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Zaxcom Nomad (The "Non-conjecture" thread)


Chris Durfy

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Usability as an 8 or 12 track mixer/recorder with only 6 XLR inputs and 6 fader pots? Control of tracks 7-8 or 12 seems dubious for bag work unless there is some type of small footprint fader expansion module.

Zaxcom will have a four fader expansion panel that will attach to the side of nomad - giving you the ability to have control of the additional inputs. Or you can still use the input trim as control as well.

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Here's an easy one:  Can you adjust brightness of the front panel LEDs?  They seem like they are set to stun in the coffey video.  This is a must for low lit sets.

Yes there are individual brightness controls for both the LED lights as well as the LCD display with variable controls that go from 0 -10.

Regarding the auto-trim feature, are the pots the touch sensing kind?  (like faders on a pro-control) or do they just detect movement? 

Just detect movement.

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PFLing only through the headphone matrix I assume? That's a problem for ENG use.

No - You push the PFL button then push the button for which channel you want to listen to. You can PFL to one or more channels simultaneously. The LCD screen displays what channel you are listening to pre-fader.

To get out of PFL just push in the headphone knob.

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Jack,  In the coffee sound video it sounded like the headphone knob makes a loud clicking sound when you press on it.  Can you tell me if this is true.  Concerned when using it for a mixer during an interview in a small room whether it would be heard by the mic.

Thanks,

Andy

Andy

I heard that on the Coffey video as well and I was a bit taken back. It has been a while since I had the opportunity to play with Nomad, but when I did I don't recall hearing that loud click. If it did click that loud I think I would have been concerned and and I would have brought it up to Glenn. So I am guessing that it isn't really an issue. In the video I am guessing that the proximity of Nomad  to the lav and the way the knob was hit makes it seem like the sound is as loud as it is. Sorry I can't give you a definitive answer - but perhaps some one at the show can confirm.

Jack

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Thanks Jack.  I hope you're right.  Loud clicking is an issue with the A side return toggle switch on the SD 442 and in certain situations I have to be careful when I toggle the switch so it is not too loud. The clicking I heard in the Coffee Sound Video even sounded louder. 

Maybe someone at NAB can answer this question or Glenn if he checks back in.

Thanks,

Andy

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Too bad about the movement of the fader. If it was sensitive to touch, like a fader on a control surface (detects voltage from your flesh), that would be very cool. the lack of post for gain is going to be an issue for people, even people who have not tried it yet. Do the beta testers really like this method?

I'm still stuck on the WC issue as well. I really hope to hear from Glenn about how the internal clock operates, and why they think WC is redundant. I'm ready to be an early adopter, but I MUST make sure this thing is going to play nice with my ULN-8, and with my Digital Timepiece (or replace the timepiece).

Also, is there M-S decoding?

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Too bad about the movement of the fader. If it was sensitive to touch, like a fader on a control surface (detects voltage from your flesh), that would be very cool. the lack of post for gain is going to be an issue for people, even people who have not tried it yet. Do the beta testers really like this method?

I'm still stuck on the WC issue as well. I really hope to hear from Glenn about how the internal clock operates, and why they think WC is redundant. I'm ready to be an early adopter, but I MUST make sure this thing is going to play nice with my ULN-8, and with my Digital Timepiece (or replace the timepiece).

Also, is there M-S decoding?

Could you use AES to have all your gear lock together? 

phil p

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The Nomad seems to be a nice machine.  It doesn't give me any regrets about buying a Fusion 12 recently though.  The lack of trim knobs and pan pots per channel seems to be a deal breaker here.  I just can't see not having these crucial features on an ENG mixer.  These features are lacking in the Fusion as well.  I was hoping the Nomad would have them. 

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The Nomad has the ability to receive a mono return signal from say a QRX100 equipped with IFB, mounted on a camera.

With this return audio system and any other form of wireless return from camera, my question is this.

If you hear break up or drop outs, how does one know if the send signal is breaking up or if its only the return?

One might stop a take thinking its the send when it was only the return breaking up or whatever.

For record to camera tape only shoots, this is a concern I've always had and thats why I've never bothered with a wireless return from camera.

I know some of might say, just record at the recorder anyway but thats not the point.

