Mix Pre 3 II: The Stuff They Don't Tell You

[@GearForYoutube]

To address the whole "You idiot. Just buy a USB C battery pack" comments: That's fine if I'm sitting around at home or an office. But that doesn't work for me. When I'm running around convention centers, I can't be having a USB cable running to a battery pack somewhere that could potentially come unplugged or fall off my tripod in the middle of a one take recording. I need it attached to the unit in a compact way. "Just put the USB battery on top of the unit" doesn't work in my use case either, because that is where the camera mount goes. That's why I use rechargeable AA's with the included mount, or a Sony L Mount battery.

[@freemiumambisound6230]

My solution is double sided Velcro tape. I have one side of the tape on the upper part of the tripod leg and the other on a portable battery. If the loose cable running up the leg to the recorder worries you, you could use a couple of zip ties to tie the cable to the leg..... Maybe some one will find this useful, save them buying Sony batteries, a Sony charger and 2 recorder adapters. Might save someone some $$ if they are not invested in the Sony ecosystem.

[@rocus80m]

don't bother with those idiots bud, great work with the video, appreciate it, exactly what I was looking for.

[@packgrog]

This makes complete sense, even if you could mount a USB power brick somewhere. One annoying thing I've experienced with an action camera with external battery backup is the unreliability of the USB connection. One good jostle, and the connection could be lost. The nice thing about that ugly but effective L Mount sled is that those batteries wouldn't be going anywhere without severe abuse. Good point here, thank you.

[@oliverleslie7382]

Redundancy is key. Have one on board battery set up and another usb set up in a small fanny pack.

[@gcprost]

I have the old MixPre 3 and I record live theatre, concerts, and dance shows with multiple cameras. I put the MixPre 3 on the edge of stage with a Rode NT4. I also record the house audio with another audio recorder. All the cameras are also equipped with shotgun mics. All the MixPre units come with analogue limiters which can prevent clipping. I have been using my unit for many years without a problem, even when bands play at one level during rehearsal and another during the show. I strongly recommend you give your unit a try without using the 32 bit float.

[@oliverleslie7382]

I agree, the pre amps are great, and the limiters are excellent - so one does not at all need to use the 32 bit float for any occasion. And the MIXPRE noise ceiling is top notch so again - 32 not needed.

[@brucesummers7448]

For $60 one can get the Anker 20100mAH lithium ion battery pack with cables to power the MixPre. Works much better when using the MixPre in a field case like the Strut STR-MP3 case where the Anker sits under the recorder. One other feature with the MaxPre-3 II and MaxPre-6 II is their having automatic power switchover when a USB-C power source is attached for use in place of the AA batteries.

[@LifeSurfingDude]

Justin, really love your honesty here. those are absolutely valid points and you are right, I haven't heard anybody else raising up those issues/characteristics.

[@aerofart]

Good tips. Here’s another one: if you actually do get fed up with the battery situation, don’t spend all that money on a couple of pieces of plastic battery caddy. What I did was drilled a small hole right through the backside of the included AA battery holder, near the battery contacts. I soldered the wires to those terminals, making sure not to impede the slot where they connect to the blade terminals on the main unit. At the other end of the cable I have an NP- battery caddy that I had laying around, but you can use any battery/caddy you like, so long as it has the proper voltage and can supply the current required. Make sure you connect the wires with proper polarity. You can do away with the include caddy altogether and just solder your wires straight onto the terminals on the back of the main unit, but then your battery caddy would be semi/permanently attached to the MixPre. I’m very happy with my solution. Works great and I don’t have to worry about damaging the USB-C port on the device or it accidentally pulling out in the middle of a recording.

[@edjefferson9175]

You bring up many good points, and I applaud your decision to not waste our time explaining every spec detail. We all agree. The battery mount system seems like an after thought. Seems they prioritized style over function. That flippy clippy latch is a POS. What is wrong with a damn screw? Looks like your ball head has an arca swiss mount. I recommend you get a flat arca swiss plate and keep it mounted on top of your mixpre3. That way the camera mounts flat to the mixer thus lowering the center of gravity for better stabilization. Then ditch the ball head for a small video pan/tilt head. Also it won't look so dorky. I would open the 32 bit file in an audio editing app, do my mixing and other processing and then export a 24 bit file to sync up in your NLE along side your video. To keep the video edit running smooth.

[@igottheshaft]

Thanks! Great review, exactly the sort of stuff I want to know that nobody else covered because they were to busy reciting specs. I appreciate it!

[@ram_wales]

Thank you, I’ve just bought one of these 4 years later to record documentary audio at boxing events.. really appreciate these tips 🙏🏽👊🏽

[@bralynstokes9193]

You are really banging that equipment around .

