Pre Amps on Sound Devices 552 and 664 vs that of the 788T(regular or ssd)

R

Robertofish

Active member
So the situation is I am considering buying a sound devices 788t, but the thing is I only need maybe 4-6 channels at max, probably less most of the time, so I feel like spending on extra 2-3k is not worth it, UNLESS, the pre amps and quality is better on the 788T then the 552 or 664

So my question is,

Are they the same preamps and quality, because the way I see it I could just get a 5 track 552 or 6 track 664 and save money and then if need be add a second one for more tracks, because I dont as of now need that many tracks, BUT I want the best quality possible! So I dont want to sacrifice quality!

Also I heard somewhere that the 552 and 664 do a "mixdown" to 2 channels when recording with more then 2, as well all know, this is NOT good, I would like a track for everything mic(cause most mics or mono usually as I understand it), is this the case with the 552 and/or 664 and is it the case with the 788T cause that would be a deal breaker,

Thanks :)
 
Btw my mics of choice are, the audio technica AT4053B(for inside use) and the MKH-416 shotgun for Outside use, so thats more then likely what I will mainly be using, sometimes I use handhelds for different things but not for film stuff, I would likely get lavs as well something like the letrosonics or countryman, so I dont know to much about sound but I think its important to note which mics I am using cause as I understand it different mics go well with different pre amps
 
Have you looked at the Sound Devices 633? Less expensive, multi-track recording, time code, and an integrated mixer.

Sound Devices does not use bad pre-amps, as far as my personal experience has shown me.

The 552 features only an integrated, 2-track recorder. So, yes, it records only a mixdown and no iso tracks per input. The 664 also records a stereo mixdown, but also iso tracks every individual input, and same with the 633. The mixdown is generally a good backup to have for dailies. All of these are mixers, meaning that they can feed a variety of other professional systems including cameras with balanced line-level inputs (XLR).

The 788T is primarily a recorder. It has some functions that can allow it to mix, but those are secondary. It features eight inputs, all with mic pre-amps, and records each to its own iso track.

The main differences between the 664 and 633, besides price:

- The 633 is a more compact unit.
- The 664 had six mix pre-amps, where the 633 has only three with the other three inputs being line-level only
- The 664 has direct outputs from each input, and the 633 does not.
- Both have TC integrated and can generate and read, with the reader/generator in the 664 being Ambient (brand) with the one in the 633 unspecified.
- The 644 has more signal routing and output options, but the 633 is pretty flexible in that respect.

There are more differences, but those are the ones I'd look at as determining factors.

Now, with all of that out there...

Robertofish said:
... so I dont know to much about sound but I think its important to note which mics I am using cause as I understand it different mics go well with different pre amps
Click to expand...

You're putting an awful lot of money into sound gear when it seems you aren't experienced with sound. That's not necessarily a bad thing (everyone has to start somewhere, right?), but is this a case where the money would be better spent hiring an experienced PSM with gear, rather than buying? It's the user, not the tool, and the ability to make those tools work their best is what counts.

The issue with mics matching pre-amps really pertains to lower-cost gear (yes, there's a science to matching mics to pre-amps with high-end gear, but more in studio recording and pertaining to response of the sound). You're probably thinking about posts that have talked about issues with the NTG-1 and NTG-2 mics recording to devices like the Zoom H4n or the Tascam DR-40. Specifically, this has to do with lower ouput levels of some mics when used with weaker pre-amps that don't offer as much clean gain. A lot of cheaper pre-amps can be good to a certain point, but pushed past that point there is more noise amplified than is desired. Sound Devices pre-amps offer lots of clean gain.
 
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The 552 (like the 442 before it) has Lundahl transfomer balanced mic pre's. The 7-Series (788t, 702, 744) and the 6-Series (664 and 633) have a transformer-less design. The trransformer-less designs will offer a lower noise floor (because: no transformer) and a higher dynamic range than the transformer based designs.

But, labeling one or the other as a "higher" quality is an entirely subjective discussion. Some people prefer the sound of transformer-based preamps, some value the lower noise floor of the transformer-less design.

I don't think you're really sacrificing anything by going with one or the other, so I would suggest picking one based on the features you need.

The 552 has an on-board 2-track recorder. You can record a mixdown of all 5 inputs, but if you are only using 2 microphones, then you can record each to it's own track. If you have more than two sources, you will need to combine them in the mix.

The 664, 633, and 788t can record a mixdown of all inputs as well as isolated tracks for each input.

So....

788t - 8 Mic/Line Inputs - Up to 12 Track recording (8 Isolated, 2 Mix, 2 Auxiliarry Mix) to Internal Drive, Internal CF Card, and External Media
663 - 12 Inputs (6 Mic/Line, 6 Line Only) - Up to 16 Track recording (12 Isolated, 2 Mix, 2 Auxilliary Mix) to Internal CF and/or SD Cards
633 - 6 Inputs (3 Mic/Line, 3 Line Only) - Up to 10 Track recording (6 Isolated, 2 Mix, 2 Auxilliary Mix) to Internal Cf and/or SD
552 - 5 Mic/Line Inputs - 2 Track recording to internal SD Card

Hope that helps
 
I think you may be confused about recording tracks; input/output channels and options. For instance the 552 has five mic/line switchable inputs and can record to two-tracks. It additionally has five 'direct' outputs as well as the usual 'main' mix outputs. The 788 on the other hand has many input/record track configurations as does the 664 and newer 633. All the SD pre amps are not 'the same' but all sound good OMO. I suggest studying the manuals and renting these machines prior to buying one.
 
With the SD 633 1) Would Sennheiser G3 wireless units provide sufficient line level for inputs 4 to 6? If I'm often using multiple wireless units in addition to a couple of mics, then the 633 would not have a handicap over units with more mic preamps? 2) I'm sorry I don't fully understand the purpose of direct outs, and how would not having them on the 633 be a disadvantage? Thanks!
 
Direct outputs are generally used with an external recorder for ISO tracks. Since the 633 has an internal multi-track recorder and the tracks can also be routed to the AES digital outputs, so I would surmise SD deemed them not really necessary.
I have not used a 633 yet. Other SD line level inputs I have used (302, 442, 744) work with the G2/3, though in some instances a few more dBs of gain would be nice, the same with Lectros feeding SD line level inputs. Ironically, this is not an issue with the Tascam 680, which is stated as +4dBu.
That said, the EK100 portable receiver's AF setting should be at +12dB (maximum) for +4 line level.
 
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