I have the original MixPre 3. I did have some problems with the NPF adapter, but now I use the double “A” shoe and USB. No problems with this set up. The analogue limiters are fantastic. I have never had a bad recording although in many cases the band play at one level when rehearseing but much louder when performing. This has never created a problem. With this recorder I don’t need 32 bit float.
Noticed this on the table of an older one of Lex Fridman's podcasts and found your review from that. Pretty cool, especially the fact it has timecode generation and 32 bit and your explanation
I have one of these without the 32 bit float. This unit has super quiet preamps and great analogue limiters. In 6 years of recording live theatre, concerts and dance shows, I’ve never had a recording that was damaged by clipping. Unfortunately my unit has died. I can now replace it with a unit with 32 bit float like the Zoom F3 for less than the price of repairing my MixPre 3 and almost a third of the price of a MixPre 3 II.
@@maxhammer4067 There were two factors. One, I was using a battery sled for the Sony NPF batteries and this developed an iffy connection. Two, I had a firmware issue. I have replaced the battery sled with the original AA battery sled and augmented the power with a USB battery. The MixPre 3 is back. I did not have to replace it.
@@gcprost So it survived thats good I was gutted when I bought my mixpre 3 because about 2 months later the moxpre 3 ii came out, I really wanted to 32 bit float but iv learned to live without it 😢
Star Trek Nerd! I laughed when you said "I'm Geordi". This is out of my range. I own a Focusrite Scarlet 2i4 for my home recording, which I paid $150 for, and a Zoom H4N Pro for my mobile audio recordings, which I paid $120 for refurb.
A bit of a nitpick, but the MixPre II series' dynamic range is -130 dBV (the preamps' rated EIN) to +12 dBV (the electronics' saturation point at min gain), or a total of 142 dB. Your Chyron at ~11:20 is incorrect. While this may seem nit-picky, a recorder with "only" 132 dB DR arguably wouldn't benefit all that much from 32b recording, since the practical DR (accounting for quantization noise/error) of 24b recording is somewhere around 130 dB. The trims and faders are still relevant in 32b mode for establishing the levels in the ISO files (though obviously those can be scaled arbitrarily in post since they're 32b) and (more importantly) the levels to the camera, which isn't going to be 32b. Honestly 32b is nice to have in some very specific situations, but I don't miss it when I work with an 8-series recorder.
These things are awesome I have two of them at work I got the 3 for my man on the street video team and the six for the studio it sounds so good and it's really easy to use everytime we bring on a new video specialist it's really easy to train them on it
Stuoid question perhaps. how do i erase a track i just recorded? I see something that says "trash" - but it still is there once i press it. Thanks Mixpre-3 ii
Curtis Judd actually tested 32-bit float on the MixPre. It's fantastic, when you really need it because of wide, unpredictable dynamics, but it doesn't make 24-bit useless. I'm not sure setting gain becomes truly irrelevant. PS: everybody HATES the battery sleds, which are scandalously shoddy coming from Sound Devices. You can power the unit from a rechargeable external battery that puts out 5v through the usb charging input (the type of battery people use for backup power for cell phones - but a high-capacity one)..
Ah yes, the classic people who click on videos but don't want to watch videos. And think they're offering something by timecoding part of a video that could've been gleamed from the product page if you really wanted to just read
Thank you for sharing your experiences! It's true that with the T.C generator, we can - as the case - forget the external T.C Sync. But I have just discovered the new "Tentacle Sync Track E" and it will be really more useful to buy , at this price, this last version of the Tentacle (Audio Rec+Sync+Monitoring) than the old models.
I'm VERY excited about the Tentacle Sync Track E! Is why I made a whole video just about it, however it is still early days so we don't know all the details about the Tentacle Sync Track E just yet. And Track E is a very very different beast to the MixPres, the Track E is much more like a superior version of the Tascam DR10L Remember you do still need Timecode Boxes even with the MixPre Gen2, as you need to put a Timecode Box on each and EVERY camera!
If your budget can afford a MixPre 3 up front, its an awesome piece of kit. You can use it as a recorder as well as an audio interface. The preamps are so good, that won't need to spend money on a fathead, cloud lifter or similar product. The meters are great (USBPre 2 LEDS are better for interface) With the new II series coming out, people should also consider shopping for the first gen used on eBay. I suspect there will be good deals if you are comfortable buying used gear.
Yeah the MixPre3 Gen1 is still solid! I'll be looking to pick up one secondhand soon, as an ultra lightweight compact bag for an alternative to using my bigger fully featured Sound Devices 833 bag. Honestly for what they can do, then a MixPre is NOT expensive! They're costing next to nothing in comparison to pro gear.
Wow. For me this could be REALLY useful. I often record cars and machinery that is just too loud and I'm always sad when I just can't use the audio. My H4n and lowering levels works somewhat but I lose something on the low end. 32-bit float sounds like it would be the ticket for me. I have some thinking to do.
I really Like mine I haven't had an issue with the battery life running off AA's. if your not using them already you should be using the Energizer Ultimate Lithium, you will get way more life on your mixer and wireless mics
Awesome review! Just got this mixer and your review helped. Which battery bank do you use? That's a brilliant idea, I was playing with the idea of the Sony L batteries and would rather use a USB Power bank. Do you just use 1 battery at a time or do you have multiples? How long do you think they would last say for 12 hour day on a film shoot? Sorry for all the questions :)
Thanks for the detailed video of the MixPre-3 ii as I just got mine few days ago and I’ve been testing it around to see how good the 32 bit float is and man, i would say it’s exactly what we all have been waiting for out of such a super portable advance device. I can’t wait to see Curtis in-depth review of this amazing device so we can utilize this brilliant field recorder / mixer to the fullest.
Just found out about 32 bit float from the Curtis Judd review of the Zoom F6... now the big question... how do they compare? I see this one has a touch screen, and the F6 has buttons. I remember him mentioning timecode in the F6, but I don't think it can generate it. Perhaps that gives this the edge.
