steveharnell Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 Hello Everyone, It seems to be a bad time to upgrade my wireless lavs (Sennheiser EW100ENGG2s to hopefully Lectrosonics 411 Wireless System) here in Los Angeles. It's my understanding that blocks 27 and 28 are going away. If that's the case, What blocks should I choose? 22? Also, I am looking at Zaxcom as well, with the sd recording options. What is the general consenses here of Lectrosonics vs Zaxcom? I searched a bit, but didn't find much. Thanks, Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProSound Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 Steve, Buy used Lectrosonics to save money a used 211 or 201 will work fine for you. I have 3 211 in block 27 and even though im concerned about the wireless issues I need to work now and my block 27 work the best for me in my market. By the time the block disappears if it ever does I will have made my money back in rental fees Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 I agree with Whitney that you cannot wait forever to upgrade equipment particularly if you have work you need to do now. There is the option of renting gear but this probably should only be considered if you have very few jobs to do. Purchasing used Lectrosonics is a good idea if you can get a really goods deal. As far as Lectrosonics vs. Zaxcom, to a certain extent this is sort of an apples and oranges situation unless you are looking only at the basic wireless mic functions. There is no disputing that Lectro has served our industry well and continues to do so with very good products, but the pure digital Zaxcom units, from the very beginning, have had superior audio quality. The Zaxcom units have so many features and capabilities that none of the others (including Lectro) have, you need to consider if you might need these things. Even at the very basic level, true 2 channel stereo operation for camera hops is something that only Zaxcom has. Added to that are features that probably will not ever be offered by other manufacturers: full 12 hours of recording (timecoded) audio, pure digital RF transmission, flexible IFB monitor return, full remote control including remote jamming of timecode, start and stop and so forth. It may be wise, as suggested, to hold off a major purchase of new RF equipment until some of these spectrum issues stabilize, but I would not count on any of this being totally resolved soon if ever in our world. Regards, Jeff Wexler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flint Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 I agree with Jeff, buy the used Lectros if you have jobs that will pay them off ... there does seem to be deals lurking out there. I've seen new looking 411s on eBay with a TX for $2000 —200 series even cheaper. As for Zaxcom I own them as well ... love the TRX900 as a hop. JEFF QUESTION ... have you had any problems with timecode using the TRX. Along with my clockits on the cameras, I've jammed mine with my Ambient master clock and checked the TRX code on the BWFs after importing into an Avid system (to test code accuracy). The timecode on the imported camera tapes was perfect, but the code on the TRX files (not the unit itself - it appeared fine on the TRX display) was miles off ... not even close, not talking drift ... the code left the building. I know there has been some issues with the firmware (spent many hours back and forth with Howy on that one) ... wondering if you've had any issues. Thanks —love the forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg sextro Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 steve, you might call professional sound services in nyc. they recently got back a number of block 22 lectro set ups (pretty sure they're 411s w/ smd's) from a theater installation. they're selling them used for a pretty decent price and they're all in fantastic condition. (they looked like new set-ups, which is what caught my eye when i was in there the other day) i was in your position just recently (wanting to invest in wireless and having always rented them) and ended up buying lectro in block 26. i was also strongly considering zaxcom and maybe in the future might go that route, but for now, most of my work is day play commercials and industrials, so a lectro set up was the right choice i think. -greg- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPSharman Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 If you are not a BAG mixer, then I would go with the Venue for best bang for the buck. In Los Angeles, block 21 has the most room and there are a few holes in 22 most places. Four 21 and Two 22 is what I have. I got some VERY good deals on a couple of 411s too, but don't use them much. I have used the Venue out of the rack in an insert car too, powered with a 4-pin to Lectro cable I use on my cart. I would get the 411 over the 200 series, since you can find deals on both, and the price is not a big difference, especially over the length of the ownership. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 If you are not a BAG mixer, then I would go with the Venue for best bang for the buck. In Los Angeles, block 21 has the most room and there are a few holes in 22 most places. Four 21 and Two 22 is what I have. I got some VERY good deals on a couple of 411s too, but don't use them much. I have used the Venue out of the rack in an insert car too, powered with a 4-pin to Lectro cable I use on my cart. I would get the 411 over the 200 series, since you can find deals on both, and the price is not a big difference, especially over the length of the ownership. This is the rock/hardplace issue for those of us who must jump back and forth between cart and bag--the Venue is a great bang for buck on the cart, but I need to be able to run my RX individually as well, sometimes in different places at the same time. I know that there is the "field" Venue, but it is too big for my usage. I too am trying to hold on w/ my older radios until I see some resolution in the RF situation. Remember that the FCC freq sale is for freq's above 700 MHz, nuking block 28 but there is some portion of Block 27 that is below that... Philip Perkins Philip Perkins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tourtelot Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 Sorry Jeff- ". . ., but the pure digital Zaxcom units, from the very beginning, have had superior audio quality." Crap! The 