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"Tried and Tested" or "New and Fancy"


ChrisH

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So i am a boom operator and utility and I started out mixing to 2 channels on ultra low budgets in 2006.

When I was fresh out of college I bought some crappy gear and started freelancing. I mixed features while poorly operating my own boom and badly wiring the crappy actors.

Anyway the only thing I have left from my original kit is my 16' K-Tek and my Rycote #4 windshield kit.

I recently sold my 722 because it had no timecode, I sold my DVCPromix cuz it sucked my Me-66 is a paperweight. I have been booming and working as a utility now for a few years and I have saved enough money to start building my bag----->cart.

As I started thinking about it at the beginning of the year I wanted the nomad because it is a mixer and a recorder. Then I got excited about the idea of a digital bag with zaxcom radios that I could remote control and wireless timecode and self recording wires etc.

Then I have heard about issues with the nomad, and less than amazing ruggedness of zaxcoms stuff.

On the other hand I have worked for years with sound devices and lectrosonics and I know they nearly as tough as rocks, and I know they work amazingly!

Really my question is twofold, do I take a risk on an 8 or 12 channel nomad with tons of features and maybe bugs, or do I buy 788t/CL8?

If I get the nomad can zaxcom radios range beat Lectro SMQV on 250mW with an active antenna system.

Im not interested in the self recording feature, If I need that on a show I will rent or buy a zaxcom then.

Also can I put the zaxcom on an actor in the rain(mm400/WM) or in a rough and tumble action scene(SMV/SMQV/MM400/WM)?

I want to mix features where I can use only the boom op but I realize that will not be the case for a while. Should I go with the tried and tested or the new and fancy? I am at that magical jumping off point for gear right now.

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If I get the nomad can zaxcom radios range beat Lectro SMQV on 250mW with an active antenna system.

Im not interested in the self recording feature, If I need that on a show I will rent or buy a zaxcom then.

Also can I put the zaxcom on an actor in the rain(mm400/WM) or in a rough and tumble action scene(SMV/SMQV/MM400/WM)?

In my experience the TRX900aa and RX900 can not beat SMQV at 100mW.

Don't know about qrx100 wirh the Zaxcom antenna distro.

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There are a million other factors to consider than just output power.

If I get the nomad can zaxcom radios range beat Lectro SMQV on 250mW with an active antenna system.

At the most, Zax radios are 125mw. Connected to the same antenna system (amplified or otherwise) you would expect to get more range from the more powerful Lectrosonics transmitter. Whether or not that happens in the real world is up to a lot of different things.

You can put the Zax radio on a rough and tumble actor. They survive the NFL. They are not waterproof by default. If you need them waterproof, you can AquaPac them pretty easily. The Zax radios actually have an advantage here. Both a waterproof Lectro radio and an AquaPac'd Zaxcom will drop out when submerged. However, with the on-board recording the Zaxcom will get the audio that you will lose from the Lectro.

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These are all tough questions!

If you're on a tight budget and just starting out, there's nothing wrong with getting the tried-and-tested older stuff and putting it to use. There have been many features shot with just a simple 4-channel mixer and a 2-channel recorder (heck, there's about 100,000 world-famous films shot and recorded entirely in mono). A modest-priced 442 mixer and 744t recorder won't break the bank, and used Lectros are all over the place. A 788 or a full-tilt Nomad may be overkill for what you need right now, and you might be able to spend half that much and put the savings to better use (like paying rent and buying groceries).

I wouldn't be that concerned about a 250mw wireless vs. a 100mw or even a 50mw wireless, because in the real world, the performance differences aren't as gigantic as you might think. So much is determined by antenna positioning, local interference, nearby metallic structures, and other factors, power alone won't overcome those problems. In a clear area, from 50 feet away, 10mw can work.

One thing you absolutely can invest in is microphones. In my opinion, they hold their value for a long time, especially the major names like Sanken, Schoeps, and Sennheiser (but I'm talking the high-end models). Countryman and DPA lavs hold their value as well, judging by eBay. If you're in a major city, you can always rent a mixer and a recorder, as well as wireless transmitters and receivers, but I think it's a wise idea to own a good selection of microphones that you know are 100% reliable. At worst, buy a couple of decent wireless sets, and then be prepared to rent more if you need them.

For an action scene, my choice would be the smallest wireless transmitter possible, to avoid any risk of the actor falling on it and getting injured. But in reality, a boom is probably going to be more useful, just because of the massive clothing noise involved when an actor hits the ground. If they're running around and shooting guns at each other, even wireless mikes are gonna be all over the place in terms of range, level, and other issues, so there are no magic solutions to these situations. Get lots of wild lines, pray for lots of coverage, use combinations of boom and wireless... too many options to count.

All strictly my opinion.

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For an action scene, my choice would be the smallest wireless transmitter possible, to avoid any risk of the actor falling on it and getting injured.

On Terra Nova (I was 2nd Unit Utility), for this very reason, we did not put wireless on stunt performance AT ALL. We had a choice of SMa, SMD, and UM wireless.

