Sound Devices MIXPRE-3 II, MIXPRE-6 II, MIXPRE-10 II User guide

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MixPre II Series

Multichannel Recorders | Mixers | USB Audio Interfaces

User Guide

Legal Notices

Product specications and features are subject to change without prior notication.

2019 Sound Devices, LLC. All rights reserved. This product is subject to the terms and conditions of a software license agreement provided with the product, and may be used in accordance with the license agreement. This document is protected under copyright law. An authorized licensee of this product may reproduce this publication for the licensee’s own personal use. This document may not be reproduced or distributed, in whole or in part, for commercial purposes, such as selling copies or providing educational services or support. This document is supplied as a technical guide. Special care has been taken in preparing the information for publication; however, since product specications are subject to change, this document might contain omissions and technical or typographical inaccuracies. Sound Devices, LLC does not accept responsibility for any losses due to the user of this guide.

Manual Conventions

SYMBOLSYMBOL DESCRIPTION

This symbol is used to show the order in which you select menu commands and sub-options, such as: Main Menu > Outputs

indicates you press the Menu button for the Main Menu, then scroll to and select Outputs by pushing the Encoder.

[ ] This symbol is used to convey selectable menu items.

* This symbol is used to convey factory default settings.

A plus sign is used to show button or keystroke combinations. For instance, Ctrl+V means to hold the Control key down and press the V key simultaneously. This also applies to other controls, such

as switches and encoders. For instance, MIC+HP turn means to slide and hold the MIC/TONE switch left while turning the Headphone (HP) encoder. METERS+SELECT means to hold the METERS button down as you press the SELECT encoder.

note

Note

provides recommendations and important related

information. The text for notes appears italicized.

Trademarks The “wave” logo is a registered trademark and Kashmir is a trademark of Sound Devices, LLC. iPad, iPhone, Mac and OS X are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Bluetooth Smart is a registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG, Inc. ASIO is a registered trademark of Steinberg Media Technologies. All other trademarks herein are the property of their respective owners.

WEEE Statement If you wish to discard a Sound Devices product in Europe, contact Sound Devices UK Service Center: +44 (0)1494 511711 for further information.

Warning! This device can drive headphones to potentially dangerous levels. Do not listen at high volume levels for long periods.

Read and fully understand this manual before operation.

A cautionary warning about a specic action that could cause harm to you, the device, or cause you to lose data. Follow the

guidelines in this document or on the unit itself when handling electrical equipment. The text for cautionary notes also appears italicized and bold in a different color.

MixPre II User Guide | Rev 4-A | 06/20

This document is distributed by Sound Devices, LLC in online electronic (PDF) format only. Published in the USA.

This table provides the revision history and cross-reference links to “what’s new” in this guide.

REV # DATE VERSION DESCRIPTION

1-A

2-A

3-A

4-A

08/19

11/19

1/20

6/20

v4.00 Initial release

v5.00. MixAssist, USB hub support, USB routing matrix.

v6.00 32-bit oat USB Audio Interface

v7.00 Support for NoiseAssist, output delay, support for P.I. Engineering X-Keys

Post Ofce Box 576 E7556 State Rd. 23 and 33 Reedsburg, Wisconsin 53959 USA

www.sounddevices.com

+1 608.524.0625 main +1 608.524.0655 fax

800.505.0625 toll free

support@sounddevices.com

Welcome to the MixPre II

VERSATILE. DURABLE. HIGH-PERFORMANCE.

If you record eld audio, sound effects, audio for lm, podcasts, voice-overs, music, or are just starting your audio journey, the MixPre II Series is for you! Lightweight, durable, and small, this powerhouse audio recorder and USB interface will help you capture audio for any application.

With Sound Devices’ hand-crafted, crystal-clear, ultra low-noise Kashmir preamps, you’ll record audio in superior quality - all the way up to a 32-bit oat bit depth and a 192 kHz sample rate. This newest generation of Sound Devices’ award-winning MixPre Series has been redesigned for increased performance and an astounding 142 dB of dynamic range.

The MixPre II is highly customizable to your needs. Record internally to a compatible SD card on set or stream your podcast over USB to your computer at home. Power with your computer, wall power, or record in the middle of nowhere with AA or Sony L-mount batteries. Adjust limiters, bit depth, sample rates, gain, pan, low-cut, phase inversion and phantom power to your liking. Use the MixPre’s high-precision internal timecode generator to trigger the camera, or feed timecode in. The choice is yours!

Professionals love the exibility of the MixPre Series. Don’t need all those options? Basic mode has you covered.

All models are rugged, lightweight, and small, so you can throw it in a bag or mount it to a tripod or camera - or get situated on set with our Wingman App and one of our four supported USB control surfaces. With the superior sound and build quality that you can expect from

the industry leader in production audio recording, your MixPre II can

capture audio for any application. Our friendly and knowledgeable support team, based in the USA and Germany, is here for all your questions and comments. Our job is to make your job easier.

CUSTOMIZE WITH PLUGINS

Are you a songwriter or musician? Buy the Musician Plugin to easily create a song using your MixPre II as a standalone recorder or USB

interface. Use onboard features like overdub, bounce, reverb, and tracking to a metronome. Create Music Projects to lay down backing tracks and use them live or at home for writing or practicing. Capturing your song ideas has never been easier!

Download the Ambisonics Plugin to record in 360° audio and monitor binaurally with an ambisonic microphone like the Sennheiser AMBEO and a MixPre-6 II or MixPre-10 II.

Using multiple microphones with your MixPre II? Download the MixAssist Plugin to reduce unwanted room noise, feedback, or comb lter artifacts while recording.

Suppress background noise instantly on-location with the NoiseAssist Plugin for MixPre II Series. NoiseAssist is an advanced signal processing algorithm that reduces background noises such as trafc, generators, HVAC noise, and more. One instance of NoiseAssist can run on any channel, bus L, or bus R.

All plugins may be downloaded from the Sound Devices Store.

We are honored to be part of your kit.

Sincerely,

Sound Devices

MixPre II User Guide

Table of Contents

PANEL VIEWS

MIXPRE-3 II 3

MIXPRE-6 II 4

MIXPRE-10 II 5

POWERING 6

TOUCHSCREEN 7

TRANSPORT CONTROL 8

NAVIGATING MENUS 9

CHOOSING YOUR MODE 10

CHANNEL SCREEN 17

LINKING CHANNELS 19

INPUTS 20

METERING 22

LIMITERS 23

OUTPUTS 24

HEADPHONE OUTPUT 26

USING THE MIXPRE II AS A USB AUDIO INTERFACE 27

USB OUTPUT ROUTING 29

FORMATTING MEDIA 31

RECORD 32

TIMECODE 34

TIMECODE MODES 35

PRESETS & PROJECTS 36

FILE LIST 37

CUE MARKS 39

STAR SHORTCUTS 40

SYSTEM 34

WINGMAN 41

USB HUB 43

USB KEYBOARD 44

USB CONTROLLERS 45

MOUNTING TO A CAMERA OR TRIPOD 50

SPECIFICATIONS

MIXPRE-3 II 51

MIXPRE-6 II 52

MIXPRE-10 II 53

MixPre II User Guide

Panel Views

MIXPRE-3 II

Power LED

Channel Knobs

Channel Ring LED

XLR Inputs

Play Button

Stop Button

FRONT

USB-A Port

LEFT

Record Button

Touchscreen

Power Switch

USB-C Port

Stereo or Timecode

Output

POWER LED Glows when the MixPre II is powered on.

CHANNEL KNOBS Sets the input gain for the channel. Press in on

knob to access channel screen.

CHANNEL LED RING

Provides visual indication of channel signal

condition, solo and mute.

PLAY BUTTON

Press to begin playback. While in playback the button

glows green. See Transport.

STOP BUTTON

Press to stop recording or playback. While stopped

the button glows orange. See Transport.

RECORD BUTTON

Press to begin a recording. While recording the

button glows red. While copying in idle, the button ashes red. See Transport.

TOUCH SCREEN The sunlight-viewable, high-resolution, touchscreen is used to navigate the MixPre II user interface.

BATTERY CONTACTS Accepts power sled accessories designed for MixPre II. Allows powering from AA or Sony L-Mount batteries, such as the included MX-4AA.

SD CARD SLOT Insert SD card for recording.

ALLEN WRENCH & ANTI-ROTATIONAL PIN

Magnetically at-

taches to the MixPre II for safe keeping. Used to attach MixPre II to cameras and tripods via ¼-inch-20-thread captive screw on MixPre II top panel.

INPUTS 1-3 FEMALE XLR JACKS Active-balanced analog microphone or line-level inputs. Inputs 1-2 on left panel, input 3 on the right. [pin-1 = ground, pin-2 = hot (+), and pin-3 = cold (-)]

Battery Contacts

SD Card Slot

Allen Wrench and Anti-Rotational Pin

Storage

REAR

Aux/Mic/Timecode Input

Headphone Output

Headphone Knob

RIGHT

USB-A PORT

1. USB keyboard.

2. Auto-copy to USB drives.

3. USB to approved 3rd party control surfaces.

4. USB hubs to support multiple devices.

USB-C PORT

1. Provides power to the unit.

2. Connects to computer as a USB Audio Interface.

3. Connects to computer for transferring les from the SD card.

STEREO OR TIMECODE OUTPUT Unbalanced stereo 3.5 mm female connector. Routing determined in the Outputs menu. [Sleeve = ground, tip = X1, ring = X2].

POWER SWITCH Turns the power on and off.

HEADPHONE OUTPUT 3.5 mm TRS headphone output. Warning!

This output can drive headphones to potentially dangerous levels. [Sleeve = ground, tip = left, ring = right]

HEADPHONE KNOB

1. Rotate to control headphone volume.

2. Rotate to navigate some menus and the virtual keyboard. Press in to select items.

AUX/MIC/TIMECODE INPUT Menu-selectable input. Accepts unbalanced stereo audio signal, Plug in Power microphones, or LTC timecode.

HDMI TC INPUT

Connect to select cameras to receive HDMI time-

code and record start/stop ags.

XLR Input

HDMI TC Input

MixPre II User Guide

MIXPRE-6 II

Star Button

Power LED

Channel Knobs

Channel Ring LED

XLR / 1/4-inch TRS Inputs

Play Button

Stop Button

FRONT

USB-A Port

LEFT

Record Button

Power Switch

USB-C Port

Stereo or Timecode

Output

Touchscreen

POWER LED Glows when the MixPre II is powered on.

CHANNEL KNOBS Sets the input gain for the channel. Press in on

knob to access channel screen.

CHANNEL LED RING

Provides visual indication of channel signal

condition, solo and mute.

STAR (* & **) BUTTON Provides a user-assignable hardware button to frequently used functions. See Shortcuts.

PLAY BUTTON

Press to begin playback. While in playback the button

glows green. See Transport.

STOP BUTTON

Press to stop recording or playback. While stopped

the button glows orange. While copying in idle, the button ashes red. See Transport.

RECORD BUTTON

Press to begin a recording. While recording the

button glows red. While copying in idle, the button ashes red. See Transport.

TOUCH SCREEN The sunlight-viewable, high-resolution, touchscreen is used to navigate the MixPre II user interface.

BATTERY CONTACTS Accepts power sled accessories designed for MixPre II. Allows powering from AA or Sony L-Mount batteries, such as the included MX-4AA.

SD CARD SLOT Insert SD card for recording.

ALLEN WRENCH & ANTI-ROTATIONAL PIN

Magnetically at-

taches to the MixPre II for safe keeping. Used to attach MixPre II to cameras and tripods via ¼-inch-20-thread captive screw on MixPre II top panel.

INPUTS 1-4 FEMALE XLR / 1/4” TRS COMBO JACKS Active-balanced analog microphone or line-level inputs. Inputs 1-2 on left panel, inputs 3-4 on the right. [pin-1 = ground, pin-2 = hot (+), and pin-3 = cold (-)]

Battery Contacts

SD Card Slot

Allen Wrench and Anti-Rotational Pin

Storage

REAR

Aux/Mic/Timecode Input

Headphone Output

Headphone Knob

HDMI TC Input

RIGHT

USB-A PORT

1. USB keyboard.

2. Auto-copy to USB drives.

3. USB to approved 3rd party control surfaces.

4. USB hubs to support multiple devices.

USB-C PORT

1. Provides power to the unit.

2. Connects to computer as a USB Audio Interface.

3. Connects to computer for transferring les from the SD card.

STEREO OR TIMECODE OUTPUT Unbalanced stereo 3.5 mm female connector. Routing determined in the Outputs menu. [Sleeve = ground, tip = X1, ring = X2].

