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Sound Devices Pix 260


Simon Paine

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Anyone using the newest Pix 260 ?

Was thinking of using it for a high track count reality show. Rolling the unit for 15 hours a day.

I've heard from another sound mixer that they tried using pix 260's but they would randomly keep shutting down during long takes. They were recording video and audio and the units were located in a car. They ended up returning the Pix's and used something else.

Would love to be able to chalk that up to being an isolated experience.

So any feedback from users?

Thanks.

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Brett Grant Grierson is currently using the Pix 260i, via the Dante network for this purpose on the show "Sons of Anarchy". Also Phil Palmer has tested the same setup with the Yamaha 01V96 mixer and is about to start another season of Glee. Scott Harber is also using the same system.

There are threads here on that topic as well as video of a demo of the Dante network from a seminar hosted by Location Sound Services.

 

 

There is plenty of anecdotal information available to give you a lot of material to help you answer your question and more.

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Thanks Old School,

I'll drop them a line.

And thank you Richard also,

I've watched the LSC seminar and it was very informative. I'm sold on the flexibility / scalability / reliability of the Dante audio networking.

What I'm trying to determine now is what would be the most reliable recording device to record a large track count for 15 hours + a day, for several weeks.

Pix260? Joeco black box dante version? Metacorder? Boom recorder?

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Thanks Old School,

I'll drop them a line.

And thank you Richard also,

I've watched the LSC seminar and it was very informative. I'm sold on the flexibility / scalability / reliability of the Dante audio networking.

What I'm trying to determine now is what would be the most reliable recording device to record a large track count for 15 hours + a day, for several weeks.

Pix260? Joeco black box dante version? Metacorder? Boom recorder?

What BRAIN is most reliable to record large track counts for 15 hours a day for several weeks... I can say... not mine... ::)  Have fun on that gig...

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seriously...the manufacturers, and their dealers (and maybe not just our "usual suspects") probably can tell you of projects using their stuff in the context you are interested in.

But they might less forthcoming when there have been instances of bad behaviour by their machines. 1st hand experience unrelated to the manufacturer can be invaluable.
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Pix260? Joeco black box dante version? Metacorder? Boom recorder?

 

 

I've been using Boom Recorder as my primary platform for the last year and change, and as my backup platform for several years before that.  Very, very few problems to report.  However, I don't have a lot of experience with rolling takes longer than 15 minutes or so (or however long it takes an Alexa to roll out).

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We've sent out the PIX260i, JoeCo, MetaCorder and Boom Recorder audio recorders on reality shows and set up a few production sound mixers recently with the PIX260i.

 

All have their quirks.

Some caveats with the PIX260i:

 

It's BWF-P only. This is likely to change, but that's how it is right now - which may be an issue for post.

 

It only monitors channels as stereo pairs - meaning "1.2";"3,4"; etc. We include a little headphone switchbox with the unit so mixers can solo individual tracks to both ears.

 

You can't check menu settings while recording. Not that big of a deal since a lot of info is displayed on the screen while it's recording, but something to know when you have to troubleshoot.

 

JOSH - this may have bit you: You need to switch it to "Audio Only" mode when there is no video signal.

 

There is a persistent issue we've had with large Dante setups when trying to keep it synced to external word clock (it defaults to internal sync), but as long as we manually changed it when powering it up, all was fine.

 

I have never seen it shut down during a long audio recording (10+ hours).

Peter Schneider

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Peter - fair and accurate comments. 

 

Just wanted to point out that the next 260 firmware release should address most of the issues you raise.

 

Simon - sorry for intervening in this 'user' thread. Just thought you'd like to know that we're on the case.

 

Paul

Sound Devices

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I have to say, the demo of the Pix-260 at the Dante presentation was really impressive: 32 tracks of audio over one CAT-5 cable, and the recorder is small, self-contained, and costs $5600. Plus you can attach up to 4 drives. I can imagine for certain types of projects, this would be pretty cool to have. I particularly liked the browser-based user interface, which will work with damn near anything (laptops, tablets, Windows, Macs, whatever). 

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It's been rock solid for me for the past few months.

I've used it on the TV show Wilfred then down for a week and now into a feature. At first I was using AES from an 01V mixer into the 788 as well as the PIX 260 and after a couple of weeks incorporated the Dante card and that system. Three or so months in and it's been rock solid. A CF caddy added a few weeks ago and all is well. 

My version will do poly or mono files while in audio only mode which can help the folks rolling those long and high track count type files.

 

The shortcomings as far as I can see are that the menus are not accessible while recording and metadata entry is a bit cumbersome. 

Some minor menu tweaks to make usage cleaner and faster etc.

When that happens in the not too distant future I will be graduating my 788T off the cart and back into a bag.

Also the CF caddy won't do video, at least when I tried at 444 but that doesn't really bother me.

 

It's a very good machine that is pointed at greatness from where I sit.

 

Scott Harber

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Peter - fair and accurate comments.

Just wanted to point out that the next 260 firmware release should address most of the issues you raise.

Simon - sorry for intervening in this 'user' thread. Just thought you'd like to know that we're on the case.

Paul

Sound Devices

Any automix capabilities being considered for the 260? Or is that a physical impossibility?

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Any automix capabilities being considered for the 260? Or is that a physical impossibility?

I believe the PIX-260 has NO mixing capabilities. Track assignment and routing but no internal mixing. All the heavy lifting has to be done externally --- this is one of the reasons the PIX-260 is such a good fit for those already using the Yamaha. Everything that needs to be done in terms of the inputs, mixing and EQ, is done in the Yamaha, not the recorder.

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