CL-9 released

[Matthias Richter]

here you go:

http://www.sounddevices.com/products/cl9.htm

[Eric Toline]

here you go:

http://www.sounddevices.com/products/cl9.htm

Selling at $2250.

Eric

[rich]

now, if they could make a version of wave agent for the ipad so you could have the metering, start/stop and metadata entry, that would be absolutely badass.

[Michael Capulli]

what do you guys think about this product? Im impressed but not blown away. It has a few extra things that I didn't expect - but then again, I don't believe its going to be enough for many.

[fatfatjames]

i kind of like it but if only they add a com to boom op on the cl-9 will be good...

[Dre Rivera]

I also like it. I like the fact it has returns and eq on it

[carbonhobbit]

The returns and talk back are right above the stop and Record buttons.

[fatfatjames]

i mean a mic input to talk to the boom op instead of lossing track 8

[greg sextro]

huh.  I thought I read that there was a talkback - I'm assuming one can assign it where they want.  I'm just about to run over to gotham to check it out and will ask. 

But just in case, there is a relatively inexpensive option james:

http://www.pro-sound.com/p/STALKBOX.html

-greg-

[Chris R]

I like what i read so far but I was really hoping for better metering.

[John Blankenship]

I've yet to see a full-on front panel shot where you can easily see each knob, button, and label.  Has anyone found one?

John B.

[Noah Timan]

Selling at $2250.

Eric

Seems that for the price of an 01V, it's got a few less (hundred?) features. 

(Of course, it is about 32 pounds lighter and has a smaller footprint, and doesn't have the powering requirements or need an out-of-box solution for 48.048).

Still, it does make the mind turn a bit.  I hope this does not come across as offensive to Sound Devices, who are applauded for augmenting their good product with an oft-requested solution, and whose products and excellent support I am grateful for the help of over the last eight years, but that nothwithstanding I do kind of wonder aloud for us as end users about the choice between a CL9 and an 01V if cost isn't any deciding factor.

Obviously, there are those to whose applications a 32-pound mixer with heavy AC requirements doesn't make sense.

Other thoughts?

nvt

[imagist]

I like what i read so far but I was really hoping for better metering.

I agree - there actually appears to be no metering on the CL-9.

I would have happily been prepared to pay more for high resolution metering visually aligned with each fader.

Otherwise there's translation required between the 788T panel metering or laptop metering (with Wave Agent) which is less immediate.

A missed opportunity I think, disappointing that SD thought the 788T metering or laptop metering was adequate?

[studiomprd]

" I don't believe its going to be enough for many. "

there were a lot of ideas SD considered, but they were also trying to have a price point.

they felt it would not be as successful if the accessory cost more than the recorder itself!

" i kind of like it but if only they add a com to boom op on the cl-9 will be good... "

sorry, but it does not work with Zaxcom products...it requires a SD 788T recorder.

[Jeff Wexler]

Still, it does make the mind turn a bit.  I hope this does not come across as offensive to Sound Devices, who are applauded for augmenting their good product with an oft-requested solution, and whose products and excellent support I am grateful for the help of over the last eight years, but that nothwithstanding I do kind of wonder aloud for us as end users about the choice between a CL9 and an 01V if cost isn't any deciding factor.

nvt

I am surprised and actually quite perplexed that the 788T - CL-9 combo is being compared to Yamaha O1v. Is that "O1v" a typo or something? The CL-9 is a control surface for a recorder, the O1v is neither a control surface OR a recorder, so what's to compare? This reminds me when the Ford Granada came out there was a bill board that said "For the price of a Mercedes-Benz you could buy 10 Ford Granadas". What I said when I saw that was "For the price of a Ford Granada you could buy 2 tons of pasta".

I think the CL-9 is well priced and provides for those who use the 788T much easier control over the recorder. There are several features of the 788T that are not so easy for the user to get to and the external CL-9 interface helps out there.

[RPSharman]

I thought it was great, and fully expect to buy one for the next film or perhaps the next one after that.  I need to look into what I might be giving up, other than the extra weight and power requirements of my mixer.  I love the idea of a scaled-down rig which can consist of the Venue, 788T, CL9, and Comtek transmitters.

And there is no comparison between the CL9 and the 01V.  Apples and oranges.

