Chase Yeremian Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 Does anyone know if the nomad keeps accurate timecode when switched off? I am experiencing huge drift like 2seconds after an hour from jamming my denecke ts3. I read the other thread about denecke and nomad suppossd to keep sync even with the sync error. But the only other factor is i have been powering down for 5minute periods. And im T 23.98 on the slate and recorder. Sorry for bad typing and gramar im on set in a rush to type. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 Q: " Does anyone know if the nomad keeps accurate timecode when switched off? " A: " I am experiencing huge drift like 2seconds after an hour from jamming my denecke ts3.... " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RadoStefanov Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 Chase, I don't know if this would help. Just trowing it in here: "On a related topic... I know a Deva user who had an enormous amount of drive, and they assumed it was due to an inaccurate clock because the settings were double-checked to be correct. But the amount of drift was so much that I had my doubts, plus, the amount of drift seemed to consistent to what would be expected with a 0.1% off-set. The beginnings of the problem was traced back to the time of a software revision, and it was determined that a "factory restore" was not done after the revision (the factory restore is recommended after a software revision). After a restore to factory settings was done, the offset stopped. Glen Trew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chase Yeremian Posted January 17, 2012 Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 that may be the case then. I did update to the newest firmware and did not do a factory reset after. I will report my findings tomorrow. I will say that i have not powered down the nomad over the last 2 hours and there is no noticeable drift. I will power down and see if i can repeat the issue. -Chase Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Actualsizeaudio Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 I've been checking my Nomad's drift when powered down with my Ambient Master clock. Sadly, at this point, it is a major bug: the unit drifts every time it is powered down, no matter how short the power down is. On shoots where I'm using my locket boxes, I keep an ALL601 connected to it to deal with the issue. I've been told this will be fixed soon. -Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glenn Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 The Nomad will currently keep excellent time with power on. We are working on the time calibration with power off. When off the Nomad uses a different clock that is less accurate. The power off drift will be addressed in the near future with a software update. Glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 The Nomad will currently keep excellent time with power on. We are working on the time calibration with power off. When off the Nomad uses a different clock that is less accurate. The power off drift will be addressed in the near future with a software update. Glenn Glenn, I, along with many others, really appreciate you addressing these issues in such a prompt and straight forward manner. It instills confidence as we deal with this paradigm shift in location sound. My compliments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glenn Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 Thanks John, and all. I am happy to be here. It helps us make a better product. Glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfp Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 I used my Nomad 8 for the first time today. It was a network job with 3 cameras. I fed all three cameras and fed my 552 in order to do a mp3 recording. (I know, kind of an expensive mp3 recorder, I can't wait until the Nomad's is functional!) It was very easy and felt natural to adjust the trim and pan's. Listened to the returns on two camera's and fed timecode through the unit. Overall, I am very, very happy with my purchase! I have had it freeze up a few times since the latest update, one time scared me a lot when the screen went all crazy, each time though, a power down has solved everything. I also had one of the knobs come off, Glenn, I PM'd you about that. I love the tip about push the push and hold. I use it a lot for my headphone settings and setting pans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chase Yeremian Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 This is probably a stupid quedtion, but is there a way to have tje file names labeled as the scene and take from the meta data? Or am i stuck with the "z001 etc naming scheme? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundslikejustin Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 At this point, no. The sequential file naming has been a mainstay of Zaxcom for years, but having a scene/take option is being discussed on the Zax forum right now. Search for MARF for more information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Beatty Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 Marc Wielage made a pretty fantastic Sound Report generator and posted it in a Deva thread: http://idisk.mac.com/Mwielage-Public?view=web Since the Nomad and Deva generate the same flavor sound report, I see no reason why it can't be tweaked to add a batch rename function. It would definitely take a little bit of work, but I imagine the metadata can be pulled from the csv and utilized in a script that would re-write the file names with the press of a button. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncsoundmixer Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 What many of us bag mixers want and have been able to do with Sound Devices recorders, is the ability to name the files what we choose (scene and take number) while we are shooting, not after the fact. After the fact takes more time. In many instances bag mixers deliver a card at wrap that is dumped ASAP on set and given to the client, who is literally waiting to speed off to the airport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncsoundmixer Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 What many of us bag mixers want and have been able to do with Sound Devices recorders, is the ability to name the files what we choose (scene and take number) while we are shooting, not after the fact. After the fact takes more time. In many instances bag mixers deliver a card at wrap that is dumped ASAP on set and given to the client, who is literally waiting to speed off to the airport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abe Dolinger Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 What many of us bag mixers want and have been able to do with Sound Devices recorders, is the ability to name the files what we choose (scene and take number) while we are shooting, not after the fact. After the fact takes more time. In many instances bag mixers deliver a card at wrap that is dumped ASAP on set and given to the client, who is literally waiting to speed off to the airport. +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek H Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 I have mixed feelings about the file name situation. On one hand I do understand wanting the file name to match the scene/take info, it makes file management somewhat more straightforward. And with sound devices created files being so prevalent in post i can understand why some editors and AEs would be thrown off by a change in file naming scheme. On the other hand I believe that eliminating the chance of delivering duplicate filenames with different audio content is important. Removing human error where possible is a good practice as far as I'm concerned. I also feel that maybe the better solution is to promote more proficient use of audio metadata in post. For example, I'm not aware of any camera system that allows you to name the video clips in-camera and post doesn't seem to mind and the data is managed without issue, why should audio be different? Perhaps in the case of the Nomad Zaxcom would consider an optional function whereby the files on the fat 32 secondary flash card are automatically named by the scene take meta data so that the delivery media is named as expected while maintaining the unique named files on the primary MARF flash card. That would seem like a good compromise to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Beatty Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 I agree, Derek. An option to write file names with Scene Take info only on the mirror card would be great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 I like the idea of the naming option. I think, however, it should be lower on the priority list than the already announced features such as Mix 8, and USB/mp3 implementation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Spaeth Posted January 24, 2012 Report Share Posted January 24, 2012 I also wouldn't mind the luxury of file naming that SD users have grown accustomed to, but I am in much more urgent need of a segment no. and record duration display (so far you can only display the timecode, while Sound Devices and also cheaper recorders can also display elapsed file time). Zaxcom are fortunately working on that. But I also agree with John - especially Mix 8 is top on my want list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sndspd Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 While I haven't as much experience as many veterans on this forum have had, I believe the file name system Zaxcom is using is adequate for the purposes of my shoots. I have not (knock on wood) gotten any phone calls or complaints from clients or post about the file naming system Zaxcom employs. Granted my shoots consists of interviews and b-roll. Since I know very little of post I would agree that scene/take file names would aid them in finding audio easier but that would assume they would be looking at scripty or producers notes anyways which lens to sound reports. Editors can look at TC. I believe its part of editors job to search for footage either it be video or audio. I think the Nomad is first and foremost a 6 channel mixer for ENG soundman/woman that just so happens to record. Metadata, TC, etc is just a bonus. I don't have time or luxury to input info when doing run-n-gun shoots (Usually I enter in the wrong info because of the rush). Would I use it on a cart, no; cause there's the Deva 5.8 and Fusion (Much easier for metadata input with the touch screen). Gabe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RadoStefanov Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 I think the Nomad is first and foremost a 6 channel mixer for ENG soundman/woman that just so happens to record. Gabe I think exactly the opposite. IMHO Nomad is a Recorder that just happens to mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Great taste; less filling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncsoundmixer Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Sndspd - The Nomad is far more than a mixer for me - it's a mixer/recorder, and replaces two devices in my bag - an SD442 and 744t. Much of my work is dual system, either commercial spot or reality/lifestyle multitrack, however, even when it is not, I ALWAYS record backup audio on my machine. It protects me and the client and I think it's the professional thing to do - so I am recording every single day that I work. Time code record on audio files, TC slaving and syncing, and Scene and Take meta data (and file naming) are INTEGRAL components of this production process and thus crucial for many of us. If you aren't going to be doing much "in bag" recording, the Nomad may be overkill, but the features that you find superfluous are used by me just about everyday that I work - they were designed in to the machine for a reason. The issue is in the implementation, display, and access of these features. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Daddyo Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 A friend just got his Nomad and let me play with it for few hours. I have been following all of the JWsound related Nomad threads so I pretty much knew what to expect. I think I would probably need a couple more days with it to feel comfortable before I took it out in the field. Can't believe that there still isn't a decent manual for it and that the one that is available isn't on PDF. It sure makes coming up to speed with it very slow. One of my first observations with the Nomad when watching videos of it before it came on the market was that the menu knob click noise seemed loud. I confirmed this when I got it in my hands. In fact it is so loud I would not be able to use it in any quiet indoor sit down interview situation. In contrast the headphone knob is much quieter than the menu knob but I am assuming it is a different style of knob that couldn’t be used in place of the menu knob. Is this true Glenn? I also noticed that the shaft for the headphone knob was loose. I first thought it was the knob itself but it’s actually the shaft. It works properly but it is loose. Have other Nomad owners noticed this or is it just on this machine? Hmmm! Now I am wondering if the loose shaft is causing the headphone knob to be quieter when pushed. Do other users notice that the clicking loudness is different between the two knobs? One thing I liked on the Sound Device Mixers is that when activating the tone the volume was reduced in the headphone out. I wonder if this could be a possibility by a change in the firmware. Changing the tone to 400hz helps but it is still loud when you are blasting tone. Overall I am pretty impressed with what the Nomad does and I’m considering it as a future purchase. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncsoundmixer Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Audio Daddio The menu knob can be quieted down somewhat by "feathering" the press as the click occurs. Yep, the headphone knob is loose and doesn't inspire confidence in its long term prospects. I suspect the knob's mechanism comes from a third party supplier. I hope a new knob can be sourced to replace the current one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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