Jump to content

Zaxcom Maxx 2.0?


Jack Norflus

Recommended Posts

So complicated. Another complaint I regularly hear about zaxcom is the complication of it all. Zaxnet is now on practically every device except the Maxx. How big can the hardware be if it's in a qrx...they were onto something making the master zaxnet control at the recorder... It's a pointed question. But. Why was zaxnet not included in maxx. Only speculation. Never actual answers.

 

Dear Fieldmixer,

 

Please call me at the office today.  Email your phone number to GS@Zaxcom.com if you want me to call you. I will be happy to directly answer any question you have.

 

Glenn Sanders

President Zaxcom Inc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 121
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

To sidetrack a bit.. I'm interested I'm adding the UHF transmitter to my Maxx but I'm a little concerned that the proximity of the Maxx antenna will put it just about an inch or two from my receiver antennas.

Has anyone noticed interference as a result of this? My blocks would be separated properly of course.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was a little concerned about this same thing with the new CL, but it has proven to be a non-issue for me. I'm amazed that my CL can sit right next to my Rx's in the bag and not be affected hopefully it's the same for the Maxx as I think it would be. I know Jack has Maxx sitting right by his 411's and his scans looked great. Maybe he can share the photo again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

" but no ZAXNET option on Maxx alienates "

guess you are an alien.

" I believe that the option was to add either Zaxnet or a UHF transmitter and Zaxcom chose to go with the later. "

Bingo! I'll but that.

" Nomad has Zaxnet and they wanted to give the consumer a different machine. "

that, too...

 

(BTW: I suspect Glenn, Howie, Coleen, and Jack have all got your point)

Many of Cadillac's best features are not available in basic Chevy's ...

I had to move from a Jetta to a Passat to get some of the features that were not offered on the Jetta line (even though I wanted them to be!)...

Call Glenn...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the lack of Zaxnet in Maxx is a deal breaker for someone buying it - then that person is being quite short sited.

They would be overlooking a machine that has better specs than any other machine out there. And they would be overlooking some really great features such as neverclip. All to go to a machine that doesn't have Zaxnet either.

I rather like the sound of having 6 pots and usb keyboard (633) instead of 4 pots and a proprietary and integrated way of distributing audio and tc (maxx). Having the ability to choose spec and transmission frequency of audio and tc distribution as per the job and location is not precluded when owning a Maxx but if Zaxcom's own solution has been integrated into the box and the price, folks will be paying twice over.

If i use the word "better" to describe my personal preferences it would be a subjective value judgement - am i "overlooking" something here? Zaxcom didn't invent TC and wireless hops -  they have developed their own very clever way of doing it (respected by owners, users and non users), but there have been ways to do these things for a while and some recently available ways of doing these things that offer a different range of features NOT available with Zaxcom (TCB/ACN + hop of choice). It is perhaps also "shortsighted" to imagine that an owner of 2 different Zaxcom mixers/recorders (of which there seems to be few) wouldn't want to use the same TC/audio distribution system they have bought for 1 machine with the other machine (of a similar generation), not least as an investment in Zaxcom kit, more so than any other brand, is an investment into a system designed and marketed with the convenience of integration a major part of the concept and i imagine, a part of the cost (even when not taking up the fully loaded versions).

 

When it fits, folks like to state products have been developed and improved by user (and potential user) feedback. Other times folks call this feedback "whining" etc - Who determines this? You don't have to be owner to be a user (or potential user) but if someone is NOT a manufacturer why would someone care what the feedback is either way? No one is forced to participate in these discussions and i don't see why a difference of perspective escalates to shout downs and attempts to close out discussions. If someone is NOT the manufacturer in question (or a manufacturer of any kind) how would someone know what is useful feedback for the manufacturer or something else? Does anyone reading believe our tools are developed a priori?

 

Ps. Jack, i quoted you at the top as a starting point to a few observations and questions i wanted to put out there. I, as many others do, appreciate your extensive participation on this forum. You are without doubt, far more knowledgable about this stuff than myself and I have seen many times how helpful you have been to others in a way i doubt i could. I am not trying to have a go at anyone, but I am interested in the mechanics of these debates/discussions, ie: the language used to support a position or argument.

