Sound Devices MixPre 3 II Field Recorder Review

"Only half of us need to be worried." LOL ...edit... Seriously the low key humor was awesome! Instant Sub!

Man, you are awesome!

How does sound qualify compare to zoom f8n pro and mixpre 6 ii?

Brilliant

How come voice over talent don't talk about this interface compared to Babyface Pro FS or Universal Audio. The preamps are stellar and it seems just as good if not better.

you might just have become my favorite yotuber hahaha

Honestly I mostly watch these reviews for the jokes and creative skits/production value. Lots of interesting and hard to find info here too though like on some more obscure mics etc.

Great Video, thank you,

Wow that was so worth watching.. Thanks for the info and the laughs.

Of all the references I have heard in your videos, the 1916 reference to Santo Poco and El Guapo dates you quite precisely. New subscriber here, enjoying your videos (and learning from them) a lot.

Do the 833 and the mixpre 3 share the same ADC's?

I see that one of the features you get by stepping up to the MixPre 6 are XLR/combo inputs, which would be nice. From a practical usage standpoint, do you ever find yourself limited by not having 1/4" TRS inputs?

Bought the MixPre 3 II - amazing device however definitely not plug and play - the learning curve is steep NO kidding!! Now want the MixPre 6 II - no reason really just wish I'd got it with the extra XLR port.

Funny and educational 😆😆

My Thoughts on the Mix Pre 3-II which I’ve had for about 4 years now. (Where does the time go….). Battery sled can be useful as a bridge battery if you need to swap out a battery block, but with most battery blocks like the anker 22000 maH battery blocks, probably not necessary on a single shoot date. I’ve used full size wireless keyboards with a Logitech dongle plugged directly into the usb-a port for entering track info, etc but of course the wingman app means you dont need to carry a full size keyboard, but the full size keyboard is convenient if doing a bunch of voice over clips and naming the files on the fly. The MixPre3 is the perfect corporate video unit, works really well for small indie groups, but I felt the need to go to more than 3 inputs for some of the larger shoots so I eventually went to the MixPre10-II. if i was going to upgrade, then why stop at 6 when you can go to 10 (Nigel is in my ear right now saying his goes to 11)

Lovely video. Very clear info and detailed explanation of each feature. I wanted to know how quiet the MixPre 3 II was and I finally got an answer! Thanks for making and sharing this video.

Made me feel good for swapping from a Zoom F6 to a MixPre 6 Mk2. <grins!>

Oh my... you're so funny.
Thank you very much for reviewing this little marvel of a recorder ! :)

I wanted to hit the like button 5 times. Thank you. Love the video setup, knowledge and levity.

Five year sound mixer here. I have the 10t and the six as a backup. 552 was my first pro mixer/ recorder. I was very intimidated by the 10T but after two years of working with it...wow. It froze on me once, because I was on a FL beach midday, and i think it got too hot. I just power cycled it and it worked fine after that. Get the wingman app. You can take notes, on each take. I just did a revent gig and compared my 416 straight into a fs7 vs. the 10t and the 416...and it was like night and day. In the edit, the fs7 audio was very noisy, even had an odd faint echo to it? Geez. With TC connected to your cam, it's like love at first sight. The audio just snaps to the video. Love it.

I have even had very few, seasoned mixers hate on my 10t, a little, but once they heard my audio...well, they kinda shut up. And my sound bag weighs roughly 1/3 less, possibly less? than a 633, or a 688. It's awesome!

Nice review. How did you make the vintage style audio in the bit around the dummy xlr?

I have the Mix Pre 6 and the biggest negative is the power with the standard 4battery bay sucks, you will be changing batteries all the time.
The power swich is very small and fiddley.
Otherwise a gret piece of kit

I've been reviewing many devices , finally, I already place the order today after watching your great video ... Thank you very much

I'm obsessing over choosing F8n pro or Mixpre 6 or 10 mk2 (not sure yet, still thinking what size is worth it for now). Any thoughts? I got a hold of a comparison F8 vs mixpre 6 mk1 from Curtis Judd . In that test, listening with MDR 7509HD headphones, the mixpre sounds cleaner to me (and then 633 is even better) - not sure how this applies to F8n pro preamps vs mixpre mk2 preamps (trying to find if the gap in quality is smaller with the pro zoom being out). I will use this as a 1 man band film-maker to a 2-4 crew members for commercials, indie shorts etc, and hopefully later on as my budget and crew grows (but I have a feeling I'll have money for an 833 if and when at that point). I'm a cameraman/photog originally, will use this with RED komodo and tentacles as a team to get picture/sound.

