Zaxcom
Zaxcom is one of the best brands in location sound. They sell mixers, recorders, transmitters, receivers, IFB, and other crucial sound gear needed for film shoots on location. Their gear works great in NYC even with all the RF!
Zaxcom is known for the Nomad, which both records and mixes audio. The Nomad can also transmit a wifi signal to be used to send audio to camera or to be used with IFB.
Why mixers choose Zaxcom
Most location sound work comes down to two questions: will the wireless hold up, and will the recording be safe? Zaxcom built its reputation on answering both. Their wireless transmitters can record audio internally as well as send it over the air, so if a signal drops out because of interference, a backup of the performance can still exist on the transmitter itself. On a busy New York street where every phone, television station and neighboring crew is competing for the same airwaves, that kind of safety net is worth a lot.
Zaxcom also designs its products to work together. Mixers, recorders, transmitters and receivers share a control system called ZaxNet, which lets the mixer adjust supported transmitters remotely instead of walking onto set to touch an actor's wireless between takes. That keeps the set moving and keeps the microphone where the costume department put it.
The gear we talk about most
Nomad. A mixer and recorder in one portable unit. It is a common choice for mixers who want a full featured, bag friendly rig for documentaries, commercials and smaller narrative shoots.
Nova 2. The newer, more compact all-in-one: mixer, recorder, ZaxNet remote control and two built-in receiver slots in a package under four pounds. Read the full write up in our Nova 2 article.
Transmitters and receivers. Wireless lavalier transmitters go on the actor, and receivers bring the signal back to the mixer. Zaxcom's slot-in receivers fit directly into the mixer, which removes external wiring and makes for a tidier, more reliable bag.
IFB. Interruptible foldback is how the mixer talks to the director, script supervisor or camera team in their headphones or earpieces, and how the mix gets sent to camera. Reliable IFB is one of those things nobody notices until it fails.
Working with RF in New York City
New York is one of the hardest places in the world to run wireless audio. Buildings reflect signals, dense neighborhoods pack many transmitters into a small area, and productions often shoot within a block of one another. Careful frequency planning, good antenna placement and gear with strong filtering make the difference between a clean day and a day of dropouts. That is a big part of why we trust Zaxcom equipment on NYC shoots.
Hire a mixer who knows the gear
Owning good gear is only half of it. Our mixers know how to plan frequencies, set up the bag for the location and keep sound running smoothly for the whole day. See our services or meet the sound mixers, then get in touch to book a shoot. Booking is free.
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