Sebi

But keep in mind that the 32-bit float recording is only "dummy proof" recording-wise. In post it's some extra work and if the files are being delivered to editorial and they import it into Avid the audio will be converted to 24 bit which means everything above 0 dBFS just clips. If you have a sound post they can of course replace the files and adjust the clip gain but depending on the job there won't be any and the audio is expected to be delivered more or less "finished". So considering every step of smaller productions I wouldn't recommend this workflow since 24 bit offers enough dynamic range and the limiters on the MixPre work fine.

Between the MixPre-6 II (which is the one with 4 Mic-Ins) and the 633/833 there are some things to consider that might help making a decision. At least in my opinion they have several advantages depending on the job. I don't have any expierence with the 833 so I will stick to the MixPre and 633 mostly. Since you asked about simplicity I will try and focus on usability. - The MixPre is extremely light and I can easily carry it (+powerbank) around on a waist belt all day without having any weight on my shoulders. The powerbank (26000 mAh) lasts longer than 12 h of operating. The 633 with two NP-F batteries on the other hand is heavier and I would mostly use a combination of waist belt and shoulder strap (x-shape) but that's just my taste. The light weight of the MixPre comes with many compromises in hardware design (I/O) ofc (see following) and the 633 is obviously built rock-solid. - The MixPre basically has most of the features needed like TC-generator, file meta-data and sound report info. However, it doesn't have a dedicated TC In/Out so you have to use the mini-jack Aux In (TC In) or Stereo Out (TC Out) which you then cannot use for another purpose. The 633 and probably all other "pro" recorders have their dedicated TC In/Out and "proper" in/out sockets (XLR, TA-3...). - The MixPre has really good mic preamps so sound-wise I think there's no compromise being made. The 633 only has 3 mic pres but since you already have a mixer (302?) you could also use that for 2 additional mic channels whenever you need more than 3 mics. - You have to use the touch display of the MixPre a lot together with the wheel/knob on the side which is kind of annoying. For meta-data and scene naming it's probably the best to use the Wingman App (no bluetooth dongle needed on the MixPre). You also don't have the function of scene increment or pre-naming scenes in a list like you have on the 633. The Wingman App works fine but I prefer lists and shortcuts for scene increment on the 633. It's just faster and you don't need a phone or tablet. Adjusting gains and faders is also faster on the 633 because of dedicated hardware controls. On the MixPre you only have 4 faders and have to enter the channel screen of each channel to adjust the gains with the touch screen or wheel (on the side...). - The MixPre is also a USB-C interface. Didn't use it yet but might be a nice feature for some. There's probably more to say but these were my initial thoughts. The MixPre is a great mashine if you don't mind the little flaws (which aren't really flaws since it's simply a different type of recorder that's way more compact, light and cheaper). It does feel like a toy compared to others but I had it on some jobs now and it works really well for what it is and I think it really depends on the gigs.

Hi everyone, a few weeks ago I had a job for a small mockumentary as a "one-person-soundteam" (I know...) and realized the hard way that the SD MixPre's don't seem to have any headphone limiters built-in. There was going to be a one-shot of a scene on a theater-stage with lots of movement, screaming and also silent moments behind the stage and the camera follows. I had all the talents lav-miked and boomed it myself so I decided to try and use the MixPre-6 II in 32 bit mode since I couldn't adjust the gain during the take. So I was quite excited to have a practical use for a 32 bit recorder. Input limiters are disabled of course and I set a normal to low gain setting on all the channels. I even turned down the headphone volume (using MDR 7506) a fair ammount because I knew about the screaming. The mix I monitored was mostly boom with a little bit of lav-mics. I also used MixAssist on the radios. Then, during the first take when they started to scream on the top of their lungs it was just extremely loud on my headphones, so loud I had to push away the headphones with my shoulders while booming. I just couldn't stand it. I know these headphones have quite some output and the headphone amp obviously as well (volume was maybe 50 of 100!) but I never had anything that loud coming out of them. The following takes I chose a "safety" headphone volume that made me miss a lot of lines because they were too quiet. Now, I know this is not a professional workflow and a lot of circumstances could have been better. But I was kind of confused by the fact that obviously nobody thought about limiting the headphone output when input limiters are disabled. Or did I miss something here? Apart from the monitoring I was quite happy with the tracks when I checked in a DAW. No clipping and no noise when pushing the silent parts (kind of what should be expected but it was my first recording in 32, so I had to see myself). So considering the result it was totally worth it and I didn't damage my ears luckily. Anyway, I kind of wanted to share this experience and maybe someone benefits. Don't wanna know what happens when you record some light rain ambience in 32-bit (because you also want to catch the thunder without the limiter) and then the sudden thunder actually comes and hits your ears on a high headphone level. Since these are the situations that come to my mind when thinking about recording in 32-bit... Best wishes and protect your ears Sebi

Well, thanks a lot to both of you for sharing your experiences! That‘s actually a good point. A fresh perspective and the collaboration with others definetely helps to not get stuck creatively... Interesting! Haven‘t thought about regional differences in business habits yet. Well not in this context at least. But even though it might not be as strict in Germany or Europe in general there are still a lot of those who claim that you can only be professional if you specialize.

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum as a member, even though I've been following this community for quite some time now (so much knowledge! much appreciated btw :)) I've been wondering about this question (see title) for a while now and so far I didn't really find this topic somewhere. If this has already been discussed a lot of times and I'm just not finding the right threads then sorry for another post. For the last 5-6 years now I'm doing sound for picture but always as a student (still enrolled in a masters study). Over the last 2-3 years I got the chance to do more paid jobs and work as a freelancer but I wouldn't call that fully professional since I'm still enjoying the financial benefits of being a student. The work I do is basically sound for picture and usually includes location sound (which seems to be kind of rare at our university), sound editing, sound design and also "mixing for theatre" (we have a nice little mixing stage at our school that works quite well and translates kind of good to cinemas). Directors I work with seem to appreciate the fact that I kind of do it all and I'm very happy to be involved in the storytelling form the very beginning and being treated as a moviemaker. So I've learned a lot in all these projects and I think my location sound work was improving quicker since I also had to edit and mix the dialouge I recorded (badly, sometimes) and know the capabilities/limits of Izotope for example. I also like the balance of being on location frequently and then doing computer/studio work for some weeks. But at the same time I know there are a lot of challenges and disadvantages when trying to do it all. I've heard of people who seem to mange it and do both professionally but I feel like it's kind of rare. I think you might get the scenario already so I won't write much more. I'm just curious to know if there are people in this community who have some thoughts about this and might share some experiences. I didn't really talk about gear that much because I kind of got to know the stuff and know the financial aspects. I'm rather interested in how you manage to do both professionally or why you couldn't. I hope this has its place here and wish you all a nice sunday! Sebi