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Dave

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Everything posted by Dave

  1. MixPre Series Firmware v2.20 May 24, 2018 https://www.sounddevices.com/support/downloads/mixpres-firmware Last update May 24, 2018 Changes introduced in 2.20 include: New For all models: Output gain range increased by 20dB. Added Output Mute option. Added Output Mute * shortcut option. For MixPre-10M Import of WAV audio files (native and non-native) when creating a Music Project. For MixPre-10T Displays a timecode reset notification in Free Run and Time of Day modes when timecode is reset after the timecode hold time of 4 hrs is exceeded. For MixPre-3 and MixPre-6 only Jump to cue marks by holding Play and rotating the headphone encoder. For MixPre-3, -6, and -10T only Plugin support: A new System > Plugins submenu for installing future licensed plugins. New Record > Record Bells menu option to disable record bell notifications. Added Inputs MS Decode submenu to select MS decoding to both ISOs and Mix or Mix Only. Recordings that are split across multiple files now playback seamlessly. Playback of non-native WAV files in Audio Projects. Changed For MixPre-3, -6, and -10T only In Remix mode, re-recorded files are now placed in the same project folder as the source file. A file's 'Name' has been increased to a maximum of 20 characters. For all models: Channel Screen meter remains visible and active when adjusting channel gain. Headphone Clip Indicator is now displayed in power/battery level indicator in the top right of the screen. Post fade channel clipping is now indicated by a channel's ring LED illuminating red. Projects are now sorted by creation date/time in the Project > Open menu. Menu screens now allow the user to switch from one parameter to another with a single touch. Fixed For MixPre-10T only: USB Thumbdrive was prematurely shown as full. Time of Day timecode was incorrect after power cycling within the timecode hold time (4 hours). For MixPre-10M only: Mute was not muting tracks with Input source set to Click. Metronome Volume and Click track level were inconsistent. Rendered audio files were not automatically copied to the USB Drive. Cue marks that fell outside of the Play In / Stop region were still embedded in the rendered wav file. Cue marks set as Play In, Record In, Record Out, Stop were not being moved correctly. Rendered isolated wav files would occasionally contain discontinuities at crossfades. Phantom Power setting was not carrying over to the linked input in a linked pair. Playback would not always work after recording the first take in a music project. 44.1kHz sample rate would not carry over to new projects. For MixPre-6 and -10T only: MixPre-6 channels 5 & 6 and MixPre-10T channels 9 & 10 were displaying 6dB too high. Solo and Mutes were not linked when Link Type was set to 'All'. For MixPre-3, -6, and -10T only: Audio bleed-through into the record start/stop bells. MS balance control was occasionally resetting to center. Cue marks were not copied from the original file to the re-recorded file. Track Arm indicators would flash after playing back. Phantom Power setting could be displayed incorrectly in the Channel screen after playback. Re-recording was only possible when the source file contained three or more tracks. Headphone monitoring source would change after playback. Previous project was not loading when reinserting the SD card. Recording would stop when recording automatic file splits to daily folders over midnight. For all models: Jumping between cue marks has been improved. Media I/O Error message was incorrectly displayed for a full SD card. In some DAWs, MixPre audio file signal clipping was occurring at -0.1dBFS. Zero byte split files were created on some SD cards. Pop-up dialog windows could appear one on top of the other. Improved handling of pop up dialog boxes. Improved audio scrubbing. Improved transport handling. Improved media performance.