POWER SWITCH

Turns the power on and off.

HEADPHONE OUTPUT 3.5 mm TRS headphone output. Warning! This output can drive headphones to potentially dangerous levels. [Sleeve = ground, tip = left, ring = right]

HEADPHONE KNOB

1. Rotate to control headphone volume.

2. Rotate to navigate some menus and the virtual keyboard. Press in to select items.

AUX/MIC/TIMECODE INPUT Menu-selectable input. Accepts unbalanced stereo audio signal, Plug in Power microphones, or LTC timecode.

HDMI TC INPUT

Connect to select cameras to receive HDMI time-

code and record start/stop ags.

XLR / 1/4-inch TRS Inputs

MixPre II User Guide

MIXPRE-10 II

Power LED

Channel Knobs

Channel LED Ring

Transport Controls

Star Switch

Touchscreen

FRONT

XLR / 1/4-inch TRS Inputs

BNC Timecode/ Word Clock Output

LEFT

USB-A Port

BNC Timecode/ Word Clock Input

POWER LED Glows when the MixPre II is powered on.

CHANNEL KNOBS Sets the input gain for the channel. Press in on

knob to access channel screen.

CHANNEL LED RING

Provides visual indication of channel signal

condition, solo and mute.

TRANSPORT CONTROLS

A joystick (with its illuminated LED ring)

on the front panel is used to perform various transport control functions. (see Transport).

STAR (* & **) SWITCH Provides a user-assignable hardware switch to frequently used functions. See Shortcuts.

TOUCH SCREEN The sunlight-viewable, high-resolution, touchscreen is used to navigate the MixPre II user interface.

4-PIN HIROSE DC INPUT Accepts DC voltages from 10–17 V for powering. [pin-4=+, pin-1=-] Works with included XL-WPH3.

BATTERY CONTACTS Accepts power sled accessories designed for MixPre II. Allows powering from AA or Sony L-Mount batteries, such as the included MX-8AA.

ALLEN WRENCH & ANTI-ROTATIONAL PIN

Magnetically at-

taches to the MixPre II for safe keeping. Used to attach MixPre II to cameras and tripods via ¼-inch-20-thread captive screw on MixPre II top panel.

SD CARD SLOT Insert SD card for recording.

INPUTS 1-8 FEMALE XLR / 1/4” TRS COMBO JACKS Active-bal-

anced analog microphone or line-level inputs. Inputs 1-4 on left panel, inputs 5-8 on the right. [pin-1 = ground, pin-2 = hot (+), and pin-3 = cold (-).

BNC TIMECODE OR WORD CLOCK OUTPUT Menu-selectable between timecode or word clock functionality. Set to timecode to send LTC timecode to cameras, digi-slates or other timecode-enabled equipment. Set to word clock to use the MixPre-10 II as a master precision clock source for external equipment.

USB-C Port

X1 and X2 Output

Power Switch

Allen Wrench and Anti-Rotational Pin

4-Pin Hirose DC Input

Battery Contacts

SD Card Slot

REAR

Aux/Mic/Timecode Input

Headphone Output

Headphone Knob

HDMI TC Input

Left and Right TA3 Outputs

RIGHT

BNC TIMECODE OR WORD CLOCK INPUT

tween timecode or word clock functionality. Set to timecode to receive LTC timecode from a camera or timecode generator. Set to word clock to slave to an external clock source.

USB-A PORT

1. USB keyboard.

2. Auto-copy to USB drives.

3. USB to approved 3rd party control surfaces.

4. USB hubs to support multiple devices.

USB-C PORT Used to connect to a computer for USB audio or transferring les from the SD card.

X1/X2 OUTPUT Unbalanced stereo 3.5 mm female connector. Routing determined in the Outputs menu. [Sleeve = ground, tip = X1, ring = X2].

POWER SWITCH

Turns the power on and off.

HEADPHONE OUTPUT 3.5 mm TRS headphone output. Warning! This output can drive headphones to potentially dangerous levels. [Sleeve = ground, tip = left, ring = right]

AUX/MIC/TIMECODE INPUT Menu-selectable input. Accepts unbalanced stereo audio signal, Plug in Power microphones, or LTC timecode.

HEADPHONE KNOB

1. Rotate to control headphone volume.

2. Rotate to navigate some menus and the virtual keyboard. Press in to select items.

HDMI TC INPUT

Connect to select cameras to receive HDMI time-

code and record start/stop ags.

LEFT & RIGHT TA3 OUTPUTS

+18 dBu line level outputs. Routing

determined in the Outputs menu. [pin-1 = Ground, pin-2 = hot (+), pin3 = cold (-). Float pin-3 to unbalance]

XLR / 1/4-inch TRS Inputs

Menu-selectable be-

MixPre II User Guide

Powering the MixPre II

Apply your choice of power source. Turn the master power switch

located in the upper right corner of the left side panel to the On

position. To ensure the battery/power status indicator displayed on the touchscreen shows accurate level and status, select your battery/ power type in the Power menu.

When using AA batteries to power the MixPre II, we recommend Energizer Ultimate Lithium (not alkaline batteries). The high internal resistance of alkaline batteries makes them only suited to devices requiring low current (less than 25 mA), not higher power electronic devices such as the MixPre II.

Incorrect use of batteries poses a danger of explosion. Replace only with the same or equivalent type. Properly recycle batteries. Do not crush, disassemble, incinerate, dispose in a re or expose batteries to high temperatures.

Power Switchover and Priority

MIXPRE-3 II AND MIXPRE-6 II

To preserve battery power, USB-C power sources take priority over batteries if both are connected with one exception - if the USB-C power source does not meet the full power requirements of the MixPre II, you can choose to power from battery or continue to power from USB-C. An underpowered MixPre II will be able to use two of the three or four channels with 48 V phantom mics. Other channels can still be used with dynamic mics and line level, Aux, or USB sources. In a low power state, the MixPre II automatically:

1. Dims LCD and LED Brightness.

2. Disables USB-A port.

3. Disables HDMI TC port.

For protection against accidental loss of power, the MixPre II incorporates circuitry to automatically switch over from USB-C to batteries.

Save power by turning off unused channels.

With multiple options for powering, your MixPre II can operate in a wide array of applications and environments.

MIXPRE-3 II AND MIXPRE-6 II POWER OPTIONS

1. Included MX-PSU AC wall adapter to USB-C power supply.

2. Four AA batteries installed in the included MX-4AA Battery Sled.

3. Eight AA batteries installed in the optional MX-8AA Battery Sled accessory.

4. One or two Sony-type L-Mount batteries installed in the optional MX-LMount battery sled accessory.

5. USB-C to USB-C cable (included) connected to a USB-C host computer or AC wall adapter.

6. USB-A to USB-C cable connected to a USB-A host computer or AC wall adapter. The unit will enter a low power state and some functionality will be limited with this power option.

7. MX-USBY Dual USB-A to USB-C optional accessory cable connected to a USB-A host computer. Use this cable option if your computer is unable to provide adequate power with only one USB-A port.

MIXPRE-10 II POWER OPTIONS

1. Included XL-WPH3 AC to DC 12 V Power supply with 4-pin Hirose.

2. Eight AA batteries installed in the included MX-8AA Battery Sled.

3. One or two Sony-type L-Mount batteries installed in the optional MX-LMount battery sled accessory.

MIXPRE-10 II

For preservation of battery power, 4-pin Hirose power sources take priority over batteries if both are connected. For protection against accidental loss of power, the MixPre-10 II incorporates circuitry to automatically switch power sources.

MixPre II User Guide

Touchscreen

The MixPre II has a sunlight-viewable, high-resolution, touch-screen-based user interface, which consists of the Home screen, Main Menu screen, and Channel screen views. There are several touch zones on the touch screen for controls. As you become familiar with the user interface, changing settings for inputs, outputs, recording and metering will become fast and intuitive.

HOME SCREEN

The Home screen view appears on the touchscreen when the device is powered up.

File List Icon

Time Counter

Status Bar

Current File Name

Cue Marker

Icon

Power Status

Icon

Menu Icon

Meter View

FILE LIST ICON Touch to enter the File List.

CURRENT FILE NAME Displays the current le name.

TIME COUNTER Displays current timecode value. If timecode is Off,

displays time counter of recording le.

CUE MARKER ICON Touch to lay a cue marker during record or playback. Displays current cue mark point.

POWER STATUS ICON Displays the status of the active power source. See tables opposite for further details.

MENU ICON Touch to enter the setup menu.

METER VIEW Displays audio activity. Touch to toggle through avail-

able meter views:.

1. Left and Right mix tracks.

2. Left and Right mix tracks with isolated tracks.

3. Left and Right mix tracks, USB inputs 1 and 2, and 2 camera

returns (when Aux inputs are set to camera).

STATUS BAR Touch to toggle information displayed:

1. SD card status: card/drive activity, available recording time, le

duration, elapsed time, and headphone preset.

2. USB drive status: remaining space on drive, sample rate, bit depth.

3. Sync Source (if external), sample rate, and bit depth.

4. Date and time.

While auto-copying, copy status is displayed on all status bars. Copy status will alternate with default info.

MIXPRE-3 II AND MIXPRE-6 II

Power Status Icon Description

USB power source is ideal.

(Green USB)

USB power source low. Brightness

(Orange USB)

(Green Battery)

(Flashing Red Battery)

MIXPRE-10 II

Power Status Icon Description

(Green Battery)

(Flashing Red Battery)

dimmed, HDMI & USB-A ports disabled, 48 V phantom on 2 channels only.

Healthy battery. Plan to change batteries when green level drops to about ¼ full.

Battery power is critically low. Change batteries.

Healthy battery. Plan to change batteries when green level drops to about ¼ full.

Battery power is critically low. Change batteries.

MixPre II User Guide

Transport Controls

MIXPRE-3 II AND MIXPRE-6 II

The three Transport controls (illuminated buttons) on the front panel are used to perform recording and playback functions.

FUNCTION CONTROL ACTION

Press to begin recording a new le. The button illuminates red while recording is in

Record

Stop

Play / Pause

Scrub

MIXPRE-10 II

A joystick (with its illuminated LED ring) on the front panel is used to perform various transport control functions.

underway. In Stop mode the record button ashes red while auto-copying to a USB

thumbdrive.

While recording, press once to stop recording. While in playback, press once to stop playback. While in standby, press and hold to display next name. While in Standby and auto-copying is in progress, press Stop to optionally suspend auto-copying.

Press to begin playback of the last le recorded or le currently loaded. The button illuminates green during playback. While in playback, press once to pause, and press again to resume playback. Whenever playback is paused, the button and the current le name will ash green.

While playing or paused, press and hold the headphone encoder to enter Scrub mode. Then rotate clockwise for fast forward or counter-clockwise for rewind at speeds of 0x, 1/8x, 1/4x, 1/2x, 1x, 2x, 4x, 8x and 16x. The audio is heard in Scrub mode up to 2x speed.

FUNCTION CONTROL ACTION

Push up the Transport control to begin recording a new le. The LED ring illuminates red while recording is underway.

Record

Press in the Transport control to stop recording or playback.While in standby, press

Stop

Play

Rewind / Load previous take

Fast forward / Load next take

Scrub

and hold to display next take name. The LED ashes red while auto-copying to a USB

thumbdrive.While in Standby and auto-copying is in progress, press Stop to bring up a dialogue box which gives the option to suspend auto-copying.

Push down the Transport control to begin playback of the last le recorded or le currently loaded. While in playback, push down again to pause playback. The LED ring as well as the active le in the display will ash to indicate that Pause is active. Push down again to continue playback.

While in standby, push left to load the previous take. While in playback, push and hold left to rewind.

When the MixPre is playing back or paused, moving the joystick to the left (<<) rewinds at 2x speed, then after holding for 5 seconds, it increases to 16x speed.

While in standby, push right to load the next take. While in playback, push and hold right to fast forward.

When the MixPre is playing back or paused, moving the joystick to the right (>>) fastforwards at 2x speed, then after holding for 5 seconds, it increases to 16x speed.

MixPre II User Guide

Navigating Menus

Most features and functions are selected and set up in the Menu.

ICON FUNCTION

Touch the Menu icon from the Home Screen to enter the Menu.

