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Zaxcom Nomad (The "Non-conjecture" thread)


Chris Durfy

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I too come from the gang that would prefer individual trim knobs per input - but I could be proven wrong!  I can't wait to check out how this will work.  My only fear would be that it could be too easy to adjust the gain on the wrong input channel...

-greg-

Greg

That was one of my concerns as well - but after playin with Nomad it really isn't too bad to deal with.

Jack

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Looks cool.  Sorry Glenn, I do see clock i/o as necessary, and use it in many ways all the time.  I understand that for some situations I could use the AES i/o for this, but the connector used is kind of a drag.  I also don't agree with the concept that a single trim knob is "more intuitive" at all--I think the 1-trim-per-channel method is far more intuitive for a soundie working under pressure in a constantly changing situation (like docos).  Was there a mention of the battery life expectancy for the stick of internal AAs?  That doesn't seem like very many batteries for such a busy machine....    Am looking forward to non-speculative detailed field reports from the early adopters.  Congrats and thanks to Zax for taking the trouble to make an entirely new line of machines (new chassis even) for our tiny market segment.

phil p

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When I need a mixer can I just mix and leave the recorder part off?

Yes

When I need a simple two track transcription recorder is that easy.

Yes

  When I need to do 6 isos and mix, is that easily doable. 

Yes

  Wondering if essentially there are USER PRESETS so I just turn it on, run thru the menus and it operates as I need it for that particular job. 

Yes - right now there are 3 presets that you can configure the entire mixer and recorder and save. Zaxcom plans to add several more before the final release

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  Was there a mention of the battery life expectancy for the stick of internal AAs?  That doesn't seem like very many batteries for such a busy machine....    Am looking forward to non-speculative detailed field reports from the early adopters.  Congrats and thanks to Zax for taking the trouble to make an entirely new line of machines (new chassis even) for our tiny market segment.

phil p

from zaxcom.com

[table][tr][td]Internal[/td][td]6AA 7-9 VDC, 1-3 hours of usage (NiMh)[/td][/tr][/table]

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The internal clock is auto tuned to match whatever is used to calibrate it. 

Are you saying that the internal clock resolves to incoming TC, much like a Motu digital timepiece does when set to smpte sync? That would be very cool. I'm just not sure what you mean by "calibrate". Is there a calibrate menu where you calibrate the internal clock to something. Sorry if I'm missing your explanation

Word clock is almost always totaly unneccessary.

Except when the unit needs to play nice in a multi-recorder setup. If I am to buy this sucker, I would need to lock it to my ULN-8 via AES sync or WC if I want my ULN-8 to be the master. Can it sync to AES input without an actual track engaged to AES in?

Also timecode is also transmitted and received via zaxnet and is always subframe locked.

A very cool feature, but one that is specific to a certain type of shooting. I will be using it like that as well, but often times not like that.

Hmmm......

Glenn

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Looks cool.  Sorry Glenn, I do see clock i/o as necessary, and use it in many ways all the time. 

phil p

Phil I totally agree with you on that one, many times ADDA (different chipset) don't really clock well with AES and only work around is WC.

Cheers,

AC

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Nomad seems a killer so far !

I see the AA batteries 1-3 hour as simply a way NOT to lose your recording if the big lithium falls down; not as a way to actually feed the Nomad.

User presets is a big plus !

Zaxnet a plus too for timecode and monitor send everywhere on the set (mics, cam(s), ERX if you got those...) Zaxnet; you get addicted to it ...  :-)

Now the techie "pain in the *" questions:

Is the wifi "inside the box", I mean, can I upload my files wirelessly on my comp' at the end of the day ? Maybe something I got wrong ?

For the visual tc slate: with the usb ports, could an external screen soon be used if someone invents it ?

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Talking about the AES, The 1st pair of AES is AES42.  Can the mic power of the AES42 switched off via software, or does it matter?  Say, if you want to connect all 8 channels through a console...

Sort of a cross post from another thread...too many Nomad threads going.