[@soldermecold7456]

It’s pretty high end gear, and they tout themselves as a company for professionals. If the gear can’t take a beating, it’s no good in the field. My Zoom F4 has a Hirose connector for power and never an issue with any mounting points. I’d like to see better for Sound Devices

[@Mike0193Azul]

Very helpful points here that I haven't heard emphasized by other reviewers

[@videojimgermany]

Great review! Great advice about buying a second batter sled because I'll be running all over recording for a month with this thing. Thanks for the brilliant suggestion.

[@SouthpawAutoworks]

Dude, you covered some great points here. Thank you for putting this video together.

[@martinrandez7021]

Fantastic content Justin! This is the kind of stuff I wish we'd hear more often. Real use review.... Love it and thanks :))

[@cubul32]

SD really cheaped out with that sony mount; for that price, it should have been metal and it should have come with a free hotdog as well.

[@silversulu]

I did a 98Wh V-mount and just powered it via USB. Great unit - solid review - you hot all the annoying stuff that's bugged me this past year.

[@bearfoot007]

Great to get your insights from actual use! Appreciate the heads up!

[@vKarl71]

This is very good. It is inexcusable that a high-end audio company makes the battery sled out of plastic. They're not paying attention to their users. They should make it indestructible and charge whatever they have to for it. I'd like to see Sound Devices make an external battery sled that connects to the unit by a wire that has much more robust connector than USB-C. The Sony batteries are great & will last a long time. Very pricey but worth it.

[@dirtyquant]

Very cool review, and not the usual puking of spec sheets. Thanks for the real world usecases. Nothing is perfect, but this looks pretty sweet.

[@mfreeman313]

Excellent discussion of the inevitable tradeoffs you have to think about even with the best gear.

[@mattcero1]

Drummers making bone-headed mistakes is redundant. Great information mate!

[@joelbos3506]

Great review and indeed stuff what normally people don't talk about. Thanks for the addition.

[@GearForYoutube]

Thanks Joel!

[@wcsdiaries]

@@GearForKZbin Between the zoom f6 and this, which would you say is a smaller setup/better suited for run and gun filmmaking?

[@Pharesm]

I think its also a great USB audio interface, and there's 3rd party mixer surfaces, that work with it. It also matches my A&H SQ-5 mixer's 96KHz, so my sound files match, no matter which of the two I used to record.

[@weddingvowsmanifesto3536]

Good job sir! Enjoyed it very much ))

[@VanoverMachineAndRepair]

This was a great review

[@posebukse]

Premiere operates at 32 bit float internally like every other audio engine. Also, no resampling is happening when exchanging bit depths, only sample rates :)

[@theleastsignificantbit4794]

Thanks for making this!

[@dinoscheidt]

Thank you for your take on this. Greeting from berlin ❤️

[@unoshieh3722]

Great and useful video! Well done! Just a small subjection: pls turn around both background lights till they dont in to the camera directly.

[@dantolino1093]

Good job brother, keep it up.

[@nathanksimpson]

The mixpre is desiged to be used in a mix bag so some of the niggles you had were some concessions to other use cases that weren't the primary use case I think.

[@GearForYoutube]

you're right, but hey it's just a video from one guys perspective. Not everyone that buys Sound Device gear works in 'the industry' there's a bunch of youtubers like me that just like the rock solid reliability of this brand and don't have a full supporting kit at all times :)

[@metalinyourhead3604]

Here’s the thing to keep in mind: Sound Devices deal in recorders meant for cinematic audio, it’s not necessarily designed for musicians or vloggers. That being said, and having just used this on a small documentary, I can 100% say that this is Ana amazing recorder. Your mileage may very, but I would swear by these things for indie film and documentary.

[@GearForYoutube]

Bro I'm still using it years after I bought it. It's incredibly good and so well built. Plus, you're probably right about it being designed with filmmakers in mind. But I purchased this from Sweetwater, Sound Devices 100% also has musicians in mind with their products. It can be used for dialog or music. I just happen to use it for both! :)

[@deovid]

Great info, thanks for this video!

[@daprincehwc]

No you are not clumsy it's a design flaw of sound devices, and one issue I had with the mixpre 3, the tap lock on the mixpre is too shallow that the battery enclosure can not get enough grip to hold on, so it comes out with gentle bump. I was tired of the back coming off so I just use power bank for mobile.

[@technoisbeautiful]

Great! Thank you :) I am considering buying one of them and you really helped me decide!

[@GurmeetSingh-fr8uo]

hope you are well. How does the Atomos Ninja V+ audio quality compare with Sound Devices Mix-Pre 6 ii ? Is better to use Atomos solely for video and capture audio on Sound Devices? I have ordered both of these devices. Also how would I connect MixPre to Ninja V+, so the audio is managed on the MixPre and then comes into the Ninja V+. Which cable would I need?

