Topic: Sound Devices MixPre-3 and 6

[johnw]

I am not worried about a disconnection, more that if you push down on the cable (causing the tip to move up), will this strain the soldered connection where the USB C jack is soldered onto the board? I could see that with repeated strain, this could eventually break.

[rigpimp]

Pigs do fly.  Wingman app now for android:  https://www.sounddevices.com/support/downloads/wm-firmware

[dallman]

I am not worried about a disconnection, more that if you push down on the cable (causing the tip to move up), will this strain the soldered connection where the USB C jack is soldered onto the board? I could see that with repeated strain, this could eventually break.

It is probably important to say that the above is an opinion. (and a valid one, but...) The USB C connection on this deck is no different than on my LG G6 phone and for that matter every phone using USB C or USB micro. I do not see it being an issue , unless (as some people might) the deck is often shoved in a pocket that does not have enough room for the connector.  Reasonable care would be required on any connection of this type, IMO but there is nothing particularly different about the design to warrant anything more than normal care. The connection seems very solid. The same could be said for the 1/8 aux jack sticking out on the side, but that too is quite common and some caution and care is always advised.

[rippleish20]

I am not worried about a disconnection, more that if you push down on the cable (causing the tip to move up), will this strain the soldered connection where the USB C jack is soldered onto the board? I could see that with repeated strain, this could eventually break.

I agree with the concern about strain on the connection.

[voltronic]

I like this unit on paper very much, but the 3 modes still seem a bit confusing to me, and I hope that they are changed a bit in a future firmware update.

The way I'd want to use this is for recording something like an orchestra or chamber ensemble, with a main stereo pair on channels 1-2 as a linked pair, and two solo spots on channels 3 and 4 individually controlled, with no L/R mixdown.  I also want to be able to quickly adjust all of the gain levels from the 4 channel knobs.  Strangely, it doesn't seem possible to do all of that in Advanced mode.  To adjust ISO gain in Advanced mode, you have to press the channel fader to go into that channel menu, then select Gain, then use the headphone encoder.  Moving the channel knobs in Advanced is adjusting fader level for the L/R mixdown; not ISO gain, which you have to go back into the channel menu to adjust.  To get ISO gain control from the channel knobs and channel linking, you have to use Custom mode.

In the video below at the linked time (2:47) he demonstrates the bug a few have mentioned where deactivating the L/R track while Gain is set to Basic causes the ISO tracks to record at very low levels.  This would make the recording situation I described above not possible until this is fixed.
https://youtu.be/XAaWUbCpCPg?t=167

Possible bugs aside, wouldn't it be far simpler if Custom and Advanced modes were combined into one mode?  Right now, you change to Custom mode and set Gain to Basic to control your ISO gain from the channel knobs.  This doesn't really describe what is happening.  Instead, I'd like to see a submenu in Advanced called [Front Panel Knobs] with the options [Channel Gain] and [Track Fader].  You could also have a shortcut toggle between the two modes of knob operation by holding down the channel knob, you then are in the other mode which is indicated onscreen and with a flashing LED ring, you long press the knob again to toggle back.  That might be even easier.

[rippleish20]

In the video below at the linked time (2:47) he demonstrates the bug a few have mentioned where deactivating the L/R track while Gain is set to Basic causes the ISO tracks to record at very low levels.  This would make the recording situation I described above not possible until this is fixed.
https://youtu.be/XAaWUbCpCPg?t=167

I had this problem the first time I used my Mixpre-6 but was waiting to do more testing to make sure it wasn't me.

I switched to advanced mode and controlling the gain directly for my second usage as I wasnt sure what had caused it (it appears  turning of the mix recoding did) and this went much better.

[gewwang]

Some pictures with the L-style battery attached. I have a 3-shelf Petrol bag and had to remove one of the separators to have room for the mixpre-3 to sit on the bottom with the L-style battery mount.

[nolamule]

Of course they do...the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV!!! Glad to know Android users aren't on the outside looking in! 

Pigs do fly.  Wingman app now for android:  https://www.sounddevices.com/support/downloads/wm-firmware

[aaronji]

I had this problem the first time I used my Mixpre-6 but was waiting to do more testing to make sure it wasn't me.

I switched to advanced mode and controlling the gain directly for my second usage as I wasnt sure what had caused it (it appears  turning of the mix recoding did) and this went much better.

While irritating (although, I suspect, easily correctable), the workaround seems simple: just record the mix tracks and delete them afterwards. With a 32 GB card, you get 64 "channel-hours" at 24/48. Even with all 8 channels, that's about 8 hours, so not too much of a problem...

[rippleish20]

I had this problem the first time I used my Mixpre-6 but was waiting to do more testing to make sure it wasn't me.

I switched to advanced mode and controlling the gain directly for my second usage as I wasnt sure what had caused it (it appears  turning of the mix recoding did) and this went much better.

