® MixPre-10M Multitrack Recorder | Mixer | USB Audio Interface User Guide
Legal Notices Revision History Product specifications and features are subject to change without prior notification. This table provides the revision history for this guide. Copyright © 2018 Sound Devices, LLC. All rights reserved. This product is subject to the terms and conditions of a end-user license agreement provided in this guide, and may be used in accordance with the license agreement. Rev# Date Firmware Description Version 2-A Mar 2018 2.0 Initial release 2-B Apr 2018 2.
Table of Contents Quick Start Multitrack Recording Step-by-Step. . . . . . . . 5 Intro Powering Flexible Powering Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Panels Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Left Side Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Right Side Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Back Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Screens & Navigation Home Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Main Menu Screen . . . . . .
User Guide Recording and Playback Formatting SD Cards & USB Thumbdrives. .39 Transport Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Record Arming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Working with Q-Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Moving Q-Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Previewing Q-Point Positions. . . . . . . . . . 44 Clearing & Deleting Q-Points. . . . . . . . . . 45 Locating to Q-Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Punching In/Out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Quick Start Multitrack Recording Step-by-Step This Quick Start chapter is meant as a “step-by-step, how-to” reference for setting up the recorder and making music with the MixPre-10M right out of the box. For more information on features and steps mentioned in this procedure, refer to later chapters in this User Guide. To begin multitrack recording: 1. Connect power. XX Provide at least one power source, either batteries (via included sled) or AC adaptor (included). 2. Power up the MixPre 10M.
User Guide (D) Tap OK to confirm formatting of the card. ⚠⚠ Warning - all data on the SD card will be erased! (E) Tap 6. to return to the Home screen. Create a project. (A) Tap . (B) Tap Project > New. (C) Tap Name to customize the name of the new project. LL If no custom name is provided, the MixPre-10M creates new projects with unique names, such as Song 1, Song 2, etc. by default. (D) Tap Sample Rate to select from available rates. (E) Tap Create. 7. Configure an input.
QUICK START (F) To hear the input as you adjust gain, first turn the Channel knob until fader setting is 0dB. Then, tap Gain (on Channel screen) and turn the HP encoder to adjust input sensitivity for the source. If possible, adjust with signal coming in at the intended level and observe the LED ring around the Channel knob. Aim for the LED ring to remain green for the majority of the time. If unsure where to start, set the gain to 35dB for mic sources, 10dB for line sources, and make adjustments as needed.
User Guide During playback, you can change the track Level, Reverb, Air, Pan, Solo, and Mute settings. LL You can only use Air on one track at a time. 13. (Optional) Should you want to scrap the recording and try again, tap and then tap History. Using the HP encoder, rotate to highlight and select Restart Song. 14. To lay another track over the just-recorded track, configure an input and proceed from there. See step 7. Configure an input.. 15.
Intro Hi and a big thanks for buying the MixPre-10M! At Sound Devices, we are passionate about great sounding audio. We’ve unleashed our design and engineering team, many of whom are musicians, and asked them to create a groundbreaking device that sets new standards for what’s possible from a super compact and affordable, multitrack audio recorder. From the ground up, we’ve designed the MixPre-10M to be a versatile tool for musicians and singer/songwriters who want to record sound with unrivalled quality.
User Guide Of course, the possible uses for the MixPre-10M are virtually unlimited, but a few common ones are: • Creating a multi-layered song using the track laying and overdubbing features • Mixing and recording small ensemble live performance • Playback of multichannel backing tracks • Recording live events, concerts, jam sessions, and so forth. • Premium-quality 12x4 USB audio interface for any DAW application The MixPre-10M’s versatility is augmented by the various powering options.
Powering Flexible Powering Options In designing the MixPre-10M, we felt that it was important for it to be able to operate in a wide array of applications and environments. To support that goal, power can be supplied from several possible sources: • • • 12 VDC from an AC-to-DC power supply (called XL-WPH3) or external battery via the provided 4-pin locking power connector (Hirose). Eight AA NiMH rechargeable or Lithium primary batteries installed in the provided 8-AA battery sled, called MX-8AA.
