® MixPre-3M Multitrack Recorder | 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 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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Transport Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Record Arming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Working with Cue Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Moving Cue Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Previewing Cue Point Positions. . . . . . . . 42 Clearing & Deleting Cue Points. . . . . . . . 42 Locating to Cue Marks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 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-3M 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 via USB-C.
User Guide (C) Tap SD Card > Edit > Format. (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 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.
QUICK START red when track is armed. (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.
User Guide 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-3M! 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-3M to be a versatile tool for musicians and singer/songwriters who want to record sound with unrivalled quality.
User Guide writers. Of course, the possible uses for the MixPre-3M 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 5x2 USB audio interface for any DAW application The MixPre-3M’s versatility is augmented by the various powering options.
Powering Flexible Powering Options In designing the MixPre-3M, 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: • • • • • • • Four AA NiMH rechargeable or Lithium primary batteries installed in the provided 4-AA battery sled, called MX-4AA (included). Eight AA NiMH rechargeable or Lithium primary batteries installed in the provided 8-AA battery sled, called MX-8AA.
User Guide To ensure Battery Status indicator displays accurate levels/status: 12 1. Tap . 2. Page through submenu and tap Power. 3. Select the type of batteries being used in the sled.
Panels Front Panel Power light, Star button for shortcuts, Channel knobs, Channel knob ring LEDs, backlit Transport buttons, and touch screen Power Light Recorder Transport Controls LCD Channel Knobs Channel Knob Ring LEDs 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. Left Side Panel USB connections, XLR inputs 1-2, 2-channel 3.
User Guide Right Side Panel 3.5mm headphone output, 3.5mm Aux/Mic input, XLR input 3, headphone encoder 3.5 mm Headphone Output 3.
Screens & Navigation The MixPre-3M 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. There are several tap zones on the touch screen allowing you to easily interact with the MixPre.
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: 01, 02, 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 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 Cue Points, Using Solo/Mute, Metronome, Project History and Sharing Projects. To access the Music Control menu: XX Tap 18 in the top left corner of the Home screen.
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-3M, think of an input channel as the same as a ‘track’ in a DAW. An input channel can be fed by any of the XLR mic/line sources, a 3.5mm Aux line/mic source (with or without plug-inpower), or from USB channels 1-4 from a computer. You can also select the MixPre-3M’s mixer outputs, 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 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 The Click option is not available if the track is stereo linked. Enabling Monitoring The Monitoring feature lets you hear the live input signal during playback. This is particularly useful when practicing along with already recorded tracks or performing live to a backing track. To enable monitoring: XX Enter the Channel screen, tap Monitor.
User Guide Like Mute, soloing is non-exclusive, meaning any number of inputs may be soloed at the same time. You can quickly solo/mute several tracks from the Solo/Mute screen. All 12 tracks’ Solos and Mutes may be viewed and set from this screen. To solo or mute tracks from the Solo/Mute screen: 1. Tap . The Music Control screen appears. 2. Tap Solo/Mute. The Solo/Mute screen appears. 3. Do either of the following: XX Tap either Solo or Mute and then tap track(s) to select them.
INPUT CHANNELS To render the reverb effect into the individual recorded tracks, you must use the Bounce feature. LL Reverb is unavailable when recording at 96kHz sample rate. To adjust reverb: XX From the Channel screen, tap Reverb and turn encoder. Range is Off, -50dB to 0 dB in 1 dB increments. You can also select different reverb characteristics—such as type, decay, predelay, etc. To configure Reverb: 1. Tap . 2. Page through submenu and tap Reverb. 3.
User Guide 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. snare top/bottom on a drum kit) or to compensate for incorrectly wired, balanced cables. The Phase setting toggles Phase Inversion on and off. To toggle a track’s phase inversion: XX From the Channel screen, tap Phase.
INPUT CHANNELS unbalanced 2ch line source, such as smartphone headphone output, stereo line source, etc. When any of the options above are selected as the Aux In Mode, they are available as input sources to any track by selecting an Aux. ◦◦ Off: Select this option to turn off the Aux/Mic input. Track Bank Selector Since there are more tracks (twelve) than physical Channel knobs (three), a Track Bank selector—shown as a white box in the meter view—is used to select which group of tracks you want to control.
User Guide In this example, the Channel knob for track 9 must be rotated clockwise, as indicated by the arrow, from its current fader value of -18dB. Once it reaches the track’s previously stored value of -15dB, the mix level will start to be affected. LL Adjust the Channel knob a small fraction to display the stored value and arrow in orange text. The displayed arrow and stored value will inform you which way to rotate the knob.
Outputs The MixPre-3M has a 3.5mm unbalanced output on its left side panel. To route the L/R stereo output: 1. Tap . 2. Tap Outputs. 3. Tap Stereo Out to route 3.5mm output. The stereo outputs can be fed from the LR mix (stereo or mono) or can be set to follow whatever is being output in the headphones (stereo or mono). This is useful for providing a secondary headphone output feed.
User Guide headphone jack. ⚠⚠ Since the headphone amplifier is capable of very high output levels, please use caution when wearing headphones as hearing damage could result with inappropriate volume levels. From the main Menu screen, the headphone presets (HP Presets) may be accessed by pressing this icon in the upper left corner of the screen. Above this icon, the currently selected HP preset is displayed. From the HP Presets menu, you may select various HP presets.
Metering LEDs and Metering There are several basic methods for observing input and output levels on the MixPre-3M: 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 10-12 selected. For more information, see Track Bank Selector.