While irritating (although, I suspect, easily correctable), the workaround seems simple: just record the mix tracks and delete them afterwards. With a 32 GB card, you get 64 "channel-hours" at 24/48. Even with all 8 channels, that's about 8 hours, so not too much of a problem...

Many things are obvious in retrospect. I didn't know the issue was a bug specifically related to the lack of recording the mix channel the first two times I used the device... After I ended up with the low track levels the first time, I reset the device config to the factory default and decided to test one thing at a time for the second attempt. Not knowing what the issue was, I chose to do everything in advanced mode, including gain. I had a sbd patch and I had to turn down the gain from the default, so I am thinking I might just stick with this method.

[aaronji]

^ Hindsight is 20/20, for sure. But now that the bug is known, it is easy to deal with going forward until it is fixed. Obviously, that doesn't correct a past issue, though...

[vwmule]

Found a cool Manfrotto bag at Best Buy for $42. MP6 in the inner compartment, snug between Anker battery and padded interconnects. On left, Pelican case with DPA 4023. On right, cables.

[voltronic]

Found a cool Manfrotto bag at Best Buy for $42. MP6 in the inner compartment, snug between Anker battery and padded interconnects. On left, Pelican case with DPA 4023. On right, cables.

Cool!  I might pick up that bag for my rig.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/manfrotto-camera-shoulder-bag-gray/5802916.p?skuId=5802916

[rigpimp]

I like this unit on paper very much, but the 3 modes still seem a bit confusing to me, and I hope that they are changed a bit in a future firmware update.

The way I'd want to use this is for recording something like an orchestra or chamber ensemble, with a main stereo pair on channels 1-2 as a linked pair, and two solo spots on channels 3 and 4 individually controlled, with no L/R mixdown.  I also want to be able to quickly adjust all of the gain levels from the 4 channel knobs.  Strangely, it doesn't seem possible to do all of that in Advanced mode.  To adjust ISO gain in Advanced mode, you have to press the channel fader to go into that channel menu, then select Gain, then use the headphone encoder.  Moving the channel knobs in Advanced is adjusting fader level for the L/R mixdown; not ISO gain, which you have to go back into the channel menu to adjust.  To get ISO gain control from the channel knobs and channel linking, you have to use Custom mode.

In the video below at the linked time (2:47) he demonstrates the bug a few have mentioned where deactivating the L/R track while Gain is set to Basic causes the ISO tracks to record at very low levels.  This would make the recording situation I described above not possible until this is fixed.
https://youtu.be/XAaWUbCpCPg?t=167

Possible bugs aside, wouldn't it be far simpler if Custom and Advanced modes were combined into one mode?  Right now, you change to Custom mode and set Gain to Basic to control your ISO gain from the channel knobs.  This doesn't really describe what is happening.  Instead, I'd like to see a submenu in Advanced called [Front Panel Knobs] with the options [Channel Gain] and [Track Fader].  You could also have a shortcut toggle between the two modes of knob operation by holding down the channel knob, you then are in the other mode which is indicated onscreen and with a flashing LED ring, you long press the knob again to toggle back.  That might be even easier.

I am glad that someone posted a message while I was composing my query about what you wrote above.  It forced me to go back and read the past few posts and see why I was so confused.  I have not listened to anything recorded yet as I am just beginning to do battery tests but I think that I can see why some people are returning their units.  I'll need to be patient as I am not used to being an early adopter.

You can set the gain on each linked pair but it is a bit convoluted and not intuitive.  Push channel | Touch gain | Twist headphone knob or use up/down arrows on touch screen.  If channels are linked they gain as a pair.

How about the ability to twist the big blinking knobs right on the front of the unit for ISO gain control?  I thought that what everyone was asking about 29 pages ago?  Only the tiny side knob for headphones or the touchscreen?  What if I have headphones plugged in?  There is not a lot of real estate for fat fingers on a tiny knob. 

I am pretty sure all the front knobs are currently good for is to select a channel menu and to adjust the level of each of the four respective channels in the LR mix and that is it.  Ironically I am going to disable the mix track because I do everything in post anyway.  Man, I drove myself bat shit crazy for the past couple of hours trying to figure out what I was missing.  LOL

Other impressions: I am going to miss the HOLD feature and the PRE-RECORD feature of my R-44. 

I will get this thing into the field in the next couple of days and see what it does in the wild.

[voltronic]

Some pictures with the L-style battery attached. I have a 3-shelf Petrol bag and had to remove one of the separators to have room for the mixpre-3 to sit on the bottom with the L-style battery mount.

That picture in the Petrol bag is pretty hilarious!  So much empty space, just to make room for the (relatively) huge batteries attached to a tiny deck!

I wonder why they chose to do the double L-style battery mount for these, sacrificing the compactness that is clearly a big selling point.  I know, long runtimes, hot-swappable, etc.  But if a 788 runs for a reasonable amount of time off of one L-style battery, then couldn't they have made a powering sled that would hold a single battery oriented at the rear, kind of like what you see for the 7-series?