[@stefos6431]

Hi Justin, what is the name of that Sony battery pack please, I want to buy one. Thank you :)

[@MexicanMovie]

definitely some useful information, thank you !!!

[@JayTwizzle]

Can you do professional voice over work with the built in preamp?

[@Utkarsh_A]

Just curious as to why you didn't go with the Zoom F6? Specially as a drummer, that's one of the reasons I'm considering this

[@65Drums]

I don't know if that was out back when I bought this

[@Utkarsh_A]

@@65Drums Ahh okay fair enough, thanks for replying with your Drum page I was trying to look for it haha

[@Bleemus]

Nice vid. Power it with an Anker brick via the USB power port. Lot cheaper and less bulky than the sled.

[@dragonstone6594]

2 quick questions: What's the latency like in a DAW? Does it have ASIO driver for Windows?

[@TheOneMonk]

Totally agree on the battery sled: a cheap piece of plastic which in Europe even retails for €100 = $120. This is mad. Other than that it is a fab device. You might want to mention the app for remote control.

[@Seanonyoutube]

I wish all reviews were like this. I don’t care about the upsides; the company’s marketing material has plenty of that; I wanna know what things will potentially annoy me about a product. Thanks!

[@gkanai1400]

SD just announced two additional power adapters for the MixPre line. I agree that the powering options were not ideal at first but I think now there are enough options that almost anyone can find a setup that will work for a specific situation, be it via AC adapter or battery. www.sounddevices.com/product/mx-hirose/ www.sounddevices.com/product/mx-lm1/

[@natolinas]

i was listening to recording on MIxPre6 II and accidently pressed REC button, which made my recording disappear and a new 2sec long recording appear in it's place. can i do something to prevent that in the future?

[@truce11]

Great insight telling it like it is

[@keithnorris8982]

Hy Justin, I just wanted to give you a shout out to let you know you made my buying decision a little easier. -keith

[@Graham_Wood]

Only issues I have with this unit are:- If the USB C cable is plugged in then my fat fingers can't get at the power switch, and with 4 'AA' batteries fitted to the sled, It just won't snap in to place properly. The sled bulges in the middle. Apart from that it's a great unit.

[@zuzkarory]

thanks for this. can i use the mixpre-3 ii with the rode video mic pro + via the 3.5 jack? are there limitations to this quality wise compared to using a xlr shotgun mic? thanks so much for your thoughts.

[@silversulu]

Super helpful - wish you'd video'd pulling out that mount screw, because for the life of me, I haven't been able to figure it out since I owned the unit.

[@GearForYoutube]

You can't pull it out. There's a hole on the bottom middle of the unit. Push that Allen key that came with the unit through the hole and the screw pops out the top.

[@silversulu]

@@GearForKZbin Ah, dammit....gotta go look for that allen key. Thanks!

[@itsRonDavis]

outstanding video Justin.

[@43topspin]

Great video!!

[@patrickchase5614]

Sound Devices sells another L-mount adapter for the MixPre 3/6/10 that holds a single battery oriented "off the back" of the recorder, rather than a pair of batteries oriented "up and down" as in the model you tried. It's also much more heavily made, though commensurately more expensive: www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1552857-REG/sound_devices_mx_lm1_l_mount_battery_sled_f_mizpre.html. As others have said USB-C Power Delivery packs seem to be the sweet spot to power the MixPre 3/6 with common bags. With the 10 you get a Hirose power input and can use Battery Bud or BDS solutions like the big boys. I really like the PortaBrace AR series cases for the MixPre 3 and 10 (I don't have the 6). They provide reasonable protection and cable routing/"structure" without being too heavy or complicated. IMO.

[@Roudox]

cool, thanks man!

[@mattwruff]

the Mix-Pre 6 ii is what I have and the unit is amazing but the battery sleds (which everone you use) there all terrible! I just use the 4 pack double a but power it by USB-C from a externial Battery!

[@Abedi_mohamed_jumping3]

between the series sound devices mixpre and sounddevice 633 which has a very good preamp!? for a choice of professional sound engineer ?

[@GearForYoutube]

They both have fantastic preamps

[@electronicmusic6609]

Hi. Will be good this recorder for dj to record with loud volume soind ? Thanks

[@Pharesm]

If you use it in 32 Bit float mode, it would be ideal for high volume recording during an event / rave etc

[@electronicmusic6609]

@@Pharesm thanks

[@damienc1361]

hi, where can i buy the sony battery accessoire ?

