Zaxcom has announced several new additions to its field production product lineup, all of which will be shown at the upcoming AES Convention in New York, Oct. 9-12. The new products include two new encrypted IFB bodypacks, the ERX1 and ERX2, which operate within the company’s new Zax-Net 2.4 GHz wireless network. The company will also introduce the QRX100, a four-channel camera RF system set to ship in early 2010.
The new ERX1 and ERX2 encrypted IFB bodypacks receive high-quality digital audio, time code and metadata from a Zaxcom IFB transmitter. They have an LCD that displays time code and current scene and take metadata in real time, with a hold button for script supervisors. The ERX2 adds a built-in time code reader/generator and output to continuously jam digital slates to ensure no time code drift between Deva/Fusion and the slate. The time code will stay accurate even in the case of an extended RF dropout. It also communicates the scene and take metadata to Zax-Net compatible digital slates for display when the clapper is activated. Both models contain a frequency-adjustable 1kHz notch filter to eliminate the transmission of tone that is sometimes sent from the mixing console designed to preserve the quality of IFB audio.
Zax-Net is Zaxcom’s 2.4GHz RF network for the distribution of remote-control signals, time code, IFB audio and metadata for production sound. It wirelessly links Zaxcom's Deva/Fusion, digital recording wireless, encrypted IFB receivers and compatible digital slates into a single system for audio recording and metadata distribution. The Zax-Net signal is generated by Deva/Fusion and broadcast via an IFB100 transmitter. The IFB audio, time code, metadata and wireless remote-control commands can be received by ERX1, ERX2 and TRX series digital wireless units. Zax-Net will be available for all current Zaxcom hardware via a free software update.
Zaxcom will also demonstrate its QRX100 four-channel RF audio receiver. Using the capability of today's cameras to record four or more discrete audio channels, the QRX100 accepts up to four channels of audio from two Zaxcom stereo or mono digital transmitters. The QRX100 outputs these audio channels in both analog and AES digital formats, with audio quality that can only be matched by a hardwired system while allowing broadcasters to record all channels from four-channel ENG cameras quickly and easily. The QRX100 will double as a time code receiver, with an optional video sync/ SMPTE time code output and an optional integrated IFB transmitter.
Other new Zaxcom products making their AES debut include the Mix-8 mixing control panel and TRX992 professional wireless audio transceiver. All will be available for viewing at Booth 655