Touch the Page (dots) icon to view the next page of options.

Touch the Back icon to return to the main Menu from any submenu.

Touch the Home icon to immediately return the the Home Screen.

Touch the Headphone icon to enter the Headphone menu.

MAIN MENU SCREEN

Touch any menu item to enter the submenu. The menus available depend on model and Mode. See Choosing Your Mode for more information.

MixPre II User Guide

Choosing your Mode

The MixPre II has three different modes of operation to suit you and your application: Basic, Advanced, and Custom. Basic mode is intended for simple, hassle-free, plug-and-play use and beginners. Advanced mode is for professionals and anyone who wants to have every available setting and option at their disposal. Custom mode allows you to select your own mixture of basic and advanced operation. The MixPre-3 II and MixPre-6 II default to Basic mode. The MixPre-10 II defaults to Advanced mode. To change mode, go to Menu>System>Mode.

MIXPRE-3 II BASIC VS ADVANCED

FEATURE BASIC ADVANCED

Gain Channel knob controls all gain for a

channel.

Channel Screen Options Pan (Left, Center, Right)

Input

Phantom Low Cut (On or Off)

Headphone Options LR Stereo

USB 1,2

Outputs Fixed routing of LR mix Stereo Output exible routing

File List Options Name

Number Trash File

Cue Move Cue Name Cue Delete

Aux In Options Mic

Line Timecode Off

MixAssist Not Available Requires Plugin

NoiseAssist Not Available Requires Plugin

Record Options Sample Rate xed at 48 kHZ

Bit Depth xed at 24 bit Records only the Left/Right mix Pre-roll

Record Triggers Record Bells

MixPre II User Guide

Dual gain stage. Input gain is set in the Channel Screen. Channel knob controls post-fade levels to mix bus.

Solo Mute Track Arm (Iso Tracks) Gain Pan (Variable) Input

Phantom Low Cut (On or Off)

Phase Delay NoiseAssist (requires NoiseAssist plugin)

Stereo and MS Linking

LR Stereo LR Mono USB 1,2

Presets 1-4 Edit Presets Camera Stereo Camera Mono HP Solo mode (Multiple or Individual)

Stereo Output gain Stereo Out Mode (LTC or Audio) Stereo Out Mute L,R Delay

USB Output 1-6

Undo Recording

Name Number

Notes

Track Names Trash File

Cue Move Cue Name Cue Delete

Mic Line

Timecode Camera Return

Off

Sample Rate Options 44.1 - 192 kHz Bit Depth options 16, 24, 32 (oat) Record Isolated channels and mix tracks

Individual control of Left and Right gain

Individual control of Left and Right record arming Pre-roll

Record Triggers Record Bells Remix & Rerecord NoiseAssist, Left and Right (requires plugin)

Limiters Always On Limiters (Off, Factory, Custom)

Custom Limiter options (Ratio, Threshold, Release)

MixPre II User Guide

MIXPRE-6 II BASIC VS ADVANCED

FEATURE BASIC ADVANCED

Gain Channel knob controls all gain for a

channel.

Channel Screen Options Pan (Left, Center, Right)

Input

Phantom Low Cut (On or Off)

Dual gain stage. Input gain is set in the Channel Screen. Channel knob controls post-fade levels to mix bus.

Solo Mute Track Arm (Iso Tracks) Gain Pan (Variable) Input

Phantom Low Cut (On or Off)

Phase Delay NoiseAssist (requires NoiseAssist plugin)

Linking

Headphone Options LR Stereo

USB 1,2

USB 3,4

LR Stereo LR Mono USB 1,2

USB 3,4 Presets 1-4 Edit Presets Camera Stereo Camera Mono HP Solo mode (Multiple or Individual)

Outputs Fixed routing of LR mix Stereo Output exible routing

Stereo Output gain Stereo Out Mode (LTC or Audio) Stereo Out Mute L,R Delay

USB Outputs 1-8

File List Options Name

Number Trash File

Cue Move Cue Name Cue Delete

Undo Recording

Name Number

Notes

Track Names Trash File

Cue Move Cue Name Cue Delete

Aux In Options Mic

Line Timecode Off

Mic Line

Timecode Camera Return

Off

Ambisonics Not Available Requires Plugin

MixAssist Not Available Requries Plugin

NoiseAssist Not Available Requires Plugin

Record Options Sample Rate xed at 48 kHZ

Bit Depth xed at 24 bit Records only the Left/Right mix Pre-roll

Record Triggers Record Bells

Sample Rate Options 44.1 - 192 kHz Bit Depth options 16, 24, 32 (oat) Record Isolated channels and mix tracks

Individual control of Left and Right gain

Individual control of Left and Right record arming Pre-roll

Record Triggers Record Bells Remix & Rerecord NoiseAssist, Left and Right (requires plugin)

Tone Menu On or Off On or Off

L Ident Tone Tone Level

MixPre II User Guide

FEATURE BASIC ADVANCED

Limiters Always On Limiters (Off, Factory, Custom)

Custom Limiter options (Ratio, Threshold, Release)

MixPre II User Guide

MIXPRE-10 II BASIC VS ADVANCED

FEATURE BASIC ADVANCED

Gain Channel knob controls all gain for a

channel.

Channel Screen Options Pan (Left, Center, Right)

Input

Phantom Low Cut (On or Off)

Dual gain stage. Input gain is set in the Channel Screen. Channel knob controls post-fade levels to mix bus.

Solo Mute Track Arm (Iso Tracks) Gain Pan (Variable) Input

Phantom Low Cut (On or Off)

Phase Delay NoiseAssist (plugin required)

Stereo and MS Linking

Headphone Options LR Stereo

X1X2 Stereo USB 1,2

USB 3,4

LR Stereo LR Mono X1X2 Stereo USB 1,2

USB 3,4 Presets 1-4 Edit Presets Camera Stereo Camera Mono HP Solo mode (Multiple or Individual)

Outputs Fixed routing of LR mix L,R and X1,X2 exible routing

L,R and X1,X2 gain L,R and X1,X2 Out Mute L,R and X1,X2 Delay

USB Outputs 1-12

File List Options Name

Number Trash File

Cue Move Cue Name Cue Delete

Undo Recording

Name Number

Notes

Track Names Trash File

Cue Move Cue Name Cue Delete

Aux In Options Mic

Line Timecode Off

Mic Line

Timecode Camera Return

Off

Ambisonics Not Available Requires Plugin

MixAssist Not Available Requires Plugin

NoiseAssist Not Available Requires Plugin

Record Options Sample Rate xed at 48 kHZ

Bit Depth xed at 24 bit Records only the Left/Right mix Pre-roll

Record Triggers Record Bells

Sample Rate options 44.1 - 192 kHz Bit Depth options 16, 24, 32 (oat) Record Isolated channels and mix tracks

Individual control of Left and Right gain

Individual control of Left and Right record arming Pre-roll

Record Triggers Record Bells Remix & Rerecord NoiseAssist, Left and Right (requires plugin)

MixPre II User Guide

FEATURE BASIC ADVANCED

Tone On or Off Flexible Tone Routing

Tone Level L Ident Tone Tone Level

Limiters Always On Limiters (Off, Factory, Custom)

Custom Limiter options (Ratio, Threshold, Release)

MixPre II User Guide

Custom Mode

Custom mode allows you to select your own mixture of basic and advanced operation. This mode grants access to select categories of Advanced Mode.

CONFIGURE CUSTOM SETUP

1. Set System > Mode to Custom.

2. In System > Custom Setup set each category to basic or advanced.

Custom Setup options are:

CATEGORY DESCRIPTION

Channel Allows advanced operation of the following

Gain Allows advanced operation of channel gain,

Headphone Allows access to advanced headphone

Record Allows advanced operation of isolated track

Metadata Allows advanced operation in the File List.

Outputs Allows advanced operation of Output menu

items: Channel Solo, Mute, Track Arm, Pan, Low Cut, Phase, Delay, NoiseAssist (requires plugin), Channel Linking, and isolated track recording.

including dual gain stage (gain and fader)

and Remix.

presets and channel solo.

arming and recording, LR track linking and gain, sample rate, and bit depth.

This includes metadata entry and editing of name, number, notes, track names, and access to the undo recording feature.

items such as mute, gain, mode, and routing.

MixPre II User Guide

Channel Screen - Basic Mode

The MixPre II’s exibility is enhanced by its ability to select various input types to its mixer channels. On the MixPre-3 II, channels can be sourced from XLR mic/line input, 3.5 mm Aux line or mic input, or from USB channels. On the MixPre-6 II and MixPre-10 II, channels can be sourced from XLR or TRS mic/line input, 3.5 mm Aux line or mic input, or from USB channels.

Access the channel’s input settings by pushing in the channel’s knob. There are three channel inputs on the MixPre-3 II, 6 channel inputs on the MixPre-6 II, and 10 channel inputs on the MixPre-10 II.

Channels 5 and 6 on MixPre-6 II and 9 and 10 on the MixPre-10 II are controlled in the Inputs menu. Input source, gain, pan, and lowcut are all available in this menu.

Channels use a single gain stage adjusted by the knob. Levels set at the channel knob are sent to the LR mix record channels and the LR outputs. Limiters are present on each channel and the LR mix bus and will ensure that your audio is safe from accidental clipping.

PAN Pan the channel’s signal Left, Center or Right in the stereo LR

mix and Stereo Out.

LOW CUT Turn Low Cut lter on or off. Useful for reducing unwanted low frequency in the audio of the select channel.

INPUT Select one of the available Mic, Line, Aux (available when Aux In Mode is Mic or Line) or USB inputs as the channel source.

PHANTOM Turn on 48 V phantom power when using a condenser microphone in the selected channel (available when Input is Mic).

MixPre II User Guide

Channel Screen - Advanced Mode

Channels 5 and 6 on MixPre-6 II and 9 and 10 on the MixPre-10 II are controlled in the Inputs menu. Input source, solo, mute, arm, gain, pan, low cut, and linking are all available in this menu.

Channels use a dual gain stage. Adjust the gain control in the Channel Screen and fader level with the knob. Limiters are present on each channel and the LR mix bus and will ensure that your audio is safe from accidental clipping.

SOLO Lets you “solo” the selected channel in the headphone output. Solo mode can be set to “Individual” or “Multiple” in the HP menu. When a channel is soloed, the LED ring will ash orange.

MUTE Provides quick access to muting an input.

ARM Allows pre-fade recording of the channel to an individual track

on the SD card.

GAIN Sets the sensitivity of the input. Generally, the Gain should be set so that the loudest parts of the audio signal just touch the red segments of the meters. The control knobs on the front panel act as faders.

PAN Lets you position the audio of the channel anywhere between Left and Right in the stereo image of the LR mix and Stereo Out.

LOW CUT Turn Low Cut lter on or off. Useful for reducing unwanted low frequency in the audio of the select channel. Frequency is adjustable from 40, 80, 120, or 160 Hz.

INPUT Select one of the available Mic, Line, Aux (available when Aux In Mode is Mic or Line) or USB inputs as the channel source.

PHANTOM Turn on 48 V phantom power when using a condenser microphone in the selected channel (available when Input is Mic)

PHASE Phase inversion (or polarity reversal) is used to compensate for incorrectly wired, balanced cables, to prevent signal cancellation when a source is dual-mic’d from opposite directions, or to reverse left/right with microphones in a mid-side (MS) conguration.

DELAY Input delay may be used to compensate for ‘phasey’ sounding audio because of time-of-arrival differences between sound sources, such as a boom mic and wireless radio mic picking up the same sound source.

NOISEASSIST (REQUIRES PLUGIN) Sets the amount of noise sup-

pression applied to a channel. Adjust from 0 dB (no suppression) to

-20 dB (maximum suppression) in 1 dB steps. Only available when the channel is selected in the System > NoiseAssist menu.

LINKING All MixPre II’s can link channels 1 and 2 either as a stereo pair, mid side pair, or turn linking off.

Input Types Description

Mic Use for microphones. For condenser mics

requiring 48 V phantom power, set Phantom to On.

Line Use this type for balanced analog line level

sources.

Aux In 1-2 Use for unbalanced stereo input.

USB Use for sources coming from a computer via

USB-C.

MixPre II User Guide

Linking Channels

Are you working with a stereo source—a keyboard or stereo mic perhaps? To make it easy to adjust these types of sources, the MixPre II offers linking of channel pairs either as a stereo pair or mid-side (MS) pair.

