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Zaxcom Nomad - operating questions, plus tips & shortcuts


Jack Norflus

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Jack - will the new software allow us to see the current scene and take info in the home screen? We really need this.

Not in this version - the major changes in this version is related to the playback page and controlling playback - but my understanding the meta data info that you are looking for will be coming in the near future.

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I used 600x Lexar 32gb cards (two of them even) - in a Fusion 12 - no problem. This includes recording 12 tracks at once at 48k and 2 tracks or more at 96K. I was told by Zaxcom not to use them - but I had them and they worked great. Maybe later firmware or later units took care of that. Now what happens in a Nomad? Not sure.

Can anyone recommend a fast CF card for the Nomad? I'd like to get a couple of very fast cards to reduce transfer times. And a fast reader too. I've used the Sandisk Extreme IV cards and reader with my 744t for many years and enjoyed its speed (now a little slow compared to current cards).

I saw a post from a Fusion owner that said he had issues with a fast card, I think something north of 133x. Hopefully the Nomad doesn't have this problem.

Mark O.

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Can anyone recommend a fast CF card for the Nomad? I'd like to get a couple of very fast cards to reduce transfer times. And a fast reader too. I've used the Sandisk Extreme IV cards and reader with my 744t for many years and enjoyed its speed (now a little slow compared to current cards). I saw a post from a Fusion owner that said he had issues with a fast card, I think something north of 133x. Hopefully the Nomad doesn't have this problem. Mark O.

slightly off-topic, but not totally. Mark is (I think) talking about going from a CF card to a computer (DIT download, backup etc).

I don't have a Nomad yet, but I'm with you. I kind of stopped looking for fast cards for my Fusion. I back up my cards to a portable drive via my laptop at the end of the day and I would love to cut that transfer time.

One suggestion I can make is my workflow:

MacBook using the firewire port to a LaCie Rugged Drive daisy-chained to a Firewire Lexar CF reader.

A MacbookPro would be faster... but this make a HUGE difference over anything USB being used.

I don't know if this is flat out truth, but I was told that Firewire is so freakin efficient because you can daisychain devices and the computer basically oversees the transfer. The computer is telling the computer to transfer the data, but the data is not going through the computer itself. The way USB 1 and 2 (don't know about 3) works is that the data basically goes through the computer, so the computer is often the bottleneck. It also bogs down the computer from doing anything else.

My personal testing was using the same MacBook with the same Lacie Rugged drive (using firewire 400) and the same 133x CF card. I upgraded from a USB card reader to a daisychained Firewire reader and watched my transfer times (relatively) disappear. I am sure it would be even better if I was using cards faster than 133x. Still waiting on a Thunderbolt CF card reader. That would be the tipping point for me upgrading my laptop.

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Not in this version - the major changes in this version is related to the playback page and controlling playback - but my understanding the meta data info that you are looking for will be coming in the near future.

In my book the most urgent thing Zaxcom should implement is the timecode displayed during both recording and playback - there should be an option for it to show the segment's own timecode (starting at 00:00:00:00). I've written this before but I really need it so I'll just keep demanding this ::)

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In my book the most urgent thing Zaxcom should implement is the timecode displayed during both recording and playback - there should be an option for it to show the segment's own timecode (starting at 00:00:00:00). I've written this before but I really need it so I'll just keep demanding this ::)

As I've already posted that the latest version of beta software has this and a whole lot more. Once the new version has been thoroughly tested and is cleared it will be posted on the Zaxcom web site.

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With thunder bolt and a faster cf card I would think your Lacie rugged drive will soon be the bottleneck. SSDs are more affordable all the time..

eSATA and USB3 are fast as well though not yet sported in Mac land. Also, likely they will never be supported by apple unless a third party makes a thunderbolt to usb3 adapter, which seems likely.

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I am new to these forums and still a novice when it comes to recording sound. Up till now I have only ever recorded either into a camera or with a Zoom H4 with a small Azden mixer in front of it. So I know I have a lot to learn.

I just got my Nomad 4 which I hope to meet my needs for a very long time. Right now I have a problem. I can't get my Nomad to record. Pressing the Record button does nothing. Holding it for 1.5 secs does nothing. I turned off the shift requirement and pressing the button still doesn't work.

I can hear sound coming through the channel and I believe I have it routed to the card properly. The whole routing of signal other than mic -> mixer -> recorder is still new to me. At least by default it seems to be set down the line with fader 1 to channel 1 on the card and so on.