  2. Hi Curtis, Very kind of you to respond and share your experience :-) "Re-Record" seems like it will be very useful feature when an alternate or corrective mix file is required quickly - without needing a DAW/Computer. I gather "Remix" would be useful mainly when outputting to a separate recorder or for DAW capture? Thanks again Curtis. I appreciate your videos and sharing of knowledge. Cheers, Dave
  3. Hi All and fellow Canadian Sound Mixers, Just wondering if there are any sound mixer (or filmaker) networking groups anywhere in the Toronto-Hamilton, ON GTA region? As great as the internet is, I would love to join a networking group or similar, where real live people meet regularly to share knowledge, further the trade, encourage apprenticeships, talk business and marketing as well as technical stuff. Mic shootouts, new equipment testing, listening sessions, tips and tricks sharing - love it all :-) Kind of old fashioned perhaps, but I for one miss attending regular seminars, industry events, technical societies' meetings, etc. Coming from a musician background, it is all about hanging and "jamming" with like-minded "players". Hoping I can find an outlet for this in the sound recording field. If nothing like this yet exists in the GTA and anyone else would enjoy creating something, even informally, that might build local sound community spirit and facilitate meeting new people, I'm in - would love to meet up and chat :-)) Perhaps somewhere in Etobicoke, near Audio Services? Anyhow, thanks for your indulgence. Keep well, Dave
  4. Hi All, I own various products from different manufacturers and like most of you, I want to keep abreast of updates, utilization techniques, new products, product specific technical discussions, etc. I usually go straight to the manufacturers' website and if all goes well they have great info pages, update pages, discussion forums, extensive FAQ sections, video libraries, contact links - essentially an easily accessible resource without any "hoop jumping". I now find that certain manufacturers are relying more and more on Facebook to be their primary outreach hub. This is all well and good "if" the Facebook page is truly "public" access, as it should be if after sales support and service are truly important. For example, I am trying to generally peruse this link from the Sound Devices website : https://www.facebook.com/groups/sounddevices/ I keep getting the popup message : "Not Logged In - Please Log In To Continue". I was under the presumption that this was a "public access" site - how come one must "sign up" to a 3rd party organization (Facebook) in order to receive manufacturers' information that should be readily accessible without having to jump through hoops. On the occasions that I didn't receive the "Not Logged In" popup, I am met with another very rude popup that again tries to get me to "sign up with Facebook" - when I decline, I am given the privilege of viewing the page with the lower third of my screen blocked by the solicitation. Just voicing my 2 cents worth to manufacturers - please go back to running your own user forums on your own centrally accessible customer focused website. At least then information and discussions can be decently categorized and CURATED, ultimately being more useful and respectful of your customers. JW Sound Group would be a role model for what I mean - well categorized, monitored, information is free flowing and refined, all with an eye to improving the trade and customer-manufacturer relations. I don't believe that the Facebook delivery system engenders this. Thank you for your consideration. Cheers, Dave
  5. Hi Curtis, Thanks for posting your recent video regarding the MixPre 10T's new Remix - Re-Record features. I watched your video with great interest. Just reading through the MixPre Firmware 2.10 manual addendum outlining these new features and I'm trying to discern the difference between "Remix" and "Re-Record". Am I understanding this correctly : selecting "Remix" simply prepares a file or files for "Re-Recording" - i.e one facilitates the other? Would strictly employing "Remix" (without engaging re-recording) just send a new current adjusted mix to the outputs? As far as "Re-Recording" goes, did you find that a newly "Re-recorded" mix does not actually alter or over-write the original mix, it just creates a new version mix and pre-fixes the new file with an "R"? Thanks for shedding some light Curtis. Much appreciated and thanks for all your great and generous sharing of tips :-) Cheers, Dave Here's the operation manual addendum (seems a little vague to me) : Remix (MixPre-3, -6, -10T only) This firmware release adds the ability to playback any existing file and create a new LR mix by adjusting its ISO tracks' fader levels and pans. Remix is enabled in the Record menu and is only available in Advanced mode or Custom mode with Gain set to Advanced. Remixing requires that the source file include at least one ISO track. Remix is turned off by default. To turn remix on/off: 1.Tap . 2. TapRecord>Remix. Re-record LR Mix (MixPre-3, -6, -10T only) This firmware release adds the ability to record the LR mix during remixing. All metadata from the source file is transferred to the re-recorded 2-ch LR mix poly wav file. A re-recorded file's name is the same as the original source file name but prefixed with the characters R_. Re-recording requires Remix to be enabled and the source file to have at least one ISO track. To set re-record: 1. FromtheFilelist,selectthefilewithisolatedtracks. 2. TaptheDotsicon. 3. SelectRe-recordLR. Note: If you do not see Re-record LR as a menu item, ensure Remix is turned on.
