Sound Devices MM-1 & Tascam DR-100 MKII or Sound Devices MixPre-6

[Julian Ogans]

My current primary setup for capturing dialogue indoors is a Audix SCX1-HC fed into a Sound Devices MM-1 with recording performed via my Tascam DR-100 MKII.

I'm interested in potentially reducing clutter by eliminating some cables and a device, and would appreciated opinions on whether I would have identical or improved results by switching to using an all-in-one device such as the Sound Devices MixPre-6.

Thank you in advance.

 

[David Peterson]

If you've got the Sound Devices in front and feeding into the line in for the Tascam (assuming it has one. Edit: googled it to check, yup it has this. A new feature of the mk2 over the mk1. Although of course now they have the mk3!), then from a pure audio quality perspective, then you're not going to get a massive massive leap forward by switching to say a MixPre6.


Rather there is heaps and heaps and heaps of functional / ergonomics reasons to switch over to something else, as that will be a galaxy apart in terms of the improvement vs your current set up.

This is article I wrote up last year which gives a brief overview of your low budget options if you're wanting to upgrade (and of course if your budget can stretch to it there are many many more above and beyond what I've mentioned.... just look up the price of say an Aaton Cantar X3!):

http://ironfilm.co.nz/which-sound-r...various-indie-priced-sound-recorders-in-2017/

Since I've written this, a couple of others have popped up that are worth a look as well: Sound Devices MixPre10T and the Marantz PMD-706 (they're at two opposite extremes though, but still in the general category I was covering of "low budget starter recorders").

In my eyes easily the best pick of those is the Zoom F4 (and is my current main recorder of choice, at least until I can afford say a Sonosax SX-R4+ or Sound Devices announces a new 600 series mixer/recorder), and is what I'd recommend to you if you wish to switch (unless there is some specific reason you want something else, such as the extremely small size of the MixPre3 or the high channel count of the MixPre10T).

 

[Julian Ogans]

If you've got the Sound Devices in front and feeding into the line in for the Tascam (assuming it has one. Edit: googled it to check, yup it has this. A new feature of the mk2 over the mk1. Although of course now they have the mk3!), then from a pure audio quality perspective, then you're not going to get a massive massive leap forward by switching to say a MixPre6.


Rather there is heaps and heaps and heaps of functional / ergonomics reasons to switch over to something else, as that will be a galaxy apart in terms of the improvement vs your current set up.

This is article I wrote up last year which gives a brief overview of your low budget options if you're wanting to upgrade (and of course if your budget can stretch to it there are many many more above and beyond what I've mentioned.... just look up the price of say an Aaton Cantar X3!):

http://ironfilm.co.nz/which-sound-r...various-indie-priced-sound-recorders-in-2017/

Since I've written this, a couple of others have popped up that are worth a look as well: Sound Devices MixPre10T and the Marantz PMD-706 (they're at two opposite extremes though, but still in the general category I was covering of "low budget starter recorders").

In my eyes easily the best pick of those is the Zoom F4 (and is my current main recorder of choice, at least until I can afford say a Sonosax SX-R4+ or Sound Devices announces a new 600 series mixer/recorder), and is what I'd recommend to you if you wish to switch (unless there is some specific reason you want something else, such as the extremely small size of the MixPre3 or the high channel count of the MixPre10T).

Thank you for the feedback. I'll definitley look into these suggestions.

 

[Akin A]

I used to have a Tascam DR-100 MK II and now I use a MixPre-3.
I suggest eliminating the clutter of needing 2 devices (mixer + recorder) and just use a MixPre-3/6/10. Plus, you can use it as an audio interface on your computer.

I'm not sure how much of a quality difference there is on the pre-amps of your MM-1 and MixPre series, so I can't speak for that. But my experience of going from not having analog limiters on the Tascam to using a MixPre-3 is night and day.

 

[Julian Ogans]

Ta

I used to have a Tascam DR-100 MK II and now I use a MixPre-3.
I suggest eliminating the clutter of needing 2 devices (mixer + recorder) and just use a MixPre-3/6/10. Plus, you can use it as an audio interface on your computer.

I'm not sure how much of a quality difference there is on the pre-amps of your MM-1 and MixPre series, so I can't speak for that. But my experience of going from not having analog limiters on the Tascam to using a MixPre-3 is night and day.

Thanks

I'm pulling the trigger on the MixPre-6