Sound Devices Preamp Quality??? Mix Pre 3 vs Mix Pre D and 702

Had it for a week now and done some technical tests against my 702;
Gain - using pink noise from a monitor to a fixed mic position the MP-6 needs about 8db more gain to get the same signal level as the 702. This is measured by importing the sequences into Adobe Audition and viewing the frequency analysis plots. The specifications say the MP-6 has more gain (76 vs 67.4) but it seems to be only a few more db
Noisefloor - using a 150ohm metal film resistor as a load on the inputs and the same gain settings as above the noisefloor of the MP-6 is about 4 db higher.This is still way lower than any mic's noisefloor and is of no practical consequence.
Battery life is pretty weak with 4x AA energiser 2300mah - likley will get a Hawkwoods NPL adapter.
Pre amps sound very good but as yet I've not had a chance to do real side by side recordings.
USB interface sound quality - amazing!. I've got a Focusrite Forte and Scarlet 2i2 but this is another league through my PreSonus ERIS E5's. I'm greatly enjoying myself just listening to my music collection and could go as far as saying if anyone wants a good USB audio interface then this is it!
Interface - obviously a bit more complicated than the 7 series but once you get it set up it's pretty flexible and have had no trouble setting up my M+S mics.
Faults - Confusion over Gain and Fader operation. In basic mode what appears to be 'gain' is actualy the fader + gain 'ganged' together to create extra range. I'm not sure how this arranged internally and I assume gain is analogue and fader is digital?? ( Sound Devices won't tell me....) In advanced mode you can set fader to zero and just use gain but it 's not set by the front knobs and has to be set in a submenu and then via the side controler so it's a bit fiddly.
 
The gain controls the preamp gain to the ISO tracks. The fader function is an internal digital mixer for monitoring and the various outputs.
 
I tend to use the basic mode for the gain on my mixpre3 if I am just using it as recorder. Fader control is for mixing, which is something I don't intend to use a mixpre unless I am sending a wireless hop to camera.

I agree that it appears that basic just uses the analog gain in series with the digital gain.
 
I know this thread is long dead, but AB'ing a MixPre D with a MixPre 3 as headphone amps and the MixPre D does sound noticeably better to me. They both sound really good, but the MixPre D might be the best headphone amp/DAC I've ever heard.

Thunderous bass with both.
 
Since this thread has come back to life, I'd like to amend my earlier thoughts slightly. I am beginning (just beginning) to use a DSLR more; think lightweight and stealth kit. While I am still very happy with my legacy SD gear, the one thing it isn't is light or really compact. I have a smaller Tascam handy-corder and am actually happy enough with it for being small enough. But I suspect a MP-3 would be more ergonomic for a really light OMB setup. Better audio too. Not sure I would go that way yet, but the weight of the legacy SD gear is significant and of course the build quality is equally significantly.

G
 
I found the somewhat ancient (in tech years) USBPre2 (with 702 audio topology) to sound significantly better than the MixPre 6 (I), and the Zoom F6 (float 32) sounds extremely clean and can be EQ'd to match the other SD recorders. This is played back in post- the SD's have better headphone amps. For OMB/run-&-gun float 32 means perfect audio no matter what (unless you clip your mic!).
 
jcs said:
... float 32 means perfect audio no matter what (unless you clip your mic!).
Click to expand...

Placement, technique, and skill will also be needed for "perfect" audio. Not clipping doesn't equate to perfect, just not clipping. What it really buys you is not worrying about levels while recording. Not nothing, but won't transform sucky recording technique into anything but unclipped sucky recordings.
 
I don't think I've ever made a 'perfect' recording in my 30+ year pro audio career. I guess I'll have to hire a OMB camera person with a 32 bit Zoom with equally low cost China made microphones for audio perfection.
 
Rick R said:
I don't think I've ever made a 'perfect' recording in my 30+ year pro audio career. I guess I'll have to hire a OMB camera person with a 32 bit Zoom with equally low cost China made microphones for audio perfection.
Click to expand...

Bummer, didn’t know Schoeps is made in China lol.
Where do you think Sound Devices are made now?

Float audio with mic placed as intended with no handling or wind noise or plosives without clipping or set too low using the best mics available is perfect capture: what can be improved? A perfect performance is indeed subjective.
 
As a camera person, the 32bit float is particularly interesting. Indon’t have as much mental energy to adjust the audio on the fly while operating and “editing” the movie while shooting. But i can’t imagine that changes quite as much for audio engineers.

If i had a camera that never clipped, it wouldn’t change the way i shoot, light, frame. It is crappy cameras that force me to change the way i want to light or frame, not the good ones. And bad composition and lighting, is just bad C and L.

The 32bit float for me as a camera person first, is just allowing me to get my usual bad audio without worrying about clipping. ;) Bad audio is not ideal, but clipping is just aggravating.

Thanks JCS for doing these tests and sharing your thoughts. I may pickup a ZF6 or MP3ii early next year.


Lucky for me, i’ve been able to do 2 system audio since living in LA. But i’ll be trying to do more personal projects in 2020, and need to improve my onboard audio.
 
I'm thinking of replacing my Mix Pre D with the Mix Pre 3. Mostly use them as headphone amps. The former sounds better, but the second can also be used to record field audio, which is a significant advantage.

But when I leave it unattended, it stops working and I need to reboot the Mix Pre 3 to get sound to my headphones. Is it okay?
 
Amulet Man said:
I'm thinking of replacing my Mix Pre D with the Mix Pre 3. Mostly use them as headphone amps. The former sounds better, but the second can also be used to record field audio, which is a significant advantage.

But when I leave it unattended, it stops working and I need to reboot the Mix Pre 3 to get sound to my headphones. Is it okay?
Click to expand...

I found all kinds of bugs with the MixPre 6 (I)- suggest contacting SD via email. They're pretty responsive to email, however I'm not aware of them fixing a single bug I found (which is one of the reasons I purchased a Zoom F6 instead of a MixPre 6 II).
 
jcs said:
I found all kinds of bugs with the MixPre 6 (I)- suggest contacting SD via email. They're pretty responsive to email, however I'm not aware of them fixing a single bug I found (which is one of the reasons I purchased a Zoom F6 instead of a MixPre 6 II).
Click to expand...

Thanks, at this price I think I can live with it but it is annoying. Will contact them if it persists.
 
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