  6. Hi All, Thanks to everyone who made suggestions re:the pros and cons of the fishing rod holder DIY boom pole cradle. Glad to know Walmart in the U.S. has them. Unfortunately, I'm in Canada and I don't seem to see the same stock up here - any Canadian "fishermen" here who can tip me off to a Canadian source ? Maybe Amazon is the way to go, anyhow. Thanks again. Have a great day! Cheers, Dave
  7. Hi All, Reading this subject with interest as I quite often do one-man-band camera and audio for corporations, not-for-profits, etc. I'm also very interested in learning more about how to deal with clients when something bad happens and how to creatively repair the customer relations, if not just the bad audio. Quick question : I am seeing 2 camera angles in your clip - did you feed audio to both cameras? If so, was the audio on both cameras coming from the same source? Board feed or on-board camera mic on one or both cameras? Was the audio distorted on both cameras? Were the cameras DSLRs? Since I find myself shooting these kind of events more and more, I'm ditching the DSLRs and going back to dedicated camcorders that can handle live event shooting more readily. These 1 or 2 camera live podium shoots, especially in front of a live audience (and unrepeatable live events in general) can be challenging for a lone camera operator who is trying to attend to video and audio on the fly. The fact of just having just a single audio recording device, if strictly on the camera itself, is nerve wracking for capturing live events. I get twitchy even just having a single camera from a video capture perspective too - a second camera with operator rolling for safety helps to take some of the worry away, as anything can go wrong with the video, audio or both. DSLRs without headphone jacks are scary as you have no idea what's being recorded audio-wise. Having a pro mixer/recorder running in parallel with an operator is the best solution though. As an alternative to investing in the high end versions of wireless/recording units right now, I've been thinking of at least adding these super affordable life saver tools to my kit to have an additional level of emergency backups in case something goes wrong with camera audio, wireless, recorder etc. : http://www.tascam.com/product/dr-10l/ http://www.tascam.com/product/dr-10c/ At some live events, with everyone in the audience packing cellphones, the interference is very bad and can happen at random, so even a wireless mic on the presenter could be dicey. These Tascam units might do the trick of being a decent backup if you don't have a dedicated mixer/recorder. I guess you could also put a small handheld recorder rig on the podium, independent of the camera too. The problem is that the presenter will often wander away from the podium to click on a Powerpoint remote or engage the audience, so a body mounted device travels with them. One last thought on a business level, in order to make it up to your client, perhaps after humbly apologizing for what went wrong, offer to re-shoot the whole presentation as a studio shoot. If you're not seeing or hearing the live audience response anyway, it may not be a disservice to her content to re-shoot in a studio or more interesting location. On the contrary, I think you could make this lady's speech look and sound 100% better and be more dynamic. With your help she could relax and feel more at ease. She seemed a little nervous in her delivery. Another idea might be to re-shoot it as a sitdown interview with a personable host asking the lady questions about her experience, cutting away to related video/photos. Maybe less corporate and more talk show style? The lady presenter could then deliver her content in a controlled environment. You could do 2 or 3 pre-planned improved camera angles, light it in a flattering way, get only the best audio, edit in her Powerpoint properly, adding B-roll, music, titles, graphics, etc. You could offer to prepare the finished program for upload to their website, YouTube, etc. Most decent people will respond favourably if you ask to make it up to them. I'd offer to do it for free if you want to generate good will and keep them as a client. Yes, you will absorb the re-shoot time/costs but the upside is you will have improved client relations by exceeding their original expectations. You would also end up with something good for your demo reel which can then be used to get more gigs. Aside from just examining the audio issue, I think there are other equally important lessons with regard to creatively repairing client relations. Anyhow, I feel your pain on this one. Thanks for sharing, as it helps to learn. I have a feeling that you can still turn this into a win-win scenario :-) Please let us know how you handled the client. Wishing you the best. Cheers, Dave
