JBMangini

I have found this camera to be a little finicky with timecode, but that also goes for the f5. Its frequent enough to warrant me coming up with a new plan. For now, I'm staying tethered via bnc since I don't own a lockit box.

I agree with you all on many levels, and do apologize for any nagging. In the heat of the moment, it can get chaotic. There are more specifics about the gear and pr, but I think there's enough on the table for now. Thank you all for your input, thoughts and suggestions. It's great having a board where we can discuss and problem solve issues that we all deal with.

Every day, every situation is different in the world I work. I try to be prepared, as much as possible, and this includes owning reliable equipment. Although having a backup for each piece of gear is a great solution, it's not always realistic to have it attached to my belt. When running onto basketball court for post game interviews, I'm not pushing a cart with supplies around the court, nor do I have an assistant to shine my shoes. Yes, I might have a pelican packed with backup equipment on site, but realistically, there isn't always a second take or another opportunity to switch out gear. What leaves me baffled is that Sound Devices Tech Support assumed it was a hardware issue. It was explained that the day prior, the machine completely froze. The following day, none of the inputs would activate. SD offered to send me a loaner, for $80/day. This, along with the initial card and firmware issues, have left me with a different opinion about how this company operates.

Thanks robertw, I was wondering much of the same.

After several hours of tinkering, a friend suggested reloading the most recent firmware. Voila! Back in business! And the 302 and H4n combo will forever remain in my bag.

Arrived on location today, powered up my 633, and surprise! None of the inputs will work. After running several tests, I called Sound Devices tech support (Casey) and was informed that they hadn't seen this problem yet. No explanation, no solution. Fortunately I had a 302 in my bag and was able to record to a camera, potentially saving a client and a reputation. Unfortunately several upcoming gigs require a little more than a 302. This 633 was purchased from Trew Audio (Nashville) in November. They too were contacted and seemed to wipe their hands clean so far. Aside from telling me that they offer a 30 day return policy, they have yet to offer any assistance. Anyone else been down this road? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Everything except the CF card is working here. Coincidentally, working on a spot for a "software testing company". What are the chances!?!?!?

Firmware update... http://www.sounddevices.com/download/633-firmware/full-detail/

Rob - same scenario here. Only after power cycles do the levels change. Jozz - I agree, and don't feel confident with this machine. 2 issues within 2 days of work. When reliability accounts for a great deal of your work, I can't be bringing something like this around with me. Studiomprd - I agree to a certain extent. Minor bugs and ergonomics often change, and I expect that. More often than not, the folks who build these things don't spend any time in the field using them, which is why they need the feedback from us guinea pigs. That being said, when I buy a new vehicle, the engine, steering wheel and brakes ought to work on the first day. If these components fail, it is highly unlikely that I would trust any future products from that company. When I show up on a gig with a new crew or a new camera, those excuses don't work. The live-stream release of this product might have said it all. Hope you were fortunate enough to see that, because their audio didn't work there either.

Both tone and program audio.

More problems with the 633. Watch your XLR Output levels. While recording to a HDX900 and attempting to stripe a new tape, the 633 output levels dropped -10db more than what they were set to. This happened several times. I contacted Sound Devices, and they were able to replicate the problem. Supposedly this is only happening to the XLR outputs and not the TA-3 outputs. A temporary fix is to reboot the 633. Fortunately it restarts quickly. So far the CF card (which was supplied in the 633 kit) is having problems, as well as the XLR outputs. It's pretty disappointing to have a new piece of gear not work as advertised. Look for an update from Sound Devices soon.