 

best to all, dan.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The TRX900 CL has two 3 section bandpass filters. They prevent any transmitter RF from effecting the receivers in the sound bag as long as the receivers are not in the block next to the transmitter block. 

Since there is only 1 transmitter for 2 channels of audio and time code there is no possibility of intermodulation products. I think it is as good as you can get.

 

Glenn

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dan, you seem to be missing some differentiation here.

I'm very much in favor of discussion, and end users, as well as potential end users, sharing their likes, dislikes, and desires about equipment. I've often defended such discussion even when a self-assigned legislator made comments that seemed aimed at squelching such discourse.

What I don't think is productive is when certain individuals constantly insist that a manufacturer is stupid and ignoring customer input because that company doesn't immediately retool and remanufacture a highly complex device because that user has deemed it the only reasonable course of action.

I find the litany of incessant demands made with such a negative tone to smack of the entitlement generation, come across as ignorant and uninformed about the difficult and involved processes of design and manufacturing, and yes, are whining.

Please understand the distinction.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

comments that seemed aimed at squelching such discourse. "

sorry if they seemed that way...

what I do favor is a bit of self-starting initiative... and common sense.

...

I almost added that I "don't think squelching was the intent, though it can appear that way and sometimes have that effect," but thought it would diffuse the focus of my rant too much.

Happy Thanksgiving one and all. We have many things to be thankful for including some striking technological advances in the tools of our trade -- but those aren't the most important thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Granted, upon re-reads and further reflection, my recent posts might indeed seem short, and pointed. I will endeavour to spend more time in thoughtful composition and attempt to avoid the, all to easy off the cuff, in the moment, on the phone, tweet length post that might be easier to hear with a "tone". Caps, in any fashion, don't help with that either. Olive branch offered to those affected and hurt by the opinions expressed by the participant.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If i use the word "better" to describe my personal preferences it would be a subjective value judgement - am i "overlooking" something here?

What I said is "they would be overlooking a machine that has better specs than any other machine out there".

Nothing subjective with that. Features are subjective but numbers are numbers and they are not subjective.

 

I rather like the sound of having 6 pots and usb keyboard (633) instead of 4 pots and a proprietary and integrated way of distributing audio and tc (maxx).

That is subjective

 

When it fits, folks like to state products have been developed and improved by user (and potential user) feedback. Other times folks call this feedback "whining" etc - Who determines this?

I know for a fact that each and every request / idea from an user is listened to and evaluated by Zaxcom. Some ideas are dismissed due to the impractically of it - but most - perhaps as high 80% actually make it into the product.

Whining is when someone, or several people, repeatedly ask for something that has already been publically commented on by Zaxcom

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The TRX900 CL has two 3 section bandpass filters. They prevent any transmitter RF from effecting the receivers in the sound bag as long as the receivers are not in the block next to the transmitter block. 

Since there is only 1 transmitter for 2 channels of audio and time code there is no possibility of intermodulation products. I think it is as good as you can get.

 

Glenn

 

Glenn, no one should admonish you for being enthusiastic about your products and believing in the hard work you obviously do. I met you at Everything Audio when you presented Nomad and you were engaging and informative and i enjoyed the evening. The CL is certainly a fantastic product, it might very well be the camera hop i would choose to to use/buy but if a client requests a system with a wider switching bandwidth, slot-in ability and the distribution of more extensive metadata i would risk loosing the gig if i said "[zaxcom] is as you good as you can get" because the statement would not be entirely credible in the context.

Yes, your products may well be the only ones on the market which allow an implementation of the above functions with products from just 1 manufacturer but "best"/"nothing better" and "only" are not really interchangeable concepts, especially as the requirements of a production (or operator) may well be best served by a combination of different products from different manufacturers. Personally i read these remarks as a little bit of marketing overstatement and don't take them too seriously. I doubt some of the frustrations aired here are caused by these statements but may be they are compounded by them a little.

 

Kindest regards,

 

Dan.

 

ps. hope your still riding your bike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What I said is "they would be overlooking a machine that has better specs than any other machine out there".

Nothing subjective with that. Features are subjective but numbers are numbers and they are not subjective.

 

That is subjective

 

I know for a fact that each and every request / idea from an user is listened to and evaluated by Zaxcom. Some ideas are dismissed due to the impractically of it - but most - perhaps as high 80% actually make it into the product.