Projects Each song or composition in the MixPre-3M 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-3M 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-3M 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 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 To create a project based on a non-native poly WAV file: 1. 2. 3. Tap . Tap Project > New > Import Recording. Select your file from the those available on the SD card: XX Use the HP encoder to select a .wav file from the root of the SD card. XX Scroll to and select the an Audio project folder first, then choose a .wav file to import it from within the folder.
User Guide Project History Each recording is logged as an item (revision) in the History list. This makes it easy to “undo” to an earlier recording or “redo” to a later recording—ideal for quickly redoing a bad take or comparing different takes. The History list is in chronological order with the most recent recording at the top. To access the History list and switch to an earlier or later recording: 1. Tap at the top left corner of the Home screen. 2. Tap History. The History list appears. 3.
PROJECTS Sharing Projects Sharing projects is as easy as transferring to a computer (see USB File Transfer) and uploading to colleagues via the internet or simply handing them an SD card. There are multiple ways to share a project: • Copy Project Folder - ideal for collaborating with other MixPre-3M users. They can load the whole project from an SD card and continue working from where you left off.
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Recording and Playback The MixPre-3M can record and playback up to twelve audio tracks at 96 kHz, 24-bit to an SD card (SD, SDHC,or SDXC). You can record to the SD card even when using the MixPre-3M as a USB audio interface. This opens up cool opportunities for recording the computer’s USB audio output and mixing it with other mic and line sources plugged into the MixPre.
User Guide Transport Controls On the MixPre-3M, the transport controls works in a similar fashion to how transport controls work in a typical DAW, i.e. they control a playback cursor (typically indicated by a moving vertical line in most DAWs) that moves horizontally across a timeline indicating the current position in the song. The current position is indicated by the time counter at the top of the Home screen. All projects start at 00:00:00.0.
RECORDING AND PLAYBACK If neighboring channels are linked, their labels are merged to indicate that they are linked. See Stereo Track Linking for more information regarding linking. Working with Cue Points The MixPre-3M uses cue points to make it easy to locate quickly to points of interest and set up automatic punch in/out regions.
User Guide 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 Cue-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.
RECORDING AND PLAYBACK To access the Cue List: XX Tap Cue List from the Music Control menu. XX Tap Cue List from the Cue Points menu. To custom name a cue mark : 1. Access the Cue List. The Cue List screen appears. 2. Select a cue mark, using the HP encoder. 3. Tap Name and enter a new name, such as Chorus or Bridge. To set a cue as a Play In, Record In/Out, or Stop point: 1. From the Cue List, select a cue. 2. Tap Set As. 3.
User Guide Previewing Cue Point Positions To aid in fine tuning the position of any cue point, you can preview it. Preview plays a few seconds from the cue point. If the cue point is slightly late or early, use the move function to fine tune its position. To preview Cue Points: 1. Select one in the Cue List and press Play. Clearing & Deleting Cue Points You can delete cue marks and clear Play In, Record In/Out, or Stop points via the Cue Points menu or Cue List screen.
RECORDING AND PLAYBACK existing track audio between the Record In and Out points with new audio. To manually punch in/out: 1. Arm the tracks on which you want to punch in/out. 2. While playing back, at the desired point, press REC to punch in; the MixPre will start recording on the armed tracks. The REC control illuminates solid red. 3. Press REC again to punch out; the MixPre will stop recording but continue playing back. To automatically punch in/out: 1.
User Guide To bounce: 1. Decide which track(s) you want to bounce. Let’s call these the destination tracks. 2. In the destination tracks’ channel screens, set Input to MixL, MixR, or both. Your choice will depend on whether you want to do a mono, stereo, or dual mono bounce. For instance, if you are doing a stereo bounce to tracks 1 and 2, set track 1 to MixL and track 2 to MixR. If you are doing a mono bounce to track 3, set track 3 to both MixL and MixR.
RECORDING AND PLAYBACK Clear is only displayed if the track contains audio. ⚠⚠ Clearing tracks removes them from the project entirely. The files still exist, but they can only be accessed from a computer. 3. Tap Yes to confirm removal of track audio from the project. 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.
User Guide Metronome icon will illuminate orange when active. 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 Sets the quality value for AAC rendering.
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USB USB Audio Interface The MixPre-3M has an integrated 5-in, 2-out core audio-compatible interface for use with a Mac or PC computer. For PC users, the MixPre-3M 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-3M’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-3M 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 wired or wireless USB keyboard may also be used as a wired remote control for certain functions of the MixPre-3M. See the table below for available USB keyboard shortcuts.
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User Presets and System Settings Saving and Recalling Presets Flexibility is the MixPre-3M’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 MixPre 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 . Sub-Menu Description 1 USB-C Lets you indicate whether you intend to use the USB-C port for power only or as an audio input. 1 USB Audio Lets you set the USB Audio interface to output only two channels to increase compatibility with applications that do not support multichannel USB audio. Options include: Normal or Stereo Out LL 54 When set to Stereo Out, the MixPre does not receive USB audio from a computer.
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 Stereo Out Description 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 3.5 mm TRS stereo unbalanced, for use with any impedance headphones Output Limiters Digital Recorder Name Description Maximum Record Tracks 12 tracks Sampling Frequency • 44.
SPECIFICATIONS Remote Control Name Keyboard (USB-A) Description Text entry and control Power Name Description AA Batteries 4x AA sled or 8x AA sled (NiMH or Lithium recommended) L-Mount Batteries MX-LMount: 2x L-mount sled for hot-swappable Li-Ion batteries From Computer Bus-powered via USB-C port.
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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.
