Clearly designed for high-volume duplication, the XGEN is built like a tank. It’s heavy, solid and confidence-inspiring. For everything but the inevitable head wear, Telex stands behind the XGEN with a 2-year warranty.

In operation, the Telex system should be simple. Unfortunately, a somewhat poorly designed software interface makes things more complicated than they need to be. Users have to understand masters, projects and configurations to really make the Telex system purr, and they won’t get much help from the software. Zing and EDAT both create “project” files, for example, but they’re not the same thing. Save a configuration in the Zing software, and the pop-up box says you’re saving a “profile.”

Making matters worse is a serious lack of documentation. No printed manual is included, and the online help files are skimpy at best. Certain key concepts (like the relationships between projects, masters and configurations) aren’t explained very clearly. The EDAT’s help file never once mentions the word “project,” and the word “profile” appears nowhere in the Zing help file. Clearly, some more resources need to be put towards polishing and integrating the software, as well as documenting it properly.

Once you learn your way around the Telex’s software, it becomes a very efficient system for managing duplication jobs. The speed at which the XGEN and EDAT combo can turn out finished cassettes is a beauty to behold. That they sound extremely good is just the icing on the cake.

Unfortunately, the Telex system does have one more significant strike against it—price. Many small- and medium-sized churches will likely find the Telex system priced out of their grasp. As tested here, the system rings up a list price of over $9,000. Add in the least expensive XGEN master unit for high-speed digitizing into the computer, and this total jumps to nearly $12,000. Expand the system with more slave units—at $2,000 to $3,000 a pop—and things really add up. Considering how much processing power can be had on a $500 card in other sections of the audio market, the pricing of Telex’s Zing and EDAT cards seems especially steep.

Eliminating the Zing card and sticking with real-time digitizing brings the entry-level price down to a more reasonable $6,800. To cut down on digitizing time, some churches may choose to record their audio directly into a computer (and a tape, just in case) during the service. The Telex system’s computer requirements aren’t all that strenuous, and an affordable 40 GB hard drive will hold nearly 250 hours of good-quality mono audio.

For larger churches that have the budget and technical staff, switching to the Telex computer-based duplication system will add a new level of efficiency and speed to their duplication efforts. Sound quality will likely improve as well, and the ability to edit their audio will make for more professional productions overall. These advantages very well may justify the somewhat steep price of admission.

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