IronFilm

The link that @Patrick Tresch posted answers this: https://sonosax.ch/sononews-march-2026/ Am impressed also that they're starting a new production run of the Sonosax SX-R4+: As I thought the SX-R4+ was very impressive when it was initially released as it was "the first of the next generation of recorders", easy to make the case for the SX-R4+ vs a Zaxcom Nomad or Sound Devices 6 Series, but not so sure I'd take it now in 2026 vs a Nova or 833?

I think it is a fairly reasonable size. Name one half-rack receiver that has more than 4 channels? Or for that matter, a full rack-size receiver with more than 8 channels?

Why not? I wish Half Rack was a much more popular size in our world. (we've already got a fair bit of half rack sized gear, such as Lectro DSQD, Sound Devices 970, Sennheiser EW-DX EM 2, Shure SLXD4D+, etc) As if using just one or two them it means it is still a great fit for a sound bag, while using a whole bunch of them means you can make up a great mini sound cart, without the width / bulk of full size rack mounted gear (such as Lectrosonics Venues) Also, 10 inch mini racks are recently becoming an increasingly popular standard in the IT world, and lots of hardware/accessories is coming out for that now. So we could use half rack sized audio equipment with that. https://www.youtube.com/@JeffGeerling/search?query=mini rack https://mini-rack.jeffgeerling.com/

It's not about cameras any longer. It's about having thankfully some sort of standardised form factor that all the manufacturers have embraced (even Zaxcom for a brief moment! ha), thus we can then have a lot of accessories / designs we can share such as Lecto Octopak, PSC Sixpack, Wisycom MRK16, Soundbag Dashboard, or even 3D printing your own! The Lectrosonics DSQD 4-Channel Digital Wireless Receiver is the closest thing to what you want.

They have their high end Shure Axient Digital which are SuperSlot compatible. Then at the prosumer level, they have their brand new Shure SLX-D+ series, which has a receiver that runs on a couple of AA batteries (or Shure's own battery). If I had to start over complete from scratch, buying everything myself brand new, then I think this is what I'd get. It is ridiculously good for its price. https://www.shure.com/en-US/products/wireless-systems/slxd-plus/slxd5plus They've got the ShowLink Ease system, so you can control transmitters remotely. It can even change frequencies automatically if there is interference. It's got digital encryption, for if you want that privacy. They've got a rack mount quad receiver with dante if you wish to use this system with a sound cart as well. Works with the Wireless Workbench Mobile app, so you can name devices, identify open channels, adjust gain, and manage frequencies. So many features.

Whoa.... how many "major" but independent brands do we have left? Zaxcom is the obvious example. What others are there? I guess various brands such as Tentacle and Orca Bags, if you can count them as "major" players in our little industry niche. As Lectrosonics is part of the Rode family, and now Wisycom/DPA/SoundDevices/etc are all in the same family, to mention just a couple of the recent major acquisitions. And we've seen others such as Aaton disappear completely, or others like Nagra and AETA cease to make products for us any longer. And others are likely on the way out too, such as Sonosax. (nice to see Tascam attempt a return to semi-relevance though, with their FR-AV4. It's hardly a modern day HS-P82 though) Going to be curious as to the future of SD Wireless, I wonder if Wisycom have any digital wireless prototypes they're working on?