Great video. You saved me. I connected the stereo out into my Nikon camera and the left channel had the audio sync sound. I have one tentacle and I was also able to grab Timesync from the Mixpre 3 and place it on the tentacle and plug that into my camera which made the Mixpre wireless (very cool) The only question I have is the audio files created by the Mixpre have the timecode embeded in the file so some programs that look for the audio sync say no time code found. That is because the time code is embeded in the Mixpre 3 wav files. I guess that is normal and will not mess up the syncing
One question on 556 vs. MixPre II: Does a sound tech need to keep a finger on 556 for levels and MixPre II is auto-level hands-free recording? Is this true?
How long until they come out with a 3rd gen of this? The ii has been out for awhile now. So, I'm just curious if you'd have an idea, since you've owned both gens now.
@EposVox Thanks for the insight here - which usb battery bank did you end up going with? Seem like the most practical way to power this in the field. Thanks!
@Pierson Rochester I would recommend any USB Powerbank that is at least 20,000mAH. The only down side to using this power source is that you cannot use the USB port to attach a USB Thumbdrive for a simultaneous duplicate safety backup. I wish that there were 2 SD slots in the unit itself for this purpose, or even have the second slot be microSD (currently available up to 512GB).
Hi - could it make sense to always leave the power on - if one is using only the wall outlet power - and just pull out the plug and put it back in - as opposed to trying to fit your finger in to turn switch. ??
for recording from multiple inputs simultaneously, does it save to a multichannel wav or single wav? And just to clarify when recording each input to its own wav, this does not need the music maker plugins correct ? ie just the normal way of multi track recording each channel to its separate wav.
Awesome, loved your video! Please educate me a bit as I am learning the audio game. I’ve always been into the MixPre sound recorders, knowing the version II has a timecode generator and I didn’t want to connect via timecode cable. Could I purchase the Tentacles Sync E Timecode Generator (single) and connect it to the MixPre for a wireless setup? Thanks, Kadian Hall
Separate question. What is the sound floor like? What gain amount has a sound floor above -65db for example? I’m using a SM7b and find that roughly 60db gain sounds best. My goxlr delivers clean gain without a lifter. Will this drive an sm7b cleanly up to 60db?
As I've understood the unit will disable certain functions if the power source is insufficient for normal (full) operation. Do you know if a high-watt (>50 W) USB-C power bank would be sufficient?
Great review! And really fun to watch! A couple of questions: can you record to the device at 32bit float and at the same time output a seperate 16bit audio stream to the camera? Is there a way to hook this up to an Ipad as a class compliant AU? Many thanks!
I realize this is an old video, but I have a question. What is your chain when using the Sound Devices recorder? is it mic straight into the recorder, or is it Mic into an interface (Sound Devices USBpre 2) then into the recorder?
Why would I put it into another interface first? You lose virtually all of the advantages of the hardware inside the recorder. Mic into recorder, aux line into camera for sync
Thx a lot for this presentation, + the explanation of 32 bits floating point, which I figured out by myself before, but never verified it (as I never encountered it, so I couldn't really find the need ^^ ), so here it seals everything into slick place, & makes my understanding buttery smooth :D I wonder, can this full-featured interface-recorder, be used as a hi-fi listening DAC+Pre-Amp? (To be plugged to an external Headphone Amp & Monitors) Bc it would be great to have 1 product doing all these functions, dispensing us from buying 1 for each purpose... :)
Thanks for the video! Regarding timecode frame rate--you mention it is unfortunate that it can't do timecode above 30fps, but when would you need to use a frame rate above 30fps? I've never encountered such a situation. Do you mean if a camera is recording at 60fps (slow motion)?
I make a lot of content that involves all other footage being 60fps and finally export being 60fps - so for that I shoot my on camera aroll in 60fps as wel
I have Sound Devices Mixpre 3 and want to use BMPCC 4k and GH4 simultaneously. What timecode cable should I buy and how to sync both cameras. Thank you.
The opinion of this random Internet person... a dynamic mic, possibly into a Cloudlifter, then into a DBX 286s, and finally a Focusrite Scarlett Solo to get it into the computer and you'd have the tools to have audio in the 99th percentile or better of streamers. (Check out the Booth Junkie's video on the DBX 286s if for a walk-through of that fantastic piece of hardware.) [EDIT: Shoot, your motherboard might even have a decent DAC and you could run an XLR to 3.5mm cable from the 286s to an audio input on your motherboard. It's worth a shot before buying the interface anyway. Could be noisy garbage, but it could be perfectly usable. E.g. Anne Munition just uses motherboard inputs for her mic after some analog gear. Her audio is top tier and she's pushing 600,000 followers, so it can work.] Outside that signal chain, working on the sound treatment of your streaming space will do more than any gear. Keeping the noise out of the chain is a lot easier than trying to clean up dirty audio after the fact. Booth Junkie also has some tongue-in-cheek comparison videos with $2000 mics vs something like an Amazon's Basics mic to highlight that sound treatment of the space trumps gear in pretty much all cases. I'd suggest all of that before stepping up to the Pre-3 IMO, unless the sticker price isn't a big deal for you and you just want to buy once. Regarding the two major features highlighted in this review... The major benefits of 32-bit floating audio will be mostly pointless for live content since, as you saw in the demo here, the clipping will still end up in the end product unless levels are corrected. There are some processors that work by buffering (delaying) your audio for a few ms or even seconds, and then do dynamic level adjustments, but that's not typical outside of broadcast radio where there are legal limits they have to meet or face fines. You'd have a fun time getting a face cam to sync with that as well. 32-bit floating is ideal for recording and post-processing non-live content. If you're not doing a face cam, the timecode is going to be an unused feature for you. If you are doing a face cam, the timecode _could_ be linked with a camera if the camera supports it, and then import the audio via the camera's HDMI. You _could_ do that, but it isn't typical. Camera's are notorious for having absolute crap handling of the audio and I'd be cautious about it maybe adding its own processing and ruining the pristine audio you paid a lot of money to capture. You could always try it and see. As for combining and syncing live feeds outside the camera, I don't know if OBS supports syncing sources based on timecode. I doubt it. Wirecast might, but I doubt that too. There is commercial broadcast equipment that'll do it of course, but you're stepping into a whole different game at that point. Hope that was useful. :)
Hello and thank you for your video. I have a question please. If the frame rate is limited to 30, so that mean that i cant shoot at 120 frame rate and have my audio synchronized ? thanks
kindly recommend higher quality recorder... we need to use neumann,, dpa,,, schoeps mics... in studio,,, need higher grade recorder, we record cello,, vocs,, geetars,,,etc music,,,, tnanx
IMPORTANT ISSUE !!! When I play a clip in Mixpre-3 II (off rec mix st, 32 bits mode, mono track) I listend a shrill-strident-clipping sound very unpleasant in the beggining of the track. I can see in the monitor of Mixpre-3 II clipping all the tracks. It sound very strong and damage my ears when I use headphones. Not happen in other modes (16, 24 bits) or mix st included in the file. This doesn't happen in the sound editor (pc), only when I play the clips in the mixpre 3 II. It is obviously not normal. Is it a mistake of my unit? Should I return to the store? Steps to Reproduce: Rec solo track mono (imput 1,2 or 3), off rec mix st, 32 bits mode, playing clip in Micpre-3 II. Actual Results: Strident sound clipping in the beginning of the track. I listen in my headphones and see in the monitor clipping all the tracks (included not rec) Does anyone else have this problem? Thanks!