  8. Hi Ty, Thanks for bringing NAB to those who couldn't make it :-) Q5X is in my town - London, ON, Canada. Gave them a call to inquire about their systems a while back after discovering that they are close by. Their products look great and I'd love to check them out. The sad part is that they told me that even though they're a Canadian company, they price their products in US dollars and after converting prices to Canadian dollars, they aren't particularly competitive in Canada, their country of origin. Bummer because they seem like they have some interesting features . US made Lectros are more cost competitive here, it appears. Maybe other Canadian sound guys know more? Thanks again Ty. Like the way you dig a little more out of your interview subjects.... cool. Cheers, Dave
  9. Hi Dalton, Excellent suggestions :-) Cool... hole plugs... haven't seen them - will look forward to seeing your pics. Yes, my concern is always clean gear, free from moisture, corrosion, grit, sand and grime in order that it remains as new and reliable as can be possible :-) I did see a few similar things earlier today but I think these are more for capping the inputs in a mixer, rather than the end of an XLR cable, and coloured rings. interesting nonetheless: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/888512-REG/Neutrik_xcr_2_XCR_Colored_Ring_Red.html https://ca.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Neutrik/NDF/?qs=5SHnDjjXjwZAjdckD8i9SA%3D%3D&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI64Ke4Z7W2gIVE77ACh2RFwkoEAQYASABEgJQIPD_BwE https://www.ebay.com/itm/JACK-CAP-6-3mm-1-4in-XLR-Dust-Plug-Protection-Cover-Audio-Keyboard-Mixer-JACKCAP-/201372437912 https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Neutrik-xlr-m-ndf-socket-dust-cap-waterproof-cover-soft-canon-in-dust-cover/1041214197.html Thanks for the detailed labeling tips - really great stuff :-)) Cheers, Dave
  10. Hi All, Just wondering if you have a favourite way to label and/or colour code cables in a bag rig? I've seen coloured tape, label makers, clear shrink plastic, etc. Do you put labels with your company name on all your cables to identify them? I'd like to devise a good system that won't leave sticky tape residue and also look clean and professional. Also, do you use protective cable caps to keep out grunge and dirt? Any recommended source for these? Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Keep well! Cheers, Dave
  11. Hi Derek, Is this the one you mean? https://www.trewaudio.com/product/remote-audio-boom-boy-2/ I need the vertical shaft for a particular stand and mount, not a C stand. Thanks, Dave
  12. Hi All, Have been searching the forums to find mention of the cheap DIY S shaped fishing rod holder, for doubling as a boompole cradle/holder. I'm pretty sure I saw it mentioned previously - anyone remember what it was called? Trying to find one locally in Canada if I can. Thanks very kindly. Cheers, Dave
  13. Hi All, In the process of taking stock of cables and sorting good from bad/need repair. Are there any particular cable testing boxes that are better than others? Here's a few that are available in my area : https://www.long-mcquade.com/?page=search&SearchTxt=cable tester Is a multimeter useful for cable testing? Thanks kindly :-) Cheers, Dave
  14. Howdy Jeff, Sorry, I'm with you now :-))) Speaking of comedy - I'll bet you'd have a ton of cool stories to share about working with comedic actors. Do you have any favourite memories recording their voices? Are there any timing and delivery techniques that you have found the really good comedic actors have in common? When you work on those type of films (comedy), is there a different on-set vibe that develops? Thanks kindly Jeff. By the way, really found your interviews with Matt Price very informative and inspiring.... thanks very much for sharing your knowledge. Cheers, Dave
  15. Hey Jeff, Hope all is well. I think the guys are just having a bit of tongue-in-cheek fun and levity, unwinding after a long mind numbing trade show stint. Gabriel is by no means clueless - nice guy and he knows his stuff. I think he's just having a laugh with improv and playing devil's advocate for light entertainment. He seems to be drawing on the Nigel Tufnel (Spinal Tap) school of spontaneous acting :-) Hey, I'm Canadian and that's the kind of humour we love up here.... SCTV, Kid's In The Hall, Jim Carey, Tom Green, etc. ... our philosophy is if 2 minutes of improv banter is good, then 8 minutes is even better. :-))) Have a great day Jeff! Cheers, Dave
