within the first year of use. I've had lengthy discussions with Glen regarding this issue, and he of course claims there is nothing wrong with their production quality and workflow. All that being said, when the stuff works, it works extremely well and is worth the growing pains IMO. Fortunately my system, which is all Zax, seems to be past the repair phase, although I have a cam link on the way, so who knows. In addition, whenever anything has needed repair, they've bent over backwards to get it done, or replaced and shipped out quickly. Just happens too often.

As just a hop, it does look to be bigger (especially wider) than say, an SRB. But once you put a batt sled on an srb, or even the new SR battery pack sleeve, I bet they take up the same amount of space. The real plus here, over other cam hop options, is the built in timecode. If you need to run continuos timecode + 2 two channel primary audio to a cam, there isn't a smaller combo out there that I know of. In addition, being able to re purpose in your bag as an additional rx channel on any block makes it well worth $1500-$1700 imo.

Ha!

Sick!

Yup Sdog. I vote for option 2. I've been dealing with this same issue.

Twinkies? The belt either fits, or it doesn't. Shouldn't need a workaround.

Guess it won't work for us 30" waist folks either. Unfortunate.

Spoke with Redding today. They are being really cool about replacing defective Super Softies. IF you are having a problem I suggest you contact them. Top notch service! Also, Mike at Redding mentioned that there was a "filling problem" with some of the early units. Not sure on model number range for this, but a good test is to compare the performance to the classic softie. If it is inferior than there is a problem.

Whether or not that is case or not, it takes too long. My Wireless system took 4 weeks to drop ship from Zaxcom. If they aren't building them to order then they have some other serious problems on a regular basis. I was told by the reseller that they where building them order by order. So there you go.

Well, a lot of these discussions end up devolving into various misunderstood and misinterpreted points on both sides, so I apologize for my contribution to that. With regards to the statement... "the point I was addressing as silly is the implication that Zaxcom should dictate how much stock dealers should carry." I think the o.p. was suggesting that Zaxcom keep a few extra on hand, or maybe prepped, so when someone orders them, they can send them out sooner, as appose to building everything order by order. Not that they should dictate how much retailers should stock. With all the options available with Zax products I agree this is probably easier said than done, but as we know they area some pretty smart and creative folks. The point is that the current system isn't working for some of their most regular customers, so easy, or not, it's worth improving on.

Hmmm, well if you read the quote that I was replying to maybe it would make more sense. The Senetor was suggesting that Rado should just stalk more gear to make up for the lack of availability/poor build times from Zaxcom. I'm saying that's not a reasonable solution. Pretty clear. It's funny that you missed my point about pushing a company you have invested in to be better, since you have done that exact thing with zaxcom on this very forum. The truth is, once you invest thousands of dollars in a companies equipment, you can't just easily switch to someone else when they start oporating in a way that's problematic. So again Raoi bring ing up this point is valid as it was when you brought up issue with zaxcom in the past.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, the super softie doesn't perform as good as the classic. Softies are extremely useful because of there size and weight. There are quite a few situations where you are running from inside to outside and back with no time to dismantle a zep and no need for the extreme wind protection, or a place to store the pods when dismantled. The classic softie covers 90% of what I do, including climbing mountains, boat shoots, etc. They also sound better than a Zep with fur. Would've been nice to have a usable upgrade.

Well, in the case of Zaxcom, apparently necessary. Rado's (legitimate) point is that it shouldn't be. Is you're solution is to just shrug and keep on with the current flawed situation and have the customers make up for it out their own pocket?

Change the limits of your world.

Hey Crew- I feel you, but I already mulled over the similarities of our business as sound mixers renting gear, and that of manufacturers and distributers before I made the post. And I agree it is there, but very loose at that. Especially when you look at the current model for retail and internet sales. As an owner/operator of a large and costly amount of Zaxcom gear Rado along with other owners have a right and legitimate vested interest in pushing the company (Zaxcom) to improve the way they run their company and serve their customer base. After all, our business and the success of our clients depends on their (Zaxcom's) equipment running well, and also being delivered in a timely manor. If either doesn't happen (frequently in my case) it costs us money and slows down production. So again, I think he has every right, and even a responsibility to do so. This particular situation might have been an over reaction, but I'm guessing it was spurned by previous issues. I don't see this forum being the wrong arena either. We praise their gear and customer service here without issue. We should also be able to voice legitimate complaints without issue.

Rado is a customer and it seems a loyal one at that. Zaxcom should appreciate any feedback they can get. No matter what form it comes in, rude or not. As a customer he has the biggest right to suggest what Zaxcom should do to keep he and others happy.

Apples and oranges. Rado is not a manufacturer, or retailer as far as I can tell.

I'm a fan of most Rycote products as well, but as you mentioned the Super Softie performance has been disappointing for me. It was interesting, and somewhat encouraging to see that there might be a design flaw that could be remedied.

Hey Chris- The super softie is said to have better performance in rain conditions. Not sure if that is due to the 3d tex material or other factors. If it is the 3d tex, does the cyclone offer the same improvements in the rain?

No prob. Happy to, and thanks for the interest,

Pretty disappointed in the Super Softie performance vs the Classic Softie. I've A/B'd it in a few situations (with a CMIT) and the Classic has won every time. The Super was letting wind through in some pretty low wind situations as well. Just a heads up.

I have both mics and have pretty much the same experience as most here. Love the sound of the CMIT for most situations. I pull out the CS3-E for louder exteriors. If you haven't made a purchase yet, I would seriously consider the DPA 4017B as well. Quite a few people have said that it sounds very close to the Schoeps with possibly better rejection. Less expensive and possibly more durable as well. I would order both of them and return the one you don't want.