I have finally found the real problem: TIMECODE (yes). From the beginning I set the timecode to off. This combined with the previous configuration (32 bit, mono track, off mix st) produces the sound glitches when I playback. I don't know why this happens or if it occurs in all manufactured units. My firmware version is 4.01
2:06 the motion in this pan... something is wrong. are you upscaling from 24p or 25p or something else up to 60 fps? Is it something with the difference between 59.7 and60 fps? It's not right.
When you bring back the clipping informations, you say “ because of 32 bits “, does it means that it wouldn’t be possible in 24bits or still possible but less clean? Thank you for your video.
Have you used the 32bit float feature yet? Wave Agent doesn't work for 32bit float when you need to break the poly wav files into separate tracks. Do you have a work flow for that?
Timecode I get, but I have no idea why you need 32bit for a single vocal feed. Unless you're lazy and don't want to set proper levels. It's for bag drops or field recordings where your trying to get rain with lightning strikes. You're not going to clip your voice.
Sure I am, I've done it before. Sometimes I excitedly talk too loud, frequently I'm shooting videos where I'm opening products or working on PC parts and there's loud sounds that clip, etc. Frequently I'm bouncing back and forth between shoots and between lav and shotgun mic, with different distances from speaker, and need the flexibility, etc.
@@EposVox I hear you. It's not that you need the extra 700db of range to capture soft vs loud at the same, it just makes life easier when you don't have time for settings. Fix it in post! That's not a bad thing, we all want tools to make our job easier.
I'm a little confused. The mixpre 3 ii has a timecode generator, but you have to keep it on the camera? Can't you just jam timecode to the camera then separate them. My whole reason for picking up the zoom f6 or mixpre 3 ii was to get my sound equipment off my shoulder rig
Cameras are worse than HOPELESS at keeping accurate timecode. Thus you ALWAYS need to keep a timecode box on a camera. But don't worry, timecode boxes are super super cheap and very very lightweight! (not like the bad old days a decade ago when they were super expensive and heavy)
@@LorenzoYearby no chance, you should NOT rely upon the camera's timecode by itself! You must attach a Tentacle Sync E or Ultrasync ONE or similar to it
Is there any software that can act like a dynamic compressor to normalize audio? Maybe I could live stream with a 1-2 second buffer and it would optimally lift and compress the audio by the time it outputs to the live stream?
@@EposVox I use izotope vst’s currently, but any compressor is basically static with its settings. The buffer would allow for computation to adjust gain/threshold/compression-ratios optimally and essentially create a running normalization for the delayed stream. The end result would be much better dynamic range preservation. I could even imagine a secondary background process that looks over the last minute and tweaks everything to attain a LUFS metric although that would be for the recording and not the live stream. The dynamic compressor idea I thought might exist already but that latter one is just me dreaming.
Awesome! Since I bought my first gen mix pre 3 last year I’ll be keeping it awhile. But great vid. Love the product. I use it for field use in film and documentaries.
Yeah the MixPre3 Gen1 is still solid! I'll be looking to pick up one secondhand soon, as an ultra lightweight compact bag for an alternative to using my bigger fully featured Sound Devices 833 bag.
Can someone please help? Firstly, im a novice on the mix pre series. While recording my podcast Im getting annoying noise, hiss in my headphones?? I CANT work out why this is happening. Is anyone else experiencing this? Im using the Shure SM7B Mic with a TritonAudio Fethead.. Thanks
Big question. Has anyone attempted to USB-C into their android phone and record the audio to video? I have an Xperia One ii and I want this for actors as I shoot scenes.
Mathcartney They don’t have anything comparable. This is a field recorder/mixer first. It also happens to be an excellent interface for computer audio. Universal Audio don’t make field recorders.
@Zack Darce SD makes pro audio gear for the film industry, this is a field recorder first and has ultra clean top flight mic pre-amps. and is used by those that record SFX as well as dialog on set as a backup or just ultra small location kit.
Yes, I focused and then shifted my position. It was already caught but I recorded two videos back to back like this and couldn't re-shoot a first time unboxing. It's fine my face isn't the... Focus. Ba dum tsh
i have changed 3 dynamic mics so far just to get rid of white noise I want to start podcast can someone please help me with regards to what audio interface or anything that could give me a clean quite recording?
