Mobilemike

Hey all, I was on a shoot today using a Zaxcom IFB-200 as timecode generator, feeding a Sound Devices MixPre-6. Timecode seemed stable on the IFB200, and was fine on a couple of ERX’s feeding cameras. However the MixPre kept losing timecode sync for brief moments. It would be receiving timecode fine and then all of a sudden seem to lose signal and flash “- - - - - -“ briefly before resuming timecode as if nothing happened. This would happen at random intervals but on a pretty regular basis. Tried several different cable configurations from the IFB200 to the MixPre, and tried both Aux 1 and Aux 2 on the MixPre and nothing helped. Eventually I fed the MixPre from a spare ERX instead of directly from the BNC jack of the IFB200 and that seemed to work fine. Of course that’s another thing in the bag and another set of batteries to monitor though, so that’s not an ideal long term solution. Has anyone had this issue before, or can offer any tips? Thanks! -Mike

I have a couple of the Sony ECM-100N mics for ambiance recording, which are also 19mm diameter. Ive just put a couple of wraps of silicone tape on the body of the mic to get it to fit into the 20mm Cinela Leo. The silicone tape doesn’t mess with the finish and it seems to work fine that way. I’d be interested in another 19mm solution if one comes up tho. The 8020’s might be a little short for the Leo and a shockmount. -Mike

Happy Birthday!!

I had one here for a little while and eventually sold it just because it didn’t have quite the routing flexibility I needed. It’s a pretty simple mixer but if you’re ok with limited routing I think it’s a great choice. It’s very well made and sounds great. -Mike

This is my experience exactly. I sometimes get client requests for the 416, usually for commercials. It works well when you want "that sound" and aren't going to do much treatment to the VO after recording. For film or TV or anything with a bit more subtlety or character an LDC is always a better choice IMO. -Mike

Ahhhhhh! Want!! -Mike

I’d be curious if that’s really the case that you can’t use XLR 2 or 5 when you’re doing AES. The Scorpio is different from the MixPre line and the 6-series in that any physical input can be routed to any channel (so says the marketing materials). So it seems to me that even if you’re using XLR 1 for two channels of AES, you should be able to route XLR 2 to channel 3 or any other unused channel. -Mike

You can have up to 3 expansion panels attached to the Platform M for a total of 32 faders. -Mike

Is it 4 mic inputs + 2 line inputs + 4 wireless? I hope so - that would make sense since there are 12 available channels. Or or does using the wireless receivers make it impossible to use all the analog I/O? -Mike

Dangggg look at all those outputs. That’s beautiful. -Mike

Like pretty much everybody else mentioned, I don’t use my MKH70 a lot, but when I do its exactly the right tool for the job, and I’m grateful to have it. I’ve used it for situations like man on the street interviews where clipping a lav on isn’t practical. I’ve used it for long outdoor walk and talks too and it was perfect. Don’t use it a ton but will never get rid of it because sometimes its exactly what you need. -Mike

I use a Zaxcom IFB-200 in my MixPre bag, which has 2-channel backup recording with timecode. Better to be safe than sorry IMO. -Mike

That is true, however Core Sound does offer calibration services for the SPS200. -Mike

Calling Rycote to make a zeppelin out of that material 😜 -Mike

Frame accurate, yes, and only at the start of the file. Everything after that depends on the recorder’s clocks. For truly accurate sync you need recorders with word clock capabilities. -Mike

Yeah the 10T works the same way - post fader USB only. -Mike

I like that I can use it that way to easily record slightly hotter levels into Pro Tools, but have the ISO’s recorded on the MixPre as a backup in case of overages. -Mike

No, the USB feed is post fader only. Personally this is great for the the way I like to work but I know some people would prefer the option of pre-fade feeds. -Mike

Yes this works fine. It uses the USB-C port to connect to a computer and the USB-A port to connect to a controller. -Mike

Just visually it looks like it could be a clocking problem. Were you using any other digital gear, or feeding AES signals into the 788? -Mike

I'm not sure about older, but the 664 is an analog mixer with a digital recorder integrated, whereas the 633 and 688 are both digital mixers. Unfortunately features can't be added to an analog device through a firmware update. -Mike

That is very cool! I like that the pouches are removable as well so you can just grab one and go. -Mike

I’d agree with this. What kind of SFX are you recording? For exterior ambiences and such I would generally want stereo of some sort. For interior foley and FX sounds the Neumann KMR-81 is my go-to. -Mike

Personally I wouldn’t risk it, even if someone else has been successful many times. It only takes one grumpy flight attendant and then your gear is in danger of getting lost or damaged. 1510 for essentials, check everything else. -Mike

All of the above, honestly. I used a battery pack that had both coax outputs for wireless receivers and a USB output for my MixPre. Neither was very reliable however, as neither connection was locking, and I had to use a rather convoluted set of adapters in order to make the coax output work with my Zaxcom receiver. I had an AA battery backup in the MixPre so that wouldn't lose power while recording, but I definitely had power fail on the wireless a couple of times. The batteries took forever to charge and did not seem to discharge reliably. Some days I would get 3 hours out of one, other days only an hour and a half. It also took a very figety set of steps to turn the battery on - everything had to be plugged in and booted on in a certain order and then the battery turned on. There was also no easy way to turn it off between takes to save power. I went over to the 49Wh Inspired Energy smart batteries after that. They are about the same size and weight as the USB battery I was using, so pretty small, but way more reliable and power the gear for far longer. A bit more expensive, but I'm willing to pay for reliability. -Mike