A new toy

Rippie

Rippie

Veteran
So a new toy (SD 552) arrived about an hour ago.
Just plugging it in and thought i'd post some of my first thoughts in case anyone is thinking about picking one up.

1st impressions negative:

- SVEN (the automated voice) sounds pretty bad. It's VERY tough to understand.
Kinda makes the computer from War games sound like James Earl Jones doing a voice over in comparison. I really hope this improves with a firmware update.


- With all the added new buttons and functions real estate on the front panel is very tight making all the controls
very close to each other. Biggest problem I see is the gain/trim knob on channel 1 is now pushed to the edge where there is a lip protruding outward making it
not so easy to get to. Very rough because Ch1 for me is usually a boom and I reach for that gain trim all the time. (see picture below)

- This mixer is not for beginners in my opinion. This is a mixer that needs to be learned. Most of the functions are buried within short cuts (holding 2 buttons down at once) and without knowing it, I could see it becoming very confusing.

- no level reference on the headphone knob! It shows up in the meter display as you turn it, but I want to just look down and see where its at.

1st impression positives:
-The recorder sounds ridiculously good. Even in mp3 mode.

-Love that 5th channel!

-The new boom-op features (talk back, separate monitoring..etc) are a great addition as well. I dont see a lot of features done on this in the future but its nice to know its there.

- Everything the 442 had and a ton more. Whats not to love!
Im sure as I play around with this more, there will be a number of things that surprise me in a good way.


p1000378b.jpg



(I also just got the CL-8 controller a week ago for my 788T but it went out on a rental
the same day it arrived so I havent got to play around with that yet)
 
I love mine too, but I'm starting to think I made the wrong decision. As someone that wants to work in film, I honestly think I should've saved up and just bought the 788t with the CL-8. Also noticed that the panel is cramped, which is especially tough for me because, during winter, I'm always wearing gloves. We shall see though.
 
I wouldnt buy the 552 as a "recorder" 1st "mixer" 2nd,
but I do like that during regular eng style shoots I can be rolling a backup at a moments notice for now on.

I wouldnt want to rely on the 788T as an everyday mixer with the lack of dedicated camera returns, not quite as good metering, almost every setting being menu based..etc.
 
Rippie said:
I wouldnt want to rely on the 788T as an everyday mixer with the lack of dedicated camera returns
Click to expand...

meaning? remember I'm a new bee. so keep it simple. I do understand the fundamentals though. :)

The sale I was referring to is the 788t popechild sold in the market place several days ago.

The mixer attachment, CL-8 is fully functional?
 
I just mean a 788T is a little on the complicated side if you plan on using
one as a simple mixer. Almost everything is menu based (not a lot of quick switches),
and in order to hear the incoming camera return you have to give up
channels 7 & 8 on the recorder (stereo return)

Where a more straight forward mixer usually has a dedicated camera return input.
 
Fresh Meat said:
pan and gain are easy to adjust arnt they?
Click to expand...
on the 442 and 552 there are actual pan knobs where you can "pan"
the audio anywhere between the left and right channel.

On the 302 there is a channel select (L,R, Center)
the 788T works like that only its software based
so its not as quick to switch on the fly.

Don't get me wrong, once the 788T is learned
there is no reason you couldn't use it as an everyday mixer
to send audio to a camera, and it would do a great job, but
the reasons I mentioned earlier would make me goto a 552 or 302 first.

I also send my gear out with other soundguys and I know
I can throw someone a 302 mixer and they'll know their way around it within moments.

Seems like everytime I send my 788T out I have to spend 30 mins explaining it
to the person, and a lot of the time it'll be the same person with a month between jobs
and they forget how to use it and need refreshed.
 
Last edited:
@Rippie how do you like the recording function?

@Alex.Mitchell Check out some info on the 788t and CL-8. Chris wrote up a great blog on the good/bad about using it. You might like. If you seen already then disregard this.

http://blog.chrisdurfy.com/?p=144


For others wanting more information on the 552 a guy named Chris did a really good review as well which you can view below. If this has been posted then disregard......

http://blog.chrisdurfy.com/?p=130

Nicole
 
Sorry, I just couldn't resist.

The video is really classic "bad" 80's but I love the song.


IMPORTANT NOTICE: No media files are hosted on these forums. By clicking the link below you agree to view content from an external website. We can not be held responsible for the suitability or legality of this material. If the video does not play, wait a minute or try again later.
I AGREE
 
yes I have the CL8.
And yes the gain/trim is the small knob on the actual 788T
the channel pots are below.

There are no "pan" knobs on the 788T and there are no software settings to "pan".
There are track assignments, but you can not slightly pan a source off center with a simple
softare/hardware encoder.
 
i read the reviews by chris durfy.................
i changed my mind. :) the 788T seems to have several issues i wouldnt want to deal with now. being a newbee. also, i think the difficulty in pan would be bothersome for me.

maybe the 552 well, not maybe, im sure,i think,i don't know................
 