I really have to invest in some setup l like this , i always have fan and ac noise and i can suppress it for the most part . but in no way do i have the knowledge for the whole spectrum of audio equipment and software.
Just following up on this - it appears you can still use the timecode (apparently timecode for 60fps doesn't exist) as long as you match exact halves, so 30 with 60, 29.97 with 59.94, etc. Will be testing soon.
@@EposVox I was working and had no idea of any of the panels or meet and greets. Wish I had known and would have popped over to say hi. I point all of my coworkers and friends and clients to your videos, and I've had the pleasure to overhear other people talking and recommending your vids for tutorials and the like. Thank you for your work.
Mhm 32-bit float? Clipping-free digital gain is convenient and not something that should be missing from digital workflow, but i mean... this is an interface/recorder, they know their analogue range, it's not really possible for it to exceed 120db... and if it's clipping in analogue domain, it's going to clip regardless, and it should be fundamentally possible just to record in analogue full scale, which would make 24-bit integer quite ample. Then again having float allows you to get a convenient digital level out of the box and not have to mess around with it as much later. Alkaline batteries for sure have a pretty unfortunate behaviour and fairly high internal resistance, their suitability to power high-current devices is limited - they shall oblige but pretty much eat themselves in the process. Lithium primaries are good, but they eat your wallet, those are the kind that you have on a critical shoot or when you need to work in very cold conditions. NiMH should be the standard power of choice for the AA battery bay. I don't use alkaline batteries at all pretty much any longer - Eneloop clone NiMH are remarkably cheap nowadays, and i bought a superb German-made smart charger over 20 years ago for something like $40 and it's still kicking. Charging is an almost overnight affair, but Eneloop clones don't lose much charge in storage and you can always have extras, a lot of extras. In a pinch they even come precharged out of the box and the nearest store always has them in stock. I think i got the charger, and back then very expensive NiMH batteries when i was first messing with digital still cameras back then, and they'd last 2 to 3 times as long as alkaline, and many of the ones i bought back then still work fine - but they never held their charge in storage nearly as well as Eneloop, so i am only inclined to use the old ones where i cycle them fairly quickly. I wonder if they can offer both new features, float and SMPTE generator as a firmware upgrade for first-gen devices?
Nice! I'm a little envious yours arrived and I'm still eagerly waiting here for mine! Congrats on the new recorder!
Thanks :) Thanks for teaching me how to use the Mk1!
This vs the zoom one?
I have the original MixPre 3. I did have some problems with the NPF adapter, but now I use the double “A” shoe and USB. No problems with this set up. The analogue limiters are fantastic. I have never had a bad recording although in many cases the band play at one level when rehearseing but much louder when performing. This has never created a problem. With this recorder I don’t need 32 bit float.
If you are having problems syncing your audio maybe you should try Plural Eyes.
Noticed this on the table of an older one of Lex Fridman's podcasts and found your review from that. Pretty cool, especially the fact it has timecode generation and 32 bit and your explanation
I have one of these without the 32 bit float. This unit has super quiet preamps and great analogue limiters. In 6 years of recording live theatre, concerts and dance shows, I’ve never had a recording that was damaged by clipping. Unfortunately my unit has died. I can now replace it with a unit with 32 bit float like the Zoom F3 for less than the price of repairing my MixPre 3 and almost a third of the price of a MixPre 3 II.
How did your mixpre die 😢
@@maxhammer4067 There were two factors. One, I was using a battery sled for the Sony NPF batteries and this developed an iffy connection. Two, I had a firmware issue. I have replaced the battery sled with the original AA battery sled and augmented the power with a USB battery. The MixPre 3 is back. I did not have to replace it.
@@gcprost
So it survived thats good I was gutted when I bought my mixpre 3 because about 2 months later the moxpre 3 ii came out, I really wanted to 32 bit float but iv learned to live without it 😢
Star Trek Nerd! I laughed when you said "I'm Geordi". This is out of my range. I own a Focusrite Scarlet 2i4 for my home recording, which I paid $150 for, and a Zoom H4N Pro for my mobile audio recordings, which I paid $120 for refurb.
A bit of a nitpick, but the MixPre II series' dynamic range is -130 dBV (the preamps' rated EIN) to +12 dBV (the electronics' saturation point at min gain), or a total of 142 dB. Your Chyron at ~11:20 is incorrect.
While this may seem nit-picky, a recorder with "only" 132 dB DR arguably wouldn't benefit all that much from 32b recording, since the practical DR (accounting for quantization noise/error) of 24b recording is somewhere around 130 dB.
The trims and faders are still relevant in 32b mode for establishing the levels in the ISO files (though obviously those can be scaled arbitrarily in post since they're 32b) and (more importantly) the levels to the camera, which isn't going to be 32b.
Honestly 32b is nice to have in some very specific situations, but I don't miss it when I work with an 8-series recorder.
These things are awesome I have two of them at work I got the 3 for my man on the street video team and the six for the studio it sounds so good and it's really easy to use everytime we bring on a new video specialist it's really easy to train them on it
Awesome!
Stuoid question perhaps. how do i erase a track i just recorded? I see something that says "trash" - but it still is there once i press it. Thanks Mixpre-3 ii
Curtis Judd actually tested 32-bit float on the MixPre. It's fantastic, when you really need it because of wide, unpredictable dynamics, but it doesn't make 24-bit useless. I'm not sure setting gain becomes truly irrelevant.
PS: everybody HATES the battery sleds, which are scandalously shoddy coming from Sound Devices. You can power the unit from a rechargeable external battery that puts out 5v through the usb charging input (the type of battery people use for backup power for cell phones - but a high-capacity one)..
7:14 - the two things. Timecode and 32 bit float.
