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New from Zaxcom....


Jack Norflus

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So this is why it's taking so long for Nomad to get AutoMix. That's alright though - I like new products with awesome features.

 

It's nice to see calibration potentiometers on the analog in/outs. I wish Nomad had that.

 

Mark O.

I'd suggest the calibration pots are there because once set, the two inputs are gained in the menus as a pair, not individually as in the Nomad.

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We no longer offer the TX amp in the micplexer.

 

Glenn

I am curious as to why the option is no longer available. 

 

I apologize about side-tracking the thread but would the TX amp for the Micplexer always need an antenna even if it is not being plugged into a TRX900 and used?

 

Gabe

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I really wish I didn't have to continually be the squeaky wheel re: zaxcom, but it seems to be the case. I should reiterate that I am a daily zaxcom user (deva). Why is it that your site is still all hacked up? I shouldn't be seeing links for Viagra when I go to check out the spec of your new transmitters. I know that you are constantly innovating.. Blah, blah, blah... But please... Why don't you bother to iron out the existing issues in your equipment first?) as many have mentioned with concern to the nomad: auto mix (and mp3 Xfer) I honestly think your technology sounds great, but you've demonstrated yourself as a company built on empty promises! Please take this as an objective consumer POV. I have nothing to gain or lose here. Playback during record was never realized with the deva, so this is not a new problem. (Not that I expect PB during Rec (it's pretty intangible), but still... It was always touted as a "feature" (which never materialized). Best, Wyatt (Honestly, not anti zaxcom... Just anti "unfounded consumer-bait")

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Dear Wyatt: it is quite possible to look at the history of all these announced or promised features (and the examples given seem to be always the same ones) and really discover why they were never implemented or why certain features and functions originally in a product were abandoned in favor of something much better (often with MORE features that were never announced or promised). To take these things and make it an opportunity to once again come to the conclusion that there is something wrong with the company, this is not right. 

 

Though you say you are not bashing Zaxcom and you think the "technology sounds great", your statement: "I know that you are constantly innovating.. Blah, blah, blah..." is quite ingenuous and indicative of your real feelings about Zaxcom. I for one, and I believe many, many others, do not want Zaxcom to stop innovating. Would I like Zaxcom to deliver on every amazing feature that has been announced or promised? Of course, but when presented with something that never came to pass, like the playback while recording feature, I look past the simple "they promised and didn't deliver" diatribe to discover why we don't have that feature, for example, in the Deva. Is it because Zaxcom lies to us? Is it because they are a chronically ill-run company? None of these conclusions are warranted or reasonable.

 

It is very much the same thing that happens, to a lesser degree, of course, when Sound Devices comes out with a new product and invariably there are people who have been waiting patiently for something, it comes out, and they immediately complain, publicly, that it doesn't do what they want to do. Why is it so big? Why can't I run it on my battery all day long? Why only 12 tracks --- I'm sure it would be really easy for SD to issue a free firmware update to give me 20 tracks., etc., etc.

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I'm curious - does anyone here actually use a QRX with two TRX transmitters as a camera hop? All the Zaxcom toys are great, but obviously one cannot re-purpose this unit into talent mics with record capability if that is what's required.

If that is what you require then the new Camera Link isn't the right tool for you. I have been using a 900AA/STA combo with 900S receivers for quite a while and I've never needed to repurpose them in to talent mics. But, it can be done if need be. The new Camera Link is a pretty darn cool unit and has the potential to be a very cost effective and helpful tool for many people.

Production Sound Mixing for Television, Film, and Commercials.

www.matthewfreed.com

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I'm curious - does anyone here actually use a QRX with two TRX transmitters as a camera hop? All the Zaxcom toys are great, but obviously one cannot re-purpose this unit into talent mics with record capability if that is what's required.

If that is what you require then the new Camera Link isn't the right tool for you. I have been using a 900AA/STA combo with 900S receivers for quite a while and I've never needed to repurpose them in to talent mics. But, it can be done if need be. The new Camera Link is a pretty darn cool unit and has the potential to be a very cost effective and helpful tool for many people.

Production Sound Mixing for Television, Film, and Commercials.

www.matthewfreed.com

I understand that, but it's not quite what I asked. For example I know many recordists who deliberately chose their SRa5p so they could use it as either a hop or talent wireless as the situation requires. It seems most Zax hop owners use the STA and keep the unit as a hop rather than using TRXs and having the ability to chop and change. I wondered why this is.

Here in the UK I find that wireless hops are still the exception rather than the rule for much TV programming. Production companies simply balk at paying for them. Certainly it's becoming a more common request for me, but cabled up is still the prevelant method.

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I hope the final unit has some sort of SD card protection to prevent it from getting accidentally ejected during record. The TRX900 for example has that little ridge right next to the card for that purpose. A small but important feature I think.

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I have repurposed my trx900-sta into a recording talent mic on many occasions. <br />Cam link is cool but not necessarily better. Each has it dang cool purpose. <br />I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Howy on enabling the trx900 to now use it's ifb capability to reliably send timecode information. What was just an idea and comment on this site last summer is now a reality. Really nice work.

