Nathaniel Robinson

That would be a very off-putting conversation to have with a director. To have all of my equipment decisions (based on actual use and careful discrimination) immediately up-ended by someone who read about a mic somewhere online....

1 hour ago, daniel said:

For the features and spec. it seems good value (and cheaper than sennheiser equivalent). I can see OMB shooters and Euro broadcasters going for this - Slot-in RX, TX recorders, remote control. Hope they bring out a mini TX as well.

 +1 for mini TX. System looks lovely even without recording capabilities in US.

A rambling but still incomplete answer:

Modern Lectrosonics transmitters have a different front end than your VHF transmitters. This modern front end supports both "servo" and "universal" wiring. Any lav wired  "servo" is not going to work with your VHF units. But compatible wiring may be possible. Some information about that here: http://www.lectrosonics.com/Support/component/com_fsf/catid,2/faqid,95/view,faq/

Here is the VHF wiring input:

And the UHF wiring input: 

You'll notice that figure 2 on both diagrams is the same. Most mics are wired that way, notable exceptions being the Sanken COS11d and DPA mics. So I would think that Countryman, Tram, and Lectrosonics lavs will work with both your VHF and more modern transmitters.

The shield termination is different for VHF, as noted at top of this page: http://www.lectrosonics.com/Support/Microphone-Wiring/vhf-transmitter-5-pin-input-jack-wiring.html

Finally, the Sanken COS11d is notoriously hard to rewire due to some insulative material on its wires. I prefer to let the pros handle that one (and I fix guitar amps for fun).

On 4/4/2017 at 0:01 PM, John Blankenship said:

Recommended to me by another sound mixer at the Atlanta Mixer Mixer, was Mepitac:

http://tinyurl.com/mcouw7g

It's designed for applications such as patients with fragile skin, wounds, and burn victims. 

For our use, you put a patch of Mepitac onto the hairy chest, and then tape your rig onto the Mepitac.  The stuff sticks well and peels off without "ouch."

Another example why -- with us sometimes-less-than-social sound mixers -- it pays to socialize and share with others.

 

Ordered some of this and it works amazingly well for painless removal from a hairy chest. Thanks for passing the tip along!

Looks great, 35+ hours run time on a single charge!

I had no luck with the Orca waist belt and OR30. I'm a thin, tall guy (32" waist, 6'3") so that might be part of it. I also find the available Petrol and Orca harnesses to be an ergonomically imperfect fit for my build. Cannot get the majority of weight to hang anywhere but my shoulders.

I had one day where I was only booming wild sounds/on the fly interviews, zero wireless. So I built this little rig from a thrift store Walkman type bag. Belt was a wide piece of nylon webbing with the clasps from an army belt sewn on (and reinforced by gaff tape to satisfy my paranoia). NP1/Hawk-woods distro was stuffed into an old light meter bag.

Despite these humble and hodge-podge origins, the bag performed perfectly. I've never had less fatigue/discomfort after a long day of almost continuous rolling. This thread has reminded me that I need to explore the Kortwich and Ktek wait belt options.

Got it setup on my iMac running 10.11.5. After a bumpy setup (I had ffmpeg in the wrong directory), it has worked exactly as advertised on my Nomad and 633 files. A very handy option to have, thanks for taking the time to develop it!

Wow, very nice. On my upright cart I am using a larger, heavier steel plate for increased stability, but thinking of adopting the inverted nose approach.

Is the aluminum boom holder (at bottom of cart) a custom piece?

12 hours ago, Bash said:

Video files recorded on modern cameras record their 'start frame time' by looking at the TC clock value at the start of the first frame recorded. The camera then records a load more frames (say 90000, ie 25x60x60) over the course of what 'it' believes to be an hour. In fact, if the camera is counting its hms at a different rate to the real world, then even if it is 0.001% off it will be wrong by 90 frames.

Everyone keep your hats on for one more moment! Within Simon B's excellent and thorough explanation is one simple mathematical error. 90 frames out of 90,000 would be 0.1% drift (or a multiplication factor of 0.001, which is likely the mix up).

41 minutes ago, MartinTheMixer said:

I am using the wording from the Ambient video, so it is whatever their definition is of "stamp". I adopt their meaning of the word "stamp". Thank you.

You are still stumbling here. Precision of language is critical to this discussion. Watch the video again, note that it only refers to a STAMP at the file start and end of the file.

