Zaxcom MAXX partial formatting of card

[Matthew L Hankins]

I searched and found this referenced once on this forum, but I thought the importance of the technique warranted a second, specific listing.

 

Last week when I tried to use Zaxconvert during my lunch break, I got the dreaded spinning rainbow wheel on my MAC.  Yikes!  I had to force quite and then the computer was acting strange, so I did a re-start.  All the while, my CF card was still in the card reader attached to my computer.  (Transcend 32GB, 133x CF card, as per Howy's suggestion).  When the computer re-started, the card was no longer recognized.  I tried it on another MAC---it was not recognized there either.  And when I dropped it back into my MAXX, the recorder no longer recognized the card.  Double YIKES!  My morning's audio takes were all on there, no backup, because the MAXX has one card slot and we did not do a camera hop.

 

The next day I went to Trew Audio to see if the IT folks there could help.  They gave it a shot, but we had no luck.  On the way out the door I ran into Glen Trew and we chatted for a bit and I mentioned the card failure.  He invited me to come back into the store and get on the line with Zaxcom and see if there was a solution…. Howy responded with the "Partial Format" suggestion which neither Glen nor I had heard of before.  Howy suggested the 'wrapper' on the card had become corrupt and the 'partial format' of the CF card would leave the MARF data intact but re-write the command files or whatever it is to make a card be recognized as formatted once again.

 

So for anyone who does not know this technique, the commands are:

choose "format card".  Instead of hitting the star key, press the PFL key closest to the LCD screen.  Press it a second time when the menu prompts you to do so (again, instead of selecting the star key) and then a partial formatting of the card will take place.

 

This technique worked brilliantly for my situation.  All files were accessible after the partial formatting.

 

This was a great thing to find out about as everyone else assumed the card had failed.  Not so.  The card appears to be fine.  It was a software quirk, as it turns out.  If you are a Zaxcom MAXX user, make a mental note of this technique.  I have no idea if the menu option is available on the Nomand, but I am guessing it is.

 

I hope this helps someone.

[didikaonabo]

Thanks 

Dimitri

[dominiquegreffard]

That s why having the all the media at only one place is scary. Thanks for sharing

[studiomprd]

dom: " having the all the media at only one place is scary. "

I dunno...

I used to record to a roll of 1/4 inch tape, and hand it off, keeping or having no backup for it...

and it looks like Zaxcom's marf file system has this issue covered like a mink coat.

[Tim M]

That s why having the all the media at only one place is scary. Thanks for sharing

Yea, after hearing this story I'm not really that afraid. Although I didn't know the Maxx only had one card slot vs the two on a Nomad...

[Matthew L Hankins]

I was a little skeptical and apprehensive about all the MARF stuff when I was buying the MAXX.  I was a Sound Devices user before.  But as time goes by, there are more and more things that make using the MARF data more valuable.  Mirroring on my MAXX is painfully slow, but I always have my laptop along on shoots to transfer files anyway, so using Zaxconvert with the MARFs on my laptop, as it turns out, is no big deal.

[Matthew L Hankins]

I didn't know the Maxx only had one card slot vs the two on a Nomad...

I guess it was a space saving thing.  I am not sure why they could not squeeze it into the battery compartment like on the Nomad.  But that is what it is.

[pindrop]

There's also a micro SD slot on the Nomad that strangely has never been used for anything as far as I know, is there a micro SD slot on the MAXX?

2. Battery Door
   The Silver knob rotates clockwise to lock the battery compartment door. Inside, you will find space for the battery carrier with six AA batteries, a slot for the Primary CF card and a slot for the MicroSD card.

[Philip Perkins]

That was a very foresightful thing for Zax to include in their firmware.  This should be in a FAQ somewhere easily accessible.

Big drinks for you and big drinks for Howy for a Class A Rescue!

 

philp

[glenn]

After investigating a few cards that were made unreadable by macs Howy decided to use the MARF to rebuild the directory and fix the damage directly with the recorder.

Glenn

[Wandering Ear]

Pindrop, the microsd card is used to upload the usb firmware. It's a one time thing, but as of now, it's the only use for it.

[Matthew L Hankins]

After investigating a few cards that were made unreadable by macs Howy decided to use the MARF to rebuild the directory and fix the damage directly with the recorder.

Glenn

Hello Glenn---I am always so pleased to see you, Howy and Jack on the different forums explaining things about your products.  It is a very classy outreach, as far as I am concerned.