  16. I enjoyed this "short" :-)) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NltCxxyqFUU Waiting for the next installment. I think this has the potential to become a dark, heavy, action drama with car chase scenes and international intrigue... Episode One: These 2 poolside heavies plant Audio Ltd. wireless mics into Zaxcom headquarters in order to unlock the secret code ..... on second thought, maybe a comedy series would be the way to go....ha ha! The MixPre 6 sounds good to my ear. Anyone know which wireless models, lavs and camera were used? Cheers, Dave
  17. Hi all, Stumbled on this on YouTube - not my clip. Just curious about your thoughts on this clip using 2 DPA 4060 lavs as ambience gathering mics. Am I hearing slight phasing? How much reach can these sub-miniature mics get in order to produce useful recordings? Hope to experiment with a 4060 or 4061 as a plant mic. Thanks for your thoughts, as always :-) Cheers, Dave
  18. Hi All, FYI - Link to Sound Devices MixPre Series ver. 2.10 firware update : April 12, 2018 https://www.sounddevices.com/support/downloads/mixpres-firmware Last update Apr 12, 2018 Changes introduced in 2.10 include: New Remix (-3, -6, -10T only). Ability to playback any existing file and create a new LR mix by adjusting its ISO tracks' fader levels and pans. Remix is enabled in the Record menu and is only available in Advanced Mode or Custom Mode with Gain set to Advanced. Remixing requires that the source file include at least one ISO track. Re-record LR (-3, -6, -10T only). Ability to record the LR mix during remixing. All metadata from the source file is transferred to the re-recorded 2-ch LR mix poly wav file. A re-recorded file's name is the same as the original source file name but prefixed with the characters 'R_'. Re-recording requires Remix to be enabled and the source file to have at least one ISO track. Cue Marks. Support for cue marks to allow jumping directly to points of interest within a wav file. Cue marks can be added during recording or playback and can be deleted, named and moved. Jump directly to a cue mark by selecting it from a file's Cue List and then pressing play. On the 10T, skip from cue to cue using FFWD and REW joystick. Cue marks are embedded in the wav file's metadata and can be read and displayed by compatible computer applications (e.g. Adobe Audition, Reaper.) Option to set the USB Audio interface to output only 2 channels in order to increase compatibility with applications that do not support multichannel USB audio. Go to Menu>System>USB Audio and select Stereo Out. Additional channel linking options (-6, -10T only). For the MixPre-10T, additional options include 1-3, 1-5, 1-6, 1-7, 1-8, 5-7 and for the MixPre-6, option 1-3 is added. Link Type menu (-6, -10T only) providing the ability to choose which parameters are linked when linking three or more channels. Selecting the 'All' option links input type, trim gains, faders, limiters, low cuts, record arms, and delays. Selecting the 'Faders Only' option only links the faders. Changed Four button layout is now changed to six button layout in the Channel screens. Rendering start and stop points are now determined by the Play In and Stop cues if set. This is ideal for rendering out only a part of a project. (10M only) Cue markers are now embedded into rendered WAV files. (10M only) Mute now deactivates the input. Previously mute would only mute the input in the headphone monitor. Mute is now accessible via the Channel screen. 10T factory default mode is now set to Advanced instead of Basic. Monitor button is now grayed out when Input is set to Off. (10M only) The track that is using 'Air' is now displayed in the greyed out button of other tracks. (10M only) Fixed Headphone clip indicator was only being displayed when adjusting headphone level Some USB keyboard shortcuts were not working (10M only) Brief audio burst when soloing a channel (10M only) Enabling a track's input monitor would incorrectly enable other tracks' input monitors during record (10M only) Transport stability, media performance and UI navigation have been improved Timecode Menu and USB Drive Status Error Handling have been improved (10T only) Fast Forward and Rewind were not responsive in the Channel screens. (10T and 10M only)
  19. Hi All, Re: Bag for MixPre 10T : Can anyone recommend a wide bottomed, fairly deep bag that has enough internal space for the somewhat awkward dual L-Mount battery battery sled for the MIXPRE-10T ? The sled, when attached with one or two batteries, makes the MIXPRE 10-T taller and much wider at the bottom due to the way that the L-Mount batteries are mounted kind of north and south. Essentially, the MIXPRE remains slender on the top and mid section but becomes "wide bottomed". My current Portabrace bag will only allow enough north-south clearance to have only one L-mount battery in the sled at a time - kind of limiting. As always, thanks for your kind advice. All the best, Dave