[@zombienerdfilm]

You probably have already figured this out. But if you stick an Allen key (or a paper clip) in the hole at the bottom of the unit, the thread on the top "pops" up. No need to remove the battery pack or unscrew anything. Takes 2 seconds.

[@GearForYoutube]

Yup, this unit has an allen key inside the battery door. So, the average person will remove the battery pack, in order to get to the tool which raises the screw.

[@runbeforeyouwalkpodcast5891]

Helpful!

[@markwentowski1325]

What kind of tripod are you using attached underneath the recorder?

[@GearForYoutube]

It's a manfrotto, and it folds up small enough to fit in my backpack! And extends to around 5 or 6 feet tall

[@user-fw9nb6pk9m]

Hi ! Very explicit and helpful content thanks !! -- I have a question : I want to buy a mixpre 6 II, and on the Sound Devices website, there is a list of compatible and un-compatible SD Cards according to their personnal tests (www.sounddevices.com/mixpre-series-approved-media-list/), and where I live (in France), none of the compatible SD cards are sold :( They say SanDisk's cards aren't compatible, but I've always used their cards with other recorders such as the Zoom H2n or H6 and it worked really well... I didn't know that it was such an important issue... Did anyone try another SD card that wasn't tested by SoundDevices (Samsung etc.) and that worked very well ? Are the sandisk cards really un-useable with the mixpre II series or is it fine ? -- Thank you very much for your answers !!

[@65Drums]

I've been using a Sandisk Ultra Plus 32gb SD card for a long time with this thing. So it definitely works

[@380stroker]

People are pretty dumb when it comes to the audio world. 32 bit integer is not the same as 32 floating point. 32 floating point used so you dont clip once you fix it in post. With 32 bit integer you can clip just like 16 or 24 bit.

[@lamasteve6905]

Sound Device is one of the easiest recorders to use !

[@tushuramiperu]

Es verdad. La mayoría de los que publican revisiones, unboxing solo es bla bla bla... deben mencionar también los defectos y virtudes. Yo he tenido malas experiencias con Mixpre 6, en menos de 7 meses se arruinó la única lectora de SD que tiene. Felizmente la garantía que lo cubre hicieron la reparación. Desde que los aparatos, dispositivos y productos DISEÑADOS, PATENTADOS EN Usa son FABRICADOS EN LA CHINA + la OBSOLESCENCIA PROGRAMADA. Ya nada es BUENO. Definitivamente un gran aporte tu publicación en defensa de los consumidores, compradores, clientes y usuarios en el mundo. Saludos. P.S. mientras estuvo en reparación compre Zoom F4, cumple EXACTAMENTE la misma función y su precio es 50% menos, es tecnología de Japón MADE IN CHINA. Saludos.

[@mecm687]

He said buy 2? What about wall plug, pc plug?

[@BYCWELL]

Or even a USB power bank this is the one I recommend - www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07L931FCY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[@65Drums]

Yeah it comes with the wall plug in the box. I personally HAVE to use batteries because of the places I record, which is why I talked about it so much

[@Abedi_mohamed_jumping3]

Ajoutez

[@julislybeshari353]

24bit = 144 dB . guess what ; there are really a buch of microphone that goes above 144 db, then the preamp, mix pre 3 have 120dB dynamic range. so 32 bit is just a bullshit. 32 bit is useful just for a digital processing.

[@GearForYoutube]

I guess with that logic we could say that 24bit is bs, and we should all use 16bit or 8bit instead. Why in the world should I turn down an advancement in technology?

[@julislybeshari353]

@@GearForKZbin you can answer with arguments instead of this. are you going to say that with 32 we have a lot of fine stages ?? ( we dont hear it !! ) because of the technology of reproduction of the sound. Our ears are more difficult to trick compare to the eyes.. so dont take as reference the Video-World. Someone told the that 32bit is like raw footage :)

[@bernard8ulrich]

Main feature for 32 bit Floating record is 'Floating' and not Integer encoding. With integer encoding when you have 24 times '1' you are Full Scale and you CLIP. Floating encoding 'headroom' is much more important. Therefore no clipping and no more unrecoverable bad recordings. Even if record is too loud or too low 'normalization' feature in your DAW allows recovery.

[@skakdosmer]

What really annoying lamps you have behind you! It would be so much nicer if they weren't in the shot.

[@GearForYoutube]

Well don't worry, I don't even live there anymore so you'll never see them again

[@TheFakeNewsFrog]

This guy “record at 32-bit”. Pssh! My 6 Alesis ADAT 8’s and their mighty 16-bit audio, say otherwise... Honestly though people, as much as I love them, listen to this guy. 32-bit *is* better. But unless you want you’re music to sound like it was recorded in the 90’s (Who doesn’t?) don’t do what I did. It will also cost you a lot in the long run.