Robert

[Richard Lightstone, CAS]

I'm with Jeff on this. I think a better comparison would be the CL-9 features against the Zaxcom Mix-8, or Mix-12.

RL

[Eric Toline]

I'm with Jeff on this. I think a better comparison would be the CL-9 features against the Zaxcom Mix-8, or Mix-12.

RL

and the Cantar version also.

Eric

[greg sextro]

I got a good look at it at Gotham earlier today.  It looks nice.  Seems like it would take a while to really figure out the ins n outs of using it - there are lots of shortcuts on it, but you really need to know what you're doing it seems.

As for the meters, yes.  it's too bad they didn't integrate them into the panel - but I think having wave agent open on a laptop can only be a benefit down the line.  What I mean by this is that they can also mirror many more functions/functionality with the software.  This could be really useful for calling up eq settings (which, one can store as pre-sets in the meantime) or the like.

Also, it looks like more bands of eq will eventually be available - it's really a matter of a firmware update.

As for Noah's comment.  I certainly can understand where he's coming from.  But overall - what really strikes me is the flexibility of having a 788t, cl-8 and cl-9.  One can move really quickly between "on the cart" and "over the shoulder" set-ups, without having to switch to a different recorder and still maintaining a lot of functionality.

Also, there are two com toggles that allow you two-way private line communication.  James mentioned that it was unfortunate that one has to use an input to do this from the mixers end - there is one way around this - a slate built in slate mic, but i doubt it's always ideal.

All in all - I thought it was an impressive piece of gear.  I also can see how many people will want to just stick to an analog or digital mixing board.  The beauty of the cl-9 is that there is still many new features that can be implemented down the line to meet the demands of it's users.

-greg-

[Michael Capulli]

I'm still a little fuzzy on this... If you had two boom ops, one on each comm, and lets say you had a 7pin boom line for a private boom talkback - does this eat up one of the inputs on 788?

[greg sextro]

michael,

you can eat up one of the inputs or not.  if you use the built in mic, you don't use and input.  but if you want to you a separate mic, then you need to use the 8th input.

you can do your boom sends however you want from the 788t (from one or two of its outputs).  the cl-9 has two xlr ins that you can use as the boom op(s) mic(s) returns.  when you activate either com 1 or 2, it not only opens up your feed to them (via either the 8th input, or the built in mic) but their feed to you (if there is one)

-greg-

[cmgoodin]

I think the price is a little high.  It is after all, just a control surface like the CL-8 with no active audio processing. I was hoping for something priced just a little higher than the CL-8 but not almost 3 times the cost. 

I would also have liked to see some mix track or output metering on the Unit.  Even just a Ring LED around the Master Level pots for the Mix tracks would be acceptable. 

I think the Wave Agent tie in will be a great addition. It needs to add some more things to be truly usefull though.  Like on-screen channel EQ indicators which now once set disappear from the 788t LCD display and can only be seen if you go to change their settings.  Also using the computer's Keyboard in Wave Agent to enter 788T metadata and issue Hot-Key transport controls would be great.  Currently the only way to start/stop recording from Wave Agent is to use the mouse to click the Record or Stop button on the screen.  I'm sure all these things will improve with time as the software is updated.  It is a good start though.

----Courtney

[cjh]

looks interesting but yes having no dedicated slate mic and supposedly having to use track 8 for it sucks, that really needs to be sorted if that is indeed the case. Also a more simple but needed mod is a lockout cover or similar over the rec/stop controls - at some stage you will definitely accidentally hit stop mid way thru a take and that's not good!

chris.

[Jeff Wexler]

Also a more simple but needed mod is a lockout cover or similar over the rec/stop controls - at some stage you will definitely accidentally hit stop mid way thru a take and that's not good!

chris.

I am not sure but I think possibly the STOP button requires that you hold it down for a few seconds --- not a perfect solution but workable.

-  Jeff Wexler

[Tom Visser]

Oh if the boys from Wisconsin would only give in and take a cue from the "other Cheeseheads across the Atlantic" and use a rotary function knob.  It is priced pretty aggressively (in context of Aaton and Zaxcom) but I do feel the 01V comparison does have some merit.  We are talking about a product that is going to be used on a cart, not OTS.  That being said, it looks quite nice and if I were a 788t owner, I would be first in line to buy one - probably wouldn't use it on a set for a few weeks to let my peers test it out for me, though.