STEREO PAIR LINKING

Control the level of both channels 1 and 2 with the Channel 1 knob. The Channel 2 knob will now function as a balanced control if stereo linked.

MS PAIR LINKING

Control the level of both channels 1 and 2 with the Channel 1 knob. The Channel 2 knob will now function as a width control. You can choose to have the MS decoder apply to the mix only and not isolated tracks in th menu Inputs > MS Decode.

MULTICHANNEL LINKING

When multiple channels are linked, gain, fader, limiters, track arming, low cut lters, and input delay are all linked and controlled from the single Channel. Additionally, the Link Type menu provides the options for which paramaters are linked.

1. All links input type, trim gains, faders, limiters, low cuts, record arms, and delays

2. Faders Only links only fader level.

The MixPre-6 II can link channels 1-3 and 1-4.

The MixPre-10 II can additionally link channels 1-3, 1-4, 1-5, 1-6, 1-7 and 1-8.

GAIN STAGING WITH LINKING

You can use linking with single gain stage or two-gain stage (trim/ fader) operation. For instance, users wanting to link inputs 1-2 or 1-4, but control all levels from the front-panel Channel 1 knob should set System > Mode to Custom and then in Custom Setup, set Gain to Basic and Channel to Advanced.

Users wanting to link those same inputs but use two gain stages should use Advanced Mode or Custom mode with both Gain and Channel set to Advanced. Then, you can adjust trim gain levels for linked channels from the Channel 1 screen and adjust fader levels for linked channels with the Channel 1 knob.

MixPre II User Guide

Inputs Menu

The Inputs menu allows you to access software-controlled channels (5/6 on MixPre-6 II and 9/10 on MixPre-10 II) and Aux In Mode settings.

SOFTWARE-CONTROLLED CHANNEL SCREENS Selects Input

source from Off, USB 1 or 2, USB 3 or 4 (MixPre-6 II and MixPre-10 II only) and Aux In. From these screens, you may also solo, mute, arm tracks, adjust gain, pan, low cut, and set linking.

AUX IN MODE Congures how the Aux/Mic In 3.5 mm connector is used.

1. Mic: Select this option when the Aux/Mic In is to be used with a

mic. The MixPre II provides bias voltage for PiP (plug-in-power) mics. Aux 1 and 2 are available as input sources to any channel.

2. Line: Select this option when the Aux/Mic In is to be used with an

unbalanced 2ch line source, such as smartphone headphone output, stereo line source, etc. Aux 1 and 2 are available as input sources to any channel.

3. Camera: Select this option when the Aux/Mic In is to be used for

monitoring a video camera’s audio output via the MixPre II’s headphones and camera return (C1/C2) meters located on meter view. This is particularly useful when you want to use the MixPre II to drastically improve the sound quality recorded on the camera. It is common knowledge that camera mic inputs are not of high quality so by connecting your mics to the MixPre II instead, then connecting the MixPre II’s L/R outputs to your camera audio input, you will achieve far superior sound quality. Then by connecting the camera’s audio output to the MixPre II’s Aux/Mic In, it allows you to check that the camera audio is noise and distortion-free. When this option is selected an additional setting appears in the Input Menu called Camera Gain. This lets you adjust the gain of the incoming camera audio level. You also get additional camera monitoring options in the HP Presets menu. When Aux In Mode is set to Camera, you cannot route Aux In to a channel and thus you cannot record it.

4. Timecode: Select this option is for using an external timecode

source connected to the Aux/Mic In port. The 3.5 mm TRS connector is wired to receive timecode on its tip. Also ensure Menu > Timecode > TC Mode is set to Aux TC In.

Off: Select this option to turn off the Aux/Mic Input.

MS DECODE

Choose between ISOs & Mix and Mix Only.

KNOB PRESS

Selects the behavior of pressing a Channel Knob. Available in Advanced Mode.

1. Ch.View: Pressing the channel knob enters the channel view. Chan-

nel Gain is automatically selected upon entry.

2. Ch.View + Solo: Pressing the channel knob enters the channel view

and automatically solos the channel. Channel Gain is automatically selected upon entry.

Setting Knob Press to Ch.View + Solo does not permit multiple HP Soloing. HP Solo mode is automatically set to ‘Individual’ if it was previously set to ‘Multiple’

AMBISONICS

MixPre-6 II and MixPre-10 II only. Requires plugin; see separate Ambisonics guide for more information.

MIXASSIST

Requires plugin. MixAssist is not available in Music or Ambisonics mode. See separate MixAssist guide for more information.

MixPre II User Guide

NOISEASSIST

Requires plugin. NoiseAssist is not available in Music or Ambisonics mode. See separate NoiseAssist guide for more information.

MixPre II User Guide

Metering

There are ve basic methods for observing input and output levels on the MixPre II.

CHANNEL KNOB RING LEDS The brightness of the light ring indicates the level of the input. Green = signal present, red = signal peaking, orange = signal limiting. A channel’s ring LED will ash orange when in solo and glow red when the channel is muted. With MixAssist active, the ring LED will ow solid green to idicate that channel is active.

CHANNEL SCREEN METER The Channel screen displays the isolat- ed channel meter in the top left-hand corner.

HOME SCREEN METERS To switch meter views, touch the meters to cycle through the three different views. The meters show signal levels, current arm status of each track, limiter activity, MixAssist active channel status, and NoiseAssist suppression amount.

METERING BALLISTICS

Audio meter ballistics is the manner in which a visual meter responds to audio signal levels. Peak-reading ballistics correspond to actual signal peaks, but do not necessarily correspond to perceived signal loudness. Peak meters have an instant attack and slow decay and are useful in digital audio workows where signal overload can cause immediate distortion. Volume Units (VU) meter ballistics correspond closely to how the human ear perceives loudness. VU meters provide good visual indication of how loud a signal will be, but provides poor information of actual signal peaks. The MixPre II uses a combination Peak+VU ballistics for all meters, where the perceived loudness (or VU) is simultaneously displayed as a standard bar while the peak signal is displayed as a single, independent segment above the VU.

CHANNEL SCREEN METER

MAIN LR STEREO METER VIEW

LR, ISO MULTI-TRACK METER VIEW (MIXPRE-10 II SHOWN)

MixPre II User Guide

LR, CAMERA RETURNS, AND USB 1,2 METER VIEW

Limiters

The MixPre II has fully adjustable limiter parameters giving control over Ratio, Release and Threshold. The limiters can be ne tuned for dialog, foley, nature recording, and even live instruments. Access the Limiters menu by navigating to Menu > System > Limiters.

The following options are available in the Limiters menu:

ON/OFF Toggles the Limiters On or Off. While set to On the limiter is a global setting and applies to every channel.

LIMITER SETUP Toggle limiter preset between Factory or Custom.

CUSTOM Enters Custom Limiter set up menu giving the following

parameter adjustments:

RATIO Sets the Limiting ratio. Options are Inf:1, 10:1, and 20:1. 20:1 is the default setting.

RELEASE Adjustable from 50-1000 ms in 10 ms increments. 100 ms is the default setting.

THRESHOLD adjustable from -2 to -12 dBFS in 1 dB steps. -6 dBFS is the default setting.

Any changes made in Custom Limiter mode are retained after leaving the menu, allowing you to compare the Factory setting and your own Custom Limiter setting.

Limiters are disabled in 32-bit oat mode.

MixPre II User Guide

Outputs

The MixPre II features multiple Output congurations for exible recording scenarios. The Outputs menu is available in Advanced mode. In the Outputs menu, you may send any channel, Aux input, USB input or LR mix to either the outputs, mute outputs, and control gain. The MixPre-3 II and MixPre-6 II Stereo Out can be congured to send audio or LTC timecode.

MIXPRE-3 II & MIXPRE-6 II:

STEREO OUT MUTE Mutes the output.

STEREO OUT GAIN Adjusting output gains is useful for optimizing

the level feeding downstream devices such as transmitters, external mixers, PA, etc. The level of the output can be set to Off, 40 to +20 dB in 1 dB steps.

STEREO OUT LEFT OR RIGHT Congures output source, select from Mix L, Mix R, Isolated Channels (pre or post-fade), Aux In, or USB streaming into the MixPre II from a computer.

LEFT, RIGHT OUTPUT DELAY Output delay is particularly useful

when sending audio to video operators on a production set or in live streaming applications to ensure that audio is in sync with video. Outputs can be delayed from 0 to 400 ms. Delay applies to the Stereo Out left and right and any USB output routed from Out L or R.

STEREO OUT MODE Congures the output to be used as an LTC

timecode or audio output.

STEREO OUT LEFT OR RIGHT Congures output source, select from Mix L, Mix R, Isolated Channels (pre or post-fade), Aux In, or USB streaming into the MixPre II from a computer.

USB 1-6 (MIXPRE-3 II) Congures output source from L,R, 1-3 (preor post-fade), Headphone L, R, or Output L,R.

USB 1-8 (MIXPRE-6 II) Congures output source from L,R, 1-6 (preor post-fade), Headphone L, R, or Output L,R.

MIXPRE-10 II:

L/R OUT MUTE Mutes the output.

X1/X2 OUT MUTE Mutes the output.

L/R GAIN Adjusting output gains is useful for optimizing the level

feeding downstream devices such as transmitters, external mixers, PA, etc. The level of the output can be set to Off, 40 to +20 dB in 1 dB steps.

X1/X2 GAIN Adjusts the level of the output from Off, 40 to +20 dB in 1 dB steps.

LEFT OR RIGHT OUTPUT Congures output source, select from Mix L, Mix R, Isolated Channels (pre or post-fade), Aux In, or USB streaming into the MixPre II from a computer.

LEFT, RIGHT, X1, X2 OUTPUT DELAY Output delay is particularly

useful when sending audio to video operators on a production set or in live streaming applications to ensure that audio is in sync with video. Outputs can be delayed from 0 to 400 ms. Delay applies to the left, right, X1 and X2 outputs and any USB output routed from Out L, R, X1, or X2.

USB 1-12 Congures output source from L,R, 1-10 (pre- or post-fade, Headphone L, R, or Output L,R, X1,X2.

MixPre II User Guide

TO ROUTE THE L/R AND X1/X2 STEREO OUTPUTS:

1. Tap

2. Tap Outputs.

3. Select any of the following:

L Output R Output X1 Output X2 Output

4. From the routing matrix, select what channel to send to the output.

In addition, if you choose to send the channels to outputs, you can

select either pre-fade (Channel knob has no effect) or post-fade (Channel knob controls level).

MixPre II User Guide

Headphone Out

The MixPre II’s high quality headphone amplier provides high power and very low noise performance so that you can accurately hear the audio, regardless of headphones or environment.

Connect headphones via 3.5 mm jack to the headphone jack (located on the right side panel). The volume of the headphones is set using the knob directly adjacent to the headphone jack.

The headphone amplier is capable of very high output levels. Please use caution when wearing headphones as hearing damage could result with inapproriate volume levels.

When clipping occurs in the headphones, the Headphone Clip indicator appears in the top right corner of screen, over the Power Status indicator.

ACCESS THE HEADPHONE PRESENT MENU

1. Enter the main menu.

2. Tap

3. Above this icon, the currently selected HP preset is displayed.

ADVANCED MODE - CREATING A CUSTOM HP PRESET

Selet Edit HP Preset (Advanced Mode Only) to edit and name any of the User HP Presets.

ADVANCED MODE - HP SOLO

HP Solo mode provides options for single or multi-channel solo monitoring. Soloing channels is performed in the channel screens.

DISABLING RECORD BELLS IN HEADPHONES

Record bells, heard in headphones when recording is started and stopped, may be turned off. The record bells can be turned off in the Record menu.

PRESET OPTIONS BY MODEL

MIXPRE-3 II

Basic Mode: LR Stereo, USB 1, 2, Advanced Mode: LR Stereo, LR Mono, USB 1, 2, and User Presets 1-4 Camera options appear when Aux In is set to Camera.

MIXPRE-6 II

Basic Mode: LR Stereo, USB 1, 2, USB 3,4 Advanced Mode: LR Stereo, LR Mono, USB 1, 2, and User Presets 1-4 Camera options appear when Aux In is set to Camera.

MIXPRE-10 II

Basic Mode: LR Stereo, X1X2 Stereo, USB 1,2, USB 3,4, and User Presets 1-4. Advanced Mode: LR Stereo, LR Mono, X1X2 Stereo, USB 1,2, USB 3,4, and User Presets 1-4. Camera options appear when Aux In is set to Camera.

in the upper left hand corner.