PS: seeing that XLR dongle I realize you collabed with Curtis and you know him.

between the series sound devices mixpre and sounddevice 633 which has a very good preamp!? for a choice of professional sound engineer

I used Nagra for years! It was the coolest! And the best sound recording device I have ever used. I am looking forward to getting the MixPre 3 II.

Fun "review" - enjoyed it. I own a Sound Devices MixPre3 II. My only regret was not buying the MixPre6 II.

Great review thanks. I'm trying to decide if the extra functions on the mixpre3/6 are worth the price over the F3 for me. Currently running the H5 and my mics have surpassed its preamp capabilities.

One thing I struggle with field recording are with bags. The photographer bag looks great but do you have to do a full setup every time you want to use it?

Thanks for this thorough and entertaining review!
Any chances of you getting Zoom F3 for trial and comparing it to your MixPre 3 II?

I have had a MixPre 3 V1 for many years. I love it but mine died. The card reader quit. I’m shopping for a new recorder.

I'd be curious to see you review the Zoom F3...

I still do not fully understand why you went for the mixpre-3 instead of the mixpre-6. The prices are nearly the same and there are some extra inputs on the 6. And the size is just a little bit bigger, but that won't be the dealbreaker for what it brings to the table I think. If you could still make that choice now for the same amount of money would you still go for the mixpre-3 ? And what surprises me is that only mixpre-6 are in stock and the mix-pre 3 are not. Am I missing something that these small gems are more desirable?

As someone familiar with online retail platforms I know that the web host takes a not insignificant cut of the price and typically collects duties and payment processing fees on top even if the seller doesn't cross the $1M out of state sales threshold personally where they'd be required to remit out of state taxes. All that to say is that if you do a little bit of sleuthing you can determine who made a retail listing and contact them directly to see if they'll offer a direct sale discount. In a time when everything is more expensive, it is worth it to get creative. If it works don't brag about it online because it might be running afoul of some seller's contract or something but with anything you buy consider making a direct sale vs using an online retail platform. Some sellers have no love for these platforms that have crowded out the space and treat the guys doing all the hustling like garbage. Also some manufactures have strict minimum advertised pricing contracts with dealers so they literally CAN'T "advertise" anything but what the manufacturer has stipulated. But in some cases that doesn't affect what a guy could sell something for in a direct sale. This is true across a whole lot of retail. But remember, in the words of Jules Winnfield, "BE COOL, BITCH!"

Thanks! My Tascam DR100-MKiii finally quit charging when the micro USB got whacked and it was time to upgrade. I was ready for a lower noise floor and something that not just an off the shelf throwaway. So thanks for explaining the features in a down to earth way. I'm about to start the course Chris Judd's offering while I wait for the FedEx guy.

So glad these are back in stock - super bummer about the price though. I’ve been struggling with an F6 due to not being able to add live delay - the mixpre3 can do this (up to 200ms) - woohoo no more audio hijack and loopback.

Superb review and entertaining to boot. I own one. I agree about the learning curve 100%. But…..once I got the hang it was second nature. The thing about the on/off switch is……I agree it’s a little tricky to get to it…..but…..that also makes it tough to inadvertently turned the thing off by mistake. BTW………your audio and video production values are incredibly good.

3 track recorder to 5 track recorder can't happen via a firmware update. It requires a hardware update first.

Really enjoyed this video; witty and funny. Great job on the time travel images. Happy Holidays.

Great Review!!!

Answered all the questions I had and then some. Also +100 for the "So I Married an Axe Murderer" reference!

It’s the chip shortage that’s responsible for the prices, or so I’ve heard. That device used to be $650.00. The mixpre-6 was the 900 dollar device. $950, I believe.

This man is my spirit animal's Spirit Animal.

I use a few recorders, Tascam Dr40X H1n and MixPre 6 II, the first two I use for testing my SR3D mics in the workshop, and I use the MixPre for pesonal use when I've the time, not so much these days.

You seem quie at ease in front of the camera and I'm surprised you dont have many more subscribers, so I've added an extra one to the sub list.

And, if you would like to test out my Binaural DIY Kit with cheap non descript lav mics (not toooo bad) just drop me an email which can be found on my about page.🎤🎧

Really great reviews and information on this channel. Hope you will get way more subscribers and views in the future! You would absolutely deserve it for this kind of quality.

Great video and thanks for sharing your thoughts on the MixPre 3 II! I'm a Zoom guy but have to admit that I find myself lusting over Sound Devices from time to time. Thanks again!

very well, very well