Sonosax SX-R4+

[pvanstry]

Any news? New photos? More description? Sonosax site is not showing the unit so far, any info?

Thanks

[daniel]

+1 - but not holding my breath - there will be no drip feed of info. it will get released about 8 months later that stated etc. 

re ergonomics, size and function: it does look great

re price: are sonosax taking on the other guys?

 

dan

[Richard Thomas]

We have had a drip feed of info though, and they've been showing the prototype at trade shows (except I don't know anyone who's talked to them about it).

My guess would be that it would be around the same price point as the old sx-r4. I'm just guessing, though

If it's possible to mix on it and it's got full metadata capabilities I'm very interested. The old version's still going fine, though

[daniel]

We have had a drip feed of info though, and they've been showing the prototype at trade shows (except I don't know anyone who's talked to them about it).

My guess would be that it would be around the same price point as the old sx-r4. I'm just guessing, though

If it's possible to mix on it and it's got full metadata capabilities I'm very interested. The old version's still going fine, though

A drip (as in singular, as in 1 press release and no other mention on their website), the vaguest mention of spec in the press release and the reassurance it will not be released before april (phew - they just narrowed down to some time after :-). i'm waiting on decembers issue of sononews with baited breath :-)

but seriously though:

~ it does look nice.

~ the last one sounded great.

~ 2nd chance to fix flaws of first.

~ 4+2 dashboard layout very nice.

 

I'm not looking for a soap opera about something which hasn't happened yet but these days consumer confidence seems to be based on how much confidence the manufacturer shows in their product and some of that is based on how credibly said product is released and supported.

[petersont]

I am also very interested but surprised that no one seems to have reported on it from the couple of trade shows where its shown recently, one of them in France... I've done a number of searches in the French usual suspects and while the cat is out of the bag, a very shy creature with few spottings.

 

It is compelling and appears to tick many of my own boxes  [ 4 terrific preamps, 2-4 channel ganging, precise gain matching, nicely sized for tramping off to some remote spot, larger & better display than the SX-R4, & just maybe even some advanced monitoring configurations for the ambisonic crowd...). BUT those sd card slots on the front (ie, the top for us bag users ) are really, really worrisome: they at least appear to be just asking for trouble from the slightest drop of rain, boat spray, snowflake, fine spec of desert sand or whatever. I like the way my SD 633's CF & SD cards are on the side, covered in a compartment to boot... so I cannot understand this design decision, especially given that most folks ( well me at least ) need access the card slots maybe once a day. Very odd.

[VASI]

Peter; it's painless to search in Japanese usual suspects. I found a guy in Flickr which has photos from Tech Trust at Inter BEE and guess what. No photos from Sonosax. goddammit.

[studiomprd]

daniel: " these days consumer confidence seems to be based on how much confidence the manufacturer shows in their product and some of that is based on how credibly said product is released and supported. "

and while it may not live up to your desires, I think Sonosax is doing a very credible job here...

expect more accurate information in Spring ...

[daniel]

I am also very interested but surprised that no one seems to have reported on it from the couple of trade shows where its shown recently, one of them in France... I've done a number of searches in the French usual suspects and while the cat is out of the bag, a very shy creature with few spottings.

 

It is compelling and appears to tick many of my own boxes  [ 4 terrific preamps, 2-4 channel ganging, precise gain matching, nicely sized for tramping off to some remote spot, larger & better display than the SX-R4, & just maybe even some advanced monitoring configurations for the ambisonic crowd...). BUT those sd card slots on the front (ie, the top for us bag users ) are really, really worrisome: they at least appear to be just asking for trouble from the slightest drop of rain, boat spray, snowflake, fine spec of desert sand or whatever. I like the way my SD 633's CF & SD cards are on the side, covered in a compartment to boot... so I cannot understand this design decision, especially given that most folks ( well me at least ) need access the card slots maybe once a day. Very odd.

 

 

i think i must be the only 1 who likes the card slots on top. a bit of suitable piece of tape across the slots - sorted.

[daniel]

daniel: " these days consumer confidence seems to be based on how much confidence the manufacturer shows in their product and some of that is based on how credibly said product is released and supported. "

and while it may not live up to your desires, I think Sonosax is doing a very credible job here...

expect more accurate information in Spring ...

I would send myself back to the mothership to re calibrate my 'credibility meter' and reset my 'overstatement output level' but the sales on this wonderful product have been so low the manufacturer couldn't afford to support the product as the market deemed necessary.

[studiomprd]

It is always so informative to hear all the folks tell the business how to run their operations

[VASI]

i think i must be the only 1 who likes the card slots on top. a bit of suitable piece of tape across the slots - sorted.

 

Count 2

[petersont]

i think i must be the only 1 who likes the card slots on top. a bit of suitable piece of tape across the slots - sorted.

Hi Daniel -

yes, some tape seems an easy and (for worry old me) mandatory solution to a design decision I don’t yet fully understand. No doubt Pierre has his good reasons, but for the time being these are unknown...

So I ask sincerely:

1) why do you like the card slots on top? 

 

2) does whatever needed improvement this apparently provides really outweigh a concern about increased vulnerability to rain & dust & such?  

