ProAudio Review - December 2008 - (Page 22)

“It is a complex beast, to be sure, but that is because the Fusion leaves nary a stone unturned when it comes to the potential production demands it is capable of meeting.” Setting up the Fusion’s user presets for my typical output mix, disk mix (record) and cue mix routing requirements was the obvious next step. Truth be known, I already had a little experience on a Deva V years ago — and pretty good knowledge of pre/post crosspoint matrix routing and processing software (Lectrosonics DM, in recorder in stereo and output two different cue mixes, in the context of the Fusion’s total capabilities, I was still in meatand-potatoes land. To illustrate, in my work I had no need to use the Fusion’s multiple digital input SRCs, configure custom metering screens, craft-embedded scene/take/notes metadata (beyond my case) didn’t hurt either — but I mostly “used the Force” and was quite happy to find the menu system, data entry, preset storage, and navigation to be thoroughly intuitive. I also put the Fusion to work on a variety of ENG and production gigs including a live taping of the PBS television show, The Kalb Report, and a live forum called, “Battle for the Youth Vote 2008,” presented at George Washington University in partnership with CBS News. On both of the above, I used the Fusion’s discrete tracks to later post CBS and XM radio versions. I also tracked all sources during a Billy Joel performance at the National Press Club just for the sport of it, since it was broadcast live. The Zaxcom preamps are very high-quality, with very little noise and a good, if not forgiving, amount of headroom. Like most, I tend not to print with processing — especially given that I’m often the one to post mix — so I didn’t much explore the EQ and compression available on the review unit, but I did make good use of the adjustable HP filters and limiters on inputs as well as the bus output limiter. I must mention the phenomenal job Zaxcom did with the Fusion’s shielding and balanced circuitry. In one instance, a proximate Blackberry sent interference straight to my phones, yet not a blip was registered in the output mix feeds or on the recorded tracks. Despite using the Fusion to simultaneously record multiple sources to discrete tracks (mirrored between its internal CF card and an external Avastor hard drive via the Fusion’s built-in FireWire interface), mix to a real-time DVD F u s i o n o ff e r s a we l l - l a b e l e d , c o m p r e h e n s i ve I / O . simple naming and frame rates), or require its full-featured TC interface (beyond Record chase) or its user-configurable GPI triggering. In my spare time I did manage to check out some other features including M-S monitoring, assigning a quad-mic surround set to one fader, and even plugging in a USB keyboard for faster data entry. Summary One could mount an argument that its near $10,000 price (when outfitted with optional cables, batteries, and effects) or its 300+ mixer cross points and 200+ user parameters (as highlighted in Zaxcom lit) make the Fusion overpriced and overkill for the target ENG market. In the opening, I mentioned the glacial pace of evolution in the adoption of new ENG audio tools. I specifically referenced attitudes, which are often correctly and/or necessarily based on “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” or “the need for speed” and, of course, tight budgets. You can connect those dots. That said, there most definitely is a market for this stunning mixer/recorder; I’ll just self-revise it to start at the rentalhouse and reality-show level and then move upwards into financed independents, 2nd and 3rd film units and any other full production units where mobility, flexibility, and centralized audio control are essential. In those applications, including those requiring high-resolution surround recording, the Fusion truly has no equal. 22 ProAudioReview | December 2008 www.proaudioreview.com http://www.proaudioreview.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of ProAudio Review - December 2008

ProAudio Review - December 2008 Contents Technically Speaking New Studio Products Opinion: Mastering Matters Review: BIAS Peak Pro XT 6 Review: Zaxcom Fusion ENG Mixer and Multitrack Recorder Review: Sound Devices 788T 8-Track Digital Audio Recorder Review: Universal Audio UAD-2 Solo DSP Accelerator Review: Chandler Limited Germanium Compressor Review: RME ADI-8 QS A/D-D/A Converter Feature: Converters and Clocks: Engineers on Their Choices New Live Products Opinion: From the Road Review: Yamaha IM8 Series Mixing Consoles Review: NTI Digirator DR2 Digital Audio Signal Generator Review: Sencore SoundPro SP495 Audio Consultant Test Set Single Slice

ProAudio Review - December 2008

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