Joachim

Please elobarate on M-files and ALE. 664 file types are Broadcast Wave (with bext and ixml) and MP3.

The CSV-file of the sound report should be still on the disks of the data wrangler (and post). At least some metadata.

http://forums.sounddevices.com/forum/other-topics/suggestion-box/31555-allow-linking-of-channels-1-3-on-a-633 Unfortunately not possible.

Concerning the price and/or the wind protection ?

Hi Peter ! Awesome setup. Pictures of the DIY box and the rubber/foam box would be higly appreciated.

http://jwsoundgroup.net/index.php?/user/6906-simon-hayes/ Maybe send him a message directly.

Yes, I use one. If source = manufacturer then http://www.ambient.de/. It is not a listed product, but they make/sell it.

Maybe an alternative, from Ambient (not on their webpages).

Me too, that's why I backup my card with my card reader on my laptop and on an USB stick. Data wranglers just get the stick.

Added another personal wish : 15. Keyboard , undocumented functionality of "Esc" , to be changed into "One-Step-back-in-the-Menu-Tree" : When going into a menu via the Menu Button, e.g. Main Menu > 7.File Storage > 3.Folder Options > Enter > Folder Options Menu , then pressing the Menu Button will go back to File Storage Menu; the menu above the last one. Going into a menu via keyboard : F1 > Arrows > Enter > Arrows > ... , it is not possible to go back to the last menu. "Esc" will revert to the Main Screen. "Esc" is not documented, but could have the functionality of "One-Step-back-in-the-Menu-Tree". "Go-back-immediately-from-a-menu-to-Main-Screen" is already covered by the Select Button. Presently, navigating in menus via keyboard is only "forth".

Added to my personal wish list, post #1. You use all inputs ? (So there is no chance to split the return with an adaptor cable to 2 x TA3 and feed inputs 5+6)

Yes, that was my thread starting intend. That was exactly my first feeling, when it was announced; finally a kind of "missing link" between the 744 and the 788. I am still in love, but my wish is to keep this thread focused on improvements. The desire for improvements will grow with further shooting days.

I am hoping for this, too. SD 633 users, you might like to post your comments also/instead here : http://forums.sounddevices.com/forum/field-mixers/-633-mixer/31103-things-i-noticed-working-with-the-633

http://forums.sounddevices.com/forum/field-mixers/-633-mixer/31103-things-i-noticed-working-with-the-633 I copied the list to this forum - engineers from SD are replying a lot of times to those requests. dBu versus dBfs : there is already a discussion about that in the SD forum. Volt meter is also discussed already there. I personally do not need it, with 2 SWIT S-8972 connected - will last forever. HP encoder : in the mentioned thread, somebody already replied : set HP pref to Preset/Vol. Although I would like to have the whole preset list open. HP level lock : could have used that, when my keyboard was connected and the up arrow was stuck, +20dB, no way of manually lowering it (disconnected keyboard , unit off, on, normal). Keyboard : mine fits in the bag. Glued velcro on the back and also velcro on a selfmade soft-PVC folio. If not having to move dramatically while booming, I can even leave it attached as in the pictures (barely visible on the second one), ready to create even individual notes right after the take. The folio also acts as a way stronger protection, once the keyboard is hidden in the bag and the folio wraps from front to back. (BTW : the camera man is standing on a skateboard, being towed )

Added. I will copy the list in some days to the SD forum (after checking, that I am not double-requesting); Matt Mayer, SD Applications Engineer, is actively involved there, an almost direct contact.

Nicholas Vandrush from Sound Devices says differently , post #7 : http://forums.sounddevices.com/forum/field-mixers/-633-mixer/31292-headphone-presets-and-returns-in-mono

I must have been blind, not to recognize that there is a SD forum ; just registered. Thanks Mike ! 53.2 Hz : maybe applicable for a certain situation, I like to have more flexibility. Thank you for the focused list of the advantages of the Maxx. I was interested in that recorder, but heard of repair/customer service problems by a reputable rental/selling company here in Munich. Their close connection to Sound Devices and in-depth knowledge about their products makes me feel safe. No keyboard : very shortly after I pluged in my newly bought keyboard into the 633, I thought : "Never again without !" Good point, added as edit to my list. A warning or maybe an automatic "overwrite the oldest scene name when scene name list is full".