 

If its just about quicker access, then speaking just for myself & as someone seldom on a cart and quite often outside [ recorder control side up in all kinds of environments & weather ] I prefer a placement less exposed. But of course, no one asked me & I'll take the best I can get, compromises and all. 

[Richard Thomas]

I'm also happy with the cards at the top (or 1 up there), it's the one thing that's most frequently taken in and out of the recorder.   It's partly laziness, but I'm not particularly keen on mucking about trying to extract a CF card (by either trying to press the button hard enough that the card springs out far enough to grab, or gently with pliers) from the side of the machine at the end of the day.

 

When I've used other mixers' SD 6 series, it's also awkward getting the cards in and out as the rubber bit on the side has to be moved out of the way of the top edge of the bag

I'd be happier with some kind of rubber type cover over them though

[Boomboom]

Yes, if it's going to be on top, a good cover on the slots please...

And of course, I indeed put a piece of tape on my miniSD Tx's slot when in use for one of my cam hop systems.

Bottom line; I can understand the concern about paying thousands and having to put tape on a professional piece of gear.

Design...

[daniel]

 

Hi Daniel -

yes, some tape seems an easy and (for worry old me) mandatory solution to a design decision I don’t yet fully understand. No doubt Pierre has his good reasons, but for the time being these are unknown...

So I ask sincerely:

1) why do you like the card slots on top? 

 

2) does whatever needed improvement this apparently provides really outweigh a concern about increased vulnerability to rain & dust & such?  

 

If its just about quicker access, then speaking just for myself & as someone seldom on a cart and quite often outside [ recorder control side up in all kinds of environments & weather ] I prefer a placement less exposed. But of course, no one asked me & I'll take the best I can get, compromises and all. 

 

 

sincerely nice to be asked peter:

~ I'm a little paranoid and like to see my media in place (even though the display should be telling me everything i need to know about it).

~ i'm a tape fetishist who really enjoys using high grade sticky tape and writing labels on it.

~ I'm very lazy and like removing media without digging around in the side or bottom of a bag.

~ I'm a bit nostalgic and symbolically the slots are little like the 2 reels on top of a nagra.

 

but aside from my weird stuff, 3 other things occur:

~ Just because card slots are not on top how do you know dust, dirt and water are not getting in there? at least this is easy to see and very easy to place tape over.

~ Slot tape is also a label which is useful when machine has more than 1 card slot.

~ Maybe putting card slots there gave more space on sides for connectors and was a nice way of using up the 'real estate' on the slick and minimalist control surface presented (nb. dedicated record button - well worth the extra $1000s(?)).

 

My question about these card slots: Is the UI (essentially the menu knob) so good the slot area was not needed for something else. eg dedicated monitor selector (like the 1 on the nagra vi :-)  

 

dan.

[daniel]

It is always so informative to hear all the folks tell the business how to run their operations

 

[Richard Thomas]

The monitoring options on the old R4 were immediately accessible with the menu stick, however you needed to scroll through them

Something slightly lacking was the lack of info on what it was recording to. If the CF wasn't in it'd only record to hdd, without telling you.

[daniel]

The monitoring options on the old R4 were immediately accessible with the menu stick, however you needed to scroll through them

Something slightly lacking was the lack of info on what it was recording to. If the CF wasn't in it'd only record to hdd, without telling you.

monitor scrolling ok. nagra vi switched monitoring sublime (in this respect).

 

i would 'sacrifice' top slots for switched monitor like nagra vi  .

[VM]

We saw it at the Satis in Paris. i do not know if it was an empty box or not. The CF card on the top seems to me a bad idea : dust, food, rain, ... there are so many things that could drop on the slot.

I am waiting after it, because i would like a light kit : i like the 633 but it has only 3 mics level inputs and I record many IRT cross...

[studiomprd]

boomx2: " Yes, if it's going to be on top, a good cover on the slots please... "

petersont: " card slots on top? "

for many customers, the slot will be on the front.

 

BTW, kids, did you ever see all the tape they used to use on film (real film) magazines ??

[VASI]

Q: You don't protect the gear when it's raining, snowing, dust etc?

 

I am not trying to protect Sonosax on this, but leaving the water (moisture also) pass thru holes can cause damage on XZ device. I don't think Sonosax will leave unprotected the most sensitive part of recorder; the SD card slots.

[Richard Thomas]

I asked Pierre about this, along with a request for something else the other day.

They're going to release some more info early in the new year, but he confirmed that the faders control levels on the DSP (so it'll be a digital mixer, like the 633/nomad etc).  I also assume the external preamp will work in a similar way, with a data connection (RS422?) to the main recorder  
 

[Armin Siegwarth]

Price of the old unit was something like 4600€ plus tax.

 

It had only one unbalanced stereo line out 3,5mm / TA3 afaik.

 

 

I wonder if touchscreen is really working for the metadata.

[pvanstry]

Tried to email Jacques but no response so far.

[JohannesO]

I'm extremely excited about this release. I'm very much looking forward to the R4+ being released, and see how they've implemented network audio. I need 4 channel recording and around 16 channel backup recording which makes this pretty perfect. However, I anticipate the price will be tough.