User Guide 3. 12 Do either or both of the following: XX Tap Battery Sled and select the type of batteries being used in the sled. Options include: NiMH, Alkaline, L-Mount XX Tap Ext Power and select the type of external power being used. Options include: 12V Ext DC, NiMH, Exp. NiMH, 12V PbAcid, 14V Li-ion, or Full Range (10-17V).
Panels Front Panel Power light, transport joystick, toggle switch for Star (*/**) shortcuts, Channel knobs, Channel knob ring LEDs, internal microphone and touch screen Power Light Channel Knob Ring LEDs Star Shortcuts Channel Knobs 1-4 Channel Knobs 5-8 Internal Mic Transport Joystick Touch Screen The Channel knobs on the front panel have two purposes: • Rotate to adjust the level of the selected track in the LR mix. • Press to access the selected track’s Channel Screen.
User Guide Right Side Panel 3.5mm headphone output, 3.5mm Aux/Mic input, main L/R balanced TA3 outputs, XLR/¼-inch TRS inputs 5-8, headphone encoder 3.5 mm Headphone Output XLR/ ¼-inch TRS Inputs 3.
Screens & Navigation The MixPre-10M has a sunlight-viewable, high-resolution, touch-screen-based user interface. The touch screen interface displays the Home screen, Main Menu screen, Channel screens and various other views. For information on Channel screens, see Accessing Channel Screen Settings in the Input Channels chapter.
User Guide You will find on the Home screen numerous items, such as: Name Icon Description Music (notes) icon Access the Music Control menu by touching this region of the Home screen. Current name Displays name of current Music project. Time counter Indicates the current song position in hh:mm:ss:tenths. All songs start at 00:00:00:0. Access the Music Control menu by touching this region of the Home screen. Q icon Indicates current cue number: Q01, Q02, etc.
SCREENS & NAVIGATION Main Menu Screen The Menu screen is where most of the features and functions are selected and set up. To enter the Menu screen: XX Tap on the Home screen. There are three Menu pages. These pages are indicated by the Dots icon . Tapping it will toggle between the three Menu pages. The Menu has its own submenus, which may be displayed by tapping them. Page Submenu Description 1 Presets Lets you save and load user presets to and from SD card and internal memory.
User Guide To return to the main Menu from a submenu at any time: XX Tap . To return directly to the Home screen from the main Menu: XX Tap . Music Control Menu The Music Control Menu provides fast access to the the Q-List, the Solo/Mute screen, metronome on/off, project render, and access to project history. For more information, see Working with Q-Points, Using Solo/Mute, Metronome, Project History and Sharing Projects.
SCREENS & NAVIGATION Using Star Shortcuts (*/**) For your convenience, we have included a front panel user-programmable toggle switch with two positions, * and **. This lets you dedicate a hardware shortcut to frequently used functions without having to navigate the menus. To program functions to the Star toggle switch: 1. Tap . 2. Select * Shortcuts > * Shortcut (or ** Shortcut). 3. When the * Menu screen appears, select your preferred function.
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Input Channels An input channel is the path an audio source travels before it can be mixed and recorded along with other channels. In the MixPre-10M, think of an input channel as the same as a ‘track’ in a DAW. An input channel can be fed by any of the eight XLR or TRS mic/line sources, a 3.5mm Aux line/mic source (with or without plug-in-power), or from USB channels 1-4 from a computer. You can also select the MixPre-10M’s mixer outputs, internal mic, or a metronome click.
User Guide Track Names You can edit a song’s individual track names from its associated Channel screen. For example, changing the default names Track 1 to Drums, Track 2 to Keyboard, Track 3 to Lead Vocals, etc.: To edit Track 1’s name: 1. Press Channel 1 knob. 2. Tap top left corner of the Channel screen. 3. Enter a new name for Track 1 and tap OK.