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I'm curious - does anyone here actually use a QRX with two TRX transmitters as a camera hop? All the Zaxcom toys are great, but obviously one cannot re-purpose this unit into talent mics with record capability if that is what's required.

I've done it several times when I've been on shoots that are using a dslr which was a second camera to a main camera. They were extremely incognito and the main camera had my qrx and I was recording sync w a 744. The qrx recorded the participants audio from the feed when we were on her. When we broke off, and I had to record from the lectrosonics, I just never fed the main camera audio until that shoot finished and then reconfigured. The dslr was rolling long lense on a beach of the one character on the zaxcom try 900aa w sta 150 and they were just going to plural-eyes in post.

Client was so happy he rented one for another shoot whereby the sound person would have made the situation more clubby. Fine w me.

Those are the cool features of Zaxcom.

Zaxcom making their end users beta testers after final release is not which is what bothers me about zaxcom. That is a known fact in our industry. That and customer support being a bit weak in the past. Also there are cheap parts on the QRX (namely ta3s) that they do not want to change for some reason. That also is a known issue.

Innovation is great if its not at the cost of the end user whilst in the field and something doesn't function properly or as stated it should.

Getting something out prior to the competition is fine if its properly beta tested.

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I technical question though: Those of us that end up getting one of these that already have an STA100 or 150, will we need to re-solder our TA5 cables? Many may not know (I didn't when I made my own), that the STA adapters are wired....errr....strangely. You would think it was a pin 2 and 4 hot deal, but it is actually a pin 2,3 hot scenario (yep, printed some 100% out of phase audio to camera, and got to check it out in Pro Tools later when I was asked why the audio "looked" like it was there but sounded gone").  

 

I for one welcome this piece even though I have an early STA100/TRX900 combo if it really means the RF leakage issue has been resolved. I like the form factor as well. Will fit into a bag very, very nicely. 

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From IFB-200 Webpage:

 

virtual multi-track recording (Patented).

 

Hate to be a stickler, but when you say "Patented", you have to give the patent number, or disclose if it's just an application. ("Pending")

The USPTO gives out fines for misusing the patent process. I think there was a case with LED lights where the product box said "Patent Pending" for years after the Patent was granted, they fined for that too.

 

Tom.

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Any word on how good of an IFB receiver this is?  I know in the past Glenn has mentioned that the ERX receivers have the best 2.4GHz receive performance due to some sort of "quad diversity" internal antenna.  I'm assuming it will be a much better receiver than the TRX IFB option due to the external antenna.  

 

Can you use this to listen to "QC" audio from other TRX transmitters?

 

Given that the IFB 200 looks pretty much the same as this new TRX will the IFB functionality be the same between the two?

 

Probably no chance of daisy-chaining QRX's with this to send commands directly from the QRX in the bag (the USB connection thing)? There are no USB serial ports in the photo but thought it was worth asking.  

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" Production companies simply balk at paying for them. Certainly it's becoming a more common request for me, but cabled up is still the prevelant method. "

from another topic: "We have been building "beta snake" cables for our mixers and all the other brands for over 25 years.   Our beta snake cable bussiness has not dropped off at all since the mixers with recorders have come out."

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What is the power output on the 2.4ghz transmitter?

Question: if I was to use the cam link to send TC to a QRX100 from my 664, from the QRX feed the TC in on a camera, then take the TC out of the camera feed the QRX ( with IfB board option ) TC input in order to return the camera TC to my cam link and then feed my 664 TC in in order to constantly verify the TC value and frame rate info.

Is that possible? Please don't tell me to buy a nomad, I like my 664...

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I'm curious - does anyone here actually use a QRX with two TRX transmitters as a camera hop? All the Zaxcom toys are great, but obviously one cannot re-purpose this unit into talent mics with record capability if that is what's required.

You totally can use two separate transmitters as hops.

Though there are several advantages about using a dedicated unit such as the new camera link or an TRX900AA with an STA adapter.

First is you can use the QRX in single mode which allows you the QRX to operate in true diversity which means the receivers work together resulting in about 4 dB increase sensitivity over dual mode and the receiver is better able to correct for reception errors. While the QRX in dual mode uses antenna switching diversity.

Also by using the camera link or TRX/STA you can feed the transmitter two balanced line level signals as opposed to feeding the two separate transmitters two unbalanced mic level signals.

The camera link or TRX/STA also allows you to power the unit from an external DC source vs using AA batteries or some sort of home brewed battery eliminator.

Plus by using two individual transmitters you loose the ability to receive return audio from the camera and you can't output the return TC from the camera - if you are in a situation where the camera is running record run TC.

Also if you are recording backup files on the internal SD card you will now have two cards each with one track vs one card with both tracks.

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What is the power output on the 2.4ghz transmitter?

Question: if I was to use the cam link to send TC to a QRX100 from my 664, from the QRX feed the TC in on a camera, then take the TC out of the camera feed the QRX ( with IfB board option ) TC input in order to return the camera TC to my cam link and then feed my 664 TC in in order to constantly verify the TC value and frame rate info.

Is that possible? Please don't tell me to buy a nomad, I like my 664...

I don't think so. I don't think you can input and output TC from the QRX simultaneously, but I'm not 100 % sure. Never had a reason to try it.

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