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[John Blankenship]

If you buy some out of a bulk parts bin, they may not work well with the connector you already have.

Agreed.  I assumed anyone here would be savvy enough to bring the Deva along to check for fit.  A good reminder that one shouldn't assume, lest...

John B.

[Glen Trew]

Spare parts bin at a local computer store.

John B.

Kabout knurled knobs: There are many different types of D connector screws, most of which are not compatible with the others. Variations include length of the shaft, length of the thread, distance of the shoulder from the threaded end, and even the thread type can be different (there are metric and SAE thread types for D connector screws. If you buy some out of a bulk parts bin, they may not work well with the connector you already have.

Glen Trew

[vin]

Oh, ok. So there IS a place where you can find it. Good to stand corrected in things like these... :)
-vin

[John Blankenship]

Ken - may or may not be possible. then again, where would one go to get the knurled type fasteners? these are certainly not off the shelf kind of things.

Spare parts bin at a local computer store.

John B.

[Paul Graff]

Here in LA Pacific Radio has the knurled D-Sub bolts and I'm sure Markertek does as well.  I agree with Marc that the one from Zaxcom would only be usable on a cart regardless.  They use that stiff, white digital cable, the straight-out D-Sub connector, and they are 3 feet long with Switchcraft connectors (and they weigh a lot).  Even if you shortened them it would not work.

I've soldered D-Subs before, but I can recommend Trew Audio for this.  The price is reasonable and the cables were beautifully made.  They will make each output your specified length and connector termination, so you can keep it light.  It came from them with the knurled knobs.  I always have a backup output cable with me, but my primary one has never failed.  I've been traveling a lot on a dozen planes in the last month and working docu-style and that connection is the least of my worries.

I know I'm way off the OP topic, but it keeps seeming like the last post and not worth starting a new topic.

PG

[vin]

Ken - may or may not be possible. then again, where would one go to get the knurled type fasteners? these are certainly not off the shelf kind of things.

-vin

[Ken Mantlo]

Can't you open up the connector and replace the screws with knurled type ones?

[Paul Graff]

Yeah, I was worried about it but with this setup it's really well protected.  The bag is actually the A0-4, not A0-1 like I mentioned above.  That little raised part on the right toward the body works to prevent the Fusion from being able to slide right, so the D-sub never gets any pressure put on it.

As far as the Fusion 12, for me the appeal was at least as much for the additional 2 outputs as for the the extra inputs.  It's a bummer to not be able to use the beta snakes I own, but now I get that stereo return I lacked before; even if it takes a 4-way snake to get it.

PG

[Marc Wielage]

Ah, a 45-degree connector would definitely be a help. Still, the DB-25 is a delicate connector, nowhere near as hardy as a TA3 or an XLR. That's my worry there. At least you've got the knurled knobs, rather than the screw-ons used on the standard cable.

But if Paul says it works, I believe him. I'll have to investigate finding a 45-degree connector, and see if that would help with the breakout problem. If I could find a 90-degree connector that went straight back behind the Deva, that would also be an ideal cart solution. Going straight out to the right is the issue.

--Marc W.

[johnpaul215]

Thanks Paul... that's good to know that a DB-25 can be secure. I figured I would have at least two DB-25 breakout cables. one attached to my cart and one for bag work (be it inserts or docs). I don't own a 744T, my smaller recorder is a FR-2, though I see the appeal of having something like a 744T for those instances.
I'm not getting my Fusion for another month or so and have been on the fence a bit about the 10 or 12. Losing the 10-pin output was a concern about going for the Fusion 12.

[Paul Graff]

hrmmmm if the D-Sub 25 is that fragile, how do you use the Fusion/Deva in a bag? I know there is the camera feed 10-pin output, but what if you need more than that? Offhand feeding a camera as well as IFB and maybe some other specific outs.

I don't seem to have the issues that Marc has with this.  My Fusion has pretty much lived in the bag for a year-and-a-half with the D-sub always in play.  Trew Audio made a couple of D-sub output cables with this 45 degree connector and with the Portabrace AO-1 bag it is totally protected.  Shrink wrap has slipped a bit in this picture, but you get the idea. 

I keep the weight and bulk down by having cables break out to TA3 instead of XLR.  One cable breaks out to mini plug on 4 for Comtek feed and 5 and 6 on TA5 directly to TRX900AA.  Other outputs go to TA3 and I have short TA3 to XLR cables for when I need them.  With Fusion 12 now these are the only outputs (8 instead of 6) as the Hirose is now for inputs 9-12.  The angled D-sub and the right bag makes all the difference, imo.
PG

[Marc Wielage]

Those look terrific, Richard. I already went ahead and hand-wired about 24 panel-mount XLRs the "old-fashioned" way, which was cheaper than the Aviom route, but far more trouble. I'm getting some post wiring guys to build wiring harnesses and help solve the cable routing issues inside the cart, just to eliminate any stress. Ideally, all the "gozintas" would be on the back, so it'd be fairly easy to repatch inputs and outputs if the situation warrented it.

The Deva would be more-or-less permanently wired on the shelf, and would only have to move for shipping. The real question is how this will survive the torture test of real day-in/day-out work. In a pinch, I could always wire everything manually and just bypass the patchbays, so it's not a life-threatening issue.

if the D-Sub 25 is that fragile, how do you use the Fusion/Deva in a bag? I know there is the camera feed 10-pin output, but what if you need more than that?

Great question! I see no solution to this if you need more than a couple of outputs from the 10-pin Hirose connector. The only solution I could come up with was to use the 744t for bag situations, which is not realistic if you have only the Deva/Fusion. But I'd never in my wildest nightmares try to shove the Deva and the attached D-sub 25-pin cable in a bag (or anywhere else). Same with a mixer, and I dealt with that for years with my old Pro Tools setup. My feeling is the D-sub connectors are realistically intended for permanent installations, not screwed in every day. The connectors aren't easily going to hold up to a lot of stress over time.

--Marc W.

[johnpaul215]

hrmmmm if the D-Sub 25 is that fragile, how do you use the Fusion/Deva in a bag? I know there is the camera feed 10-pin output, but what if you need more than that? Offhand feeding a camera as well as IFB and maybe some other specific outs.

[Richard Lightstone, CAS]

Marc,
I've posted these before, but Aviom makes interesting XLR patch bays.
http://www.aviom.com/Product-Categories-6/Accessories-32/PB28-Modular-Patch-Bay

RL

[Marc Wielage]

I'm also in the Velcro camp on my Deva 5.8. The real problem with securing the Deva is the D-Sub 25-pin connector on the right side. You can't flex this even 1/8" -- it's gotta be absolutely nailed down securely or disaster will strike. I have several cable harnesses for power, the D9 connector (for the Mix12), and the D-sub for outputs, all screwed down to the shelf on which the Deva lives. This is just a Mid-Atlantic SS lockable slide-out shelf. I may change this to a non-slide-out shelf, but I wanted to make sure I could swap out inputs whenever necessary.

I really wish Zaxcom had just used a bunch of TA3's (ala SD's 788) for these outputs instead, because those connectors are absolutely rock-solid. The DB25-subs are really delicate, and god help you if those are ever flexed or bent.

My eventual plan is to go to an XLR patch bay on the back of my cart (SKB rack case put together by the great Brett Grant-Grierson). But I have more wiring and testing to do before I can use it on a project. The temporary wiring is working OK for now. "Cable management" (as we euphemistically call it in post) is a real art, and getting all the wiring to lay neat and flat on the side walls of the cart takes real talent and expertise far beyond my simple ape-like brain.

--Marc W.