@Freshmeat-Glad you read the review. PLEASE DO NOT BUY AN AZDEN MIXER. They are crap. Look into the PSC DV Promix 3 or the SignVideo ENG44. Both great mixers.


Nicole
 
Fresh Meat said:
i read the reviews by chris durfy.................
i changed my mind. :) the 788T seems to have several issues i wouldnt want to deal with now. being a newbee. also, i think the difficulty in pan would be bothersome for me.

maybe the 552 well, not maybe, im sure,i think,i don't know................
Click to expand...
personally i think its silly to change your mind based on 1 guys review.
There are 100's out there that working professionals use on a daily basis.

Buy a piece of gear because it fits your needs, change your mind because
you found something more suitable.

In my opinion if you're doing double system run and gun, the 788T is
by far the way to go. (price, form, function)
 
After looking at this "review"
Im sorry..this is just a crazy reason not to buy a 788T.

1. No Return

for a regular ENG mixer, yes I agree it would be much better with a dedicated return, for a stand alone recorder, not a big deal.
There are work arounds, bringing your returns back in through channels 7 and 8. You still have 6 inputs. (1 more than any ENG mixer out there)
Since I have options owning other ENG mixers, I'd probably reach for one of those on those kind of days.
If the 788T was my only option, it would be fine.

2. Delay on Faders:

I haven't noticed an issue, nor have I really seen this bought up elsewhere .

3. No definitive VU meter:

?!?!? There are VU and Peak Metering at the same time on the 788T

4. Power Hungry:

Its no more power hungry than any other pro recorder out there

5. Heat Buildup
Yes the 788T gets hot, because they designed it that way.
Instead of adding an external heatsink they use the casing as the heatsink.

6. Custom Cables needed?!?!?

Boo hoo?

7. IFB routing issues

THere are SOOO many routing possibilities that im sorry, anything you need you can create
you can figure out a way to do it.

8. No Pan Knob.

While true, personally I havent touched a pan knob on a field recorder..just about EVER. I choose a track L, R, Center and thats that.
Im sorry you arent mixing drums out in the field that you need to slightly pan something off center a wee bit. Please remember..thats
why you have ISO's. Later in the luxury of a real studio you can pan any track, anywhere.

9. Arming Track/s interrupts Output Program:
I dont know about this one, as Ive never tried to arm a track while recording.

10. Occasional lockups

Nothing to say here, not good not bad, but at least this is a valid point.
I'd say on average 1 in 200 times I have a lockup thats fixed with a reboot.
The great thing about Sound Devices is, is you post the bug, and more than likely in the next firmware
release its fixed. With about 10 new features as well.


11. Odd shape in bag:

are you kidding me?



Im sorry but but out of 11 items
8 are ridiculous in my opinion, 2 are worthy of mentioning..
1 is valid
 
Last edited:
@Rippie-Totally agree with you. I mean when looking for gear there are a bunch of goods and then no's which will have one going back and forth.

@Fresh Meat-I recommend you go to a rental house or find someone with one and see if you can rent it for a day or take it for a test drive.

Nicole
 
Hey Peeples,

I'm reading and smiling to myself. I do agree with you totally Rippie.
And Nicole, thank you so much for your advice too. I had to laugh out loud because I had bought an Azden 4 chnl. about a month ago.
I couldn't find any reviews on it so, I thought, what the hell. If I don't like it I can sell it.
So, the Azden is like a toy mixer? It did seem kinda cheesy made. Wanna buy it?
Maybe use it for a door stop or something.

OK Rippie,
I'll reconsider the 788T+CL-8.

What do you suppose caused the lockups?

It's always a pleasure
FM
 
Fresh Meat said:
Hey Peeples,

I'm reading and smiling to myself. I do agree with you totally Rippie.
And Nicole, thank you so much for your advice too. I had to laugh out loud because I had bought an Azden 4 chnl. about a month ago.
I couldn't find any reviews on it so, I thought, what the hell. If I don't like it I can sell it.
So, the Azden is like a toy mixer? It did seem kinda cheesy made. Wanna buy it?
Maybe use it for a door stop or something.

OK Rippie,
I'll reconsider the 788T+CL-8.

What do you suppose caused the lockups?

It's always a pleasure
FM
Click to expand...

Don't reconsider it because of what I said, I just wouldn't want (in my own personal opinion) a poorly written review to be a reason to not consider it.


I honestly don't know about the lockups. Realize they are few and
far between and usually as I mentioned are fixed with a reboot.
Im sure they are usually firmware related, just simply "bugs".
 
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