MixPre II User Guide

Using the MixPre II as a USB Audio Interface

The MixPre II Series perform as highly capable and pristine quality USB audio interfaces. They support up to 96 kHz sample rate at bit depths of 16, 24, 32-bit integer or 32-bit oat. The MixPre II’s 32-bit oat USB audio path makes it possible to record into a DAW above 0 dBFS without clipping.

A list of compatable 32-bit oat OS and DAW’s can be found at www.

sounddevices.com/32-bit-oat-applications

For PC users, the MixPre-6 II and MixPre-10 II will appear as a 2x2 audio interface unless a specic ASIO® driver is installed. The latest ASIO drivers are available for free at www.sounddevices.com/down-

load

A PC running Windows 10 or higher is required to stream 32-bit oat audio. A PC running Windows 7 or below will not stream audio at 32-bit oat. Please install the correct ASIO driver relative to your operating system.

To work with the USB audio from a host computer, it is necessary to route the USB 1 - 4 sources appropriately. To mix the USB audio from the host computer with live audio from the inputs to the LR bus, use the channel screen and select input source. To hear the USB host computer audio in the headphones only, switch the HP preset to USB 1,2 or USB 3,4.

The MixPre II is capable of recording and streaming audio to a USB host simultaneously, or recording the USB audio stream out of a computer directly to its SD recorder.

LOW-LATENCY MONITORING Latency has been minimized while using the MixPre-II as a USB interface. In situations where the throughput latency is higher than desired, the input can be directly monitored in the headphone output.

TO MONITOR WITH ZERO-LATENCY:

1. Connect via USB-C to the USB port on your computer.

2. Conrm that the LR Stereo HP Preset is selected.

• Select USB 1 for Channel 1 source (MixPre-3 II), Channel 5 source (MixPre-6 II), or Channel 9 source (MixPre-10 II) and Pan L.

• Select USB 2 for Channel 2 source (MixPre-3 II), Channel 5 source (MixPre-6 II), or Channel 10 source (MixPre-10 II) and Pan R.

• Create a custom HP preset that mixes the microphone or input

you want to record from with the USB 1 and/or USB 2 feed from the computer. For example, HP L = Ch1 + U1 and HP R = Ch1 + U2.

3. Connect microphone or other inputs to remaining channels.

4. Select USB 1 for Channel 1 source (MixPre-3 II), Channel 5 source (MixPre-6 II), or Channel 9 source (MixPre-10 II) and Pan L.

5. Select USB 2 for Channel 2 source (MixPre-3 II), Channel 5 source (MixPre-6 II), or Channel 10 source (MixPre-10 II) and Pan R.

MixPre II User Guide

6. Connect microphone or other inputs to remaining channels.

7. Select the appropriate inputs for remaining channels.

8. Setup your DAW software for a new track with its source being any of the available channels.

9. Disable record monitoring or mute the channel’s output in the DAW.

10. You should now be able to hear and adjust the output of your DAW audio through the channels you set to USB 1 and 2 on your MixPre while adjusting your low-latency feed in your headphones (and send levels to DAW) using the remaining channel knobs.

MixPre II User Guide

USB Output Routing

Each of the MixPre’s USB audio output streams can be sourced from any channel (pre- or post-fade), LR mix bus, headphone output or LR output and X1,X2 (on the MixPre-10 II only).

MIX-MINUS SENDS

A mix-minus send is used when working with remote contributors in podcasting, conferencing and broadcast applications. It allows the remote contributor to hear the program mix, minus their own voice, the remove distracting latency.

TO SETUP UP A MIX-MINUS SEND:

1. In the Outputs>St.Out Left or St.Out Right menus (or L, R, X1, or X2 Output menus on the MixPre-10 II), create a summed mix of all the channels you want to send to the remote contributor minus their own channel. You can mix the channels pre-fade or post-fade.

2. Select the Output you have congured in step 1 as the source for the USB channel you are sending to the remote contributor.

MixPre II User Guide

System

MODE Switch between Basic, Advanced and Custom.

FILE TRANSFER Transfer les between the MixPre and a host computer.

USB AUDIO Switch between Normal or Stereo Out. When set

to Stereo Out, the USB Audio interface outputs only and does not

receive USB audio from a computer.

USB-C (MIXPRE-3 II AND MIXPRE-6 II ONLY) Switch between Power only or Audio when using with a USB-C power or audio source.

LIMITERS Set limiters to off, factory, or custom.

BLUETOOTH Switch Bluetooth on/off.

NOISEASSIST (PLUGIN REQUIRED) Activate and setup Noise-

Assist routing.

WINGMAN PASSWORD Set a required password for the Wingman

app.

BRIGHTNESS Adjust the brightness of the

touch screen and the ring LEDs.

DATE/TIME

Set current date/time and format.

TUNE CRYSTAL (MIXPRE-1O II ONLY) Fine tune the internal

crystal frequency to an external word clock or LTC signal via BNC In.

REGULATORY Provides full Federal Communications

Commission (FCC) compliance information.

VERSION Provides the model type, current

rmware version, and serial number.

UDPATE FIRMWARE Update the rmware

from a le on the SD card. The latest rmware can be downloaded from the Sound Devices website: www.sounddevices.com/support/downloads

While updating rmware, power the MixPre via: USB-C on the Mixpre-3, -3M, or -3 II USB-C on the MixPre-6, -6M, or -6 II When powering via USB-C from a computer, it is best to set Menu>System>USB-C to Power Only. Use the included Hirose power supply for the MixPre-10T, -10M, or

-10 II.

Fully charged batteries are also acceptable on all models. Do not perform the update with low batteries or unstable power sources.

When upgrading to rmware version 7.0 or higher from any version lower than 6.0 the rmware installation process will need to be completed twice. After the rst installation is complete, the MixPre II will prompt you to start the second installation process.

PLUGINS View and apply plugins. Plugins enhance the capability of

your MixPre are available to purchase at: store.sounddevices.com

MixPre II User Guide

Formatting Media

SD cards must be formatted by the MixPre II for reliable recording and playback. Back-up any wanted audio recordings or data on the SD card before formatting. The formatting process erases all data on the SD card.

If a USB thumbdrive is inserted into the USB A port, the MixPre II automatically copies the current project’s recorded les to it. The thumbdrive must also be formatted before use.

We highly recommend using Sound Devices branded SD cards as these have been optimized to provide the best performance. If these are not available, most reputable manufacturers’ cards (such as SanDisk or Delkin) that meet or exceed class 10 speeds are acceptable. Similarly, we highly recommend only using Sound Devices’ approved USB thumbdrives to ensure reliable operation.

Current approved media can be found here.

All media will be formatted as exFAT. If any media is formatted differently, the MixPre will display a formatting reminder. The exFAT le system is not compatible with Windows XP or Mac OS X 10.6.4 and lower.

FORMAT AN SD CARD

1. Insert an SD card in the slot located on the rear panel.

2. Navigate to SD Card > Edit > Format.

3. When asked to conrm the command to format the card, touch OK.

FORMAT A USB THUMBDRIVE

1. Connect a USB ThumbDrive to the USB-A port located on the left panel or USB hub.

2. Navigate to USB Drive > Edit > Format.

3. Conrm the command to format the card, and touch OK.

USB AUTO-COPY

The MixPre II will auto-copy to a formatted USB-A thumbdrive when inserted directly into the USB-A port or when using a USB hub. Stopping a recording will automatically copy the last recorded le to the thumdrive. While copying, the record button on the MixPre-3 II and MixPre-6 II and the ring LED on the MixPre-10 II will ash while the process is being completed. The completion rate will display as a percentage on the bottom right corner of the status bar. If a new recording is started while auto-copying is still in progress, auto-copying will still continue.

INTERRUPTING USB AUTO COPY WITH POWER CYCLE

Auto-copy can be temporarily suspended during longer copying times. During auto-copy in stop mode, pressing stop or toggling the power switch to OFF brings up the following popup: “Suspend USB auto-copy? Copying will resume when record is next pressed. OK, Cancel” If “OK” is pressed, Auto-copying is suspended and will resume copying when record is next pressed. If “Cancel” is pressed, Auto-copying will continue until complete then power down if switch is off or sit in idle if power switch is on.

While the MixPre II is auto-copying, the USB Drive and SD Card menu are unavailable.

MixPre II User Guide

Record - Basic Mode

PRE-ROLL TIME Pre-roll captures audio for a set amount of time before Record is pressed, ensuring important audio is never missed. Pre-roll time decreases as sample rate increases. Choose up to 10 seconds of pre-roll at 48 kHz. At 96 kHz pre-roll is limited to a maximum of 5 seconds. At 192 kHz pre-roll is limited to a maximum of 2 seconds. Pre-roll is not available in record run mode or when using a record trigger.

REC TRIGGER Sets record triggering from either timecode, HDMI

ag or HDMI FUJIFILM ag. The default is Off.

RECORD BELLS Enable or disable record bell notications. Record bells are On by default.

MixPre II User Guide

Record - Advanced Mode

REC L, R Arms L and/or R mix buses. Choose between Off, Off & Linked, L, R, L&R, and L&R Linked.

L GAIN Sets the gain for the L mix.

RIGHT GAIN Set the gain for the R mix. This setting is disabled

when Rec L,R Mix is set to LR Linked.

SAMPLE RATE Set the internal sample rate and sample rate of recorded WAV les. Choose between 44.1 kHz, 47.952 kHz, 48 kHz,

48.048 kHz, 96 kHz, and 192 kHz.

BIT DEPTH Select between 16, 24, and 32 oat bit depth.

PRE-ROLL TIME Pre-roll captures audio for a set amount of time

before Record is pressed, ensuring important audio is never missed. Pre-roll time decreases as sample rate increases. Choose up to 10 seconds of pre-roll at 48 kHz. At 96 kHz pre-roll is limited to a maximum of 5 seconds. At 192 kHz pre-roll is limited to a maximum of 2 seconds. Pre-roll is not available in record run mode or when using a record trigger.

REC TRIGGER The MixPre II may be congured to begin recording when it is triggered. Setting the Record Trigger to HDMI ag will initiate record when a compatible device issues the record ag via the HDMI input. The MixPre II has two HDMI rec trigger options. HDMI ag for Sony, Panasonic, Nikon, Canon and Blackmagic cameras and HDMI FUJIFILM for FUJIFILM cameras. Setting the Record Trigger to Timecode will initiate record when the MixPre II detects running LTC timecode via the Aux or BNC inputs (MixPre-10 II only). Set record triggers in the Record Menu. When record triggers are used, Pre-roll is disabled.

REMIX Allows you to simultaneously play back a le and record a new L/R mix while adjusting the gains with the fader knobs. To remix a recording, turn on Remix in the Record menu. Select a le from the File List that has isolated tracks and select Remix.

Tip: Enable MixAssist with remixing/re-recording to help clean up audio and reduce background noise in an existing recording.

LEFT N.ASST (PLUGIN REQUIRED) Sets the amount of NoiseAssist suppression on the L mix track. Adjust from 0 dB (no suppression) to -20 dB (maximum suppression) in 1 dB steps. Option is only available when L is selected in the System > NoiseAssist menu.

RIGHT N.ASST (PLUGIN REQUIRED) Sets the amount of NoiseAssist suppression on the R mix track. Adjust from 0 dB (no suppression) to -20 dB (maximum suppression) in 1 dB steps. Option is only available when R is selected in the System > NoiseAssist menu.

RECORD BELLS Enable or disable record bell notications. Record bells are On by default.

File Splits

To conform to the Broadcast WAV File standard ,the maximum size of a le recorded by the MixPre II is 4GB. If a recording exceeds this limit, the MixPre II will automaticaly begin recording a new le. The recording process is seamless, meaning the two les can be joined togther in post with no loss in audio.

MixPre II User Guide

Timecode

When timecode is enabled, it is displayed on the home screen beneath the current lename. Standard timecode is displayed as HH:MM:SS:FF. Drop-frame timecode is displayed with a semi-colon between the seconds and frames elds: HH:MM:SS;FF.

Each time you press record, the current timecode value is stored inside the Broadcast WAV le. Most popular video editing applications can read this timecode value to help sync the audio with picture.

When power is removed, the internal battery maintains accurate timecode for up to 4 hours. An alert will be issued whenever the timecode generator (in Free Run and Time of Day timecode modes) has reset due to internal battery depletion. This internal battery is automatically charged anytime the MixPre II is powered on.

