Sound Devices MixPre-3 and MixPre-6 review for podcasters - The Audacity to Podcast
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- čas přidán 22. 08. 2024
- The Sound Devices MixPre-3 MixPre-6 could be the ultimate device for podcasting to replace your mixer, recorder, and audio interface. Here’s my review.
RESOURCES:
MixPre-3: theaudacitytop...
MixPre-6: theaudacitytop...
Notes: theaudacitytop...
SUMMARY:
I’m excited about the amazing abilities Sound Devices has packed into this small MixPre-6, and I hope to someday replace a bunch of my own audio gear with the MixPre-6 and then have greater recording and interfacing features than I have even now, and all in an extremely portable package for about the same price.
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The Audacity to Podcast is the award-winning "how-to" podcast about podcasting, hosted by Daniel J. Lewis. It won the people's choice award for #1 technology podcast in 2012 from PodcastAwards.com.
Daniel J. Lewis is an Internet entrepreneur, podcast consultant, creator of MyPodcastRevie..., and host of several award-winning and award-nominated podcasts released by Noodle.mx Network at noodle.mx. Daniel can help you launch or improve your own podcast; provide one-on-one podcast consulting; or speak on podcasting, design, social media, and technology. - Věda a technologie
This thing is unbelievable!!!!! It can do everything. We all need this. BTW: How have I been listening to your podcast for years and just now found out you had a CZcams channel?! You mentioned it in passing in 3 minimal portable record kits. Thank you!
I use an H4N and ATR 2100 ( recommended by you ever time and love them) I do have a mixer but I don’t always use it in the chain.
Excellent video. Thanks Daniel for the honest and thorough review.
Thank YOU for being the first person to bring this amazing device to my attention, via podToPod.
Daniel, I believe the cue marks and USB channel routing have been resolved by a firmware update.
Yup! They added the cue marking ability, which was my main deal-breaker. So I put my money where my mouth was and bought my own MixPre-6 to keep.
I haven’t checked out any kind of USB routing features, yet.
I got really excited when I read this re: potential for USB routing and of course fell down a deep rat hole looking to confirm if USB routing had indeed been updated. What I found was less exciting in our case;)
"Adjusting USB Audio Output
The MixPre offers the option to set the USB Audio interface to output only two
channels in order to increase compatibility with applications that do not support
multichannel USB audio.
To set USB Audio to output only two channels:
1. Tap .
2. Tap System > USB Audio, and set it to Stereo Out.
note: When USB Audio is set to Stereo Out, the MixPre does not receive USB audio from
a computer. Additionally, the ASIO driver (for Windows PCs) is not supported when
USB Audio is set to Stereo Out."
So even if routing the USB to stereo only would allow Skype to hear all channels, you'd have two issues. One, you'd no longer receive USB audio into the MixPre (Skype interviewee) and two, you'd be sending back that interviewee's audio but of course this is moot cause we can't get it in the first place when in this new mode. Bummed but hopefully USB routing is still something that may happen cause it's clear and they have said, they do listen to this kind of feedback.
Streamlining my workflow is what it's all about for me too. I would love to ditch my rack for one AI/field recorder and vst beyond that, so that everything I need can be carried in a single bag. The MixPre is the closest so far. Zoom is on the right track, but the quality is still eclipsed by Sound Designs (no surprise there). In addition to those items you highlighted (which were right on), if I could daisy chain these suckers for expandability, and if they added (perhaps within that virtual device solution you hinted at) the ability to route audio to monitors/headphone amps, that would seal it for me. Making use of the USB-C for all the specialized functionality is a great way to add supplemental features without adding fat to the device itself - which is better served as a dedicated, unencumbered field recorder when disconnected (but could be a powerhouse AI when connected to a laptop).
I still haven't found my viable standalone, portable solution yet, though I think we're getting closer.
Did you see the SoundDevices MixPre-10T announced today?
I did not. But I'm going there just as soon as i finish typi....
Finally saw it and I am really excited.
Hopefully it's something you'd be interested to get your hands on and put it through its paces.
Daniel this was a great review! You've really up'd your YT presence lately. Second, the Pre6 looks awesome but I have a question maybe you could answer. Will this work well as an audio interface along the lines of a focusrite in that I can attach my studio monitors to it? I didn't see anything on their website but I currently use the dbx 286 to focusrite 2i2 and would like to upgrade to this or an Apollo Twin Duo. I'm leaning more towards this simply for the video aspect. Thanks again!!