PWP

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Any info on how quick and easy it is to create and edit metadata with it... assigning scene/take names etc, deleting false takes (a seemingly small but highly useful feature I've found)?  In short, beyond bag work, can this thing also hold its own on a narrative style shoot?

Thanks for any info!

Steve Clack

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Is the wifi "inside the box", I mean, can I upload my files wirelessly on my comp' at the end of the day ? Maybe something I got wrong ?

No you would have to hook up your own wifi via the USB port

For the visual tc slate: with the usb ports, could an external screen soon be used if someone invents it ?

Couldn't you hook up a TC reader from the BNC TC out?

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Ive been working towards upgrading to a 788T for the past few months, but decided to hold out till NAB came around just in case anything new popped up. It seems that SD didnt come up with anything that would put the 788 out of style, but the new Nomads did come around, and I am still pretty in the air about the details, and what they mean to me.

As of now, I already operate a 6-Track machine with three stereo outs. It has been very useful for work on features, shorts, and even TV shows and Docs. But it doesnt have any sort of TC or WC, and I dont particularly like the trim knob options. Also, it only records to an SD card.

The Nomad doesnt really seem to resolve the issues I am working with, other than TC. As of yet, I havnt had the need for AES, but what I am trying to get away from is using AA batteries and go towards an NP1 (my current machine doesnt support these), having an internal hard drive (solid state would be ideal), and individual trims. Obviously more mic/line inputs are helpful as well.

So to me, going from a Tascam DR-680 with a price point at around a grand, to a Nomad that (though is built better and does have considerably significant upgrades in features) that starts at a price point three times that of the Tascam, but doesnt really resolve the issues I am facing, doesnt seem like the best way to go. If I want to get the eight+ analog ins, along with other bells and whistles of a Nomad 8 or 12, I can easily just get a 788T for roughly the same price. In this case I will get all the features I am looking for. The only other option I see is to get a Fusion for a little more than a SD.

Thoughts?

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I have a 4 hirose power outs of my distro for my current 744t

Will there be a Hirose to Switchraft L712 AC power cable or I have to make one?

Ive been working towards upgrading to a 788T for the past few months, but decided to hold out till NAB came around just in case anything new popped up. It seems that SD didnt come up with anything that would put the 788 out of style, but the new Nomads did come around, and I am still pretty in the air about the details, and what they mean to me.

As of now, I already operate a 6-Track machine with three stereo outs. It has been very useful for work on features, shorts, and even TV shows and Docs. But it doesnt have any sort of TC or WC, and I dont particularly like the trim knob options. Also, it only records to an SD card.

The Nomad doesnt really seem to resolve the issues I am working with, other than TC. As of yet, I havnt had the need for AES, but what I am trying to get away from is using AA batteries and go towards an NP1 (my current machine doesnt support these), having an internal hard drive (solid state would be ideal), and individual trims. Obviously more mic/line inputs are helpful as well.

So to me, going from a Tascam DR-680 with a price point at around a grand, to a Nomad that (though is built better and does have considerably significant upgrades in features) that starts at a price point three times that of the Tascam, but doesnt really resolve the issues I am facing, doesnt seem like the best way to go. If I want to get the eight+ analog ins, along with other bells and whistles of a Nomad 8 or 12, I can easily just get a 788T for roughly the same price. In this case I will get all the features I am looking for. The only other option I see is to get a Fusion for a little more than a SD.

Thoughts?

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Nomad seems a killer so far !

I see the AA batteries 1-3 hour as simply a way NOT to lose your recording if the big lithium falls down; not as a way to actually feed the Nomad.

User presets is a big plus !

Zaxnet a plus too for timecode and monitor send everywhere on the set (mics, cam(s), ERX if you got those...) Zaxnet; you get addicted to it ...  :-)

Now the techie "pain in the *" questions:

Is the wifi "inside the box", I mean, can I upload my files wirelessly on my comp' at the end of the day ? Maybe something I got wrong ?

