Actualsizeaudio

This is good advice, though the digital timepiece does resolve it's internal clock to the SMPTE when it is set to that mode. That is a big difference between s digi timepiece and the midi boxes. When you set the digi timepiece to clock off of SMPTE only it takes about 3 seconds to start sending out a time base. That being said, if you have to record your tracks via analog, and you use the SMPTE reader software I still think you will be fine if the rolls are short, which it sounds like they will be.

That makes a lot of sense. The more I think about it, the more I'd like the hirose, since that will match what is already on all of my battery cups.

Either one is fine for me. One is easier to solder, and one is easier to connect and re-connect quickly. I wonder what their decision on will be based on.

I'd try the ambient ACC501 Master clock. I have one, and as soon as it gets back from rental I can try and send 23.976TC out from it. It acts as a MTC to LTC converter through a USB connection. Alternatively you can ask the ambient peeps if it will work at that frame rate, but I think it will.

It's probably the same connector as on their wireless receivers, which threads and is completely stable.

Glenn, Very, very cool. I'm really happy about that. I just got done a job where I never had more then 2 sources. I would totally have used this feature during these 2 days. There are 2 engineers who rent my 788T. Both of them objected to me switching because of this issue and now I can tell them their (probably unwarranted) fears have been allayed. I'm extremely grateful and impressed. I can't wait for mine!!!

BTW, if you really can't just import your files, and you need to record them real time with TC, then I'd get a cheap MOTU digital timepiece on ebay, then any midi interface will get the MTC from the timepiece into PT. The nice thing about the Time piece is it has all types of WC outputs, including a spdif digital sugnal you can clock off of. I've used that for years with a digi002. http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=MOTU+digital+Timepiece&_sacat=0&_odkw=midi+timepiece&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313 I still can't wrap my head around why one would need to do that. I'm curious.

You will need either Pro tools 9 or Pro Tools LE with DV toolkit. Any PT9 or Toolkit enabled Pro Tools system will see all .BWF metadata. Pro Tools does not work with Poly files, but instead converts them to mono files upon import. If you don't want to have 2 copies of the tracks then I would set the 788T to record mono .WAV files. The way I do it is I record Poly files in the field, and then let Pro tools make the mono files. I then have 2 copies of the files, and I never mind that. I've never had an issue with Pro tools seeing the TC, but remember, your timeline can only be 12 hours long in PT. So, if your first TC number is 12 past your session start and you go to "spot" any of your files to original source TC then they will read as "Original Time Stamp Out of Range'. This is not a reason for panic, just re-set your session start time to within an hour or so of your first TC number.

I just re-soldered my HFI-780's.......again. the cable doesn't seem to take solder, you have to get the cable to stick inside a gob of dried solder. It's a major PITA.

Obviously. But this assumes that there are no drastic changes in your source, and that you need to make a mix of some sort. I haven't made a mix for anyone other then myself (headphones) in quite some time. The stuff I seem to be doing lately is all pre-fader capture stuff where my job is to get things on tape as clean as possible, and only the isos are used in the edit. Somehow my suggestion got interpreted as me saying Zaxcom made a mistake with the physical layout. They didn't: the whole reason I'm buying one (I'm on the list at one of our favorite vendors) is because it will integrate with my other Zaxcom stuff better then what I have, and because it will be smaller than what I have. The reason it will be smaller is because they economized on faders and knobs: a great decision. I just see this suggestion as a software based way to maximize what they put on there for guys like me who might want instant access to all of those preamp trims at the same time without having to change the level it sits at in the mix. Multitracking live music, rolling while booming, walking backwards, and getting an earful from the producer are all situations where it would be useful. How this got interpreted into me wanting to ride mix levels with preamp trim is completely beyond me, and if that's my fault, I apologize. I don't think anyone who bothers to come on here doesn't understand the difference between their faders and their preamp trims!

Oh, I'm sure it's not just you, it's the sort of work that you do, and the fact that you probably get to work on better, more organized/civilized jobs. The other day I did a really silly hidden camera style advertisement where I was booming these 2 people talking (softly). We had to follow them into this conference room. In the conference room were 20 screaming people. I wasn't given any warning whatsoever (probably because they didn't want talent to know). I could have fadered down my distorting mic preamp while I walked backwards, but luckily I was able to pull down the trim on the preamp quick enough where there was only a short moment of uglyness. I just find getting to that adjustment as quick as possible often times makes the difference. It has nothing to do with lack of knowledge of gain structure. It has to do with lack of love for odd series harmonics.....

I simply am not in a situation to ride levels all that much, and I would NEVER do that with a preamp pot. I only adjust the input trims to achieve proper gain structure in relationship to preamp and microphone. I happen to find that this changes as I get into situations where the source goes from quiet to screaming loud. I don't own a mixing device that has a perfect preamp setting for every dynamic range I might encounter. The fact that things are most often recorded pre-fader now is the reason why my fader pots go unused. Glenn, my suggestion was a software based suggestion, and only a feature suggestion. It's a feature most digital mixers have, and I still hope you keep it in mind for the future. -Mike

