Matthias Richter Posted September 11, 2011 Report Share Posted September 11, 2011 http://blog.radiomagonline.com/briefing_room/2011/09/10/sound-devices-debuts-new-mix-assist-feature-for-788t-digital-audio-recorder-at-ibc-2011/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris R Posted September 11, 2011 Report Share Posted September 11, 2011 Fantastic!!! Even though the 788T has been out for while now I love that they are still working to improve/add to the functionality of the unit. Very nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Wielage Posted September 11, 2011 Report Share Posted September 11, 2011 Sounds like basically an automix feature... Mix Assist activates only one microphone per sound source, attenuating unused microphones by 15 dB. “Mix Assist listens for the background noise level and adapts its algorithm as background noise levels change,” says Jon Tatooles, managing director of Sound Devices. “This feature is especially helpful for 788T users doing fast-paced, dialog-driven productions that need get clean dialog recordings. We look forward to introducing Mix Assist at IBC to our professional users worldwide.” Very impressive that they could do this as a software update. --Marc W. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted September 11, 2011 Report Share Posted September 11, 2011 Sounds like basically an automix feature... Mix Assist activates only one microphone per sound source, attenuating unused microphones by 15 dB. “Mix Assist listens for the background noise level and adapts its algorithm as background noise levels change,” says Jon Tatooles, managing director of Sound Devices. “This feature is especially helpful for 788T users doing fast-paced, dialog-driven productions that need get clean dialog recordings. We look forward to introducing Mix Assist at IBC to our professional users worldwide.” Very impressive that they could do this as a software update. --Marc W. .....and without infringing on Dan Dugan's patents... phil p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Toline Posted September 11, 2011 Report Share Posted September 11, 2011 Motivated by the AutoMix functions in the Nomad perhaps? Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geordi Posted September 11, 2011 Report Share Posted September 11, 2011 Interesting... Could be useful for someone forced to do a one-man-band on a show that should have had a boom op b/c the mixer still only has 2 hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dre Rivera Posted September 11, 2011 Report Share Posted September 11, 2011 Nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Wielage Posted September 11, 2011 Report Share Posted September 11, 2011 .....and without infringing on Dan Dugan's patents... I have great respect for Mr. Dugan's work and his products, and I've met him before at past NAB shows. But Dbx, Shure, and Lectro have had automixers for a long time. I think once a signal is in the digital domain, patents are hard to chase down. There were a lot of analog video post patents in the 1980s that evaporated once everything went digital in the 1990s. I think Eric above has it right. --Marc W. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted September 11, 2011 Report Share Posted September 11, 2011 I have great respect for Mr. Dugan's work and his products, and I've met him before at past NAB shows. But Dbx, Shure, and Lectro have had automixers for a long time. I think once a signal is in the digital domain, patents are hard to chase down. There were a lot of analog video post patents in the 1980s that evaporated once everything went digital in the 1990s... I believe that Lectrosonics' more recent automixers use the Dan Dugan algorithms under license (others may too). If I'm wrong I hope that Larry will correct me when he returns from his much-deserved vacation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Toline Posted September 11, 2011 Report Share Posted September 11, 2011 Remember that the SD folks used to work for Shure before they left to open SD. Chances are they were involved with the development of Shure 410 & 810 auto mixers. Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted September 11, 2011 Report Share Posted September 11, 2011 Some of Dan's original patents have long expired--he gave a patent "wake" party at his studio for the first batch to go back in the late 1980s! phil p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keenan925 Posted September 11, 2011 Report Share Posted September 11, 2011 when I buy my 788T, I will be stoked to use that feature on all my one man band gigs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Wielage Posted September 12, 2011 Report Share Posted September 12, 2011 I'd like to see SD provide the same "semi-automix" capability in the 552. I wonder if there's a way for them to update the software in this product... [My guess is: probably not, since those are hardware faders.] --Marc W. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bash Posted September 12, 2011 Report Share Posted September 12, 2011 I spoke to Jon about this at IBC on Saturday. He reminded me that if I am not mistaken SD have 2 ex Shure employees who worked on the Shure Automixers. I am sure that he also said that those ex Shure folks also have patents of their own regarding Auto mixing, so I think that they are retty safe in the non-infriging department!!! Kindest regards, Simon B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhyOne Posted September 12, 2011 Report Share Posted September 12, 2011 I have great respect for Mr. Dugan's work and his products, and I've met him before at past NAB shows. But Dbx, Shure, and Lectro have had automixers for a long time. I think Eric above has it right. Mark, I gotta go with Perkins on this one. First, as Phil pointed out, Dan's original patents are up - that is a testament to how long ago he figured out his "gain