INPUT CHANNELS into a DAW to develop the song further. The recorded metronome will allow you to set the DAW’s tempo and internal metronome so that it is perfectly aligned with the MixPre recording. For more information, see Metronome. LL Tip: If you do not have a mic handy and want to quickly record a rough scratch track of a song idea and are not too concerned about the audio quality, you can use the built-in mic.
User Guide Using Solo/Mute The MixPre-10M offers a few different ways to mute or solo tracks. • From each track’s Channel screen, tap Mute to mute the selected track. This removes the signal from recorded tracks, mix and all outputs. When muted, its LED ring will glow red. Multiple tracks may be muted at the same time. • From each track’s Channel screen, tap Solo to hear only the selected track (pre-fade/pre-effects) in both ears of the headphone output.
INPUT CHANNELS Understanding Pan Pan sets the position of the track in the LR stereo mix. Pan range has 33 positions from L16 (fully left) to C (Center) to R16 (fully right). Using Reverb Reverb sets how much reverb is added to a track in the LR mix. Only the mix is affected, not the individual recorded tracks. To render the reverb effect into the individual recorded tracks, you must use the Bounce feature. To adjust reverb: XX From the Channel screen, tap Reverb and turn encoder.
User Guide Setting the Low Cut Filter Use Low Cut to attenuate undesirable low frequencies such as mic handling noise and wind noise. The Low Cut setting activates and sets the Low Cut filter. Range is Off, 40-160 Hz in 40 Hz steps. Toggling Phase Inversion Phase inversion, also known as polarity reversal, can be used to prevent signal cancellation when a source is dual-mic’d from opposite directions (e.g. overheads on a drum kit) or to compensate for incorrectly wired, balanced cables.
INPUT CHANNELS 3. Select one of the following options: ◦◦ Mic: Select this option when the Aux/Mic In is to be used with a mic. The MixPre-10M provides bias voltage for PiP (plug-in-power) mics. ◦◦ 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. ◦◦ Internal Mic: Select this option to use the built in internal mic as input source.
User Guide LL Upon switching track banks, if the knob’s rotational position is not aligned with its fader value, the LEDs for that knob will illuminate with a pulsing orange light. This will stop once position and value are re-aligned. When adjusting the Channel knob, its fader value along with the previously stored value is shown in orange text at the top of the Home screen and Channel screens until it reaches its previously stored value, at which point it changes to black text.
Outputs The MixPre-10M includes two pairs of outputs, L/R and X1/X2. The L/R TA3 outputs are balanced (ideal for long cable runs), while the X1/X2 3.5mm are unbalanced. To route the L/R and X1/X2 stereo outputs: 1. Tap . 2. Tap Outputs. 3. Do either or both of the following: XX Tap L/R Out to route L/R outputs on the right side panel. XX Tap X1/X2 Out to route the X1/X2 output on left side panel.
User Guide Headphone Output and Presets The MixPre-10M’s audiophile-grade headphone amplifier provides high power and very low noise performance so that you can accurately hear the audio being handled, regardless of headphones or environment. Connect headphones via 3.5mm jack to the headphone jack (located on the right side panel). The volume of the headphones can be set with the encoder directly adjacent to the headphone jack.
Metering LEDs and Metering There are several basic methods for observing input and output levels on the MixPre-10M: Channel knob ring LEDs, Channel screen meter, and Home screen’s meter view. Channel Knob Ring LEDs Channel knob ring LEDs - Each LED ring is capable of displaying green, orange and red colors. The brightness of the light ring indicates the level of the input: green = signal present, red = signal peaking, orange = signal limiting.
User Guide Meter View The Home screen’s meter view displays vertical metering for the 12 tracks and horizontal stereo L/R mix. The meter view also provides the Track Bank selector, which is a white-outlined box (or boxes) surrounding a group of neighboring meters in the meter view. For instance, the Track Bank selector in the following example shows tracks 1-4 and 9-12 selected. For more information, see Track Bank Selector.
