I've been thinking that there are two things very unlike typical Sound Devices products going on with these recorders. The first thing is that since the first 7xx series recorders were released, the only other recorders they put out were true analog mixers with integrated recorders. None of these had anything close to the bumpy start the mixpre 3 & 6 are going through. It's only been out for 2 months and the number of corrections to documentation and firmware fixes is entirely unlike any product they've introduced before. Not to mention things that were discovered by users that should have been surfaced and resolved before going to market. I am confident SD will eventually clear up the bulk of odd issues being reported, but just imagine if these were made by Tascam. The level of disdain voiced from our corner of the market would be deafening. It's only because of their past products reliability that so much patience is being shown by tapers, historically a brutally critical bunch with little tolerance for crap like this. The second thing is it could be that for podcasters and videographers this unit is marketed for, few of these issues would even come up. I can't imagine SD ever intended the Mixpre recorders to face conditions the 7xx series are designed to withstand along with workflows are easy enough to follow while running from the path of an avalanche at 12000ft holding a boom pole. I'm sure these issues can mostly be resolved via firmware, but in hindsight they should have gotten a few units in the hands of some beta testers from our camp to field test them before the big unveiling. Just my .02.
I would agree that Tascam would be vilified, but I don't agree with the assessment. I have a lot of Tascam decks and I really like each and every one of them, but you are on your own. I contacted them about an issue on my DR680MKII, and after 11 emails I finally got a response that said if they received my complaint from enough people they would consider a firmware upgrade.
In contrast I own 2 SD units, the USB Pre2 and the MixPre6. Any time I have emailed a question, I have received a personal response addressing my question within a day. So they are just very different types of company's with different philosophies on how they address their markets which may also be different.
As far as the bugs go on the MixPre6, I think it's great to be involved in the bugs and fixes. What a great way to learn and understand the deck. Now that is not for everybody, but this is a new deck that really can do a great deal and be many things to many people. I cannot see how the various issues could have been avoided when you have this broad of a range of users and uses. Not in todays firmware driven recording environment. That said, if someone is not happy with the deck, they can return it or just wait on purchase. Being involved in the initial stages is not for everyone. This deck can be Basic, Advanced, Custom Set and Preset. Each is probably not 100% developed yet, and could have flaws.
Lastly, these pages are filled with lots of great information. Todd R had posts that taught me the best way to set the deck for how I wanted to use it and I have recorded 6 channels without issue, and continue to learn about flexibility and capability. But there also are pages of incorrect information, speculations and outright errors in the posts. But this is a forum where we discuss this stuff, so the pages should have mistakes and speculations. I have posted incorrect information in error occasionally , not on purpose of course and in trying to be helpful, and again, I have learned much through others experience. The best advice I think is for each person to look at what is best for themselves in terms of plunging in now or waiting. In addition, reading these pages will give lots of answers to lots of questions, but read carefully and take opinions with a grain of salt. There often are topics that have no one right answer and there are topics that do have one correct answer.