Zaxcom TRX 900
Jeff Wexler
900 wireless. I have been fortunate in the past doing movies that
require very little wireless work and have always relied on my Audio
Ltds (older 2000 model) which have worked beautifully and sound
terrific. I finally have had to abandon my Audios because they are NOT
frequency agile at all and they have already been re-crystalled twice
(at a cost of about $3000.).
So, I have been using the Zaxcom TRX 900 now for 5 weeks on my current
movie. I am not using any of the extended and unique features, no
recording, no IFB, no remote, just using them as straight wireless. I
can safely say without reservation that the Zaxcoms are my new favorite
wireless. First and foremost, the SOUND is the best I have ever heard.
Tons of dynamic range, even if the gain setting is not exactly optimal,
and dead quiet --- low level ambience is perfectly transmitted and voice
comes in very naturally from quiet to yelling. I am using DPA
microphones which I love but still waiting for Sanken to update the
COS-11 so that it will work nicely with Zaxcom.
The frequency agility is all new to me (I know it is standard procedure
for everyone else to scan the location, coordinate frequencies and all
that) and setting up the Zaxcoms to a clear frequency is a breeze (even
for me).
Battery life has been stellar: 5 hours + every time we have used them.
The only problem on this movie has been that our normal procedure is to
change batteries when we break for lunch but we haven't been breaking
for lunch on many of our shooting days --- just work straight through
and try and have someone bring us food between takes.
I look forward to utilizing some of the new unique features of the TRX
900, like the recording, remote and IFB stuff, but for now I couldn't be
more pleased with Zaxcom wireless.
opticnerv...@hotmail.com
Great to hear this. I just put my own ENG sound package together.
When I was looking at wireless I saw these ones. But I have never
used them. I stuck with lectros. I'll have to find a way to try them
out. Thanks for the review.
Noah Timan
problems with these units in the capacity you have used them, or has
the experience been 100% positive?
Thanks for your feedback!
nvt
oleg kaizerman
by the way did you recycle them on trew audio site ?
best
"Jeff Wexler" <j...@jwsound.net> wrote in message
news:jw-262EBD.08...@news.verizon.net...
Jeff Wexler
<ed23ccf6-cc2d-471b...@f10g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>,
Noah Timan <dontwrit...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Jeff, thank you for sharing your experiences. Any complaints or
> problems with these units in the capacity you have used them, or has
> the experience been 100% positive?
I would say basically 100% --- the only negatives, for me personally,
actually apply to ALL wireless --- if you can't get the mic in the right
place it's not going to sound good, dealing with the actors physically
always has its own set of problems (battery changes are very quick and
easy however), and there is the ever present worry that you won't find a
clear channel. The on/off switch is a little difficult but this is a
good thing and a bad thing --- there is virtually no chance it can ever
get turned off while on an actor but you also have to really be sure
you've turned the unit on before putting it on someone.
- Jeff Wexler
Paul Graff
This is great to hear. After years of using the older Stereolines as
camera hops for ENG and documentary use, I recently purchased a TRX900
with recording option and stereo adapter. It is now my "hero" camera
hop and I'm pleased to find that it is completely compatible with the
3 older units (all are Block 21) for multi-cam shoots, etc. I also
look forward to using the new one as a talent transmitter, but have
yet to have a lav wired for it. I assume the DPA you are using is the
4063. A couple of months ago I purchased a DPA 4061 wired for Lectro
MM400. I love the way it sounds, but have found it very susceptible
to clothing noise; much more so than Sanken or Countryman. I believe
the mics are similar in design; has this been an issue for you?
I agree about the COS-11. I'll probably start with a B6 for it
instead of the DPA. I plan to stick with Lectro as primary for talent
for now with the Zaxcom standing by if the internal recording option
is called for. Great to hear about the battery life too, as I
externally power the unit (through the stereo adapter) when I use it
as a camera hop. Yours is the 2 AA battery version, right?
Thanks,
Paul
Paul Graff
NiMH or Lithium batts in the Tx?
Paul
Tom Soda
well with no major issues at all, except for a bad cable...
The Transmitter will run 2 AA Lithiums for about 8 to 10 hours.
~Thomas Popp
Peter
I am using DPA
> microphones which I love but still waiting for Sanken to update the
> COS-11 so that it will work nicely with Zaxcom.
>
took some experimentation but Glen Trew's people figured out how to do
it. And their technique hasn't worked 100% of the time. Some
transmitters play more nicely than others, We were able to get all
four working reliably, along with a couple of spare COS-11s.
By the way, the IFB/remote is expensive but extremely convenient for
remote gain and power down. I am hoping for Zaxcom to upgrade it for a
better user interface and to eliminate a shared ground.
Peter
gmax
complete with record capabilIty and IFB. The IFB works great. When
using record run TC on the camera, the IFB not only send the camera TC
back to the recording transmitter creating a 2 channel backup, but it
also automatically rolls the transmitter recorder creating a set-it
and forget-it clone of the camera audio complete with matching camera
TC. Add to that wireless confidence monitoring from the either the
5pin camera output or camera earphone jack and you've got a worry free
camera link. The range has been great so far over 500 feet.
Like Jeff I have been a die hard user of Audio Ltd. However, in the
past 2 years I've also cashed them all in for the Lectro 411a/SM
systems because of the frequency issues. After such great success with
the Zaxcom units, I will seriously consider some of their wireless
microphone systems as well.
Billy Sarokin
I'm using the IFB more and more. One of the great features is to be
able to remotely control the gain of the transmitters. I'm not crazy
about the limiters in the TRX900's. In certain circumstances they can
start to modulate. Howy is working on a fix, but in the meantime I
start with my levels set low enough to avoid any issues. The IFB lets
me creep up the gain as a scene progresses and I get a better feel for
how the actor will play it, and conversely, if an actor starts
screaming bloody hell I can drop the gain during the take. Great
feature! And of course the recording, time code and ifb
capabilities. Once you start using them you'll have a hard time using
anything else.