 

What are the odds of you folks providing a user list of system functions, similar to what SD provides?  You know the laminated cards with the stacked functions printed on it?  I realize your menus are different, but so sort of list of functions in addition to the ever evolving manual would be a helpful tool, I think.  Like this 'partial format' thing.  I am betting there are a whole bunch of functions similar to this that are mentioned in passing in the manuals.  If they were listed some how with the key commands provided and then referenced to sections of the manual, a lot of confusion could be eliminated.

 

I know, it is another job for someone to do in a small company.  Maybe it could be something as simple as a spread sheet that is easily updated rather than a PDF manual.

[studiomprd]

Glenn: " cards that were made unreadable by macs "

that can't be true ! 

[John Blankenship]

If we've got a Zax vs Mac thing brewing, it could portend a crisis of ambivalence for our host. <g>

 

[Jack Norflus]

Glenn: " cards that were made unreadable by macs "

that can't be true ! 

I don't know if it is a mac issue but there are three or four cases that I know of where virus - or something - on the computer the files were being downloaded to (each time it just happened to be mac's) did something bad to the cards making them unreadable in both a computer and in the Nomad/Maxx. But each time the partial format recreated the .ZAX files and the audio was 100% recovered.

[pindrop]

I don't know if it is a mac issue but there are three or four cases that I know of where virus - or something - on the computer the files were being downloaded to (each time it just happened to be mac's) did something bad to the cards making them unreadable in both a computer and in the Nomad/Maxx. But each time the partial format recreated the .ZAX files and the audio was 100% recovered.

Or could it be the FAT32 wrapper (that enables Mac or PC's to see the card at all) for the MARF format has a vulnerability to a particular set of circumstances of some kind?

Three or four macs with a virus that corrupts CF cards is a fairly unlikely scenario isn't it?

[studiomprd]

pindrop: " macs with a virus " 

say it isn't so...

tell them, please...

[RadoStefanov]

Maxx failed me again!!!! 

[Derek H]

Want to elaborate?

[RadoStefanov]

Single card. Bug that corrupts the cards. I was able to recover. 

[IronFilm]

It's perhaps one of the biggest downsides to the Maxx perhaps, being only a single card. What I do is I run the output mix into a Tascam DR10X which I leave recording all day, as it is extremely lightweight and the battery runs all day long (a nice and easy no fuss approach to it!). As a super duper extreme scenario emergency back up that I hope I'll never have to use (never have had to use it! Knock on wood. But if I ever do then I'll be glad I had it!!). 

[The Documentary Sound Guy]

Why keep using it if it's such an issue?

And, I do what IronFilm suggested; I was taught at the start of my career to have two of everything, so I used to roll a Roland R-05 on mix tracks for every shoot I did.  I don't think I've ever used it, but it's always there.

Nowadays, I do the same rolling into my TRXCL5, which doubles as my IFB tx.

[RadoStefanov]

3 hours ago, The Documentary Sound Guy said:

Why keep using it if it's such an issue?

And, I do what IronFilm suggested; I was taught at the start of my career to have two of everything, so I used to roll a Roland R-05 on mix tracks for every shoot I did.  I don't think I've ever used it, but it's always there.

Nowadays, I do the same rolling into my TRXCL5, which doubles as my IFB tx.

 

I run out of gear. Literally. 
I usually don't care and use it for hop quick on camera edits. 
it's light and it has a super range block 21 hop. 
But all my recorders were on jobs. So I had to use it for a five guys commercial. 
I did use it before on a Mel Gibson movie a for a few days. The zaxcom recording was my back up assurance. 

it's just frustrating because it could have been an amazing device.  

3 hours ago, IronFilm said:

It's perhaps one of the biggest downsides to the Maxx perhaps, being only a single card. What I do is I run the output mix into a Tascam DR10X which I leave recording all day, as it is extremely lightweight and the battery runs all day long (a nice and easy no fuss approach to it!). As a super duper extreme scenario emergency back up that I hope I'll never have to use (never have had to use it! Knock on wood. But if I ever do then I'll be glad I had it!!). 

I use zaxcom wireless and Zaxcom wireless boom as a backup. 
just frustrated because I really like Maxx. Super power efficient and small. Great sound. 

[IronFilm]

4 hours ago, RadoStefanov said:

just frustrated because I really like Maxx. Super power efficient and small. Great sound. 

Same, I love how power efficient and small/lightweight the Maxx is! If only I could say the same about the Sound Devices 8 Series 

[RadoStefanov]

6 hours ago, IronFilm said:

Same, I love how power efficient and small/lightweight the Maxx is! If only I could say the same about the Sound Devices 8 Series 

Yea all the extra processing needs a power hungry DSP.