Sound Devices MixPre-6 Portable Multichannel Audio Recorder/Mixer, and USB Audio Interface

In a world where quite often you sadly no longer “get what you pay for” the MixPre-6 is a shining exception.SoundDesign is quite simply the Nagra of the 21st century. Haven’t heard of Nagra? Their Poland-designed / Swiss-built tape-recorders were used on 99%+ of all movies and TV commercials for decades. SoundDesign brought reliable digital audio to film sets worldwide, replacing tape. Last year SD *finally* got around to designing an affordable product for aspirational prosumers and industrial/lower-end filmmakers; their pro-end multitrack recorders top $10K.If you’re serious about improving the quality of sound in your future projects - perhaps sometimes using silence to emphasize dialogue and not resorting to background music to cover preamp hissss - there is simply no other way to go vs. superior preamps.Yeah, Zoom finally got around to improving their preamps, but they’re still no match when you need a super-quiet floor. And the MixPre is really really versatile - it even comes with a double-USB-A to USB-C connector and is *natively* recognized by Mac as the sound-in / sound-out device, which allows capturing audio on apps that block live-capture of audio (i.e. great for filmmakers needing to capture in-sync Skype / FaceTime conversations).The small size makes placement versatile for one-man-band. Bolt it anywhere onto a Frankenstein cage; I prefer aft of the camera, secured via a small platform that slides on l-o-n-g 15-mm rods, which distributes the weight-load on a fluid head fore/aft. Mounting a camera atop the MixPre can make a rig too top-heavy for a given fluid head (i.e. think teeter-totter vs. balance-ball).Dubious earlier comment: “the headphone out is toooooo noisy for my taste.” Huh? To my ears it’s brilliantly *not* noisy and lets you hear problems like a mic’s self-noise.This device takes time to learn. Google’s your friend. A “problem” is the device is SO versatile you’ve got to determine the most efficient workflow. But if you’ve got legitimate questions, SD’s tech support is brilliant and available (unlike prosumer divisions of Sony, Canon, Panasonic where no human’s available and you’re left with unreliable opinions spouted in forums). I discovered Panasonic’s GH5s’s HDMI output at 4K 30P is *~4* frames delayed into an Atomos Ninja-V?! (admitted to in a delayed email response from Panasonic's consumer HQ). How to get reliable audio married onto a GH5s visual output to an Atoms-mounted SSD + to a Blackmagic PocketCC 4K’s Samsung T5? SoundDesign’s brilliantly simple and cheap advice: just use a 3.5mm Y-splitter from the MixPre-6’s line-out to feed each of two cameras when doing double-camera sit-down interviews, and use another 3.5mm Y-splitter from the MixPre-6’s headphone out so two people can both hear production audio. (No matter how delayed the GH5s' output via HDMI, at least it'll have in-sync audio.)Don’t get me started on the crap quartz oscillators used in prosumer cameras; good enough to start in sync, but they drift *significantly* over just 10-minutes, let alone during longer interviews / events. There’s no *pro* level timecode, built-in, in the prosumer realm (hence the market for Tentacle, etc.). SO, a good-quality line-out is a reasonable substitute for TC, with a static camera, and there’s no need for genlock (which this level of camera doesn’t have anyway). I suspect that the next "big thing" from manufacturers in the prosumer realm will be proper TC, or a hybrid using Bluetooth / WiFi to sync multiple unattached cameras/recorders. Oh, and fixing ridiculous delays from HDMI outputs to outboard recorders.SD’s power accessory that takes two Sony NP-F / aka L-type batteries is simply brilliant. Use a small/low-capacity 5XX squat battery on the bottom so the mixer lays flat, and a 9XX tall-hefty battery on top, which, alone, will probably last the whole day phantom powering two mics. Just hot-swap the top battery and the bottom takes over instantly. Even though I purchased a USB-A to USB-C cable to use an external PowerBank, I hate, hate, hate the idea of a loose cable that could get snagged and destroy a fragile connection. The onboard tangle-free power solution SD has engineered is MUCH preferred (i.e. the MixPre’s XLR mic plugs are secured to the chassis and can take a degree of abuse vs. what I assume is a MUCH more dainty USB-C socket that’s soldered onto a circuit-board).The 3.5mm Aux/Mic In on the right side is quite versatile; menu selection includes offering 3V to power a 3.5mm mic that needs power. Or Camera / Line-In / TC-In. Versatile. Need to power a 3.5mm mic + need another Aux/Mic-In function? Use a 48v phantom to 3.5mm 3v-5v step-down adapter https://www.amazon.com/Rode-VXLR-Female-Transforming-Adapter/dp/B071LNDKBJ There’s also TC-in via a camera’s HDMI output to HDMI-micro. Versatile.My only two bits of criticism.1. The headphone volume pot serves double-duty as a push-then-turn-on-detent to select various functions. After one day you’ll love it. But it’s a short stubby knob. Somewhere in the EU someone’s designed a 3D-printed extension for too-much $$. SD should include an optional extension for $900. (Yeah, the extension puts the pot in jeopardy of getting side-swiped while the stubby knob keeps its head down in the “foxhole” created by the trademark “double golf-tee” shaped corner guards).2. To help avoid cannibalizing SD’s higher end gear, the line-out of the MixPre-6 is unbalanced 3.5mm. In practice, if you’re running a short distance mixer-to-camera, that shouldn’t be a problem (i.e. the mixer and camera are on/near the same tripod head). But on a pro set, sometimes the mixer is yards away and the line-out *must* be balanced XLR to avoid the risk of 60Hz humm. Of course the MixPre-6 lets you “arm” all inputs to record to their own isolated tracks, in addition to the stereo that is sent line-out to your A-cam (i.e. so you have total protection in case unbalanced line-out picked up noise from high-energy AC 50/60Hz).Expensive? Yup. Lasting value? Unlike cameras, I guess it'll remain "the standard" for more than a decade. Like Sennheiser's 416 mic. They set a standard and just last.

blows away my H6, the limiter is worth the price alone not to mention the noise floor is 9db lower. now for the app saved me on the first job, bride and groom was walking in and i was able to start the recording from my phone in less then 10 sec, (I was sold at that point) when im working in a "hostile" lol environment where the MC is 20db louder then the speeches or even the music.. the built in limiter saved the crap out of the recording. My only gripe is the app dont let you adjust the levels only stop and start of recording, but it does let you monitor from the phone. another plus would be like the pre 10 has the backup to a usb output. but for the size and power this thing is AWESOME!!

I have used this on other film sets and liked it so much I had to buy one myself. The fact that you can hook up a boom mic, and 3 lapel/lavalier mics and have them record on separate tracks is a plus when it comes to editing. Of course the quality of mics being used will make the difference. I went with the MixPre-6 and not the 6M due to the app that allows you to monitor levels on any I-phone or tablet, and you are able to arm the record from a short distance with an app, along with the ease of titling the shots. Batteries will drain quickly, but if you attach an external back up power bank you are good for the rest of the day.

Could be regarded as light version of professional mixers, like 6XX.If you are not from "sound industry", probably you need some online courses about this device usage. For example from Curtis Judd.

Stable recorder

the headphone out is toooooo noisy for my taste.