sharing" approach to auto-mixing. For decades, Dan licensed Altec to use his algorithm. His technique is the only one to not have active gating - active inputs are summed, with gain shared between them (2 mics each down 3dB, three mics down 6dB, etc.) In the Silicon Valley teleconferencing frenzy of the eighties, I often used his rigs to auto-mix up to twenty people on-stage fielding unscripted questions from the audience and from remote locations via phone hybrids - flawless operation, live to fifteen cities, without ever missing the beginning of a word due to gating. There are several tv and radio shows that use his system, and it is transparent. Dan was also one of the first to really explore the "new" digital technology, and immediately started working on developing the digital rendition of his mixers (with ultra-clean analog mic pres). His latest effort - like announced last week - is a digital card (for all the Yamahas and others) that gives you up to sixteen channels of auto-mixing. No bull - there is no comparison between his stuff and gating systems, and on "Dugan" products, the audio quality is audiophile (don't tell Dan I said that - he's not too fond of "audiophiles".) Obviously, like Phil P. and anyone else who came up in the Bay area, Dan is a bit of a living legend. The term "Sound Designer" was coined to describe work of his in the early seventies, and he was/is the best Nagra tech ever (in his hands, my 1968 4S, at 15 ips NGRMSTR EQ, using 986, got >75.5 dB s/n, A weighted, down 1dB at 16K - transparent!). Any working mixer in the analog days in the Bay could tell you stories of sleeping on his couch in the middle of the night while Dan repaired one's machine. He once guided me through the replacement of a ruby bearing for the take up reel (always travel with a spare Nagra) while I was in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic, half way around the world. I guess I'm biased.... Jay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pindrop Posted September 12, 2011 Report Share Posted September 12, 2011 Anyone got any hints or know when the new firmware will be made available? I could be using 'mix assist' every day Just looked on SD site and not up yet ......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Wielage Posted September 14, 2011 Report Share Posted September 14, 2011 His latest effort - like announced last week - is a digital card (for all the Yamahas and others) that gives you up to sixteen channels of auto-mixing. That's a dynamite feature! I bet this is a must-have for anybody doing complex live events, especially for TV and radio. I could've used one just this afternoon for an interview panel discussion I was working on. I have no doubt Mr. Dugan's circuits are 1000 times better and faster than my not-as-nimble fingers. I guess I'm biased.... For low-noise tape! --Marc W. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Reilly Posted September 14, 2011 Report Share Posted September 14, 2011 Them Sconnie guys are smart. Have to stop over there someday. I guess Mr. Tatoole's NAB encounter with Nomad got him ta thinkin'. You could see the wheels turning in that video clip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Toline Posted September 14, 2011 Report Share Posted September 14, 2011 Them Sconnie guys are smart. Have to stop over there someday. I guess Mr. Tatoole's NAB encounter with Nomad got him ta thinkin'. You could see the wheels turning in that video clip. Something along the lines of "Imitation being the sincerest form of flattery?" Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Reilly Posted September 14, 2011 Report Share Posted September 14, 2011 I just remember that look on Jon's face when he said something like "that's a smart little box". Seems to have got him to thinkin'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bash Posted September 14, 2011 Report Share Posted September 14, 2011 I think that Jon said to me at IBC at the weekend that it will be about a month before it is released. Although they showed me the feature, they didn't actually offer to let me hear it, so I am unable to say that I heard it working with my own ears. Thatsaid, they have massively PR'd it now - so %I am sure that they will have it out asap!!!! Kindest regards, Simon B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted September 14, 2011 Report Share Posted September 14, 2011 Sound Devices' excellent reputation speaks volumes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikewest Posted September 15, 2011 Report Share Posted September 15, 2011 Love the praise and yes I have high regard for SD products (just had a look at their new video device - super versatile and build) Meanwhile does this mix-assist facility mean untouched ISO tracks plus a mix-assisted mix down to 1 track?? Paul can you advise on this for all of us posters please? mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Isaacs Posted September 16, 2011 Report Share Posted September 16, 2011 Love the praise and yes I have high regard for SD products (just had a look at their new video device - super versatile and build) Meanwhile does this mix-assist facility mean untouched ISO tracks plus a mix-assisted mix down to 1 track?? Paul can you advise on this for all of us posters please? mike Yes. ISO tracks are unaffected by Mix-assist. Only the designated 1 or 2 track mix down is mix-assisted. Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPSharman Posted September 17, 2011 Report Share Posted September 17, 2011 I love the idea that an automix could be used instead of 6 or more open faders on those crazy ad-lib shows like "community" or "modern family". They will re-mix for picture once edited, but a great tool for dailies and/or IFB feed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.png.279748a58a2b862b7aa5f3b84126e232.png)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.