TC MODE Select between Free Run, Time of Day, Rec Run, BNC In (MixPre-10 II only), Aux In 1, Aux In 2, HDMI TC In, HDMI FUJIFILM or Off.

FRAME RATE Select between 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97nd, 29.97dF, 30, and 30 dF. Setting the frame rate is not necessary when using BNC, Aux, or HDMI In.

JAM With the MixPre to Free Run and the frame rate set to the source’s frame rate, tap Source and select BNC In or Aux TC. Tap Jam TC to jam timecode. Jamming is successful if Diff = 00:00:00:00.

SET TC Manually set timecode.

BNC IN MixPre-10 II only. Set BNC to Timecode or Word Clock.

BNC OUT MixPre-10 II only. Set BNC to Timecode or Word Clock.

SYNC REF MixPre-10 II only. Select from BNC In or Internal. When

BNC In is selected, the MixPre-10 II can be set to slave to an external timecode or word clock sync reference connected to BNC In.

SET UBITS Click “Mode” at top to edit UBits Mode. From the main screen, press in with the headphone encoder to modify the value of a UBit. Use the arrows or scroll with the encoder to select.

To maintain accurate timecode count over a power cycle, ensure MixPre is not connected as a USB audio interface to a computer during power up. It is best practice to rejam timecode devices after switching modes (Basic, Advanced or Custom) or after any setting change requiring a reboot (32-bit oat, MixAssist, Music mode or Ambisonics).

MixPre II User Guide

Timecode Modes

FREE RUN Timecode runs continuously. Timecode continues counting accurately for up to four hours after power-down.

REC RUN Timecode runs while recording and is stationary when not recording. In this mode, timecode defaults to the last stationary value at power-up. When switching to Record Run from another mode, the internal generator will stop at the last timecode value. Timecode output can be used to trigger other equipment that supports timecode remote triggering to start and stop recording.

TIME OF DAY (TOD) Alternatively known as 24 hr run mode, this is similar to free run mode except that the timecode generator is automatically loaded with the time of day. Use TOD mode when you want the recorded WAV les to be timecode stamped with the time of day generated by the internal clock.

BNC IN, AUX IN Timecode can be derived from external timecode connected to the TC In BNC or to the 3.5 mm Aux/Mic In connector.

HDMI TC IN Many DSLR-style cameras output timecode via HDMI. If HDMI TC In is selected without an HDMI source connected, the MixPre II will report missing sync. The MixPre II has two HDMI timecode modes,. HDMI ag for Sony, Panasonic, Nikon, Canon and Blackmagic cameras and HDMI FUJIFILM for FUJIFILM cameras.

OFF Setting TC Mode to Off disables the timecode feature. When Off, the time counter below the lename region on the home screen displays elapsed time instead of timecode.

MixPre II User Guide

Presets

If you plan to use the MixPre II in a wide variety of situations, you can store and recall snapshots of all of the MixPre II’s settings. Setup les can be saved and recalled from the SD card or to one of four internal preset slots. You can also restore the MixPre II to the factory default settings from the Presets menu.

LOAD Loads factory defaults or user presets from SD Card or from on of four internal slots.

SAVE TO INT 1 Saves the current setup to internal slot 1.

SAVE TO INT 2 Saves the current setup to internal slot 2.

SAVE TO INT 3 Saves the current setup to internal slot 3.

SAVE TO INT 4 Saves the current setup to internal slot 4.

SAVE TO SD Saves the current setup to the SD card.

Projects

NEW Create a custom project name or project name based on the current date. Names may be up to 18 characters long.

OPEN Select the required project. This will load the File List with the selected Project’s les.

COPY Select the project to copy to a USB-A Drive.

TRASH PROJECT Select which project to trash. This moves the

selected project and all its les to the TRASH folder. Projects in this folder are accessible using a computer. You can permanently delete projects in the SD card’s TRASH folder using a computer or by formatting the card.

CREATE REPORT The MixPre II includes the ability to create a .csv sound report le for the active project. It contains useful descriptive information about the project settings and all its recorded les. This can be used as a log of your recording session or as an electronic report that you can send along with your audio les to post-production or a client. The .csv sound report le is stored in the active project’s folder alongside audio les and is named as follows: ActiveProjectName_Report.csv

REPORT INFO The MixPre II can customize the sound report’s descriptive header information to include various project details, such as Producer, Director, Job, Name, Location, Phone, E-mail, Client, etc. Enter details for each info item using the on-screen virtual keyboard, a USB keyboard. If items are blank, they will not be included in the report le.

MixPre II User Guide

File List - Basic Mode

TO ACCESS THE FILE LIST

1. Touch the lename at the top of the Home screen.

2. Scroll through the chronological list of all les in an active project with the headphone encoder. The top item in the list is the next le to be recorded. Directly below that is the last recorded le or le currently being recorded, followed by all previously recorded les.

3. Press Edit or push the headphone encoder in to access submenus for each le.

TO PLAYBACK A FILE FROM THE LIST

Scroll to a le and press Play to play it back.

NAME Edit the le’s name.

NUMBER Edit the le’s number.

MixPre II User Guide

File List - Advanced Mode

TO ACCESS THE FILE LIST

1. Touch the lename at the top of the Home screen.

3. Press Edit or push the headphone encoder in to access submenus for each le.

TO PLAYBACK A FILE FROM THE LIST

Select a le and press Play to play it back.

UNDO Undo moves the last recorded le to the SD card’s UNDO folder and resets the number of the next le. Files in this folder are accessible using a computer.

NAME,NUM,NOTES Edit the le’s name, number, and, in advanced mode, make notes.

TRACK NAMES Edit track names within a le.

RENAME Rename the le’s name and number.

TRASH FILE Deletes the le.

CUE LIST Brings up list of all cue marks added during record or

playback. Name, move, and delete cue marks on this list.

MixPre II User Guide

Cue Marks

Use cue marks to make it easy to locate quickly to points of interest. The MixPre automatically renumbers cue marks if one is inserted between existing cue marks to maintain their ascending numerical order from start to nish—01, 02, 03, etc. You may have a maximum of 99 per le. Cues appear in numerical order in the Cue List, such as those shown in following image.

ADD A CUE MARK

1. During recording, playback, or pause, tap of the Home screen to add a cue mark.

2. A cue mark number (starting from 01 and incrementing each time a new cue mark is added) is displayed next to the Q icon.

ACCESS THE CUE LIST

1. Tap

2. Use the HP encoder to select a le (or highlight a le and tap Edit).

3. Tap Cue List from menu.

4. Cues may be named, moved, deleted from the Cue List.

NAME A CUE MARK

1. From the Cue List, use the HP encoder to select a cue mark.

2. Tap Name and enter a new name.

MOVING CUE MARKS

You can nely tune the position of cue marks in 0.1 second increments.

1. From the Cue List, use the HP encoder to select a cue mark.

2. Tap Move and rotate the HP encoder to adjust the selection in 0.1 second increments.

DELETING A SINGLE CUE MARK

1. From the Cue List, select a cue mark.

, the Q icon at the top

CLEAR A POINT

1. Select an individual Play In, Record In/Out, or Stop point from the Cue List and tap Disable.

MixPre II User Guide

Using Star Shortcuts (*/**)

MIXPRE-6 II

For your convenience, we have included a front panel programmable button. This lets you dedicate a hardware shortcut to frequently used functions without having to navigate the menus. Program the * button in the *Button menu.

MIXPRE-10 II

For your convenience, we have included a two-position programmable toggle switch on the front panel. This lets you dedicate hardware shortcuts to frequently used functions. Program the * and ** switch in the *Shortcuts menu.

PROGRAMMABLE FUNCTIONS

1. Ch 5/6 Screen Toggle (MixPre-6 II)

2. Ch 9/10 Screen (MixPre-10 II)

3. Solo/Mute screen

4. Project screen

5. SD Card screen

6. Undo

7. Slate Mic

8. Tone

9. Q

10. St Out Mute (MixPre-6 II)

11. L/R Mute (MixPre-10 II)

12. X1/X2 Mute (MixPre-10 II)

MixPre II User Guide

Wingman Application

Sound Devices Wingman is a free app that allows wireless remote control of the Bluetooth Smart-enabled MixPre Series from iOS or Android devices.

Status Bar

Connection

Icon

VIEWING AREA

On smaller devices, the viewing area displays transport and track views. Swipe horizontally to toggle between views. On larger devices, the viewing area shows only transport view.

TRANSPORT VIEW

Displays control buttons, metadata elds, and meters. Swiping verticly toggles to other meters. On larger devices, arming and naming of tracks is done in transport view.

TRACK VIEW

On smaller devices, arming and naming of tracks is done in track view.

RENAMING TRACKS

1. On large mobile devices, from the Transport view, tap anywhere in a vertical meter for the track you want to edit.

2. On small mobile devices, swipe horizontally to display the Track view, then tap anywhere in a horizontal meter for the track you want to edit.

3. Use the virtual on-screen keyboard to modify the track name.

4. Tap Done when nished to save the changes.

5. Tap anywhere on screen other than the keyboard to exit without saving changes.

Viewing Area

Tab Bar

ARMING/DISARMING TRACKS

1. Tap the meter label. When armed the label turns red. When on but disarmed, the label is gray. When the input is off, the label is black and cannot be armed.

2. Meter labels are joined (displayed as a single label) to indicate when channels are linked.

MixPre II User Guide

Transport View

Track View

CONNECTION ICON

Tap the Connection icon to efciently switch connection from one device to another from within the app. Tapping the Circled-I icon helps identify a listed MixPre by displaying an “Identifying from Wingman” message on the chosen recorder’s screen.

CONNECTION ICON STATUS COLORS

Gray Disconnected - either no activity or

scanning for devices

Orange Bluetooth connection in progress

Yellow Connected - authentication underway

Green Connected and authenticated

ENABLE BLUETOOTH ON THE MIXPRE This toggles Blue- tooth On and Off. If a remote password is congured on the recorder in the System>Wingman Password menu, Wingman will prompt for that password to be entered prior to making the connection.

SET AND CLEAR THE WINGMAN PASSWORD

For added security, set up the MixPre recorder to require a password for remote access. Use the virtual keyboard or a USB keyboard to enter a password up to 18 alpha-numeric characters . Punctuation other than a hyphen or an underscore is not permitted.

FILE LIST TAB

MixPre les and their embedded BWF/iXML metadata can be viewed and edited in the File List tab.

SOUND REPORT

Sound reports can be created and sent direct from Wingman as .csv les.

MixPre II User Guide

USB Hub

The MixPre will support multiple USB devices such as USB thumb drives, Midi controllers, and/or USB Keyboards via a USB hub. To maximize USB hub support, note:

Powered hubs are recommended as these can deliver appropriate current.

If using non-powered hubs, do not connect more than three low power devices.

Connect each USB device individually rather than all at once. The peak current of all three devices at once may exceed the max peak current of the supply.

If devices are randomly unmounting there is not enough current to power all the attached devices. Remove one or more devices or use a powered hub.

USB-A support (with or without hub) is only available when MixPre is fully powered and not in low power mode.

Only one USB controller can be used at a time.

Only one USB drive can be used at a time.

When using non-powered hubs with the MixPre 3 II or 6 II, use an L-mount battery, a 4-pin Hirose DC adapter (e.g. from Hawkwoods), a USB-C wall adapter, or USB-C battery pack (e.g. from Anker or Ravpower). USB-C from a computer may not provide sufcient power to operate all USB devices connected to a non-powered USB hub.

The USB-A port does not support hubs when being powered from AA batteries.

Use a high quality USB-C to C cable when powering from a USB-C power source, preferably one meter or less. Low quality USB-C cables could cause erratic behavior.

MixPre II User Guide

USB Keyboard

A connected USB keyboard may be used as a wired remote control for certain functions.