Ah yes, the classic people who click on videos but don't want to watch videos. And think they're offering something by timecoding part of a video that could've been gleamed from the product page if you really wanted to just read
In Gerald Undone's CES video, at 19:45 you can see how USEFUL 32 float is, with people grabbing your mic and speaking too close to it nonetheless
And then keep watching from 24:00 where he gives a short explanation of what he had to do.
Very informative. Ordered MP3 with thanks to yourself and Curtis Judd.
It's like Dynamic range, it's store much more sound data on single time that presented by different sound levels
And MixPre 1's are on fire on the secondary market.
Oh? I still need to sell mine T_T
@@EposVox Me too lol.
Thank you for sharing your experiences!
It's true that with the T.C generator, we can - as the case - forget the external T.C Sync. But I have just discovered the new "Tentacle Sync Track E" and it will be really more useful to buy , at this price, this last version of the Tentacle (Audio Rec+Sync+Monitoring) than the old models.
I'm VERY excited about the Tentacle Sync Track E! Is why I made a whole video just about it, however it is still early days so we don't know all the details about the Tentacle Sync Track E just yet.
And Track E is a very very different beast to the MixPres, the Track E is much more like a superior version of the Tascam DR10L
Remember you do still need Timecode Boxes even with the MixPre Gen2, as you need to put a Timecode Box on each and EVERY camera!
Is that "frame rate" setting only for the timecode output? I assume it doesn't affect the recording in any way?
Correct
@@EposVox thank you!
Ive been wanting to get his so ive been watching a ton of videos. Everyone says it's 650. Why is the MixPre 3 II 950 now??? Is it worth 950?
If your budget can afford a MixPre 3 up front, its an awesome piece of kit. You can use it as a recorder as well as an audio interface. The preamps are so good, that won't need to spend money on a fathead, cloud lifter or similar product. The meters are great (USBPre 2 LEDS are better for interface) With the new II series coming out, people should also consider shopping for the first gen used on eBay. I suspect there will be good deals if you are comfortable buying used gear.
Yeah the MixPre3 Gen1 is still solid! I'll be looking to pick up one secondhand soon, as an ultra lightweight compact bag for an alternative to using my bigger fully featured Sound Devices 833 bag.
Honestly for what they can do, then a MixPre is NOT expensive! They're costing next to nothing in comparison to pro gear.
Wow. For me this could be REALLY useful. I often record cars and machinery that is just too loud and I'm always sad when I just can't use the audio. My H4n and lowering levels works somewhat but I lose something on the low end. 32-bit float sounds like it would be the ticket for me. I have some thinking to do.
Do you need a powerbank with a specific type of Amp output to let the mix pre 3 ii work very good or just anytype ?
I really Like mine I haven't had an issue with the battery life running off AA's. if your not using them already you should be using the Energizer Ultimate Lithium, you will get way more life on your mixer and wireless mics
Awesome review! Just got this mixer and your review helped.
Which battery bank do you use? That's a brilliant idea, I was playing with the idea of the Sony L batteries and would rather use a USB Power bank.
Do you just use 1 battery at a time or do you have multiples? How long do you think they would last say for 12 hour day on a film shoot? Sorry for all the questions :)
just a generic 15000 mAh one from amazon. I just use the one at a time, you would definitely get 12 hours out of that capacity
Thanks for the detailed video of the MixPre-3 ii as I just got mine few days ago and I’ve been testing it around to see how good the 32 bit float is and man, i would say it’s exactly what we all have been waiting for out of such a super portable advance device.
I can’t wait to see Curtis in-depth review of this amazing device so we can utilize this brilliant field recorder / mixer to the fullest.
Just found out about 32 bit float from the Curtis Judd review of the Zoom F6... now the big question... how do they compare? I see this one has a touch screen, and the F6 has buttons. I remember him mentioning timecode in the F6, but I don't think it can generate it. Perhaps that gives this the edge.
Whats your thoughts on the Mix Pre 3 II as apposed to the Rode Podcaster pro for Podcasting? Cheers.
despite the argument of interest of mine...man: great colors, really. And on my top 5 vocal recording video with microphone outside of sight.
Great video. You saved me. I connected the stereo out into my Nikon camera and the left channel had the audio sync sound. I have one tentacle and I was also able to grab Timesync from the Mixpre 3 and place it on the tentacle and plug that into my camera which made the Mixpre wireless (very cool)
The only question I have is the audio files created by the Mixpre have the timecode embeded in the file so some programs that look for the audio sync say no time code found. That is because the time code is embeded in the Mixpre 3 wav files. I guess that is normal and will not mess up the syncing
Hi, how do i erase a track i just recorded? I see something that says "trash" - but it still is there once i press it. Thanks Mixpre-3 ii
One question on 556 vs. MixPre II: Does a sound tech need to keep a finger on 556 for levels and MixPre II is auto-level hands-free recording? Is this true?
How long until they come out with a 3rd gen of this? The ii has been out for awhile now. So, I'm just curious if you'd have an idea, since you've owned both gens now.
@EposVox Thanks for the insight here - which usb battery bank did you end up going with? Seem like the most practical way to power this in the field. Thanks!
@Pierson Rochester
I would recommend any USB Powerbank that is at least 20,000mAH.
The only down side to using this power source is that you cannot use the USB port to attach a USB Thumbdrive for a simultaneous duplicate safety backup.
I wish that there were 2 SD slots in the unit itself for this purpose, or even have the second slot be microSD (currently available up to 512GB).
Hi - could it make sense to always leave the power on - if one is using only the wall outlet power - and just pull out the plug and put it back in - as opposed to trying to fit your finger in to turn switch. ??
for recording from multiple inputs simultaneously, does it save to a multichannel wav or single wav? And just to clarify when recording each input to its own wav, this does not need the music maker plugins correct ? ie just the normal way of multi track recording each channel to its separate wav.
Awesome, loved your video! Please educate me a bit as I am learning the audio game.
I’ve always been into the MixPre sound recorders, knowing the version II has a timecode generator and I didn’t want to connect via timecode cable. Could I purchase the Tentacles Sync E Timecode Generator (single) and connect it to the MixPre for a wireless setup?