All in all this seems like a very cool product, basically "a modern Zoom F4"! I've been hammering on for years "where is the update to the Zoom F4?" (a "F4n"?) As I'd have loved to get a Zoom F4n! Because the F4 is not a true update to the F4, and the F4 had various benefits I liked over its big brother F8 https://www.behringer.com/behringer/product?modelCode=0603-AFE "We skipped the built-in battery on purpose. Fixed battery systems age quickly, while USB-C stays flexible and can be easily adapted to what you already own. Two recessed USB-C ports provide redundant, hot-swappable power from any USB-PD source, including power banks. A compatible power supply is included." That's crazy they don't have hirose to power this, or even a DC jack, but instead just USB! https://www.behringer.com/behringer/product?modelCode=0606-ADZ The optional FLOW 4VIO that adds to the recorder four additional dual-stage microphone preamps and two independent headphone outputs is pretty cool though (the combo setup would however be heavier than a Sound Devices 833, higher power consumption as well) https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1819630-REG/behringer_flow_8_8_in_digital_mixer_bluetooth_audio_app.html US$199??? That's crazy cheap even for Behringer! At least we've got the quickstart guide for the Flow4V already which is fairly extensive: https://cdn.mediavalet.com/aunsw/musictribe/WZN169UOxE-CxMe1pln0ww/HBUz2xY-m06IJalUFZotCg/Original/QSG_BE_0603-AFE_0606-ADZ_FLOW4V_4VIO_WW.pdf I thought this was interesting: Because wait a second... can it record even more than 10 tracks??? Exactly. And even buying two of these will still be dirt cheap. And even you have "a pro recorder" you should always have a spare with you anyway (no matter if it is say an old 744T or a cheapie Zoom F8, or whatever) I expect at launch this recorder will have a lot of shortcomings, but will be very interesting to revisit the Flow4V in a couple of years' time, once it is on v2.0 firmware (or even v3.0 or whatever it is up to). Heck, recall way back to say the original launch of the MixPre series vs what it is today after all the firmware updates! Is 100x better. Tascam is going to have to drop their prices a lot to be competitive. But I'm kinda expecting that, Tascam has often had a big gap between launch RRP and street prices a few years later. (such as the DR60D / DR680 / HS-P82 / etc) Would be their own proprietary digital system? Not unusual for a stage box to have multiple channels running over a single cable. Surprisingly the video said it is only 5m over a standard mic cable, but is longer with a DMX cable. And they've got range extenders too they mentioned in the video.

Sounds better than a Comtek at least! ha They're really dirt cheap, you should buy just one to use for testing then decide for yourself if it meets your own needs/criteria/threshold. Then if so, you invest in getting the rest (half a dozen, two dozen, or whatever).

Yes, it's not a perfectly exact match what they use vs the compander used by Sennheiser wireless systems but it close enough to "work". Just like when you mix and match Sennheiser and Lectrosonics wireless in the right compatibility mode. Then the other issue is having matching frequencies on both the Leicozie IEM receiver and the Sennheiser transmitter, and again they won't be a perfect 1 to 1 match up for all the frequencies that both the Leicozic and Sennheisers can do, but as @Paul F pointed out you can make it work and find enough that are the same on both that it is workable. So basically if you work a lot in densely RF-polluted environments on mission-critical shoots, then you could find Leicozic is not for you. But I'd say for most of us, if we're smart about it (i.e. planning ahead with common sense frequency coordination), then they're more than "good enough" to get the job done. Certainly I personally have no complaints after using them for many years.

Leicozic IEMs could be what you're thinking of. I've got a bunch of them. They get the job done, not great, not awful. Certainly better sounding than other popular options such as Comteks, thus in my eyes they're "good enough". Can pair them with a Lectrosonics T4 transmitter if you want more range and a more portable transmitter than the Leicozic rack transmitter. Stick Eneloops/LADDAs in them and you've got enough power to go all day long, and maybe even for the second day too.

Same, I love how power efficient and small/lightweight the Maxx is! If only I could say the same about the Sound Devices 8 Series

It's perhaps one of the biggest downsides to the Maxx perhaps, being only a single card. What I do is I run the output mix into a Tascam DR10X which I leave recording all day, as it is extremely lightweight and the battery runs all day long (a nice and easy no fuss approach to it!). As a super duper extreme scenario emergency back up that I hope I'll never have to use (never have had to use it! Knock on wood. But if I ever do then I'll be glad I had it!!).

It is ridiculously easy for a Kiwi to work in Australia (or for an Aussie to work in NZ). Essentially when it comes to getting employed, a NZer is identical to an Australian when it comes to our right to work. Of course an Australian Citzen and NZ Citizen are still two different things, even if living in Australia then I still can't vote for MPs to represent me in the Australian Parliament, or if I lost my job in Australia then I can't go on the dole in Australia. Just to give a couple of examples.

Now that Lectrosonics is technically kinda-ish sort of "an Australian company" I was hoping beyond all hope to see engineering positions listed in Australia 😞 Ah well, I can't work in America! But I could in Oz.

Well, I think we're only a few short years away from the patent finally expiring? But now that Lectrosonics is "an Australian company", I think (note: am not a lawyer, I only LARP as one on the internet) there is a pathway they could start doing this immediately if they wish? Because if they choose to then they could do all their manufacturing in Australia for their non-American sales (while keeping production in America for American sales), thus completely avoiding the American legal system and their onerous requirements? Because none of the manufacturing or sales would be done in the USA for their non-USA sales.