Nomad looks pretty nice, though I'm well locked into SD machines.

Cheers

Peter Mega

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Without a wireless return you may not even realise that there is nothing at all on tape.

I would either record a backup or have a wireless return and check tape to see if there was dropout or not than check tape and find there is nothing recorded at all.

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Without a wireless return you may not even realise that there is nothing at all on tape.

I would either record a backup or have a wireless return and check tape to see if there was dropout or not than check tape and find there is nothing recorded at all.

I've never, not had anything at all on tape when using cam hop.

I use zaxcom for cam hop and lectrosonics before that, never a problem.

Most of our cam ops here in Australia actually listen with earphones which is great. I try to regularly visually check the meters on the camera when possible also.

Recording a back up is another story altogether, which is not the point I was trying to make.

I'm not saying it's not a cool feature, it's just not something that is a deal clincher IMO. You'd take it in the package though since it comes with it anyway.

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The lack of trim knobs and pan pots per channel seems to be a deal breaker here.  I just can't see not having these crucial features on an ENG mixer. 

Both of those issues was a big concern for me as well. But I found that after you play with Nomad for a bit it really isn't as big of an issue as you think. Granted it is not as convenient as having dedicated switches/pots - but the alternative is increasing the size and weight of Nomad by adding dedicated switches/pots for each channel, and complacating the menu structure.

All I can say is take a Nomad out for a test drive, and once you familiarize yourself with the menu structure, you will see that it's not that bad.

Jack

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There's a function on the Fusion that allows you to scan freqs for a whole array of mics on a set in a few seconds.

see link: (at 5:44 on the video)

http://www.trewaudio.com/audioflow/2009/04/28/zaxcom-qrx100-at-nab-2009/

You then just have to record a preset for, say, that location for when you return back there in the next shooting days. Does the Nomad has this function?

Also; is it possible to re-record from Tx's flash cards on the Nomad ?

Concerning the return/send hits on the wireless monitoring; wasn't there a "beeps code" in the QRX so you know which way was the hit happening ? (Something like one beep=send while two beeps=return )

Also, again: is there a manual in the works ?

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[quote author=Boomboom link=topic=8499.msg72157#

Concerning the return/send hits on the wireless monitoring; wasn't there a "beeps code" in the QRX so you know which way was the hit happening ? (Something like one beep=send while two beeps=return )

Now that makes much more sense and would be a cool function if that is in fact the case.

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I don't see the lack of quickly panning from the Fusion.... so it's done with 2 button presses than just one..... hardly a deal breaker for the Nomad if it possess the same output menu as the rest of the DEVA family.

On the SD machine, you can pan (reassign) L/R outputs/mix tracks on the fly while recording and you can do 2 channels or more at once with 2 hands if you're flexible enough.  This is simply impossible with the Fusion.  You cannot reassign your mix tracks while recording.  I was really hoping the Nomad can do this since it was designed for ENG purposes.  Then again, I could be wrong and totally change my mind when I get to use one. 

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The Nomad can definitly change bus routing (PAN) while in record. To get to any bus selection only requires 1 or 2 presses of the bus key. It could not be done faster. With 6 main output busses and 2 aux busses hardware switches are impossible to impliment as the concept of 2 bus routing switches is a non starter.

Special attention was paid to routing to make sure it could not be done faster or be more flexable.

Glenn

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Hey Peter,

Regarding wireless return drop out ambiguity I can offer the following info as I've used the QRX/IFB along with a TRX900aa/sta150 as a wireless confidence return from camera for a few months now.

I've found that the RF drop outs for the two carriers sound so different that it would be unlikely you would confuse them.  When the 2.4 gig ifb drops out it sounds like digital gobleygook (think of really bad mp3 compression) when the UHF drops there generally is no sound.

That said, I find that the range of the ifb is fairly poor so it often isn't very useful unless you're close to the camera.  When it does come in the quality is great though, untrained ears would not be able to tell a difference. 

The ideal system would have much more range on the return carrier so that it could actually indicate the range limit of your UHF system but this is just not the case.  Perhaps the nomad will have better ifb reception. (keeping in mind that the receiver I'm reporting on here is the built in ifb of the trx, which is a single antenna design and supposedly has about 1/4 the range of an erx)

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