Projects Each song or composition in the MixPre-10M is known as a Project. A Project is essentially a folder on the SD card that stores all your song’s audio files and settings. This makes it easy to organize, share, and copy your musical creations. The project folder also includes a special ‘session’ file that enables the MixPre-10M to control precisely where on the timeline and on which track the project’s recorded audio files should be played back.
User Guide Creating Projects MixPre-10M will automatically create a project if record is pressed without first creating a new project. To create a new Music project: 1. Tap . 2. Tap Project > New. 3. When the new Music Project screen appears, you can do any of the following: XX Name the project. XX Set the sample rate. Options include: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, or 96kHz. LL Be sure to choose the correct sample rate when you create a new project; you cannot change it once created.
PROJECTS 3. Rotate the HP encoder to highlight the chosen project; push in encoder to open the project. Once selected, the project is opened and the Home screen is displayed. You are ready to start recording. Copying Projects You can manually copy any existing project or automatically copy the active project to a USB Thumbdrive. This is ideal for backing up or sharing your projects. To auto-copy the active project: 1. Insert a USB thumbdrive into the USB-A port. 2.
User Guide To trash a project: 1. Tap . 2. Tap Project > Trash Project. 3. Select a project to trash. 4. Tap OK to confirm deletion of selected project. This actually moves the selected project and all its files to the TRASH folder on the SD card. Projects in this folder are still accessible using a computer. LL To free up space on the SD card, you can permanently delete projects in the SD card’s TRASH folder from the MixPre-10M’s SD Card > Empty Trash sub-menu.
PROJECTS Project Folder Structure A Project folder contains the following files: • The project’s recorded audio WAV files. Each recording or overdub on a track is represented by a single monophonic WAV file. LL The file name is derived from the date and time the recording was finished. For example, a recording finished at 1:33 PM (13:33) on the 23rd of March 2018 would have a name like this: 001-032318-133300 • A render folder containing all rendered audio files and a SESSION.
User Guide uncompressed 2ch stereo wav file. All track level, pan, mute, reverb and air adjustments made during rendering are reflected in the resulting stereo wav file. ◦◦ AAC Stereo - performs a real-time render of the LR mix to a compressed 2ch stereo AAC file. AAC files are much smaller in size than a WAV file and so are faster to share over the internet. All track level, pan, mute, reverb and air adjustments made during rendering are reflected in the resulting AAC file.
Recording and Playback The MixPre-10M can simultaneously record and playback up to twelve audio tracks at 96 kHz, 24-bit to an SD card (SD, SDHC,or SDXC). For peace of mind, the MixPre-10M can automatically copy what is being recorded on the SD card to a USB thumbdrive connected to the USB-A port. This is ideal for backup purposes or as a quickly available handover copy for sharing with others. You can record to the SD card even when using the MixPre-10M as a USB audio interface.
User Guide To format a USB Thumbdrive: 1. Connect a USB ThumbDrive to the USB-A port located on the left panel. 2. Tap 3. Tap USB Drive > Edit > Format. 4. When asked to format the card, tap OK. All USB drive sizes are formatted as exFAT. . LL The exFAT file system is not compatible with Windows XP or Mac OS X 10.6.4 and earlier. Transport Controls On the MixPre-10M, the joystick transport control works in a similar fashion to how transport controls work in a typical DAW, i.e.
RECORDING AND PLAYBACK Function Control Scrub Action While playing or paused, press 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 may be heard in Scrub mode up to 2x speed. TO exit scrub mode, press the headphone encoder again. Record Arming Armed tracks are recorded when REC is activated. THey play back when Play is activated.
User Guide Working with Q-Points The MixPre-10M uses Q-Points to make it easy to locate quickly to points of interest and set up automatic punch in/out regions. There are different types of Q-Point. Icon Type Description Play In Defines when playback begins. Typically used as pre-roll before punch in (Record In). Record In Defines when automatic recording begins (the start of the Punch In/Out region). Record Out Defines when automatic recording ends (the end of the Punch In/ Out region).
