New Music Gear Monday: Sound Devices New MixPre Series

When it comes to portable recording, it’s hard to beat anything made by Sound Devices. The company has consistently made some of  the highest quality recording gear that’s become a standard on any television or movie set. Now the company looks more towards musicians, podcasts and YouTubers with a penitent for quality with its new MixPre Series featuring two products with both high-end mic amps and on-board recording at reasonable prices.

The MixPre Series features two models, the 3 input 5 track MicPre-3 and the 6 input 8 track MicPre-6. Each unit features the company’s new Kashmir microphone preamps, which have an extremely low -130dBV noise floor along with an analog limiter. There are also new 32-bit A-to-D converters that connect to a computer via USB while simultaneously feeding the onboard recorder. Both units also have a 3.5 mm auxiliary input that can be used for plug-in power mics, 2-channel line-in audio, camera return, or timecode.

The MixPre-3 offers up to a 5-in/2-out USB audio interface with 3 discrete mic preamps, and the ability to stream up to 3 analog inputs (including 3 mic inputs) and a 2-channel mix over USB. The MixPre-6 offers up to a 8-in/4-out USB audio interface with 4 mic preamps, and streams up to 6 analog inputs (including 4 mic inputs) and 2-channel mix over USB to a Mac or Windows computer. In addition, the MixPre-6 features XLR / 1/4-inch combo inputs allowing 1/4-inch line-input sources to be connected directly. Both models record to a removable SD, SDHC or SDXC media card.

The MixPre units are very compact and durable, constructed with a die-cast aluminum chassis that is lightweight and robust. Both units feature a touch screen to access the full-featured mixer. The mixing, metering and recording functions can also be accessed over built-in Bluetooth via a free iOS app called Wingman.

The MixPre’s can be powered from a number of different sources, including AA batteries, Li-Ion batteries, a laptop’s USB-C or USB-A connectors, or AC wall outlet.

The best part is that the MixPre-3 retails for on $649 while the MixPre-6 goes for $899. Both are anticipated to be shipping in the beginning of May. Go to the Sound Devices dedicated webpage to learn more.