KEYSTROKE DESCRIPTION

Escape Back. Also cancels out of editing mode when virtual

keyboard is on screen

F1 or Menu key Accesses the Main menu

F12 Home

F2 File list

F3 Cycles between available Meters views and the Main

screen

Ctrl + R Record

Ctrl + S Stop

Spacebar Play

Left Arrow Main screen: Rewind

Menu and Channel screens: Toggles through pages

Right Arrow Main screen: Fast forward

Menu and Channel screens: Toggles through pages

Up / Down Arrows Main screen: Adjusts headphone volume

In menus: Duplicates encoder rotation, such as moves

highlight, scrolls list

While editing parameters: Changes the value

Enter In menus: Activates current selection. (Same as

encoder press.) Also, same as choosing OK when virtual keyboard is on screen

Q In menus: select top left option in quad button view

W In menus: select top right option in quad button view

MixPre-10 II: Top Center

A In menus: select bottom left option in quad button view

S In menus: select bottom right option in quad button

view

MixPre-10 II: Bottom Center

E MixPre-10 II menus: Top Right

D MixPre-10 II menus: Bottom Right

1-8 Channel screen for 1-8

* Toggles assigned * Shortcut Action

X-keys® Programmable Keypads, Sticks & Keyboards

X-keys include a variety of compact, tactile input devices that can be programmed to emulate USB keyboard commands. Their various buttons and tactile controls are programmed via P.I. Engineering’s MacroWorks Windows software. When mapped as individual commands or as macro commands to MixPre’s USB Keyboard shortcuts listed above, they offer quick-access to many MixPre functions including Record, Stop, Play, and many more.

To use with MixPre, the X-Keys device must be connected to the MixPre’s USB-A port.

Please visit P.I. Engineering’s website for more information.

MixPre II User Guide

USB Controllers

The MixPre II Series can be connected to select third party controllers for tactile control of mixing and recording. These control

surfaces provide a varied range of physical sliders, pots, and

buttons to set fader levels, trim gains, pans, reverb sends, solos, mutes, record arming, transport control and more. Functionality varies depending on controller model. When connected to the MixPre II, some functions are taken over by the controller and are therefore disabled on the MixPre II.

COMPATIBLE RECORDERS

1. Korg NanoKontrol Studio

2. Korg NanoKontrol 2

3. Novation LaunchControl XL

4. AKAI MidiMix

CONNECTING THE MIXPRE TO A CONTROLLER

Power and control is provided via a single USB cable to better facilitate simple connection between the MixPre and controller. For the MixPre-3 II and -6 II, USB Controllers will only function if the MixPre is adequately powered.

1. The MixPre may be powered on before USB connection or may be turned on after USB connection.

2. Connect one end of a USB cable to the MixPre’s USB-A port and the other end to the controller’s USB port, which can be a USB-B, Micro USB, or Mini USB port, depending on the controller model. We recommend using the USB cable supplied with the controller.

3. A popup screen displays the controller model. After a few seconds of conguration, the popup closes and the controller is ready to use.

AKAI MidiMix

Korg NanoKontrol 2

Korg NanoKontrol Studio

MAP USER-DEFINABLE BUTTONS TO FUNCTIONS

1. Connect a controller.

2. On the MixPre, access Menu > * Shortcuts > Control Sur-

face

3. Set any of the user-denable shortcut buttons to the assignable functions listed below.

ASSIGNABLE FUNCTIONS

1. Tone

2. L/R Mute

3. X1/X2 Mute

4. Undo

5. Slate Mic

6. Add Q

7. Record

8. Stop

9. Play

10. Rewind

11. Fast Fwd

12. Shuttle (not all controllers)

MixPre II User Guide

Novation LaunchControl XL

Akai MidiMix Interface Functions

FUNCTION ACTION

Fader Bank Switching --

User-Denable Shortcut Buttons Solo + Bank Left

Solo + Bank Right

Record via user-denable shortcut

PLAY via user-denable shortcut

STOP via user-denable shortcut

FFWD X2, X16 via user-denable shortcut

RWD X2, X16 via user-denable shortcut

Skip Next File via user-denable shortcut

Skip Prev File via user-denable shortcut

Skip Next Mark via user-denable shortcut

Skip Prev Mark via user-denable shortcut

(Tap Fast Forward)

(Tap Rewind)

(Fast Forward)

(Rewind)

Return to Zero via user-denable shortcut

Shuttle Only via MixPre

Record Arm REC Arm button

Record Arm Status Red REC Arm button when armed

Input Monitor --

Input Monitor Status --

Channel Screen Access Solo + REC Arm buttons

Faders Linear faders 1-8

Trims Top row knobs

Pans Bottom row knobs

Reverb --

Low Cut Middle row knobs

Mute Mute button

Solo Solo + Mute buttons

Mute Status Yellow Mute button

Solo Status Yellow Mute button when Solo is pressed

L/R (Stereo) Output Gain Master fader

L/R (Stereo) Output Mute via user-denable shortcut

X1/X2 Mute (10 II only) via user-denable shortcut

Tone via user-denable shortcut

Metronome --

Create Q via user-denable shortcut

Undo via user-denable shortcut

Internal Mic (10 II only) via user-denable shortcut

SEND ALL Button Sends all current fader, knob settings to MixPre

(Stop)

MixPre II User Guide

Korg NanoKontrol 2 Interface Functions

FUNCTION ACTION

Fader Bank Switching --

User-Denable Shortcut Buttons Cycle + Marker Set

Cycle + Marker <

Cycle + Marker >

Cycle + <<

Cycle + >>

Record Record button

PLAY/Pause Play button

STOP Stop button

FFWD X2, X16 Hold >> button

RWD X2, X16 Hold << button

Skip Next File Tap >> button

Skip Prev File Tap << button

Skip Next Mark Tap >> button

Skip Prev Mark Tap << button

Return to Zero Tap Stop

Shuttle Only via MixPre

Record Arm R button

Record Arm Status Red R button when armed

Input Monitor --

Input Monitor Status --

Channel Screen Access Cycle + S button

Faders Linear faders 1-8

Trims Rotary knobs (set to trim)

Pans Rotary knobs (set to pan)

Reverb --

Low Cut Rotary knobs (set to low-cut)

Mute M button

Solo S button

Mute Status Red M button

Solo Status Red S button

L/R (Stereo) Output Gain Only via MixPre

L/R (Stereo) Output Mute via user-denable shortcut

X1/X2 Mute (10 II only) via user-denable shortcut

Tone via user-denable shortcut

Metronome --

Create Q Marker Set button

Undo via user-denable shortcut

Internal Mic (10 II only) via user-denable shortcut

MixPre II User Guide

Korg NanoKontrol Studio Interface Functions

FUNCTION ACTION

Fader Bank Switching --

User-Denable Shortcut Buttons Cycle + Marker Set

Cycle + Marker <

Cycle + Marker >

Cycle + <<

Cycle + >>

Record Record button

PLAY Play button

STOP Stop button

FFWD X2, X16 Hold >> button

RWD X2, X16 Hold << button

Skip Next File Tap >> or Marker >button

Skip Prev File Tap << or Marker < button

Skip Next Mark Tap >> or Marker > button

Skip Prev Mark Tap << or Marker < button

Return to Zero Tap |< or Stop

Shuttle Press MixPre HP encoder or set Shuttle as a shortcut, then use selected shortcut and scrub

Record Arm REC Arm button

Record Arm Status White REC Arm button when armed

Input Monitor --

Input Monitor Status --

Channel Screen Access Select button

Faders Linear faders 1-8

Trims Scene 1 then use knobs

Pans Scene 3 then use knobs

Reverb --

Low Cut Scene 2 then use knobs

Mute Mute button

Solo Solo button

Mute Status White Mute button

Solo Status White Solo button

L/R (Stereo) Output Gain Only via MixPre

L/R (Stereo) Output Mute via user-denable shortcut

X1/X2 Mute (10 II only) via user-denable shortcut

Tone via user-denable shortcut

Metronome --

Create Q Marker Set button

Undo via user-denable shortcut

Internal Mic (10 II only) via user-denable shortcut

wheel.

MixPre II User Guide

Novation LaunchControl XL Interface Functions

FUNCTION ACTION

Fader Bank Switching --

User-Denable Shortcut Buttons UP

DOWN

Device + UP

Device + Down

Device + Left

Device + Right

Record via user-denable shortcut

PLAY via user-denable shortcut

STOP via user-denable shortcut

FFWD X2, X16 via user-denable shortcut

RWD X2, X16 via user-denable shortcut

Skip Next File via user-denable shortcut

Skip Prev File via user-denable shortcut

Skip Next Mark via user-denable shortcut

Skip Prev Mark via user-denable shortcut

Return to Zero via user-denable shortcut (Stop)

Shuttle Only via MixPre

Record Arm Select Record Arm, then Track Control button

Record Arm Status Red Track Control button when Record Arm is selected

Input Monitor --

Input Monitor Status --

Channel Screen Access Track Focus buttons

Faders Linear Faders 1-8

Trims Top row of knobs

Pans Bottom row of knobs

Reverb --

Low Cut Middle row of knobs

Mute Select Mute, then Track Control button

Solo Select Solo, then Track Control button

Mute Status Red Track Control button when Mute is selected

Solo Status Flashing Track Control button when Solo is selected

L/R (Stereo) Output Gain Only via MixPre

L/R (Stereo) Output Mute via user-denable shortcut

X1/X2 Mute (10 II only) via user-denable shortcut

Tone via user-denable shortcut

Metronome --

Create Q via user-denable shortcut

Undo via user-denable shortcut

Internal Mic (10 II only) via user-denable shortcut

MixPre II User Guide

Mounting to a Camera or Tripod

All MixPre II Series recorders have ¼-inch, 20-threaded screw mounts on their top and bottom panels for mounting to gear.

To attach your MixPre II between a camera and tripod:

1. Remove the battery sled to gain access to the back panel.

2. Retrieve the anti-rotation pin and Allen wrench. Both are magnetically held in place in the back panel.

3. From the MixPre II’s bottom panel, insert the Allen wrench into the mounting screw hole and push up to reveal the retractable screw. Rotate to screw the MixPre II into place underneath the camera.

4. Align the mounting screw hole on the bottom panel of the MixPre II with the screw on the tripod plate. Rotate the screw on the tripod plate until the MixPre II is afxed.

If your camera has a slot for the anti-rotation pin, screw the pin into

place on top of the MixPre II, and then position the MixPre II against

the bottom of the camera so that the pin ts into the camera’s slot. The anti-rotation pin may also be screwed into a tripod and slotted into the bottom of the MixPre II.

Allen Wrench & Anti-rotation Pin

Back Panel

Threaded hole

for Anti-rotation

Retractable

Screw

MixPre II User Guide

MixPre-3 II Specications

Specications are subject to change without prior notice. For the latest information available on all Sound Devices products, visit our website: www.sounddevices.com.

FREQUENCY RESPONSE

10 Hz to 80 kHz +/- 0.5 dB re 1 kHz @ 192 kHz sample rate

THD + NOISE

0.005% max (@1 kHz, 22-22 kHz BW, gain= 20 dB, -10 dBu in)

ADC*

32 bit precision; 142 dB dynamic range min (A weighted, gain = 10 dB, fader = 0 dB)

EQUIVALENT INPUT NOISE

-130 dBV (-128 dBu) max (A-weighting, gain = 76 dB, 150 ohm source impedance)

INPUTS

Mic: XLR active-balanced; 4k input Line: XLR active-balanced; 4k input Aux/Mic in: 3.5 mm TRS, 2-channel unbalanced; 100k input USB Audio: 2 channels 5 Total analog inputs: 3 mic-line inputs, 2 on Aux In All inputs fully RF-ltered and overload protected

GAIN

Mic input: +6 dB to +76 dB Line input: -20 dB to +30 dB Fader: -inf to +20 dB Headphone: -inf to +20 dB Total, Mic-to-recording (max): +96 dB Aux In (Mic): Gain = +10 dB to +40 dB Aux In (Line): Gain = -10 dB to +20 dB Total Aux Gain including Fader (Mic-to-recording): +60 dB

MAXIMUM INPUT LEVEL

Mic XLR: +14 dBu (limiters on or off) Line XLR/¼-inch: +28 dBu (limiters on or off) Aux In (Mic): -10 dBu Aux In (Line): +10 dBu

LOW-CUT FILTERS

40 Hz to 160 Hz (adjustable), 18 dB/oct. First stage analog, subsequent stages digital

LIMITERS (16- and 24-bit operation only) Limiter at all gain stages, range > 40 dB First stage analog, subsequent stages digital Adjustable threshold, ratio, and release

MICROPHONE POWERING

Mic XLRs: 48 V via 6.8k resistors, 10 mA each Mic 3.5 mm: 3 V @ 3k source

OUTPUTS

3.5 mm TRS stereo unbalanced, 500 ohm output impedance, +7.8 dBu max output level