Thanks,
Kadian Hall
Yes. The original MixPre-3 accepted timecode jamming, and the Mk II still does from external sources. That would still work.
Separate question. What is the sound floor like? What gain amount has a sound floor above -65db for example? I’m using a SM7b and find that roughly 60db gain sounds best. My goxlr delivers clean gain without a lifter. Will this drive an sm7b cleanly up to 60db?
As I've understood the unit will disable certain functions if the power source is insufficient for normal (full) operation. Do you know if a high-watt (>50 W) USB-C power bank would be sufficient?
AFAIK the only limitation is not using USB A while powering off of USB C. They likely share the same USB bus
Hi - thanks for the review - is it possible to use the time code output feature with Sony alpha cameras? I’m using the a6400
Great review! And really fun to watch! A couple of questions:
can you record to the device at 32bit float and at the same time output a seperate 16bit audio stream to the camera?
Is there a way to hook this up to an Ipad as a class compliant AU? Many thanks!
Yes for the camera stream, no idea about iPad. Don't have one, sorry.
I realize this is an old video, but I have a question. What is your chain when using the Sound Devices recorder? is it mic straight into the recorder, or is it Mic into an interface (Sound Devices USBpre 2) then into the recorder?
Why would I put it into another interface first? You lose virtually all of the advantages of the hardware inside the recorder.
Mic into recorder, aux line into camera for sync
@@EposVox Thank you. :)
Thx a lot for this presentation, + the explanation of 32 bits floating point, which I figured out by myself before, but never verified it (as I never encountered it, so I couldn't really find the need ^^ ), so here it seals everything into slick place, & makes my understanding buttery smooth :D
I wonder, can this full-featured interface-recorder, be used as a hi-fi listening DAC+Pre-Amp? (To be plugged to an external Headphone Amp & Monitors) Bc it would be great to have 1 product doing all these functions, dispensing us from buying 1 for each purpose... :)
Thanks for the video! Regarding timecode frame rate--you mention it is unfortunate that it can't do timecode above 30fps, but when would you need to use a frame rate above 30fps? I've never encountered such a situation. Do you mean if a camera is recording at 60fps (slow motion)?
I make a lot of content that involves all other footage being 60fps and finally export being 60fps - so for that I shoot my on camera aroll in 60fps as wel
I have Sound Devices Mixpre 3 and want to use BMPCC 4k and GH4 simultaneously. What timecode cable should I buy and how to sync both cameras. Thank you.
As someone who uses Resolve and the Mixpre-3 II, is Resolve capable of editing and taking advantage of the 32 bit float files?
soooooo, how much overkill is this for a stream pre-amp/mixer? I kinda want one, but I suspect there is more suitable options?
Good video :D
This is not at all a mixer.
The opinion of this random Internet person... a dynamic mic, possibly into a Cloudlifter, then into a DBX 286s, and finally a Focusrite Scarlett Solo to get it into the computer and you'd have the tools to have audio in the 99th percentile or better of streamers.
(Check out the Booth Junkie's video on the DBX 286s if for a walk-through of that fantastic piece of hardware.)
[EDIT: Shoot, your motherboard might even have a decent DAC and you could run an XLR to 3.5mm cable from the 286s to an audio input on your motherboard. It's worth a shot before buying the interface anyway. Could be noisy garbage, but it could be perfectly usable. E.g. Anne Munition just uses motherboard inputs for her mic after some analog gear. Her audio is top tier and she's pushing 600,000 followers, so it can work.]
Outside that signal chain, working on the sound treatment of your streaming space will do more than any gear. Keeping the noise out of the chain is a lot easier than trying to clean up dirty audio after the fact. Booth Junkie also has some tongue-in-cheek comparison videos with $2000 mics vs something like an Amazon's Basics mic to highlight that sound treatment of the space trumps gear in pretty much all cases. I'd suggest all of that before stepping up to the Pre-3 IMO, unless the sticker price isn't a big deal for you and you just want to buy once.
Regarding the two major features highlighted in this review...
The major benefits of 32-bit floating audio will be mostly pointless for live content since, as you saw in the demo here, the clipping will still end up in the end product unless levels are corrected. There are some processors that work by buffering (delaying) your audio for a few ms or even seconds, and then do dynamic level adjustments, but that's not typical outside of broadcast radio where there are legal limits they have to meet or face fines. You'd have a fun time getting a face cam to sync with that as well. 32-bit floating is ideal for recording and post-processing non-live content.
If you're not doing a face cam, the timecode is going to be an unused feature for you. If you are doing a face cam, the timecode _could_ be linked with a camera if the camera supports it, and then import the audio via the camera's HDMI. You _could_ do that, but it isn't typical. Camera's are notorious for having absolute crap handling of the audio and I'd be cautious about it maybe adding its own processing and ruining the pristine audio you paid a lot of money to capture. You could always try it and see. As for combining and syncing live feeds outside the camera, I don't know if OBS supports syncing sources based on timecode. I doubt it. Wirecast might, but I doubt that too. There is commercial broadcast equipment that'll do it of course, but you're stepping into a whole different game at that point.
Hope that was useful. :)
Nah it isn't overkill! The MixPres are dirt cheap after all for what they are, compared to professional gear
Hello and thank you for your video. I have a question please. If the frame rate is limited to 30, so that mean that i cant shoot at 120 frame rate and have my audio synchronized ? thanks
kindly recommend higher quality recorder... we need to use neumann,, dpa,,, schoeps mics... in studio,,, need higher grade recorder, we record cello,, vocs,, geetars,,,etc music,,,, tnanx
An awesome video as always Adam. 😁
Cheers! 🍻
Thanks for the great review adam.... sound devices expensive stuff, now i want it.