SD 633 users, please add your opinion or correct me, before I send the following to Sound Devices. Questions/Suggestions/possible Ideas for Improvement : 1.LowCut : Is it possible to implement a LowCut setting of, let's say : 40Hz 12dB/oct or even 40Hz 24dB/oct ? Reason: I may like the 70Hz-region of a bassy male voice. Right now, the lowest setting is 80Hz 12dB/oct. 2.Limiter Release : Is an adjustable Limiter Release possible; just like the one from the 788 ? Reason: it may not be desirable to have a 500ms-release after a 10ms-door slam. 3.Headphone Encoder or keyboard up/down arrows , scrolling in menus , unrestricted direction : Presently : rotating counter-clockwise (while first item in menu is selected) does not do anything. Could (should) be : rotating counter-clockwise (while first item in menu is selected) jumps to the last item of the menu. Behavior like in the 7.. series. 4.Renaming a take (menu item 7 of Take List) : Maximum are 35 letters/numbers. Upon typing the 35th number or letter, shouldn't be the display of all numbers and letters greyed out, to indicate "you have reached the maximum number of letters/numbers" and to avoid thereby the warning "Invalid File Name" ? 5.Keyboard , using “standard” features/shortcuts, implementation : Ctrl+A , Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V for copying names of takes/files/phrases for other, similar takes/files/phrases : e.g. : phrase “Parasitic Noise in the Background - Dialog unaffected” Ctrl+A for selecting all , Ctrl+C for copying new Phrase Ctrl+V for pasting, thereafter editing prior entering into “Parasitic Noise in the Background - Dialog affected” or , e.g. : after renaming take “Wild-StepT01” into “Wild-Steps-Woman-Outside” , Ctrl+A , Ctrl+C to copy all, then renaming take “Wild-StepT02” , Ctrl+A , Ctrl+V and editing “Wild-Steps-Woman-Outside” to “Wild-Steps-Woman-Inside”. Safes time. (My keyboard : Keysonic ACK 3400, exact same width as the 633, fits in the Ambient bag ) 6.User phrases , changing order : For example my user phrase list consists of 1. Good 2. Slate not clapped 3. Bad 4. Slate clapped at the end Now if I want to re-order in a sensefull way, 1. Good 2. Bad 3. Slate not clapped 4. Slate clapped at the end, the whole list must be rewritten. The necessity for certain phrases may “evolve” during a shooting. Or, I find, that phrase number 9 must be used often, so it is better to put it at number one position. 7.Shortcut Scene Name (HP press-and-hold + RTN) “adds” scene names instead of the menu saying “edit” : Instead of editing the name (replacing the old one with the new one), the entry will be added. Sooner or later, the scene name list will be congested and it will be no more possible to use this shortcut and add a scene name. If the functionality of this shortcut is “edit”, this will not be the case. The manual one-by-one deletion of all the added scene names demands time. (Editing via Take List , Enter , Scene , Edit will really “edit”(overwrite/kill).) 8.Fader Gain numeric value, but no Trim Gain numeric value : If using, e.g. a stereo microphone like the Sennheiser MKH40+MKH30 (same sensitivity) or the Pearl MS8CL or a combination of Schoeps cardoid and figure-eight of the same product line, it is a good starting point to adjust both trims to the same value. And for quickly re-adjusting the trim in a time critical situation (especially at night), not just by judging “both to 11 o’clock”. Trim Gain as a numeric value is already available in the 7xx series. 9.Could Sound Devices develop an own XML-editing software to edit the settings file of the SD 633, e.g. HP Presets, Phrase List, Sound Report Info or other settings on a computer ? Do you know, if there is third-party software, that does this already ( and will not “harm” the SD 633 after re-importing the edited settings) ? I would pay for this. (Could be named “XML Agent” ) ----- Edit, additional ideas of forum members ----- 10. Extended Flexible Linking/Ganging of more than Input 1-2 and 5-6 : Linking of at least Input 1 2 3 for Double MS, if possible total user defined linking (multi channel arrays). Linking/Ganging that includes trim or fader or both. 11. Scene Name List , Improvement , related to 7. : When the scene name list is full, there could be a warning about this status to avoid, not to be able to enter a new scene name. Or an automatic overwrite/clearing of existing older scene names. 12. Headphone Source Selection , auto-exit after 2 seconds of no action : The 2 seconds timeframe could be user defined ; either default "2 seconds" or "upon subsequent pressing of the knob", to enable monitoring/checking different configurations/presets/input-combinations without pressing the headphone encoder multiple times and the preset list always disappearing. 13. Mix Assist : Like in the 788. 14. Return , Routing to Outputs /Busses : E.g. to feed the return of the camera to an IFB for the director, also useful for playback in the camera. 15. Keyboard , undocumented functionality of "Esc" , to be changed into "One-Step-back-in-the-Menu-Tree" : When going into a menu via the Menu Button, e.g. Main Menu > 7.File Storage > 3.Folder Options > Enter > Folder Options Menu , then pressing the Menu Button will go back to File Storage Menu; the menu above the last one. Going into a menu via keyboard : F1 > Arrows > Enter > Arrows > ... , it is not possible to go back to the last menu. "Esc" will revert to the Main Screen. "Esc" is not documented, but could have the functionality of "One-Step-back-in-the-Menu-Tree". "Go-back-immediately-from-a-menu-to-Main-Screen" is already covered by the Select Button. Presently, navigating in menus via keyboard is only "forth". Otherwise, totally happy with this wonderful machine !