RECORDING AND PLAYBACK LL It is not possible to place an In point after an Out point. It is also not possible to have more than one In or Out point of each type (Play or Record). Alternatively, you can create cue marks and set them as Play In, Record In/Out, or Stop points from the Q-List. To add cues marks: XX During recording, playback, or pause, tap , the Q icon at the top of the Home screen to add a Cue Mark exactly at that point in the song.
User Guide To set a cue as a Play In, Record In/Out, or Stop point: 1. From the Q-List, select a cue. 2. Tap Set As. 3. Tap Play In, Record In, Record Out, or Stop to set the selected cue as an In/Out point for recording or playback. Moving Q-Points You can finely tune the position of In and Out points in 0.1 second increments. To move Q-points: 1. Tap Q-List. 2. Use the HP encoder to select a Q-point. 3. Tap Move and rotate the HP encoder to adjust the selected Q-point in 0.1 second increments.
RECORDING AND PLAYBACK Clearing & Deleting Q-Points You can delete cue marks and clear Play In, Record In/Out, or Stop points via the Q-Points menu or Q-List screen. To clear all In and Out stored values: XX Tap Clr In/Out. To clear an individual Play In, Record In/Out, or Stop point: XX Select one from the Q-List and tap Disable. To delete a cue mark: 1. From the Q-List, select a cue mark. 2. Tap Delete.
User Guide To automatically punch in/out: 1. Set Record In and Record Out points to where you want the MixPre to automatically punch in and out. If a Record In or Out point is set, a ‘P’ is displayed in the status bar to indicate that automatic punching is enabled. See Working with Q-Points. 2. Use Play In and Stop Q-Points to set pre-roll and/or post-roll as necessary.
RECORDING AND PLAYBACK feedback. You can adjust the level of the recorded bounce using the LR gain control - tap the L(left) mix meter in the home screen to quickly access LR gain. 3. Decide which track or tracks you want to bounce from. Let’s call these the source tracks. 4. Mute all tracks except the source and destination tracks. 5. Disarm all tracks except for the destination tracks. 6. Set the source track levels, pans, reverb and air effects as required.
User Guide Metronome The metronome is an audible click that may be used to help you perform in time while recording and also provide a count-in so that you know when to start playing. The first beat of the bar is represented by a higher pitched click than the other beats of the bar. The metronome click is summed with the LR mix and as such can be heard when the headphones or outputs are set to LR. The metronome may also be recorded to a track. Select Click in a track’s Input screen.
RECORDING AND PLAYBACK LL The Metronome button will be disabled (appearing grayed out but with an orange icon) whenever Click is assigned as a track’s input source. Record Settings The Record submenu provides access to the settings detailed in the following table: Sub-menu L&R Gain Description Sets the gain for the LR mix. LL AAC Quality Options • -30 - 0 dB (1 dB increment) Tip: You can quickly access L&R Gain by tapping the L (left) horizontal meter on the Home screen.
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USB USB Audio Interface The MixPre-10M has an integrated 12-in, 4-out core audio-compatible interface for use with a Mac or PC computer. For PC users, the MixPre-10M will appear as a 2x2 audio interface unless a specific ASIO driver is installed. The latest ASIO driver, along with install instructions, is available for free at www.sounddevices.com/support/downloads. See the MixPre-10M’s Downloads page.
User Guide Low-latency Monitoring We’ve worked really hard with our hardware and software design teams to minimize latency. We’ve found that in many scenarios, latency when monitoring through a DAW (digital audio workstation) is perfectly acceptable, depending upon DAW software, computer hardware and plug-ins. In situations where the throughput latency is higher than desired, the input to the MixPre-10M can be directly monitored in the headphone output. For example...
USB USB Keyboard The use of standard USB computer keyboards is supported with the USB-A port on the recorder’s left panel for situations such as text entry. LL Keyboards with an embedded USB hub and Apple brand keyboards are not compatible. Additionally, some keyboards must be connected only after the recorder is turned on. A connected USB keyboard may also be used as a wired remote control for certain functions of the MixPre-10M. See the table below for available USB keyboard shortcuts.