IMPORTANT ISSUE !!! When I play a clip in Mixpre-3 II (off rec mix st, 32 bits mode, mono track) I listend a shrill-strident-clipping sound very unpleasant in the beggining of the track. I can see in the monitor of Mixpre-3 II clipping all the tracks. It sound very strong and damage my ears when I use headphones. Not happen in other modes (16, 24 bits) or mix st included in the file. This doesn't happen in the sound editor (pc), only when I play the clips in the mixpre 3 II. It is obviously not normal. Is it a mistake of my unit? Should I return to the store?
Steps to Reproduce:
Rec solo track mono (imput 1,2 or 3), off rec mix st, 32 bits mode, playing clip in Micpre-3 II.
Actual Results:
Strident sound clipping in the beginning of the track. I listen in my headphones and see in the monitor clipping all the tracks (included not rec)
Does anyone else have this problem? Thanks!
I have finally found the real problem: TIMECODE (yes). From the beginning I set the timecode to off. This combined with the previous configuration (32 bit, mono track, off mix st) produces the sound glitches when I playback. I don't know why this happens or if it occurs in all manufactured units. My firmware version is 4.01
Sounds like an email for SD
@@EposVox Yeah! Copy and paste from an email for SD. Still waiting a response. I don't Know who have mixpre-3 II to compare. Can you help me?
Could you not set up the Mix-Pre 3 to record using one single mono file? If I were to open it in premiere would 3 files come up?
I'm stuck with my stupid mixpre3 mk1. fml. Bought it three months ago lol
You want to buy a second one?! :D
Do you have any idea how long the MixPre 6ii lasts when powered by a 20K powerbank with two mics attached ?
2:06 the motion in this pan... something is wrong. are you upscaling from 24p or 25p or something else up to 60 fps?
Is it something with the difference between 59.7 and60 fps? It's not right.
When you bring back the clipping informations, you say “ because of 32 bits “, does it means that it wouldn’t be possible in 24bits or still possible but less clean?
Thank you for your video.
Not possible in 24 bit. At 24 bit once you pass 0db, that's clipped and gone. At 32 bit all that info is preserved
Why is it now $849? Can I get your pricing please.
Have you used the 32bit float feature yet? Wave Agent doesn't work for 32bit float when you need to break the poly wav files into separate tracks. Do you have a work flow for that?
Been using it, both Audition and my NLEs all work in 32bit audio internally and support the files fine
@@EposVox Hmm.. Okay, thanks.
is there any Hold key for preventing accident press on buttons ??
thank you for sharing!
I appreciate it! very exciting product.
Thanks for watching!
thanks for the video. learned about 32-bit float today!
need to learn the timecode sync
Timecode I get, but I have no idea why you need 32bit for a single vocal feed. Unless you're lazy and don't want to set proper levels. It's for bag drops or field recordings where your trying to get rain with lightning strikes. You're not going to clip your voice.
Sure I am, I've done it before. Sometimes I excitedly talk too loud, frequently I'm shooting videos where I'm opening products or working on PC parts and there's loud sounds that clip, etc. Frequently I'm bouncing back and forth between shoots and between lav and shotgun mic, with different distances from speaker, and need the flexibility, etc.
@@EposVox I hear you. It's not that you need the extra 700db of range to capture soft vs loud at the same, it just makes life easier when you don't have time for settings. Fix it in post! That's not a bad thing, we all want tools to make our job easier.
Yeah timecode was the big thing with 32bit being "well why would I live without it?" haha
I'm a little confused. The mixpre 3 ii has a timecode generator, but you have to keep it on the camera? Can't you just jam timecode to the camera then separate them. My whole reason for picking up the zoom f6 or mixpre 3 ii was to get my sound equipment off my shoulder rig
Cameras are worse than HOPELESS at keeping accurate timecode.
Thus you ALWAYS need to keep a timecode box on a camera.
But don't worry, timecode boxes are super super cheap and very very lightweight! (not like the bad old days a decade ago when they were super expensive and heavy)
@@SoundSpeeding I have the bmpcc 4k and I heard they were good at keeping up. Do you think I still need the Denecke?
@@LorenzoYearby no chance, you should NOT rely upon the camera's timecode by itself! You must attach a Tentacle Sync E or Ultrasync ONE or similar to it
RIP soft focus, filmed on the blackmagic pocket?
Is there any software that can act like a dynamic compressor to normalize audio? Maybe I could live stream with a 1-2 second buffer and it would optimally lift and compress the audio by the time it outputs to the live stream?
Most live streaming programs support either built in effects like compressors or VSTs to add it in yourself. Don’t need that high of a delay
@@EposVox I use izotope vst’s currently, but any compressor is basically static with its settings. The buffer would allow for computation to adjust gain/threshold/compression-ratios optimally and essentially create a running normalization for the delayed stream. The end result would be much better dynamic range preservation. I could even imagine a secondary background process that looks over the last minute and tweaks everything to attain a LUFS metric although that would be for the recording and not the live stream. The dynamic compressor idea I thought might exist already but that latter one is just me dreaming.
I've never heard of such a thing myself
loving the background music haha!
Hmm this vs the zoom one?
Hi, how do i erase a track i just recorded? I see something that says "trash" - but it still is there once i press it. Thanks Mixpre-3 ii
Awesome! Since I bought my first gen mix pre 3 last year I’ll be keeping it awhile. But great vid. Love the product. I use it for field use in film and documentaries.
Yeah the MixPre3 Gen1 is still solid! I'll be looking to pick up one secondhand soon, as an ultra lightweight compact bag for an alternative to using my bigger fully featured Sound Devices 833 bag.
Can someone please help? Firstly, im a novice on the mix pre series. While recording my podcast Im getting annoying noise, hiss in my headphones?? I CANT work out why this is happening. Is anyone else experiencing this? Im using the Shure SM7B Mic with a TritonAudio Fethead.. Thanks
Big question. Has anyone attempted to USB-C into their android phone and record the audio to video? I have an Xperia One ii and I want this for actors as I shoot scenes.