For the visual tc slate: with the usb ports, could an external screen soon be used if someone invents it ?

dont understand the wifi idea. ever tried to transfer 4GB or more via wifi? takes forever...

also: why TC on BNC? alexa, ambient, SD are all on lemo....

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I agree that TC on BNC is a welcome change.  Everyone has BNC cables.  If your lemo to BNC/xlr/etc adapter cable goes bad no one else (except you) is going to have a spare.  Makes for a simple direct connection to and from camera.  I like it.

I don't see where the SD card slot is... maybe they mean you can record to SD with CF-SD adapter. 

I want to know more about the auto-mixer, the accessory modules (extra faders), and how metadata input is handled sans touch screen.

..Rado, I'm pretty sure someone will make a hirose to switchcraft for you ;)  Try Cable Techniques (battery bud maker)

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I don't see where the SD card slot is... maybe they mean you can record to SD with CF-SD adapter. 

I want to know more about the auto-mixer, the accessory modules (extra faders), and how metadata input is handled sans touch screen.

The primary card slot is behind the battery door, the mirror card is right next to it right on the outside of the unit.

As far as inputing the data there is a keyboard screen where you put the cursor over the letter and click it. Also some data can be input from the buttons on the front of Nomad (0-9) (a-f)

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I agree that TC on BNC is a welcome change.  Everyone has BNC cables.  If your lemo to BNC/xlr/etc adapter cable goes bad no one else (except you) is going to have a spare.  Makes for a simple direct connection to and from camera.  I like it.

I don't see where the SD card slot is... maybe they mean you can record to SD with CF-SD adapter. 

I want to know more about the auto-mixer, the accessory modules (extra faders), and how metadata input is handled sans touch screen.

..Rado, I'm pretty sure someone will make a hirose to switchcraft for you ;)  Try Cable Techniques (battery bud maker)

I must say that the very first thing that breaks on a film set are the bnc cables. Second day of shooting and at least 1-2 cable drums are on th way back to camera rental. :-D

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Looks great! really excited about this product. Have one question though that I don't quite understand. With regards to the built in Zaxnet how useful will this be? As far as I can see if I was using it as a confidence monitor for the return from a qrx100 then I would have to have a trx900 with stereo adaptor to send audio to the qrx and hence would already have an ifb audio return. The same could be said for timecode send/receive. The only way I can see it being useful is if I could then use the trx900lts as the camera send (which is smaller and much easier to fit in the bag) and not need to have the audio return features on the transmitter. The only prob here is that the lts doesn't do external power or line input.

Am I missing something? I guess it will be useful to feed erx's but I can't think how else you would ever use it without already needing a trx…

Otherwise its really nice to see such great features at a great price!

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Looks great! really excited about this product. Have one question though that I don't quite understand.With regards to the built in Accent how useful will this be?

With Zaxnet other than the QRX functions you mentioned you would be able to feed ERX receivers audio and TC right from Nomad. You can also control various functions on Zaxcom wireless talent transmiters.

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dont understand the wifi idea. ever tried to transfer 4GB or more via wifi? takes forever...

also: why TC on BNC? alexa, ambient, SD are all on lemo....

I like the BNC TC. I have the Lemo on my Fusion, and wish it was BNC.

With my Fusion, I usually jam to:

Camera (camera has a BNC connector)

Slate (slate has 1/4" connector)

SB-3 (box has momo minijack)

All of those are cables I can easily make, or fix in a jiffy. A Lemo plug is not something I want to try to fix during a lunch break.

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All of those are cables I can easily make, or fix in a jiffy. A Lemo plug is not something I want to try to fix during a lunch break.

Thats part of my problem here. I use lemo to lemo all the time, and I've made myself Lemo to allkindza ends. So much so, I've finally gotten good at soldering Lemo 5-pin connectors.

What will I do with my new found "skill"?

Anyway, I fear the only way to see if this beast is going to work for me is to try one out for a few weeks. Can't say this baby is a clear cut winner over a 788T w/CL8. They both have many plusses and minuses.

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