The company just announced its groundbreaking new product line – the MixPre Series of audio recorders with integrated USB audio interface. The lightweight and compact 3-input/5-track MixPre-3 and 6-input/8-track Mix-Pre 6 boast USB audio streaming, slick touchscreen along with the Sound Devices’ proprietary new high-performance Kashmir microphone preamps. The latter feature a -130dBV noise floor, analog limiters, and new 32-bit A-to-D converters. According to Sound Devices, both models are the only portable product on the market that can simultaneously be used as a recorder, mixer, and USB audio interface.
All in all, the MixPre-3 features three full-sized balanced XLR mic/line audio inputs, whereas the MixPre-6 comes equipped with four balanced XLR/TRS combo jacks to connect microphones or line-level devices. Both counterparts have a 3.5 mm auxiliary input that can be used for plug-in power mics, 2-channel line-in audio, camera return, or timecode.
In addition, users can take advantage of the ergonomic gain control knobs for fast and accurate mixing. Other key features include pan and soloing plus easy-to-see ring LED metering per channel. With its user-friendly Basic and Advanced navigation modes, the two MixPre audio recorders allow users to record high-quality audio right out of the box or get access to multi-channel recording and advanced settings such as ISO metering, routing, timecode, mic pre gain, stereo and Mid/Side channel linking, headphone presets and more.
Another neat feature of the MixPre Series audio recorders is the unique ability to record audio to an SD card while simultaneously streaming multiple channels of audio via USB. The built-in Bluetooth capabilities, on the other hand, allows for easy connection, control and metering via iOS devices from the Sound Devices free Wingman app.
It’s also worth noting that the MixPre’s can be powered by AA batteries, Li-Ion batteries, a laptop’s USB-C or USB-A connectors, or AC wall outlet. The MixPre-3 and MixPre-6 are expected to hit the market in the beginning of May 2017 with a retail price of $649 and $899 respectively.
[source: Sound Devices]
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Ok, so who is going to discuss the elephant in the room? How do these compare to the Zoom F8 and F4???
From what I am reading, these are very strong competition to the Zoom, however the Zoom seems to have more mic gain and TC generator, which makes it a pretty good product, still. What do you guys think?
Incidentally, I have NEVER had any complaints from the Zoom F8 pre-amps, so even if the SD was even better, so what?