  20. Hi All, Still gathering assorted gear for my small doc kit bag. Would anyone have any suggestions about breakaway cable assemblies that would do double duty for a MixPre 10T and also a Sound Devices 302 mixer? This is what I've been looking at : https://www.trewaudio.com/product/remote-audio-cabetasd633/ The MixPre 10T trimecode connection is BNC in/out - can I adapt the Lemo to BNC as needed? I believe I read on the B&H website that the BNC timecode part of the cable assembly only transmits one direction - is this correct? If anyone in Toronto might be considering selling a breakaway cable assembly, please feel free to PM. Thanks very much, as always. Best Regards, Dave
  21. Hi fellow MixPre 10T users, Is anyone using their MixPre 10T as an interface into Logic, in full advanced mode? Have you found a fluid workflow? I'm finding the manual lacking when it comes to using the 10T in a multitrack music recording session with a typical DAW. I'm quite used to using the Apogee Maestro control software that controls my Duet, though only 2 channels. I gather that all the control of the MixPre 10T in USB interface mode is done strictly within the MixPre 10T machine itself? As someone already suggested, hopefully Sound Devices might come up with a software control panel. Just trying to wrap my head around the signal flow when using the 10T as a multi-channel audio interface. If you have any workflow, settings tips or resources to share that would be most appreciated. In the meantime, back to the manual and trial and error :-)) Thanks kindly. Cheers, Dave
  22. Not sure if this Feb. 23, 2018 Gotham Sound interview with sound mixer Danny Michael has been posted yet : perhaps of interest? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oauPnytSQ3M&list=PLn6NrfX46lNdA2dpYsXjh1nS1N51Zsqo6 Cheers, Dave
  23. Hi All, Hope everyone is well and having a good week :-) Are there any MixPre 10T users powering their units internally with 8 rechargeable AA batteries in the included sled? Any experience with the runtime with this powering method? If you are satisfied with internal AA rechargeable battery performance, what brand are you having good results with? Sound Devices has an article about the MixPre series powering but not too specific about the 10T model. https://www.sounddevices.com/tech-notes/mixpre-3-mixpre-6-maxbatteryruntime I'm thinking that I should ultimately get the L-Mount Sony style batteries and sled and keep the 10T loaded with rechargeable AAs as backup. If you have any other suggestions that would be very welcome. Thanks for any tips about the 10T and rechargeable AA performance - much appreciated. Cheers, Dave
  24. Hi Kathryn, Thanks for sharing your experience using the MixPre 10T as an audio interface into your MacBook Pro. Can I ask how you powered your MixPre when used in conjunction with your laptop? Did you use the optional wall power supply? I understand that would be the best studio powering option but perhaps you've had success with internal rechargeable AA batteries or external battery powering? I've been curious to hear vocals (and instruments) tracked into a DAW through the MixPre's preamps and limiters. I'd love to hear your vocal tracks and/or finished result, if you'd care to share. I'm assuming your vocal tracking was a musical session as opposed to a voice-over? Can I ask what DAW you used? How did you find the functionality and latency with the MixPre as an interface? Also, great to know that you had success using a USB hub. Was your Hub a USB "C" input version? From your Hub into your MacBook, do you use USB "C" or the older standard USB-A? Thanks again. Wishing you a great day. Cheers, Dave
  25. Hi All, Just perusing the manual for the MixPre 10T - Sorry if I'm missing it in the manual or in the forums, I don't see any mention of power requirements or specific USB connections when the 10T is used as an audio interface into a computer. What I'd like to know is : - can the unit operate solely on bus power, in my case from an iMac with the older USB ports? - does the unit need batteries in the sled or external power when acting as a USB interface, even if it can indeed be bus powered? - is the USB "C" Port the correct one, when using 10T as an interface? The manual doesn't specify connections directly, though the Specs imply USB C - can I go out of the 10T's USB "C" Port and directly into my iMac's USB "2.0" input using a single cable like this : USB C Male (from 10T) to Type A USB (into iMac USB Port) http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=1340_1418_97&item_id=087682 - any issues using a USB extender cable at the standard USB end? - if just recording through the unit, strictly acting as an audio interface into the computer, does an SD card need to be present in the MixPre? Thanks very much for indulging these very specific questions - always appreciated :-) Best Regards, Dave
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