Also I currently only have one CF card. I read that it CAN record to two cards but that didn't seem like it was a requirement so I didn't make an effort to get two. The card is a Lexar 16gig and is a 233x. I know they recommend 133x cards but will they just not work with anything but 133x? It seemed to recognize the card in the primary slot and I formatted it in the Nomad but that didn't help. On one of the displays it says no-card. I have been using the card in my camera for a long time and it has always worked well. Anyone have any ideas why it might not be working?

I am ordering two 32gig Transcend 133x cards right now just in case.

Also, as far as the concept for the primary card and mirror card, is it setup so that for the most part the primary just stays in its slot and you swap out the mirror card for dumps? Then in the case of a power failure, you pull the main card since it records in MARF to get the track? or do you just turn the unit back on and it will sync with the mirror card when power is applied? When would you format the Primary card? end of day? or do you want a card that will last you at least a whole day?

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Right now I have a problem. I can't get my Nomad to record. Pressing the Record button does nothing. Holding it for 1.5 secs does nothing. I turned off the shift requirement and pressing the button still doesn't work.

I can hear sound coming through the channel and I believe I have it routed to the card properly. The whole routing of signal other than mic -> mixer -> recorder is still new to me. At least by default it seems to be set down the line with fader 1 to channel 1 on the card and so on.

Also I currently only have one CF card. I read that it CAN record to two cards but that didn't seem like it was a requirement so I didn't make an effort to get two. The card is a Lexar 16gig and is a 233x. I know they recommend 133x cards but will they just not work with anything but 133x? It seemed to recognize the card in the primary slot and I formatted it in the Nomad but that didn't help. On one of the displays it says no-card. I have been using the card in my camera for a long time and it has always worked well. Anyone have any ideas why it might not be working?

The routing will have noting to do if Nomad goes into record or not. Basically the only issue that I can think of is as to why Nomad will not go into record is a card issue.

First you need to have a card - formated by Nomad - in the primary card slot (which is the slot behind the battery door). My guess is that even though you are having Nomad format the card there is an issue with that card that Nomad can't properly format it. Sometimes even though the card is formated by Nomad there is still some data or wackiness not getting totally erased from the card. You can try formating the card in you computer then have Nomad format it with MARF - there is no guarantee that this will work but it's worth a shot until your new cards arrive.

Also, as far as the concept for the primary card and mirror card, is it setup so that for the most part the primary just stays in its slot and you swap out the mirror card for dumps? Then in the case of a power failure, you pull the main card since it records in MARF to get the track? or do you just turn the unit back on and it will sync with the mirror card when power is applied? When would you format the Primary card? end of day? or do you want a card that will last you at least a whole day?

The Primary card can always create a mirror regardless of when, or how many mirror copies you want to create. So if you have a power failure you can alway create a mirror at a later time. You can pull the primary card but the only way anyone can access that file is thru Zaxconvert - which is a free download from the Zaxcom web site. You can create a .WAV file of the primary tracks thru Zaxconvert and then supply these files. As for when to format the primary card that is up to you - you can keep multiple days / shoots on a primary card. Depending on your recording parameters and the size of your card you can get quite a few hours on a card.

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There's a new updated file for the Nomad available (v. 2.46).

Version 2.46 is now up on the Zaxcom web site.

Depending what version you are updating from 2.46 adds a playback menu page, improved battery metering functions, Com feature, and the option to have Nomad remain in mirror mode after a power cycle. There are also a bunch of operating changes that improves the performance of Nomad but not noticeable to the user in the menus.

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V.2.46 - Nice upgrades, thank you Glenn/Howie.

We still very much need Scene and Take displayed in the home screen.

Please get rid of the blank (mute) selection in the ENG pan menu - it mutes the source as you click through the selections. This is a back stabber and we don't need a mute in the selection - the fader takes care of that if it is needed. Instead, the control should simply continuously pan through L/C/R/C/L/C/R, etc. This way the user doesn't end up muting a source when the intention is simply to pan.

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Please get rid of the blank (mute) selection in the ENG pan menu - it mutes the source as you click through the selections. This is a back stabber and we don't need a mute in the selection - the fader takes care of that if it is needed. Instead, the control should simply continuously pan through L/C/R/C/L/C/R, etc. This way the user doesn't end up muting a source when the intention is simply to pan.

That optional already exists. Simply go into advanced setup (sub menu of ENG setup) and go to "prevent empty pan" and select this to ON. Now when you pan it will go L/C/R then back to L - and will omit the blank.

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