411s sound as good as the Zax if my ears tell me anything (and I think they are still pretty darned good.) As well, you can not beat Lectro for customer service, function following form, and the fact that they are so reliable that a breakdown is almost unheard of. I'll take the Lectros in a New York minute (that is the time that an on-street parking spot is vacated by one car and filled by another.) D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 Sorry Jeff- ". . ., but the pure digital Zaxcom units, from the very beginning, have had superior audio quality." Crap! The 411s sound as good as the Zax if my ears tell me anything (and I think they are still pretty darned good.) As well, you can not beat Lectro for customer service, function following form, and the fact that they are so reliable that a breakdown is almost unheard of. I'll take the Lectros in a New York minute (that is the time that an on-street parking spot is vacated by one car and filled by another.) D. Hey, Doug, I'm not sure what the word "crap" refers to, but I hope it is not a word that refers to the audio quality of any of these wireless. I don't think you will find anyone amongst people with "golden ears" at least as good as yours and mine, disputing the excellent audio quality of the Zaxcom units and the current Lectro units. I stand by my statement that the audio quality of the Zaxcom units have been superior to ALL others and from the very beginning. As far as the rest of the exemplary things you have said about Lectrosonic the company, I agree with you completely. If "crap" refers to something someone said negatively about Lectro, that wasn't me (because I did not make any comment about Lectro reliability or support). Actually, I DID say something about Lectro reliability when I said that "There is no disputing that Lectro has served our industry well and continues to do so with very good products" in my original post. So, let us know what the word "crap" is all about --- it certainly cannot have anything to do with the stellar audio quality of the Zaxcoms, that's for sure. Regards, Jeff Wexler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FSBELLA Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 Sorry Jeff- ". . ., but the pure digital Zaxcom units, from the very beginning, have had superior audio quality." Crap! Doug, have you ever used the zaxcom wireless? that is a pretty darn bold statement. sounds like a lectro user, and we all know you dislike zaxcom in general as a manufactorer, we know you don't use the deva (have you ever used a deva on a shoot?) you are a SD user. its pretty funny guys, working in a rental house, I get al kinds of remarks and get all kinds of feed back. and the lectro to zaxcom (newer units) comparison is always split evenly. (just like the cantar and the deva debate the stirs up every now and then. The 411s sound as good as the Zax if my ears tell me anything (and I think they are still pretty darned good.) As well, you can not beat Lectro for customer service, function following form, and the fact that they are so reliable that a breakdown is almost unheard of. I'll take the Lectros in a New York minute (that is the time that an on-street parking spot is vacated by one car and filled by another.) D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergio Sanmiguel Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 I'll take the Lectros in a New York minute (that is the time that an on-street parking spot is vacated by one car and filled by another.) So, let us know what the word "crap" is all about --- it certainly cannot have anything to do with the stellar audio quality of the Zaxcoms, that's for sure. Regards, Jeff Wexler I think what Doug is trying to say is that is certainly a bunch of CRAP that a car can park in less than a minute in New York City; and that he can set up a Venue System rather than a Zaxcom RX4900 in the shortest amount of time... Right? :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fernando Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 This is the rock/hardplace issue for those of us who must jump back and forth between cart and bag--the Venue is a great bang for buck on the cart, but I need to be able to run my RX individually as well, sometimes in different places at the same time. I know that there is the "field" Venue, but it is too big for my usage. I too am trying to hold on w/ my older radios until I see some resolution in the RF situation. Remember that the FCC freq sale is for freq's above 700 MHz, nuking block 28 but there is some portion of Block 27 that is below that... Philip Perkins I use two extra 411 receivers for the bag and the Field Venue on the cart. I can use them for other duties as well (high quality send to video/director, from car to car, etc. instead of the cheaper units I use for that) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveharnell Posted July 31, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2007 Hey Guys, Thank you for all the replies and insight (not to mention PMs). Just to let you know what route I took, I have decided to get 2 pairs of UCR411A/UM400 units, B6s, in block 21 [used], thanks for the advice and savings of money... Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tourtelot Posted July 31, 2007 Report Share Posted July 31, 2007 Jeff, I think what I meant was pretty clear. For you to say ". . ., but the pure digital Zaxcom units, from the very beginning, have had superior audio quality." is, let me soften my tone, a little bit of an exaggeration I think. Maybe even "crap." Blind test, on the set, even you'd be hard pressed to tell the sound of these apart. I have listened to both, and I, with the old ears I have, sure can't<g>. For me, what makes the 411s so good is the way that they handle high levels like car-door slams and shouts. Makes it a no-brainer for me to go wireless boom now. Probably, the Zaxcom units do that well too. There is no doubt that they are fine technology, and that they have some market share. But "superior audio quality?" And with Lectro, it isn't like dealing with the Secret Service over at Zaxcom, which for me is the reason that folks like Lectro, Fostex and Sound Devices get my hard-earned money; great, open, communicative customer service. So whatever, "superior" anything. "Crap." D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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