Whining is when someone, or several people, repeatedly ask for something that has already been publically commented on by Zaxcom

 

Numbers are numbers, and they are not subjective but the numbers you choose to count may not be the numbers i choose to count.

Eg. you maybe counting numbers concerning dynamic range or mic level inputs, i may be counting numbers regarding hardware controllable inputs -  believing, perhaps incorrectly, that in 15 years i've not really had issues with dynamic range but i have had an issue with how many hardware controllable inputs i could afford (and the mantra "it's not about the arrows but the archer").

 

dan.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Dan,

 

My comment was directed at the RF performance referenced in the post as a follow up to Palmer Taylors post.  I was not addressing other aspects of the product. Of course a purchase decision is based on many factors and overall features.

 

My opinion is based on my experience  as a RF engineer and was presented as my opinion. 

 

And yes I am on the bike when ever weather permits.

 

Glenn

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dan, you seem to be missing some differentiation here.

I'm very much in favor of discussion, and end users, as well as potential end users, sharing their likes, dislikes, and desires about equipment. I've often defended such discussion even when a self-assigned legislator made comments that seemed aimed at squelching such discourse.

What I don't think is productive is when certain individuals constantly insist that a manufacturer is stupid and ignoring customer input because that company doesn't immediately retool and remanufacture a highly complex device because that user has deemed it the only reasonable course of action.

I find the litany of incessant demands made with such a negative tone to smack of the entitlement generation, come across as ignorant and uninformed about the difficult and involved processes of design and manufacturing, and yes, are whining.

Please understand the distinction.

I believe you do favor discussion, why else would you be here. I think on 1 previous occasion (at least) my turn of phrase was construed by you as disparaging when it really was not meant to be, but i accept that i may have read that way.

You refer to a notion of "productive" but i'm not sure everyone has the same understanding of this word as yourself.

For example it may be very productive for people to share their thoughts and frustrations even if they are ill informed, it's opne of the ways folks develop. Another spin-off of sharing opinions and suggestions about products, even if its not viable to change something that is already on the market, is that as yet undeveloped products might benefit from this feedback. I pressume Maxx  and 633 will not be the last mixer/recorders Zaxcom and Sound Devices make.

Lastly, you have referred (i think on several occasions) to the "entitlement generation" which can sound like way of putting down younger people with different views and expectations (perhaps unrealistic) from yourself and who have probably grown up being told, even more often and seductively than our generations were while growing up, that western neoliberal capitalism creates healthy competition and therefore choice from which the consumer can only ever benefit. I could go on about how this perception of 'healthy competition' belies the war like nature of some modern business practices and the inherent inefficiency of this process,  where consumers are not actually benefitting to the extent that some would have us believe but i suspect this is the wrong place for that... oops :-)

 

dan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

John,

 

i guess i did :-( but thanks for the Happy Thanksgiving message. We really should do something like Thanksgiving in the UK. The list of peoples that have 'given' something to Britain is quite extensive. And perhaps if there was greater acknowledgement of their 'giving' sections of the media and politicians would find it harder to blame and demean the few descendants we allow into UK.

 

dan.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I spent Thanksgiving of 2003 in London with my family. We had a great time and I'm thankful my adult sons got to sample the culture of that world class city. They will tell you it was the best 12 days of their young lives. It opened their eyes to the great big world that exists outside of sunny Southern California. Cheers to all this Thanksgiving whether you celebrate it or not. Even you snot nosed entitlement kids.;~)

CrewC

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know for a fact that each and every request / idea from an user is listened to and evaluated by Zaxcom. Some ideas are dismissed due to the impractically of it - but most - perhaps as high 80% actually make it into the product.

Whining is when someone, or several people, repeatedly ask for something that has already been publically commented on by Zaxcom

Howy has helped me out a lot with requests :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The TRX900 CL has two 3 section bandpass filters. They prevent any transmitter RF from effecting the receivers in the sound bag as long as the receivers are not in the block next to the transmitter block. 

Since there is only 1 transmitter for 2 channels of audio and time code there is no possibility of intermodulation products. I think it is as good as you can get.

 

Glenn

Is the Maxx Tx the same as the CL ? Minus Zaxnet of course.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...