The Sound Devices 744t recorder and 442 mixer have new competition for
multi-channel field recording. The new Zaxcom Fusion is smaller,
lighter, and has more channels than the 744t and 442.
The Fusion is a field mixer with 4 analog inputs, limiters, high pass
filters, output compressors and lots of routing options between input
and output channels as standard equipment.
Included is the ability to record output to two Compactflash cards
simultaneously. If you need to use a DVD-RAM or hard disc, the Fusion
has a Firewire port to feed an external drive.
The four channel Fusion MSRP is $8000. For $1000 more, you can add
four more input channels. The addition is made through a firmware
update that turns on features already present in the Fusion. In other
words, all Fusion models will have 8 physical XLR inputs, but only 4
will work until extra money changes hands and the firmware is updated.
The Fusion includes connections for four AES digital inputs and
outputs (8 channels in total). I think 2 connectors (4 channels) are
standard, and an additional 2 connectors are optional.
Another $1000 adds an electronic special effects package. The
package includes peak and notch filers, compressor and expander
functions for each input channel.
The case of the Fusion has a battery compartment for an industry
standard NP-1 battery. An NP-1 should run the Fusion for about 8 hours.
The Fusion measures 10.6 x 7.7 x 3.2 inches and weighs a little less
than 6 lbs with battery. For comparison, a Sound Devices 744
recorder and 442 mixer make a larger and heavier package.
The price of the Sound Devices pair is about $6500. Zaxcom suggests
a price of $8000 for the Fusion, but I think dealers will price it a
little lower. So for an extra $1000 or so, the Zaxcom provides 4
channel recording in a smaller and lighter package, with an upgrade
path to add more channels and more features as your needs change.
--oryoki
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