Sure. You could use the stereo 3.5 mm line out for monitor speakers unless you want that for mix minus with VoIP. Or, you could split the headphone output.
That was SOOO helpful. If and when they fix those things (so one can use it with Skype) I'll buy it. I'd also buy a course by you showing how to set it all up. (Easy for you. Complicated for me.)
Thanks! If you're on macOS, I already know Loopback can make this stuff possible.
Yea. Loopback rocks I bought this mix Pre-6 when I saw Curtis Judd video. I’m crazy about good audio and this device rocks. What I would like to do is, if we have an app like cleanfeed.com, to assign each individual as a virtual audio and control it on the Pre-6 but I’m crazy. lol.
Wow this is very thorough! I need help ! I am a new CZcamsr who does live-streams with my Mac Pro through google hangouts . What direction would you suggest for a set up of 4 mics and 4 headphones in the same room . Any help would be greatly appreciated !!
Thanks! I think the MixPre-6 with a headphone amplifier, like I show in czcams.com/video/DY6p0pFD2lw/video.html, could work for you.
Also keep an eye out for reviews of the upcoming RØDEcaster, which is a mixer, recorder, headphone splitter, and interface built into a single unit with several features designed for podcasters and streamers.
Awesome video. Did sound devices fix your 3 issues mentioned? I am looking to purchase the MixPre-6.
Yes, they did! So I put my money where my mouth was and bought a MixPre-6 for myself. But then the RØDECaster Pro came out and I switched to that. But I still have my barely used MixPre-6 if you'd like to buy it. 😃
@@TheAudacitytoPodcast Sorry for not getting back sooner. I ended up buying a Sound Devices MixPre 10ii, installed the Musician Plugin, and using Reaper.
13:35 - If you're on Windows, don't think there's a way to use the MixPre-3 on Audacity (Windows doesn't recognize 3rd channel). And I share the disappointment that you can't use this directly for voice chat.
At least I'm able to record on Reaper.
I dug into this a little more through manual.audacityteam.org/man/multi_channel_recording.html. Have you tried switching the sound interface and installing the drivers from Sound Devices?
Unfortunately, I don't have a Windows PC to thoroughly test these things.
I hope that you purchased a MixPre 6 because I love mine. Have you sent a request to Sound Devices regarding those features.
Yes, I was in close contact with their engineers during the review. They've actually already added markers!
What about asking Microsoft/Skype and others to simlpy support multichannel/ASIO audio? ;-)
That would be great, but it's such a "pro" feature that they're not likely to put it in free, consumer-level software. And then you have to wait on a bunch of companies to support it instead of a single company to create a new feature.
Too bad the asio driver doesn't work right and is apparently NOT signed... so you have to disable signed driver check - reducing your system security - and well, recording into the computer shows up as expected, but playback from the computer is a no-show...
I suggest you contact SoundDevices for support.
@@TheAudacitytoPodcast I did.
Their answer was useful:
Menu ⇢ System ⇢ USB Audio: Normal
That wasn't everything though - oddly, I had to make another setting to channel 1,2 USB, even though I set headphone to receive USB 4 and 5...
It plays back now. With exceptional sound quality, feeding a pair of tiny Genelecs.
But I expect more strange adventures with MixPre's touch screen menu.
If they had a routing block diagram, instead of just a rudimentary text manual, maybe it would become easier...
@@Pharesm they have release block diagram of Mixpre II series on their website recently..(March 2021)
www.sounddevices.com/mixpre-6-ii-block-diagram/
@@Hardik_P Great! Thank you so much for the note! Much appreciated!! :D
After I saw the price I see why a Fethead or Cloudlifter are useful.
Yeah, but with this, extra preamps aren't necessary.
The Audacity to Podcast Correct but I can drive a dynamic mic with a smaller budget by getting a fethead or cloudlifter.
Right. If all you need is a preamp, then the MixPre is overkill.
(I like the Fethead better because it's smaller and doesn't require an extra XLR cable.)
Cloudlifters suck. I tried one and it was picking up radio station interference. I returned it, bought another direct from the manufacturer... .and it did the same thing. More radio interference. I ask the manufacturer about it and they say they've ever heard of this problem, but then I went on reddit and there were posts from multiple other people with the same issue.