User Guide Copying to a USB Drive The MixPre-10M supports automatic copying of active projects from its SD card to a formatted USB thumbdrive inserted into its USB-A port. This handy feature is great for fast hand-off copies to a music producer as well as for backup purposes. You can also manually copy previous projects. For more information, see Copying Projects and Formatting SD Cards & USB Thumbdrives. LL Sound Devices highly recommends only using approved USB thumbdrives for reliable operation.
User Presets and System Settings Saving and Recalling Presets Flexibility is the MixPre-10M’s M.O. To make it easy for you to use the recorder in a wide variety of situations, we created a slick feature where you can store and recall snapshots of all of the MixPre-10M’s settings. There are four internal Preset slots available. Also, the SD card can store virtually unlimited Presets. To save a Preset: 1. Tap . 2. Tap Presets > Save to Internal 1-4 or SD Card 3. Enter a Preset Name and tap OK.
User Guide System Settings To access system settings: 1. Tap 2. Tap System. Page 56 . Sub-Menu Description 1 File Transfer Lets you transfer files between the MixPre and a host computer. 1 Tone Lets you turn tone on/off, set the tone’s level (from -20dBFS to 0dBFS in 1 dBFS increments) and mode (to either Continuous or L-Ident). 1 Limiters Lets you turn limiters on/off. 1 Brightness Lets you independently adjust the brightness of the touch screen and the ring LEDs.
Specifications Specifications are subject to change without prior notice. For the latest information available on all Sound Devices products, visit our website at: www.sounddevices.com. Audio Inputs Name Frequency Response Description 10 Hz to 40 kHz +/- 0.5dB re 1 kHz @ 96 kHz sample rate Total Harmonic Distortion 0.
User Guide Audio Outputs Name Description L/R Out TA3 2-channel balanced, 1.1 K max output impedance, +10.8 dBu max output level X1/X2 Out 3.5 mm TRS stereo unbalanced, 500 ohm output impedance, +7.8 dBu max output level DAC feeding Stereo Out, 32 bit precision; 115 dB dynamic range (A-weighted) Headphone Out Headphone Out 3.
SPECIFICATIONS Touch Screen Name Description Display 1.6-inch, color, sunlight-viewable IPS LCD Resolution 320 x 256 Remote Control Name Keyboard (USB-A) Description Text entry and control Power Name Description AA Batteries 8x AA sled (NiMH or Lithium recommended) L-Mount Batteries MX-LMount: 2x L-mount sled for hot-swappable Li-Ion batteries AC Adapter XL-WPH3: Universal, 45 W in-line AC-to-DC power supply Hirose 4-pin DC plug, with detachable IEC power cord. 100-240, 50/60 Hz.
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Software License End-user license agreement for Sound Devices MixPre Series Software / Embedded Firmware Important Read carefully: This Sound Devices, LLC end-user license agreement (“EULA”) is a legal agreement between you (either an individual or a single entity) and Sound Devices, LLC for the Sound Devices, LLC software product identified above, which includes computer software, embedded firmware, and may include associated media, printed materials, and “online” or electronic documentation (“SOFTWARE PRO
User Guide Devices, LLC product, even if Sound Devices, LLC has been advised of the possibility of such damages. In any case, Sound Devices, LLC’s entire liability under any provision of this evaluation license shall be limited to the greater of the amount actually paid by you for the SOFTWARE PRODUCT or U.S. $5.00. Because some states/jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, the above limitation may not apply to you.
® Sound Devices, LLC E7556 Road 23 and 33 Reedsburg, Wisconsin 53959 USA Phone: +1 (608) 524-0625 Fax: +1 (608) 524-0655 Customer Support Toll Free: (800) 505-0625 Email: support@sounddevices.com http://www.sounddevices.com/support http://forum.sounddevices.com Product Information For more information about products and accessories, visit us on the web at www.sounddevices.com. Report Documentation Error Email: techpubs@sounddevices.
