Best Bag for MixPre3 with external battery brick: Sachtler Small or Orca-27?

[conleec]

Hello All,

 

I've got a MixPre3 with an external rechargeable battery that I connect via USB-C. I'm looking for a small field recorder bag to organize the gear and a set of Sennheiser HD-25 headphones. Does anybody have a similar setup, and what bag would your recommend? I use the recorder for field recording of sound effects and ambiences, not production work, btw. All personal stuff.

 

I've been looking at options online, and it SEEMS like the best two options for my particular setup might be the Sachtler Small, or the Orca-27.

 

I've attached the battery to the back/bottom of the recorder with Velcro, and it's almost 4 inches, stacked. You can sort of see it in the attached image.

 

Any thoughts? Thanks a million in advance.

 

Chris

[allistair]

It's always a trade-off between compactness and room for accessories obviously, but I'd look at the K-Tek Mix Pro bag and the Orca OR-270 on the smaller end. The Sachtler and the OR-27 are both good choices as well though. I always find I need to go to Gotham Sound to check out any bag before I buy it to get a feel for it.

[MondoBurger]

If you just need something simple to keep the mixer and battery snug, the Ktek Airo case does the trick, travels in a backpack, and is dirt cheap. You would just have to hang your headphones off the outside of it.

[conleec]

6 hours ago, allistair said:

It's always a trade-off between compactness and room for accessories obviously, but I'd look at the K-Tek Mix Pro bag and the Orca OR-270 on the smaller end. The Sachtler and the OR-27 are both good choices as well though. I always find I need to go to Gotham Sound to check out any bag before I buy it to get a feel for it.

Yeah, I wish there was a place like Gotham in Los Angeles to demo all the bags. I'm driving myself crazy trying to come up with the perfect solution by internet research alone.

 

2 hours ago, MondoBurger said:

If you just need something simple to keep the mixer and battery snug, the Ktek Airo case does the trick, travels in a backpack, and is dirt cheap. You would just have to hang your headphones off the outside of it.

 

The Airo Case worries me. While it looks almost perfect, my kit is nearly 4 inches thick, with the rechargeable brick, and the specs say the bag is only 2.8 inches deep. Is it flexible enough to accommodate something slightly thicker?

[MondoBurger]

I have a mixpre 3 and an Anker PowerCore+ 20100 in mine. The battery sits at the bottom of the case underneath the recorder, rather than beside it. It's rented out at the moment otherwise I would measure it for you.

[Trey LaCroix]

37 minutes ago, conleec said:

I wish there was a place like Gotham in Los Angeles to demo all the bags.

Have you visited Location Sound Corp., Trew Audio, Audio Department, or Wilcox? I bet you could demo every bag on the market between all of them. You could even bring your gear in and see how it fits.

[Throwback]

10 hours ago, conleec said:

I've got a MixPre3 with an external rechargeable battery that I connect via USB-C. I'm looking for a small field recorder bag to organize the gear and a set of Sennheiser HD-25 headphones. Does anybody have a similar setup, and what bag would your recommend? I use the recorder for field recording of sound effects and ambiences, not production work, btw. All personal stuff.

 

Once you are not doing production sound, then you really need to think what you want from such bags: side entry for cables, transparent top window or what? I have found that for field recording (sound effects and music on location) with my minute Mixpre-3 set up I don't find side entry for cables any advantage and nor is a transparent top window much use. Rather, I would have something that can hold ancillary kit more safely and that is more discreet both visually and noise-wise (think velcro). So I have given up using my Mixpre-3 in a Petrol 607 and, instead, for the last 18 months have been using a Thinktank Retrospective bag: in my case I use the Retrospective 7, so I can also carry mics (usually 4 SDCs), HD25 headphones, a couple of invision 7 shockmounts, 2 x baby ball gags, cables, spare batteries, a small M43 camera + extra lens, a 10" tablet etc. Though still modest in size, there are smaller ones if you want less clobber. Just a thought that, of course, may not be relevant to you!

 

Cheers,

 

Roland

[IronFilm]

11 hours ago, allistair said:

It's always a trade-off between compactness and room for accessories obviously, but I'd look at the K-Tek Mix Pro bag and the Orca OR-270 on the smaller end. The Sachtler and the OR-27 are both good choices as well though.

Yeah I think the OR270 is basically an OR27 bag but tweaked to better fit the oddness of the MixPre design, so the OR270 is very worthwhile checking out. 

[conleec]

Interesting. I see that Location Sound has OR270s in store; I might try to swing by during lunch and take a look at it.

 

I'm wondering if maybe I should look at a smaller USB battery brick, too? The one I'me using is wonderful, but it's so tall or wide, that is extends well past the edges of the MixPre3. Any recommendations there?

