Derek H

Still waiting for someone to beat the original Lectro SM… they nailed it with that one. All core functionality completely solid… range, size, durability, ease of use, battery life. Total professional piece of gear. Even Lectro can’t beat it. Seems like everyone is designing new products to impress with bonus features but fail when it comes to meeting the core functionality of the previous generation. you’re describing Zaxcom’s power roll feature to a T.

That’s true. I don’t think that would add back a lot of runtime but we’ll see what they say.

I read it in the user manual for the unit. None of the press releases mentioned runtime so I figured it must be abysmal.

2:50 continuous transmit runtime at 40mW… 3hrs if you use lithium AAAs

I think using some sort of spacer that allows an air gap around the recorder but still lets you to snug it in tight in a bag would be best. I think trying to couple an actual heat sink to the surface of the recorder could work if you somehow manage to do a professional job attaching it but more likely the result would be to make the heat dissipation worse. Since it’s an irregular surface and not designed at all for having a heat sink applied I would not even try. Too much margin for error. Unless you take the panel to a machinist and get it ground down to a mirror like finish and then use thermal adhesive… or really if you were going down this path it would be better to have a new panel machined that has the heat sink integrated in the design. If it were really necessary Sound Devices would have done it already. I’m guessing they decided that keeping the same form factor as the previous recorder was more important for sales and user happiness than designing a box that runs a few degrees cooler. It seems like they’re designed to run hot. Even when installed in a rack with plenty of airflow all around the case is still hot to the touch. This is one area where Zaxcom deserves a nod. Somehow all of their machines seem to sip power and run cool. Wonder what the difference is.

I think you’ll just have to buy a few feet of a few different kinds and try it out yourself. I like the matte durable jacket of 1804a but the shielding is not the best. But it is quad so kind of a trade off. Reel system? Now that’s interesting. Will it be spring loaded/self winding or more like a fishing rod?

That cable you linked to is worth a try. It’sa more elaborate solution than what I proposed. If you have a buddy with a soldering iron just try modifying one of your existing XLR cables.

Try getting a cable that has pin 1 and the shell tab grounded together at the mic end or both ends. I found that with my brand new (2019) MKH50s they needed to use cables wired this way to avoid some fluorescent light related interference on set. It didn't sound like your sample but certainly worth a try. Another idea.. make sure the 10 dB pad isn’t on. If it is maybe that’s just what the Sony adapter noise floor sounds like.

Yup...

Don’t be a narc, Codyman!

Totally depends on what kind of work this person is doing. If you want just a few solid wires in a small doc bag 822 or SRc might be the best choice even if you need a couple of them. You don’t need to worry about things like antenna distribution for that kind of setup.

Look at the UCR822 as well for a more advanced two channel receiver. Which transmitter really depends on a lot of things. Do you prioritize size or battery life mainly. Want to stay on the legacy analog digital hybrid system or try out their new all digital stuff?

Polyfuse ratings could be a whole discussion all on it’s own. If you read the spec sheet they have a lot of grey area in regard to when they’re actually going to “trip”. For example you might choose one with a 12 amp rating and assume it’s going to trip right at 12 amps but they’re thermal devices so if the box you put it in generates heat then you need to look at the derating curve and see how that effects the current hold and trip specs.

Pretty much all new digital transmitters on the market are 50mW max. Not saying it’s not a bummer but 50mW is looking like the standard going forward.

Thanks for the report, John. I’m curious, did you notice any improvement in sound from lavs with a full 5V?