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Sound Devices 633... How are you using your X3/X4 outs?


MattinSTL

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I'm wondering how you guys use your X3/X4 jack?

 

Since I can send everything to both the X3 and X4... rather than needing to combine the whole TRS output with an adapter for summed-mono, I'm feeling even better about the 633 than I did yesterday... already loving it... and I'd assume that's the whole reason why SD is letting us put both L and R onto a single output... or both? Why else would they let us route L+R to just X3 and/or just X4?

 

I'm going to use a 1/8" TRS to dual mono cable... then have one tail rigged for coms... and the other ready for wired mono playback to video village. (Secondary question on this... how likely am I to get a clean feed on a 30-50' long TS... unbalanced cable... am I kidding myself? If so, I can use the X1-X2 outs to send a balanced feed... but I like the idea of keeping them open for a 2nd cam while knowing I have a separate monitor feed from the X3-X4 ready and waiting).

 

Is there a better use of these outputs... or do many of you send stereo feeds to producers/directors? I've typically found them happiest if they just hear everything in both ears... vs. a different sounding mic in each ear...

 

 

"Why is her voice louder in my left ear than my right?"

 

"Because two people have their own lav and the audio is split left and right to the cam..."

 

 

Normally I'd use an adapter to prevent this conversation, but the 633 lets me do this straight from the jack... and because of this happening internally... it's like getting an additional summed-mono output for free. No?

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I never send anybody stereo outputs, always summed mono and always just what I want them to hear at that moment (which is sometimes nothing at all).   You can get a great feed via an unbal output if you are A lucky about interference along the way or B run it through a balancing trafo (Sescom IL19).   The X outs on my 664 have proven very useful for doing mixery sorts of things like ear-bug, translator or other special monitor feeds that are not what I'm sending to the camera or to the village.

 

philp

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For 633 owners who have come from 442's & 552's and other SD units with the 10 pin Hirose multi-pin out and still have the camera snake I've made an adapter with that connects to the X1 & 2 outputs and camera return to a female Hirose 10 pin that accommodates the camera snake. That leaves the main XLR output connectors free to feed anything else. Same type of adapter available for ex-SD users now driving Nomad, etc.

Eric

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Are you guys splitting it up? Did you notice you can set everything on X3 and everything on X4? In the past you would have to dedicate each part of the pin as L, R, ground...

When I ask how you're using it, I specifically mean the connection... are you sending two signals... Or are you using the other channel to speak? (to a boom op for instance)

If you send IFB from X3-X4 can't you have your cake and eat it too... i.e. a free summed mono output and still send your IFB on the other half? I'm not talking about a splitter... But the apparent routing options of X3-X4 allows two separate summed-mono outs... If you use a TRS to dual-mono TS cable...(?)

Or if you chose, you could have two separate IFB feeds with different mics routed(?)

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Wyatt... This is my point exactly. I want to know if anyone else is doing this... again, in the past if you wanted to create a summed-mono output you had to do it with cables and/or adapters. I think it's cool that the 633 allows you to do all this routing inside the mixer before it hits the output.

Normally I'd see that jack marked as 2 outputs and roll my eyes... because for most people that two equals one anyway... unless you wanted a single stereo feed that you were calling two outputs.

The 633 lets you send L and R to X3, and send L and R to X4... That's what I'm asking these other guys. If they realize this or if they are using that output the same as a normal 1/8 headphone jack... (or how they previously used the tape out 1/8 jack on a 442... which is how I did it previously)...

BTW you don't have to make that cable as it's cheap and readily available...

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Using X-3 to feed a Sennheiser G3 transmitter for scratch track on dslr gigs an B cam on two camera gigs.

X-4 feeds my comtek transmitter.

I built a custom cable that does this, it has a locking 1/8" connector for the hop and has the proper pad on the Comtek feed.

Routing which inputs/ outputs go to each changes on a per show basis. Easy enough to do too. My standard setup is L+R to the hop. Lavs post fader mixed to the Comtek.

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Using X-3 to feed a Sennheiser G3 transmitter for scratch track on dslr gigs an B cam on two camera gigs.

X-4 feeds my comtek transmitter.

I built a custom cable that does this, it has a locking 1/8" connector for the hop and has the proper pad on the Comtek feed.

Routing which inputs/ outputs go to each changes on a per show basis. Easy enough to do too. My standard setup is L+R to the hop. Lavs post fader mixed to the Comtek.

This is exactly how i'm planning to use it... I would be surprised if more people don't do this. (Except with me a second cam will be fed from X1-X2... if a third cam comes in, it gets X4, otherwise it will stay open for options).

Just curious, do you really need a pad on the Comtek feed? Doesn't that Comtek take mic level like the G3 transmitter... and the G3 has a pretty broad adjustable sensitivity?

You can lower the X3/X4 output from inside the 633 (in the menu)... then it's simply a matter of upping the sensitivity from the G3 on the TX pack(?) or what am I missing?

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I'm wired for line level into the G3, the comtek in that bag is an M72 so that's why it's padded, it's mic level only.

As far as in know X3-4 are line level out only. (Though you can pad them down some -20db)

Soldering a resistor in line was no big deal.

Interesting party trick, X3-4 can follow the headphone output and are powerful enough to drive cans so you can feed two sets of headphones.

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The X3/4 routing options are one of my favorite parts of the 633. I use them in various configurations depending on what I need to have happen. On a feature I just mixed I had a high quality headphone feed for the director on X3 (it was originally supposed to be a boom op feed, and if I had used it like that it would have just been carrying the boom channel) and the comteks on X4 carrying the wirelesses. Most days I'll just use one side for the comtek feed, but it's nice to have the options, and also nice to not have to carry around a 1/8th stereo to mono switcher/combiner.

Cheers,

Brent Calkin

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Mattin: " I want to know if anyone else is doing this "

why are you so concerned about what others are doing ??  you can, and may do whatever you please...

" That's what I'm asking these other guys. If they realize this or if they are using that output the same as a normal 1/8 headphone jack.."

again: so what ?

" I would be surprised if more people don't do this. "

why ?? you even noted: " that cable as it's cheap and readily available... "

 

" because for most people that two equals one anyway... unless you wanted a single stereo feed that you were calling two outputs"

now I consider that backwards, as way to many folks call 2 channel outputs "stereo", when they really are not spatially related channels!

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