I'm going to disagree with the "flip" sentiment of your post. This isn't some small "power button on the side" issue. I believe no preamp trims on this beast will be a reason for many people to pass on getting one without even trying it out, and that's a shame. I'm proposing something that would immediately take that concern away from potential users who aren't willing to lay down 4-6K in the hopes that this auto trim feature works for them. Maybe I'll love auto trim? Maybe I'll find that I grab that menu knob positive that the last fader I touched was the boom, and end up cranking up my lav track thus ruining sound for a brief moment. I think either of those last 2 modes B-grade suggested would work really well. I think that a flip mode for this unit would help sell it to ENG guys who are just too nervous to invest in liking Auto Trim. It's obvious how proud of Auto Trim the Zaxcom team is and that is great, but the fact that Glenn used the phrase "very unnecessary" to describe a different way of working I think reflects a bit of insensitivity to the fact that everyone works differently. Sure, when you are sitting at a cart you can see which preamp trim is selected on the home screen. When you are booming and laving people while moving around you can't always do that. I think the whole purpose of having a menu driven digital mixer for field use is to have the unit be as flexible as possible in order to work in as many different ways as possible. I'd urge Glenn to think about it. I think this is a feature that could take away some reservations some people might have with the unit. Remember, not everyone is going to be in the position of using for a few weeks before deciding if they want one. This would surely help alleviate concerns without having to change the unit at all. It would just be yet another feature.

Ahhhh right. All of the mixers I've used that on either had motorized faders or rotary encoders. I'm just bummed because my biggest complaint about the mixers I already have is that I do stuff 95% of the time with things at unity gain. So, I have these cool looking faders I never use, and this tiny mic-preamp knob I'm always using (with difficulty). If I get one of these things it will be even worse, I'll have 6 cool looking faders I never use, and only one knob I ever turn!!! Is it possible to have a mode the mixer operates in where the 2 functions are flipped? Preamp trims on the big dials, and fader movements on the "auto trim/menu" knob? Just a thought, maybe I'm the only one......

Glenn, Thats really nice stuff. It actually brings up something that I've been thinking about for a while in regards to this machine: fader flip mode. (Most) every digital mixer is able to "flip" what the fader controls. For instance, you can flip a send, or even pan down to the fader for better control. When that fader window is up there should be an option to have the 6 mechanical faders on the front flip to be preamp trims. This should also be an option when you are in auto mix mode. Thoughts?

They have no intention of doing the dialog editing, they just feel like editing with 8 tracks of audio is cumbersome and clutters up their timeline. The problem is they don't think it though to the moment when the dialog editing does need to happen. This is why life after Pro Tools' match tracks to timecode function is so much easier then it was before; and why as an audio post engineer I hate Final Cut Pro so much (match to tracks doesn't work).

John. Do you think that making a hirose to mag-safe power cable (macbook pro) is within your abilities? Would be great for the plane.

This is very cool. I wish more editors were like that. I gave the editors on a project recently 8 channel quicktime movies synced up with AuxTC app. They complained there were too many tracks to edit with. Seriously, they fucking complained. some editors are steadfast in their intense lazyness...

I got mine in the mailbox today after ordering it less than a week ago. It's really well made! I'm very happy with it.

Whenever I get a new sd card for my camera hop setup, I'll test the media. What I do is record tone for about 20-30 minutes or so, import the file into Pro Tools, and look if there is anything fishy. Obviously I carefully set the tone level with the gain pots on the front to what looks to be -20 on the TRX900AA. The tone levels are usually within 1db or each other, but they are never exactly the same from left to right. They are also never exactly -20. NOT A BIG DEAL, but something you wouldn't have to worry about with a digital input.

If the OMF is is made from an Avid, or if the file is an AAF, the original TC comes through from the video file/tape . The sound editor can right click a region in Pro Tools, and if there is a matching TC, and one other piece of matching metadata, like roll or scene, then Pro tools will display "matches" for that sound file. The post editor can then expand that 2 track mix out to the multi track isos recorded by the mixer. I've used this method to print a 1 or 2 track reference mix to camera, that the editor cuts to, and then I can expand to all of my isos very quickly. this also works if the editor wants to use your mix recorded on your multitrack machine, and you want to then use all of your iso tracks in post. This does not work with OMFs that come out of Final Cut. It fails to pass on any metadata of the original sound clip (sadly).

I'm going to agree with the group as long as your rolls are not long. I've been involved with the syncing and post of multiple cameras on shoots and if you are going need to roll for more then 20 minutes or so, or if you are using a camera that resolves the TC to it's clock (Sony F900 or Betacam) then genlock. Otherwise, don't do it. It's not worth the potential headache.

The biggest advantage for camera hop applications is in regards to transmitting true stereo audio. I have looked at the Left and Right side of tone printed to the TRX900AA and I'm NEVER able to get both channels exactly the same. Close enough for most work, but for stereo booming it will be very nice to take away at least one area where the left and right balance can be skewed.

It would be very sexy to go digital out of a Nomad, or 788T into the TRX900AA. I would buy one for sure.

I imagine you hand that to the youngster who wants to be a sound man and see how he/she handles it!! Yeah, both of my ribbon disasters were less the result of high SPLs, but of wind I suspect. In one instance a bass player moved his cabinet so the vent hole was right in front of the mic (thanks dude). The other time a guitar player pulled the chord from his gtr with it still plugged into the amp (brilliant). the Royers I've used since have proven to be really sturdy, and the AEA44 we had at a studio I worked at seemed pretty robust. Still, the whole no phantom power issue can be scary at times. I would imagine the uses for this mic would be to record instruments live, and to recreate the sound of an old sound stage. I bet this thing would sound great on woodwinds. The gear slut in me wants one.