One new feature that I haven't seen publicized yet, has showed up in
the last software upgrade. Zaxcom added a noise reduction feature.
It drops the noise floor of the mics about 15 db from 103 to 118 db.
They created it specifically for one client who had to deal with high
background noise levels but decided to add it as a standard feature.
I'm still experimenting with it. Unlike companders on analog radios,
the use of the NR is optional and all parameters are adjustable
(attack, decay, ratio, etc). I can see it coming in handy in very
soft scenes where self noise of the mic or even background traffic are
an issue, or scenes that go from quiet dialog to intense screaming.
The NR will drop the noise floor of the mic so post has more
flexibility with the softer passages. I haven't used it in the field
yet, but I'll start experimenting. I don't know if this feature will
eventually be remote controllable via the IFB... Glenn???
All the best!
Billy Sarokin
Jeff Wexler
<30e2144d-fcfd-46db...@e4g2000hsg.googlegroups.com>,
Paul Graff <ahomefor...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Yours is the 2 AA battery version, right?
>
> Thanks,
> Paul
No, the 4 TRX 900's I have are all the CR123 (3 volt) type. If I wanted
to come up with some complaint it might be that the CR123 batteries are
quite expensive; they are available everywhere and as I said the run the
900 for at least 5 hours.
- Jeff Wexler
suz...@gmail.com
> In article
> <30e2144d-fcfd-46db-8b00-ea607b064...@e4g2000hsg.googlegroups.com>,
> Paul Graff <ahomeforspamo...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> >Yours is the 2 AA battery version, right?
>
> > Thanks,
> > Paul
>
> No, the 4 TRX 900's I have are all the CR123 (3 volt) type. If I wanted
> to come up with some complaint it might be that the CR123 batteries are
> quite expensive; they are available everywhere and as I said the run the
> 900 for at least 5 hours.
>
> - Jeff Wexler
There are now rechargeable CR123 batteries. They don't last quite as
long as the disposables in my Surefire flashlight, but I've recharged
them many times.
I don't know what the performance would be with the TRX 900's.
Here's a link:
http://delkindevices.com/products/batteries/crv3/index.html
Bud Raymond.
Billy Sarokin
I've been able to find CR123s for $1-1.50, (on par with 9v batteries),
from a number of dealers, Check out:
http://batteryjunction.com/tpen-tcr123a-.html
and
thebatterystation.com
I've heqard from a number of sources that lithium formulations have
changed somewhat to make them safer and that this will reduce the run
time by about 10-15%. So unfortunately, I don't think the 5 hour run
time will continue for much longer.
btw, I regularly use Sanken COS-11 mics with no ill effect. The B6 is
my standard mic and I usually only use the Sankens when SPLs are going
to be very high so it's possible that only very low level rf artifacts
are being hidden in the mush. I've also weaned out the bad Sankens.
Some are rfi free and others aren't. Over the last few years I've
retired the noisy ones. I don't know if Sanken has quietly come up
with a fix. Otherwise I can't figure out why some have rfi issues and
some don't. Perhaps there are very subtle differences in wiring the
connector that can have an effect. I remember when rfi proofing my
Schoeps (before they changed their amps) a diffrerence in 1/16th of an
inch in the length of the capacitor leads made all the difference.
All the best,
Billy Sarokin
Austin Storms
I have to agree with all the positive feed back here. I've owned a
TRX 900AA for just under a year and have used it on almost every job.
Its one of those purchases I'll never regret cause its just so damn
versatile. I use it as a wireless boom system using the stereo
adapter and a Sound devices Mix pre. I set the transmitter in Mono
mode (US mode) for more audio bandwidth and feed it line level out of
the SD mix pre to TA5 input. This has proven to be a fantastic rig.
The best wireless boom I've ever heard. The SD mic pres are fantastic
as well are the limiters so it makes for a nice happy combo. I plan
to implement the IFB feed into channel 2 of the mix pre so the boom op
could have a feed of whatever (Talk back, Wireless mic feeds ect...) as
soon as the IFB TX gets a bit more refined, quieter (no ground hum)
and more user friendly.
The Range has been fantastic as well. On a series I was mixing a few
months ago, one of those last minute "light running out" scenes took
the camera across a busy street a good 200 yards away from the cart
and antennas. I had my Sharkfins up high (12 ft) and was able to get
the scene no problem even with huge trucks going by eliminating line
of sight. The beauty here is that I wasn't stressed like I would have
been using any other wireless boom system cause I had the transmitter
recording with my recorders TOD timecode, but as a plus it all came
through without a single dropout clean as a whistle.
And of course in the bag the 2 channel camera link is quite nice. I
don't even bother with a cable anymore unless it's a very controlled
environment such as a sit-down interview shooting video.
Anyone know the wiring scheme for making a lav adapter Lectro um400 to
Zaxcom TRX900 input? Would be nice to not have to wire exclusively
for the TRX since I'm all lectro for talent TXs.
Now my only gripe with the system is the stereo adapter... the
orientation of the I/O is on the back. Makes it hard to place in a
bag, which is a vertical orientated world. Connectors coming out of
the back make the foot print too big. Would be nice to have the
connectors coming out of the top or sides or a combination of the two.
Another thing that bothers me and could be fixed with firmware is the
LCD light turning off when externally powered. I wish there was an
option to keep it on.
Otherwise feedback is 95% Awesome. Very happy. Looking forward to
more cool things from Zax.
-Austin Storms
Los Angeles, CA