Ambient recently created a very helpful video series on timecode and it's relationship to synchronization. I think the main stumbling block in your scenario above is the use of the term "stamp". In typical application, the timecode stamp exists functionally as a start time in metadata for both audio and video files. So there IS no stamp at frame 3. Drift, however, can and does happen. That issue is discussed in the Ambient video "Synchronization Tutorial".

Happy to test as well. I have Zaxcom Nomad and SD 633, using latest MacOS. 

Music setup: iMac->Metric Halo LIO8 -> Equator D8. Doesn't shake the walls but I love the sound. I'm also building a Raspberry Pi "hifi" setup. It will use an auxillary S/PDIF board -> modded MCM 50-7774 -> Harmon Kardon 17s/16 -> Urei 809a. Should be fun.

4 hours ago, Constantin said:

Another dream: recorder that can load and run VST plug-ins (or other format), for EQ, compressor, delay, whatever... Mix track only, of course. Or maybe selectable to either mix only, headphones only, or both. Parameters get stored in metadata

Mix automation data is a dream of mine as well.

I'm also ready to see rotary encoders instead of potentiometers on my digital mixers. Easy to work in banks/pages without any mechanical recall necessary.

Would love to see more "meter bridge" type functionality in field recorders, whether wireless or even via a hard wired video output.

Would like to see a Zaxcom Maxx II, with any/all of the following: 4 fader add on, Zaxnet, Touch/Nomad/Mix 8 compatibility, wideband UHF transmitter.

Stripped down Zaxcom Oasis, more of an updated Mix 8.

SuperSlot integration with Sound Devices 633, like an SL4.

21 hours ago, Aural Fixation said:

Will any of the dashboard models accommodate this setup?

I doubt that the 3 srb version will because the NP-1 is slightly thicker (taller) than the Sr, but what about the RM version? Or a newer one not yet discovered by myself?

 

I don't think so. An NP1 won't fit in my RM model, maybe 1/4" too narrow to fit. Maybe with some bold dremeling.

In an acoustically ideal room I think the MKH40 is fantastic for dialog. It has a bigger sweet spot that the MKH50, which I like when the blocking is sloppy or the dialog has a lot of improvisation. Also very nice for animated interview subjects with lots of leaning forward and to the side. Bad locations, noisy cameras, and crew-that-can't-shut-up keep the MKH40 in it's case more than I'd like.

On January 16, 2016 at 2:28 PM, Philip Perkins said:

Are most users syncing the boxes directly to a recorder (like with other TC boxes) or to each other, or are most people doing the phone thing?

 

I really only use the app to change frame rate if necessary. Otherwise I use exactly the same as my Denecke SB3.

If I were buying again, I'd look for one with peak meters over VU, certainly. I'd also want the direct out option (or budget for the mod from Vark Audio). In that configuration it will function very much like the 442.

It has a world class sound; I use mine occasionally as a front end preamp for voice overs (chosen over 442/633/Maxx for this application). 

The rest of the time though? It is sitting in my personal museum of gear. Integrated mixer/recorders like the 633 or Maxx have become the workhorses in my world. 

Another "gotcha" of sorts is that in the rigs I've encountered, the external battery systems  have been placed in a way that really makes the timecode port almost impossible to get to.  I think a right angle 5 pin lemo for that connection would also be very useful.

Attempting to phrase this without accusation to either parties.

I guess I don't see a compelling reason to suspect that Sonosax is infringing on Zaxcom's patents. I know that the R4+ is using multiple ADs to increase dynamic range, but by the admission of all parties this is not patented and not inherently an infringement. If this published spec of increased dynamic range is the only evidence of infringement, I don't think it is reasonable to expect a competitor to voluntarily divulge how they accomplished it. I think that is what many of the "Sonosax defenders" are responding to. If Zaxcom has other reasons to suspect infringement, then their position is much more reasonable and sympathetic.

Of course I am sure there is much to this story outside of the postings on this forum (as expected).

I always found the Senator to be a humorous and valuable part of the forum, and sometimes people really DO just need to RTFM. I spoke with him briefly at the NAB mixer meetup and he gave me this pen. I laugh every time I use it.

Is it necessary to have the tablet/GUI connected at all times?

SX-R4+ uses the 49Wh Inspired Energy 2054 I believe.

Here are a few links to Zaxcom patents:

Virtual Multitrack http://www.google.com/patents/US7711443

NeverClip (and other processes) https://www.google.com/patents/US8878708

Not the lightest reading.