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Yep, I did a stunt scene just about a month ago (bar fight), and after going over with it on the director and performers, we agreed to use a Xmitr in an elastic wrap, placed in the small of their back, and they fell on a floor pad off camera on their side. Worked great -- but we had the benefit of rehearsals and a relatively simple stunt. 2 cameras, wide and tight, everybody handheld, bar mirror with reflections, nowhere to put the boom. But it worked fine and sounded good in the end.

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I am aware that radios range depends on your environment, and tons of other variables not just output power, thanks justin.

I also know that since I have sold all my starter gear when I get this I wont have a backup or anything to fall back on, if it fails, thats why i am concerned about reliability and dependability.

I have an MKH-50 and good boom poles. I hope to own some schoeps soon, first a CMIT, thanks marc.

My favorite transmitters are the SMVs and SMQVs which when paired with SRAs are fairly cheap for pro radios. They are smal and tuff, but are the zaxcom features worth the switch?

As far as mentioning the power output, the 250mW out put essentially allows me to wait to buy my antenna distro system.

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"My favorite transmitters are the SMVs and SMQVs which when paired with SRAs are fairly cheap for pro radios. They are smal and tuff, but are the zaxcom features worth the switch?"

The Zaxcom features (and by "features" I would include even basic design and functional differences between Zaxcom and Lectro, not just features you say you say you don't need) do not warrant you switching if you are totally satisfied with your Lectro gear and you don't feel a need for any of the things that differentiate the Zaxcom wireless from all the rest. This is a decision you will have to make yourself. There is no amount of personal testimony from others that will make the decision for you. That said, I will personally state that I would never go back to ANY of the other wireless mc systems currently available --- I would suffer the loss of sound quality, remote control, on-board recording, IFB monitor return, ease of frequency selection, no intermod, incredible dynamic range and on and on.

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Here is one thing to consider: which combination do you like working with the most? I always did research before buying and this included time with the gear. If you live in a market where its easy, go to a dealer and have some hands-on time.

For instance, I find working with a Deva a more intuitive experience than working with a Cantar. I prefer the way Lectros are set up vs Zaxcom radios. When I went to go buy lavs, I sat down at Trew Audio (I live in Nashville) and listened to all they had to offer to match the boom mic I already had. I even concealed them to compare how I would mount them.

Once you commit to buying the top shelf gear, the difference in sound quality is practically non-existent. All the good stuff is built to withstand the rigors of production use.

So buy the stuff that you find intuitive to work with, and that sounds good in combination with the gear you already have.

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I'd say it comes down to your personality. Are you the kind of person who really wants the cutting edge, and is willing to take the learning curve, and possible frustrations that comes with it? Or would you rather not think about your gear that much?

Personally I really enjoy the cutting edge technology, and I have no reservations about adopting new technology, even in beta stages, knowing what I'm in store for. That's not a good position for everyone.

So ask yourself, what is it that's most important to you in each piece of gear? Then use that answer to choose the appropriate gear.

-K

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" Really my question is twofold, "

really your question is subjective...

there are already numerous threads asking pretty much the same question(s), and there is really nothing new in this one.

the answer is clearly "it depends", and what it mostly depends on is you!

the good news is there really are a number of excellent appropriate options to select from, and amongst them there isn't really a "bad choice"..

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That said, I will personally state that I would never go back to ANY of the other wireless mc systems currently available --- I would suffer the loss of sound quality, remote control, on-board recording, IFB monitor return, ease of frequency selection, no intermod, incredible dynamic range and on and on.

the good news is there really are a number of excellent appropriate options to select from, and amongst them there isn't really a "bad choice"..

Thanks guys, Senator pointing out the fact that none are a bad choice is actually great advice.

Thanks JeffW for your preference as I like your work.

And thank you all.

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Agreed, tough questions, and too many factors to consider. I myself am a 788 + SMQV owner, and I do enjoy my system thoroughly, however when Im doing a low budget feature or a reality show, they often want me to work as a one man show. I was out in the middle of nowhere last night with my big heavy bag killing my back for 17 hours with not even a chair to relieve the situation every now and then, wishing I had a lighter and more compact Nomad system. However, a lot of the places I shoot in require the extra output power of an SMQV, but when Im on a feature there tends to be more controlled environments than on reality shows, and having the features of the all digital self recording Zax systems are of great benefit. The question really is tailoring your kit to suite your needs for the most part, because it will more than likely never always be the same scenarios or environments for your work conditions. I love my system and I doubt Ill ever trade it in, but I do plan on setting up a second system thats all Zax so that I may be able to choose which tools are appropriate for the job.

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Yes I believe that my game plan is to go with the nomad6, and start off with lectrosonics smqvs and SRAs. When I move out of the bag on to the cart I will get a deva 16 or something new from sound devices.. 71612 come on sound devices. Make a cart only recorder, build it like a mixer with your quality and design aesthetic. Give me faders and recording of 16 or 18 tracks. Once I get my cart you'll have it out right? Then my nomad becomes my car rig or portable rig.

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Give me faders and recording of 16 or 18 tracks.

I almost dont want them to make recorders with that many tracks available. Just thinking about the amount if wireless I would need, and what kind of jobs I would be doing for that makes me kind of sick! haha, just imagine how unreasonable producers would be at that point!

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