Can you do professional voiceover work with the built in preamp?
Yes!
@@EposVox Thanks
Hi guys. Will be ok this recorder for dj set rec with loud sound ? Thanks
Hello, will this help with microphone hiss?
Is this good as a preamp for sm7b?
Yep! Sm7b review using it linked in description
What about universal audio? did you looked at them when searching for a interface?
Mathcartney They don’t have anything comparable. This is a field recorder/mixer first. It also happens to be an excellent interface for computer audio. Universal Audio don’t make field recorders.
@Zack Darce SD makes pro audio gear for the film industry, this is a field recorder first and has ultra clean top flight mic pre-amps. and is used by those that record SFX as well as dialog on set as a backup or just ultra small location kit.
Is this some type of manual focus fail? is this video upscaled from 720p?
it's bad man.
Yes, I focused and then shifted my position. It was already caught but I recorded two videos back to back like this and couldn't re-shoot a first time unboxing. It's fine my face isn't the... Focus. Ba dum tsh
i have changed 3 dynamic mics so far just to get rid of white noise I want to start podcast can someone please help me with regards to what audio interface or anything that could give me a clean quite recording?
RME Babyface Pro FS, if it's too expensive MOTU M4.
could you compare the the mixpre3-II and the mixpre6-II?
there's just a difference in I/O, otherwise they're the same product
@@EposVox ok cool thank you!
Your voice sound like that or how you eq and compressed your audio is making sound that way :D
I really have to invest in some setup l like this , i always have fan and ac noise and i can suppress it for the most part . but in no way do i have the knowledge for the whole spectrum of audio equipment and software.
great review
many people, including me would like to see the comparison between it and F6
is this better sounding than a zoom F6 ?
They are the same
@@EposVox the zoom is that good ?
The Allen key is to lock the volume knobs. The spare screw is a spare lock screw for the volume knob.
Wow, odd to see the camera hunting your face for focus - that doesn't happen very often. Certainly haven't seen it currently.
Good
Sorry I'm an idiot: the timecode or the device maxes out at 30fps? So if I'm recording in 1080p60 I can't use the device with the camera?
That is my understanding. Yes
Just following up on this - it appears you can still use the timecode (apparently timecode for 60fps doesn't exist) as long as you match exact halves, so 30 with 60, 29.97 with 59.94, etc. Will be testing soon.
@@EposVox did you make it to LTX2019? You gotta have a seminar about all the data you have and solutions to problems and setup recommendations.
@@Malumen I was there! Had a panel and a meet and greet, etc.
@@EposVox I was working and had no idea of any of the panels or meet and greets. Wish I had known and would have popped over to say hi. I point all of my coworkers and friends and clients to your videos, and I've had the pleasure to overhear other people talking and recommending your vids for tutorials and the like.
Thank you for your work.
Is it possible to mount my mirrorless camera on top of it?
Yes
@@EposVox Thanks for the quick response. Is that possible out the box, or do I have to purchase a part?
32 bit floatplane? ;)
It is a shame you can't send your old version to get upgraded
I think you must have been filming with the Voightlander 0.95 at F0.95... If your eyes were in focus, then the tip of your nose was not... lol.
0:20 The "Sure" SM7b?
Yes?
is it enough to power a shure sm7b?
Yep
Haha. 4:09 🤣👌
;) Left the comment waiting for this moment. IT'S ALL PART OF THE PLAN
Mhm 32-bit float? Clipping-free digital gain is convenient and not something that should be missing from digital workflow, but i mean... this is an interface/recorder, they know their analogue range, it's not really possible for it to exceed 120db... and if it's clipping in analogue domain, it's going to clip regardless, and it should be fundamentally possible just to record in analogue full scale, which would make 24-bit integer quite ample. Then again having float allows you to get a convenient digital level out of the box and not have to mess around with it as much later.
Alkaline batteries for sure have a pretty unfortunate behaviour and fairly high internal resistance, their suitability to power high-current devices is limited - they shall oblige but pretty much eat themselves in the process. Lithium primaries are good, but they eat your wallet, those are the kind that you have on a critical shoot or when you need to work in very cold conditions. NiMH should be the standard power of choice for the AA battery bay. I don't use alkaline batteries at all pretty much any longer - Eneloop clone NiMH are remarkably cheap nowadays, and i bought a superb German-made smart charger over 20 years ago for something like $40 and it's still kicking. Charging is an almost overnight affair, but Eneloop clones don't lose much charge in storage and you can always have extras, a lot of extras. In a pinch they even come precharged out of the box and the nearest store always has them in stock. I think i got the charger, and back then very expensive NiMH batteries when i was first messing with digital still cameras back then, and they'd last 2 to 3 times as long as alkaline, and many of the ones i bought back then still work fine - but they never held their charge in storage nearly as well as Eneloop, so i am only inclined to use the old ones where i cycle them fairly quickly.
I wonder if they can offer both new features, float and SMPTE generator as a firmware upgrade for first-gen devices?
They can't. In the interview I linked from Curtis Judd +SD employee, hardware changes were required
No XLR outputs?
Yeah, timecode is expensive. I've already spent $2,100 on cables and boxes, and I still don't have everything I would like.
THANKS
聽不懂啊 什麼時候可以有中文字幕解說
Dude. You totally skated over any info about TC and connecting to a camera.
damit :P my eyes cant handle the focus on this video lol......
Should invest in an RX100 VII dude, get some eye AF!!! :P
Lmao no
@@EposVox I still watched all of it! ♥
Thankyou for all your videos btw, I'm able to work and stream local football events thanks to them.
What happened to the focus in this vid? What are you using EPOS???
@@JeffBourke A t1.5 lens and a teleprompter that I have to leave forward to activate, thus moving out of the original plane of focus
Too bad the prices has gone to close to $900. People reselling their used equipment are resale prices even higher than when they bought it.
Shut up and take my money !