[INARI]

ZOOM PCF4 may be right candidate.
and this is cheap.

[conleec]

Yeah, I've been looking at that bag online. Looks right, but I haven't been able to find internal dimensions listed. I'm a little worried about the battery brick...

 

[INARI]

22 minutes ago, conleec said:

Yeah, I've been looking at that bag online. Looks right, but I haven't been able to find internal dimensions listed. I'm a little worried about the battery brick... 

 

I would appreciate it if it becomes helpful.
It is slightly larger than 7.0 in. (W) x 5.5 in. (D) x 2.1 in. (H)

Battery is Anker Powercore 20100.

 

[OnTheSoundSideOfLife]

You should check out the bags from Kortwich. They look really good imo.

 

http://www.bagsfromgermany.com/de/bag-for-sound-devices1/mixpre-3-6-10

 

I would ask them if they could add an elastic sleeve on the front of the simple bag version, so you could slide in your battery. If it rains, the rain cover just goes on top of that.

 

http://www.bagsfromgermany.com/de/bag-for-sound-devices-mixpre-10t-variante-2

 

Edit: By elastic sleeves, I mean the ones you can see in this bag. But in the length of your battery.

 

http://www.bagsfromgermany.com/de/bag-for-sd-664-688-with-red-inside

 

 

[Dave Pullmer]

Where are you located? A trip to your local army surplus or hiking/outdoors store will give you loads of good options in the form of utility pouches or fanny packs for a much more reasonable price (and weight!).

[conleec]

8 hours ago, OnTheSoundSideOfLife said:

You should check out the bags from Kortwich. They look really good imo.

 

http://www.bagsfromgermany.com/de/bag-for-sound-devices1/mixpre-3-6-10

 

I would ask them if they could add an elastic sleeve on the front of the simple bag version, so you could slide in your battery. If it rains, the rain cover just goes on top of that.

 

http://www.bagsfromgermany.com/de/bag-for-sound-devices-mixpre-10t-variante-2

 

Edit: By elastic sleeves, I mean the ones you can see in this bag. But in the length of your battery.

 

http://www.bagsfromgermany.com/de/bag-for-sd-664-688-with-red-inside

 

 

 

Wow, those really do look good. I'm going to go to Location Sound with my gear and see what they might have too.

 

 

[IronFilm]

9 hours ago, INARI said:

ZOOM PCF4 may be right candidate.
and this is cheap.

That used to be my bag until I upgraded to the Orca OR30, and I really do like it a lot more. Things like the ridged frame, the hooks on the bottom for the harness, etc

 

 

[borjam]

I got the Sachtler SN607 bag. An Anker USB-C battery fits on the bottom without problem and there's room for some cable management.

 

 

[conleec]

Okay, well I went to Location Sound in Los Angeles, and took my gear along with me. Ultimately the very best bag for me was the K-Tek MixPro bag. My gear fit like a glove. The pouch on the front won't really hold my Sennheiser HD-25 headphones, but I can sort of stuff the cans in and close the zippers down around it to keep it in place. Works like a treat. 

 

Now the only problem is that I had previously purchased a K-Tek Stingray Junior bag, which is too big. If anybody is interested in THAT bag, I've currently got it listed on eBay here.

[TVPostSound]

I went with the strut bag for now.

Has a provision for the Anker PowerCore+ 20100 USB-C battery.

Will also fit the L mount sled with 2 batteries

You know the maker read Sound Devices Tech Notes!!

 

Port Brace didn't, hence why Im selling it here!! (Porta Brace bag)

 

 

[conleec]

8 hours ago, TVPostSound said:

You know the maker read Sound Devices Tech Notes!!

 

Port Brace didn't, hence why Im selling it here!! (Porta Brace bag)

 

You know that's right. I sold my Porta Brace bag too.

[SWDuncan]

So Conleec, you've had it for a while now, How's it working for you? I was set to get the OR-270, but you're situation is similar to mine, so now I'm wondering about K-tec...

 

Thanks!

 

Steve

 

 

On 2/10/2019 at 12:11 AM, conleec said:

Okay, well I went to Location Sound in Los Angeles, and took my gear along with me. Ultimately the very best bag for me was the K-Tek MixPro bag. My gear fit like a glove. The pouch on the front won't really hold my Sennheiser HD-25 headphones, but I can sort of stuff the cans in and close the zippers down around it to keep it in place. Works like a treat. 

 

Now the only problem is that I had previously purchased a K-Tek Stingray Junior bag, which is too big. If anybody is interested in THAT bag, I've currently got it listed on eBay here.