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IMHO having drop free recording at the source is a lot more important then trying to achieve an extreme range.

Unless A: you are working a "live" event or B: are working a shoot that has to be monitored in real time by people making the decisions, in which case the wireless has to work real time or C: are in a workflow situation where the TX recordings and their integration into the edit workflow will be an issue and/or time problem.  Your show is the perfect situation for recording TXs, you are right, and they are lucky to have you having them.  But that isn't going to be the answer for a lot for other kinds of jobs, unfortunately.  I've read all the posts here and elsewhere about the heroics made possible by these recording TX, and have tested them myself and was impressed.  This isn't a knock on Zax, it is a statement that that system will not be the answer to lav-mic range issues all the time.

 

philp

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" I'm going to be obsessing about Every aspect of it. "

OK, however typically there are a couple of factors complicating the obsessing: the laws of physics, and unreasonable expectations.

speaking of obsessing, the TV broadcasters spent a lot of time and $$ obsessing over range during the conversion to digital transmission, and that included a lot of increasing power to retain similar coverage.

I said I'd be obsessing about every aspect of the piece of gear, not every aspect ever. I dare say, though, that the laws of physics will be the same for all manufacturers.

Unreasonable expectations? Don't know if you're talking to me. Still, those will apply to all brands, too.

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 agree with everything you say. I was talking about reality.

I agree about monitoring with the small exception that a drop out here and there can be tolerated by director/ producers but can not end up on the final sound

Unless A: you are working a "live" event or B: are working a shoot that has to be monitored in real time by people making the decisions, in which case the wireless has to work real time or C: are in a workflow situation where the TX recordings and their integration into the edit workflow will be an issue and/or time problem.  Your show is the perfect situation for recording TXs, you are right, and they are lucky to have you having them.  But that isn't going to be the answer for a lot for other kinds of jobs, unfortunately.  I've read all the posts here and elsewhere about the heroics made possible by these recording TX, and have tested them myself and was impressed.  This isn't a knock on Zax, it is a statement that that system will not be the answer to lav-mic range issues all the time.

 

philp

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I have QRX, srb, and 411s in my bag. My range is more than sufficient in all of them, and I think that is the point being missed sometimes. Yeah, one system might get you an extra 15 feet or something, but who cares? I'm in business to record audio, not prove how far away I can get from my transmitters. The range on ALL professional wireless systems will be sufficient for most all jobs, and part of doing your job well is knowing the limits of your equipment, and staying within them.

Now some situations require special needs, and that's where features like TX recording can get a recordings otherwise not possible. As Phillip pointed out, it doesn't replace the need for wireless, otherwise we'd run zfrs and ditch the receivers, but it is another powerful tool in the arsenal, and when used right in conjunction with the multitude of other tools we have available, it can help.

http://wanderingear.net

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I have QRX, srb, and 411s in my bag. My range is more than sufficient in all of them, and I think that is the point being missed sometimes. Yeah, one system might get you an extra 15 feet or something, but who cares? I'm in business to record audio, not prove how far away I can get from my transmitters. The range on ALL professional wireless systems will be sufficient for most all jobs, and part of doing your job well is knowing the limits of your equipment, and staying within them.

Now some situations require special needs, and that's where features like TX recording can get a recordings otherwise not possible. As Phillip pointed out, it doesn't replace the need for wireless, otherwise we'd run zfrs and ditch the receivers, but it is another powerful tool in the arsenal, and when used right in conjunction with the multitude of other tools we have available, it can help.

http://wanderingear.net

Well said. I own both Zaxcom and Lectro units as well, and like you mentioned, both have been great for their range and my needs in the bag. Yes, there are differences that I notice between the two, but that is why I have them both and am happy with both. One thing I don't get is why sometimes people on this forum get so preoccupied with defending the products they own and bash the others.

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I have QRX, srb, and 411s in my bag. My range is more than sufficient in all of them, and I think that is the point being missed sometimes. Yeah, one system might get you an extra 15 feet or something, but who cares? I'm in business to record audio, not prove how far away I can get from my transmitters. The range on ALL professional wireless systems will be sufficient for most all jobs, and part of doing your job well is knowing the limits of your equipment, and staying within them.

Agreed you choose a tool for the job you need to do. If that tool accomplishes that job then it works.

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When I play pool/snooker, if I'm playing well, it's all skill, if I'm playing bad, I blame the cue and the table...

That being said, a lot of my work is live TV. With Zaxcom's 125w transmitter, this has sparked my interest in the brand as talent wireless. And the recording function could be awesome for those other jobs.

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When we talk about range; we talk for UHF or the range of 2.4 GHz (for ZaxNet)?

Because a 300 feet range (UHF) it's too damn far away for film.

 

I don't have see movie (yet) the talent is "ant" on picture and you hear the sound like close to your ear. That sounds ridiculously to me. Most of the dialogues (picture-dialogue) it's from medium and close-ups takes.

 

So if anyone of manufacturer give me a 300 feet (80m-100m) at 50mW I will be happy.

 

For "how it's sounds": The lav doesn't sound as shotgun mic.

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Been looking for an opportunity to speak of recent kinda amazing experiences using cart-based Zax TRX's.

 

We managed to cover the entirety of a cargo ship from crow's nest to the hold at the other end from one well-chosen cart position on the dock. The small figure center is where the action took place, but most below the rail as opposed to above it.

 

9290032423_7b55a400cd_z_d.jpg

 

At the end of this very challenging day, the Sound Team digressed together:

 

 

More recently, was able to cover 'up' four stories in a 50's bank building and down one story into the 2-foot thick steel-walled vault. Well, we covered most of the vault, but because the far end away from the door got sketchy, we transferred from SD's.

 

The only reason I was able to justify pushing the possibilities to these extremes was because Zax gave me the additional protection of the SD card recordings. Post was from the beginning aware that we would use this strategy to move an ambitious project forward in extreme locations, and I write them from time to time to acknowledge the additional work for the AE this represents. Worth the extra post work? Yes. I think so. Only the bean counters will be able to say for sure at some later date.

 

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The camera (-s) where placed Jan?

 

Complex project and for this the Zax recordable TRX's have the "+1".

 

Cameras were up in the crow's nest and sometimes down in the hold (along with boom op) looking up out of, and looking down into the hold.

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