HEADPHONE OUTPUTS

3.5 mm TRS stereo unbalanced, 300 mW + 300 mW, for use with any impedance headphones

DAC FEEDING STEREO OUT, HEADPHONE OUT

32 bit precision; 115 dB dynamic range (A-weighted)

USB

Audio Interface (USB-C): 6-in/2-out (from computer); 44.1 kHz/48 kHz/96 kHz; 16/24/32-bit integer, 32-bit oat; Class-compliant USB

2.0 high speed driver Mass Storage (USB-C): USB 2.0 high speed Keyboard, X-Keys (USB-A): Text entry and control Thumbdrive (USB-A): Manual or auto-copy to drive Midi Control Surface (USB-A) USB Hub

RECORDING

5 Tracks: stereo mix + 3 ISO’s

44.1 kHz, 47.952 kHz, 48 kHz, 48.048 kHz, 96 kHz, 192 kHz sampling frequencies 16, 24, 32 oat bit depths Polyphonic WAV

RECORDING STORAGE

Type: SD, SDXC, SDHC Card, & USB thumbdrive (copy only) Max Storage Size: 512 GB (SDXC) Card format: exFAT

TIMECODE

Modes: Free Run, Time of Day (le stamped w/current ToD), Rec Run, Ext LTC (le stamped w/incoming LTC on 3.5mm Aux In), Camera TC (le stamped w/incoming TC from cameras that output TC) Frame Rates: auto-detects (fps): 23.98 (same as 23.976), 24, 25,

29.97DF, 29.97ND, 30, 30DF

3.5 mm Aux In Timecode Input: 20k ohm impedance, 0.3 V - 3.0 V p-p (–17 dBu - +3 dBu)

3.5 mm Stereo Out Timecode Output: 1k ohm impedance, 3.0V p-p

(+12 dBu)

TC Reader via HDMI

POWER

AA Batteries: 4x AA sled (included); 8x AA sled (optional accessory). Energizer Ultimate Lithium recommended L-Mount: Optional sled for 2x (hot-swappable) Li-ion batteries From computer: Bus-powered via USB-C port optional MX-USBY cable, connects one USB-C to two USB-A ports AC Adapter: MX-PSU (included) Power supply wall adapter w/ USB-C connector; 15 W; has 4 adapter plugs for US, UK, AU & Europe

REMOTE CONTROL

Bluetooth LE: Wireless control using Wingman app HDMI (micro): Auto-record start/stop trigger from cameras with output record ag over HDMI Timecode: Auto-record start/stop trigger via Aux In timecode

ENVIRONMENTAL

Operating: -20°C to 60°C, 0 to 90% relative humidity; (non-

condensing)

Storage: -40°C to 85°C

DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT

36 mm x 144 mm x 110 mm (H x W x D); 1.40” x 5.68” x 4.35” Weight: .48 kg; 16.8 oz. (unpackaged, without batteries) Touch Screen: 320x256; 1.6-inch, color, sunlight-viewable IPS LCD

MixPre II User Guide

*patents #US9654134B2 (USA), #CA2973142C (Canada), and #EP3259845 (Europe)

MixPre-6 II Specications

Specications are subject to change without prior notice. For the latest information available on all Sound Devices products, visit our website: www.sounddevices.com.

FREQUENCY RESPONSE

10 Hz to 80 kHz +/- 0.5 dB re 1 kHz @ 192 kHz sample rate

THD + NOISE

0.005% max (@1 kHz, 22-22 kHz BW, gain= 20 dB, -10 dBu in)

ADC*

32 bit precision; 142 dB dynamic range min (A weighted, gain = 10 dB, fader = 0 dB)

EQUIVALENT INPUT NOISE

-130 dBV (-128 dBu) max (A-weighting, gain = 76 dB, 150 ohm source impedance)

INPUTS

Mic: XLR active-balanced; 4k input Line: XLR active-balanced; 4k input Aux/Mic in: 3.5mm TRS, 2-channel unbalanced; 100k input Line: ¼-inch TRS active-balanced; 4k input USB Audio: 4 channels 6 Total analog inputs: 4 mic-line inputs, 2 on Aux In All inputs fully RF-ltered and overload protected

GAIN

MAXIMUM INPUT LEVEL

Mic XLR: +14 dBu (limiters on or off) Line XLR/¼-inch: +28 dBu (limiters on or off) Aux In (Mic): -10 dBu Aux In (Line): +10 dBu

LOW-CUT FILTERS

40 Hz to 160 Hz (adjustable), 18 dB/oct. First stage analog, subsequent stages digital

LIMITERS (16- and 24-bit operation only) Limiter at all gain stages, range > 40 dB First stage analog, subsequent stages digital Adjustable threshold, ratio, and release

MICROPHONE POWERING

Mic XLRs: 48 V via 6.8k resistors, 10 mA each Mic 3.5 mm: 3 V @ 3k source

OUTPUTS

3.5 mm TRS stereo unbalanced, 500 ohm output impedance, +7.8 dBu max output level

HEADPHONE OUTPUTS

3.5 mm TRS stereo unbalanced, 300 mW + 300 mW, for use with any impedance headphones

DAC FEEDING STEREO OUT, HEADPHONE OUT

32 bit precision; 115 dB dynamic range (A-weighted)

USB

Audio Interface (USB-C): 8-in/4-out; 44.1 to 96 kHz; 16/24/32-bit integer, 32-bit oat; Class-compliant USB 2.0 high speed or ASIO® (supplied via download) Mass Storage (USB-C): USB 2.0 high speed Keyboard, X-Keys (USB-A): Text entry and control Thumbdrive (USB-A): Manual or auto-copy to drive Midi Control Surface (USB-A) USB Hub

RECORDING

8 Tracks: stereo mix + 6 ISOs

44.1 kHz, 47.952 kHz, 48 kHz, 48.048 kHz, 96 kHz, 192 kHz sampling frequencies 16, 24, 32 oat bit depths Polyphonic WAV

RECORDING STORAGE

Type: SD, SDXC, SDHC Card, & USB thumbdrive (copy only) Max Storage Size: 512 GB (SDXC) Card format: exFAT

TIMECODE

29.97DF, 29.97ND, 30, 30DF

3.5 mm Aux In Timecode Input: 20k ohm impedance, 0.3 V - 3.0 V p-p (–17 dBu - +3 dBu)

3.5 mm Stereo Out Timecode Output: 1k ohm impedance, 3.0V p-p

(+12 dBu)

TC Reader via HDMI

POWER

AA Batteries: 4x AA sled (included); 8x AA sled (optional accessory). Energizer Ultimate Lithium recommended L-Mount: Optional sled for 2x (hot-swappable) Li-ion batteries From computer: Bus-powered via USB-C port: optional MX-USBY cable, connects one USB-C to two USB-A ports AC Adapter: MX-PSU (included) Power supply wall adapter w/ USB-C connector; 15 W; has 4 adapter plugs for US, UK, AU & Europe

REMOTE CONTROL

ENVIRONMENTAL

Operating: -20°C to 60°C, 0 to 90% relative humidity; (non-

condensing)

Storage: -40°C to 85°C

DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT

36mm x 166 mm x 118 mm (H x W x D); 1.40” x 6.53” x 4.65” Weight: .56 kg; 19.9 oz. (unpackaged, without batteries) Touch Screen: 320x256; 1.6-inch, color, sunlight-viewable IPS LCD

MixPre II User Guide

*patents #US9654134B2 (USA), #CA2973142C (Canada), and #EP3259845 (Europe)

MixPre-10 II Specications

Specications are subject to change without prior notice. For the latest information available on all Sound Devices products, visit our website: www.sounddevices.com.

FREQUENCY RESPONSE

10 Hz to 80 kHz +/- 0.5 dB re 1 kHz @ 192 kHz sample rate

THD + NOISE

0.005% max (@1 kHz, 22-22 kHz BW, gain= 20 dB, -10 dBu in)

ADC*

32 bit precision; 142 dB dynamic range min (A weighted, gain = 10 dB, fader = 0 dB)

EQUIVALENT INPUT NOISE

-130 dBV (-128 dBu) max (A-weighting, gain = 76 dB, 150 ohm source impedance)

INPUTS

Mic: XLR active-balanced; 4k input Line: XLR active-balanced; 4k input Aux/Mic in: 3.5mm TRS, 2-channel unbalanced; 100k input Line: ¼-inch TRS active-balanced; 4k input USB Audio: 4 channels 10 Total analog inputs: 8 mic-line inputs, 2 on Aux In All inputs fully RF-ltered and overload protected

GAIN

MAXIMUM INPUT LEVEL

Mic XLR: +14 dBu (limiters on or off) Line XLR/¼-inch: +28 dBu (limiters on or off) Aux In (Mic): -10 dBu Aux In (Line): +10 dBu

LOW-CUT FILTERS

40 Hz to 160 Hz (adjustable), 18 dB/oct. First stage analog, subsequent stages digital

LIMITERS (16- and 24-bit operation only) Limiter at all gain stages, range > 40 dB First stage analog, subsequent stages digital Adjustable threshold, ratio, and release

MICROPHONE POWERING

Mic XLRs: 48 V via 6.8k resistors, 10 mA each Mic 3.5 mm: 3 V @ 3k source

OUTPUTS

L/R: TA3 2-channel balanced, 1.1K max output impedance, +18 dBu max output level X1/X2: 3.5 mm TRS stereo unbalanced, 500 ohm output impedance, +7.8 dBu max output level

HEADPHONE OUTPUTS

3.5 mm TRS stereo unbalanced, 300 mW + 300 mW, for use with any impedance headphones

DAC FEEDING STEREO OUT, HEADPHONE OUT

32 bit precision; 115 dB dynamic range (A-weighted)

USB

Audio Interface (USB-C): 12-in/4-out; 44.1 to 96 kHz; 16/24/32-bit integer, 32-bit oat; Class-compliant USB 2.0 high speed or ASIO® driver (supplied via download) Mass Storage (USB-C): USB 2.0 high speed Keyboard, X-Keys (USB-A): Text entry and control Thumbdrive (USB-A): Manual or auto-copy to drive Midi Control Surface (USB-A) USB Hub

RECORDING

12 Tracks: Stereo mix + 10 ISOs

44.1 kHz, 47.952 kHz, 48 kHz, 48.048 kHz, 96 kHz, 192 kHz sampling frequencies 16, 24, 32 oat bit depths Polyphonic WAV

RECORDING STORAGE

Type: SD, SDXC, SDHC Card, & USB thumbdrive (copy only) Max Storage Size: 512 GB (SDXC) Card format: exFAT

TIMECODE

29.97DF, 29.97ND, 30, 30DF Sync Source: Internal, Word Clock, Ext LTC BNC In (TC In): switchable between Timecode (default) or Word Clock Input; 20k ohm impedance, 0.3 V - 3.0 V p-p (–17 dBu - +3 dBu); Word Clock: 10k ohm impedance, 1.5V p-p BNC Out (TC Out): switchable between Timecode (default) or Word Clock Output; 1k ohm impedance, 3.0V p-p (+12 dBu); Word Clock: 75 ohm impedance, 5V p-p TC Reader via HDMI

POWER

AA Batteries: 8x AA sled (included); Energizer Ultimate Lithium recommended L-Mount: Optional sled for 2x (hot-swappable) Li-ion batteries AC Adapter: XL-WPH3 (included): Universal, 45 W in-line AC-to-DC power supply Hirose 4-pin DC plug, with detachable IEC power cord; 100-240, 50/60Hz

REMOTE CONTROL

ENVIRONMENTAL

Operating: -20°C to 60°C, 0 to 90% relative humidity; (non-

condensing)

Storage: -40°C to 85°C

DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT

36 mm x 206 mm x 175 mm (H x W x D); 1.375” x 8.125” x 6.875” Weight: 0.91 kg; 32.1 oz. (unpackaged, without batteries) Touch Screen: 320x256; 1.6-inch, color, sunlight-viewable IPS LCD

MixPre II User Guide

*patents #US9654134B2 (USA), #CA2973142C (Canada), and #EP3259845 (Europe)

Post Ofce Box 576 E7556 State Rd. 23 and 33 Reedsburg, Wisconsin 53959 USA

support@sounddevices.com

+1 608.524.0625 main +1 608.524.0655 fax

800.505.0625 toll free

www.sounddevices.com

Sound Devices MIXPRE-3 II, MIXPRE-6 II, MIXPRE-10 II User guide

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual