rich Posted November 6, 2008 Report Share Posted November 6, 2008 hey Matthias, i saw in the thread about billys cart that you are expecting one of these imminently http://www.areitec.fr/AREITEC/Pico48/pico48_ENG.html please let us (me) know how well it works and how you get on with it. i just ordered a trx700 for a sitcom im booming on but had to send it back after i felt it was too noisy, i have another one on its way, hoping it was a faulty unit. but in case it doesnt work out with the trx700, then the pico48 looks a very worthy plan B. and if anyone else has used the pico48 with a zaxcom trx transmitter, or has any comments on the trx700 tx let me know thanks rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted November 6, 2008 Report Share Posted November 6, 2008 Isn't that kind of a lot of hardware to have out on the end of a boom? You run the TX out there too? For RF range reasons or ? Philip Perkins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthias Richter Posted November 6, 2008 Report Share Posted November 6, 2008 I was playing around with the TRX700 quite a while back too. It wasn`t working properly. Way to noisy and some RF issues. Had to return it. Got the Areitecs today and been disapointed. RF injection into the 48V supply. Sounds exactly like what I have had with lavs on the TRX900 in the beginning. Not just plain hiss but sounds like the heating system in my living room. The sound changes with the trx position. Unfortunatly it is the worst just where the TRX is meant to be by the Areitec-engineers ... Will do some further testing 2moro with some fellow mixers here in Berlin. We bought 4 units in total and apparently they noticed a bit more noise floor vs. hardwired but no probs with RF they say. Will know 2moro and I`ll keep you updated. I prefer the position of the tx and the 48V supply on top of the pole as there is no cable involved at all. Makes it easy to do adjustments at the very last moment without fighting the cable coiled around the pole. It adds some weight thats true but so far all my boomops were taking it for the benefit of flexibility. Matthias Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthias Richter Posted November 7, 2008 Report Share Posted November 7, 2008 well apparantly it is (still) something wrong with my TRX900 as the units from my fellow mixers work ok with the Areitec (bit more noise than cable). we have tested the Areitec with Schoeps CMC6+MK41, CMIT and Sennheiser MKH40. will send all my tx to Zaxcom for a checkup. Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted November 7, 2008 Report Share Posted November 7, 2008 I was playing around with the TRX700 quite a while back too. It wasn`t working properly. Way to noisy and some RF issues. Had to return it. Got the Areitecs today and been disapointed. RF injection into the 48V supply. Sounds exactly like what I have had with lavs on the TRX900 in the beginning. Not just plain hiss but sounds like the heating system in my living room. The sound changes with the trx position. Unfortunatly it is the worst just where the TRX is meant to be by the Areitec-engineers ... Will do some further testing 2moro with some fellow mixers here in Berlin. We bought 4 units in total and apparently they noticed a bit more noise floor vs. hardwired but no probs with RF they say. Will know 2moro and I`ll keep you updated. I prefer the position of the tx and the 48V supply on top of the pole as there is no cable involved at all. Makes it easy to do adjustments at the very last moment without fighting the cable coiled around the pole. It adds some weight thats true but so far all my boomops were taking it for the benefit of flexibility. Matthias I can see the advantages of having that gear so accessible--I guess that stuff is pretty lightweight? Philip Perkins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich Posted November 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2008 i finally got my new trx700 back after sending the first one i was sent away for being too noisy. I wasnt sure if it was just how the trx700 is or i had a faulty unit and couldnt get an answer from zaxcom. but the replacement they sent over is - after the first day of using it - fantastic. ive only been listening through my return feed with some sennheiser iphone in ear phones, but it seems much clearer and detailed compared to the audio ltd with vdb power adapter, and the mixer who i am swinging for said the same. i seem to be hearing less background noise with it too, though that is very subjective as i personally havent done any critical listening tests with it, but if i get a chance tomorrow, i will have a listen back to some of the tracks with some decent headphones. been using it at the moment with a schoeps ccm41 and quickly plugged it up to a 416 and they both seem to play nicely together (id read something on ramps about the 416 not liking the trx700 so was pleasantly surprised when i didnt hear any rfi) will see how it plays with my cs3e and kmr 81 when this job is over, though i suspect that if i want to get the cs3e to work, i will need to get the zaxcom as far away from the mic as possible, ie at the other end of the boom pole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FSBELLA Posted November 26, 2008 Report Share Posted November 26, 2008 hey Matthias, i saw in the thread about billys cart that you are expecting one of these imminently http://www.areitec.fr/AREITEC/Pico48/pico48_ENG.html please let us (me) know how well it works and how you get on with it. i just ordered a trx700 for a sitcom im booming on but had to send it back after i felt it was too noisy, i have another one on its way, hoping it was a faulty unit. but in case it doesnt work out with the trx700, then the pico48 looks a very worthy plan B. and if anyone else has used the pico48 with a zaxcom trx transmitter, or has any comments on the trx700 tx let me know thanks rich does that company make a version for lectro? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich Posted November 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2008 i would guess that the pico48 would work with the lectro if you changed the connector, or used a ta5 to lemo 3pin adapter (if such a thing exists) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthias Richter Posted November 26, 2008 Report Share Posted November 26, 2008 what block is your trx700 on? It seems that all European (German?) units (block31) are much more effected by rfi than lower freqs used in the US. I don`t know if the Areitec works with Lectro but you can email the guys from Areitec: http://www.areitec.fr/AREITEC/Pico48/pico48_ENG.html Still waiting for my TRX900 to return from Zaxcom. Hopefully they will play as fine as the other units here in Berlin ... Best, Matthias Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted November 26, 2008 Report Share Posted November 26, 2008 i finally got my new trx700 back after sending the first one i was sent away for being too noisy. I wasnt sure if it was just how the trx700 is or i had a faulty unit and couldnt get an answer from zaxcom. but the replacement they sent over is - after the first day of using it - fantastic. I purchased a TRX-700 plug-on before the last movie primarily as a replacement for the Audio, Ltd. - vdB powering cable setup I had used for years for plant mics. The 700 worked very well and had terrific sound (and using it for a quick plant mic because it has the built in 48 v. phantom power was really easy). I will be getting another one soon. I still do not do much wireless boom work although we did use the TRX-700 for this on a few Steadicam shots. Looking at the above picture of the transmitter attached to the pole, what is the reason for this? I am not a boom operator but I can't imagine anyone wanting more weight on the end of the pole. I can only see one advantage to this setup (I must be missing something) which is the possible advantage of having the transmitter antenna out in the open. The TRX-700 already has the advantage over a typical body-worn transmitter because it has a center mounted external antenna that is quite "open" even when placed on the belt of the boom operator. All in all, the best thing for me with the TRX-700 is the rock solid phantom power and fabulous sound when using my favorite Schoeps. - Jeff Wexler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthias Richter Posted November 26, 2008 Report Share Posted November 26, 2008 lucky you!! the one trx 700 I was using was not usable at all. It was tested by several mixers here in Berlin and finally went back home to Zaxcom. I had a listening to another 700 recently - with the very same result. Must be a freq thing though. can`t think of another explanation. Do you? the one advantage of having the trx right at the top of a pole is having no cable running down the pole. So if you wanna adjust the lenght of your boom there is no fiddling around with the coiled cable. But perhaps you US guys are working with internal cables anyway? Matthias Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted November 26, 2008 Report Share Posted November 26, 2008 the one advantage of having the trx right at the top of a pole is having no cable running down the pole. So if you wanna adjust the lenght of your boom there is no fiddling around with the coiled cable. But perhaps you US guys are working with internal cables anyway? Matthias Yes, almost always internal cable, sometimes coiled, sometimes straight. More often than not, it is a straight cable shockmounted (first section) internally for long fishpoles --- I have been doing it this way since 1970. The poles that use internal coiled cables are usually shorter poles used for one person jobs (ENG, bag work, etc.). - Jeff Wexler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich Posted November 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2008 matthias. the trx700 i have (and the one i returned) are block 33 838-862mhz. the difference in noise floor between the two was quite remarkable, and frankly i was astonished that the first one i was sent ever left the factory after hearing the replacement one i got. jeff, the main reason i have the tx mounted on the pole at the same end of the pole as the mic is that the panamic poles cant be got with internal cables which are the pole of choice (certainly for me and anyone ive swung for on this side of the atlantic), and as matthias points out its more convenient than wrangling a cable on the pole, though when im swinging with a 416 4 meters away from me with a full rycote setup on, im sure ill reconsider. i am looking at a loon internally cabled pole with basemate etc, but as i would have to get it shipped over specially, and as i am halfway through the current job and with nothing confirmed coming up, i am reluctant to spend £600+gbp on a pole that, whilst i hear from others is great, i would like to try out first. i could stick the transmitter on my belt, but do like being able to have the the mic, pole and tx all as one unit, though again im sure, on the 2nd 5 minute take on the 416 i will be reconsidering Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthias Richter Posted November 26, 2008 Report Share Posted November 26, 2008 well that is an even higher freq than what I am using. Very strange. Maybe they have changed something recently (and substantial) - again. But for me a combination of a trx900 and a 48V supply offers more flexibility as I can use one or two of my tx for booming wireless or for talent if I got a scene with a lot of actors to wire. Can`t wait to get hands on my returning units. Maybe I finally will find the holy grail (at least my one) Matthias Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pshap Posted November 27, 2008 Report Share Posted November 27, 2008 The unit looks great, but must agree with others here that the less weight out there at the end of the boom pole the better when booming.... I prefer an internally cabled boom pole. I have boomed with an externally cabled boom pole many times when employed using someone else's gear and it's just an added hassle. Hopefully your repaired unit(s) will sound fine.... - pshap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich Posted November 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2008 well after thinking about it, i decided to order a loon pole. especially after seeing the mic wobbling about with the extra weight of the tx - i think its a little more than the audio ltd vdb power combo - or certainly feels it, so it will make it easier for cues when im on a long pole, and nothing to do with the amount of exteriors we have coming up and my thinking lazy. honest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthias Richter Posted December 16, 2008 Report Share Posted December 16, 2008 Can`t wait to get hands on my returning units. Maybe I finally will find the holy grail (at least my one) Matthias it looks promising! Got my units back and after a quick check up it sounds much, much better then before. Now the Areitec/TRX combi is ready for shooting. To bad it`s winter and slow season. Zaxcom has changed the input impedeance to all my units and that has changed the overall RFI situation drastically. My DPA 4063 are still somewhat suspecious to RFI but at a level I can live with. So actually this is the first time since I bought the units nearly 2 years ago that I feel safe and secure to use them for booming wireless. Well done Zaxcom (finally). Cheers, Matthias Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthias Richter Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Update: just have finished shooting with my Areitecs (with Zax TRX900) on a feature and they work great! I only went for cable for a very, very dynamic scene where the actress (Eva Green) went from whispering to shouting back and forth (covered with two mics for safety). Otherwise the sound is very clean, no RFI, no companding, no artefacts. And the 9V battery lasts 2 days! The only thing I`m worried about is the backside (soldering points, smd resistors, capacitors) being open to the elements. This was a studio shoot but will it withstand the dirt and wheather conditions outside? Matthias Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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