The mono switch is unfortunately only for tracks (as displayed in the menu). But maybe selectable within the camera, like the Alexa : Left out = Channel 1+2 Right out = Channel 1+2

Thanks Marc and J.D. for pointing me into the direction of "RF issues". Could be related to DC versus HF based mics. I contacted Pearl some time ago already for another issue (separate values for sensitivity and self noise for the mid and side of the MS8CL on their product page) , but got no response. I will try again. It looks like, I will go for a combination of MKH30/40 in the near future then (budget allowing). Still funny (/of interest in theoretical background knowledge) for me : only the cardoid mid capsule was affected , and the noise on/off-status according to only small changes in direction and position.

Thanks for welcoming me ! The noise was generated by some "definite" object(s). Due to my lack of knowledge/possibilities I still need to assume, it was "anything". The pattern of the partial tones and the audible short modulation might be a clue for someone here with experience and/or a scientific education. That is my hope.

Dear Members, my first post , but was reading here since a year or so. Great information. Recently, I had a job where I used a Mid/Side Pearl MS8CL, recording via cable into a SD 633. Location : almost centre of Munich, between big museum buildings. A directional(?) radio antenna mast in in 20 meters height, 150 meters away horizontally. Lighting equipment set to flicker-free. After switching on the recorder and listening to the mic, I heard a very clear parasitic noise. See/hear link below. Pointing gently just 30 degree into another direction, the noise disappered. Pointing gently some other degrees into a new direction, it reappeared. Moving with the mic into this direction for 10 meters, it disappeard. Trying to triangulate failed. The noise affected only the cardoid mid, not the figure-of-eight side. Trouble shooting : Switching of the wireless device of the focus puller : no change, still noise. Changing the XLR5 cable : no change. Swapping the XLR3's of the XlR5-to-2xXLR3 cable adapter : no change. Asked the gaffer to change from flicker-free to 50Hz : no change. (No wireless video play out on set.) (My radio TX/RX : off) Connected a MKH 8060 to the used inputs 1 and 2 : no noise (must be the cardoid of the MS8CL only). The MS8CL was fine, when I tested it at home the day before. I do not have too much experiences, this is an unkown happening for me. Was thinking about : reflections of the directional radio producing "undertones" or some interference between two radio stations ? A loose contact (suddenly) within the cardiod mic ? No clue. The Pearl was rented, so I had to give it back the next day; no time for trouble shooting anymore. Noise example : https://soundcloud.com/joachim-von-breitenstein/parasitic-noise-westend-verkehrsmuseum-2014-05-17-2116-pearl-ms8cl-cardoid-mid Attached file : spectrum analysis of the above audio with RX3 ; high energy sinus type frequencies at 2k, 4k, 6k, 8k, 10k, and above and inbetween. The people of the rental said : "can be anything" , yes , but I would like to know, just out of curiosity, what could have been exactly the source of the noise or a better trouble shooting or anything else, I did not do/know. Many greetings, Joachim