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SOUND DEVICES 833 (the "Scorpio Micro" or "Sound Devices 633 mk2")


IronFilm
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5 hours ago, docmoore said:

Of course but the difference in build quality is significant ... as is the difference in preamps.

 

There are many people who are not fans of the 633 pre amps, or its (lack of) limiters 

 

One of the many things the 833 fixes about the 633, as Scorpio has the best pre amps Sound Devices has ever made 

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  • 2 weeks later...

image.png.a8fe15617825b13ea549b4931b59c801.png

Left Sound Devices for the last few years (had my own 552 straight out of film school for a while, but then later on went F4/F8n/Maxx), although I'd still use a MM1 now and then on a semi regular basis whenever I was lucky enough to use a boom op.

But now I've returned, just today got the 1st 833 in the country!
 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

One week and no report?

Seriously ... how is the new 833?

And is it that significant of a step up in audio quality from the Maxx ... or just better routing. I understand it has dual bus Duggan(?) mixing?

My Mixpre 6 II went back this week .... frustration mainly with TC in Resolve 16.1 ... just unable to sync files that I could manually read as same TC. And even though video

is 32 bit in Resolve ... audio cannot handle 32 bit float so had to record in 24 bit ... which is fine with me but obviates the draw of the II series. Biggest issue with

it was when you turned it off ... it reset to base record settings every time so that you had to go into menus to set something other than 44.1Khz.

So I am considering the Maxx ... 633 ... or up to the 833. Dont need complex routing but do want best audio possible.

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18 hours ago, docmoore said:

One week and no report?

Seriously ... how is the new 833?

Too busy! Haven't even had a day off yet, plus I won't use the 833 on any old job (as we're kinda beta testing it after all....  an early adopter), so need to match it up with the right first project before I go beyond just playing around together with it in my bedroom. 

 

18 hours ago, docmoore said:

And is it that significant of a step up in audio quality from the Maxx

You don't choose a recorder purely on basis of audio quality, they're all very very good. 
Otherwise I'd still be using a Sound Devices 552 (or perhaps Zoom F4), why bother changing to anything else?
 

18 hours ago, docmoore said:

My Mixpre 6 II went back this week .... frustration mainly with TC in Resolve 16.1 ... just unable to sync files that I could manually read as same TC. And even though video

That is unfortunate. Have you reported this to Sound Devices? (& BMD)
My gut impression is that the MixPre series was kinda a lot more buggy than the Zoom F series, I'd hoped MixPre Gen2 turned that around?
 

18 hours ago, docmoore said:

it was when you turned it off ... it reset to base record settings every time so that you had to go into menus to set something other than 44.1Khz.

Ah! I think I've heard of this bug on the MixPre series, were you using your MixPre as a USB audio interface?
 

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18 hours ago, docmoore said:

So I am considering the Maxx ... 633 ... or up to the 833.

Well the 833 is the "best" there is in the world when it comes to small field recorders. 

"Best" of course needs a note:

1) "Best" if you don't want to be locked/invested into the Zaxcom system. As an 833 would likely work better if you want to work with a wider range of brands.

2) "Best" if you're looking for a small field recorder which can effortlessly jump between bag work or a small sound cart, while if you want an exclusively bag recorder (Nova) or exclusively sound cart small field recorder (Aaton Cantar Mini) then you could choose better than an 833. (as while a Nova/Mini can crossover, but not as efficiently as an 833 could). 

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4 hours ago, IronFilm said:

Ah! I think I've heard of this bug on the MixPre series, were you using your MixPre as a USB audio interface?

 

No I use the USBPre 2 for the audio interface.

I have a PIX-LR attached to my PIX-E5 but have used a separate recorder for redundancy and would like to maintain that approach. I considered moving up from the

P6K and getting something with a bit more robust XLR connection and preamps (FX9) but the picture in my situation would be hard to improve upon so just want a easy

to manage interface with great sound ... as I run all the camera lights and sound solo.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Loved the information and your discussion of reasons and perspectives on the SD versus Zaxcom Nova.

Really dark at the end .... ? I know that your vision probably accomodated for the dropping light levels and it did not seem

so as the evening progressed.

So between the F8N and the Maxx ... not enough difference to keep one over the other ... and is the transmitter in the Maxx

not an advantage when you want a smaller bag? Just interested from a personal perspective ... I have found a Demo Maxx Block 21

that is very tempting ... but probably should consider a Nomad / Nova for full Zaxnet if I go am spending that kind of money. Any

move to wireless has constraints ... either spend a lot and have a solid connection or spend less and risk having dropouts.

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On 10/20/2019 at 1:21 AM, docmoore said:

Loved the information and your discussion of reasons and perspectives on the SD versus Zaxcom Nova.


Some people try to say they're not comparable, but I reckon in reality many people will indeed be choosing between the latest Sound Devices 833 or the new Zaxcom Nova
 

 

On 10/20/2019 at 1:21 AM, docmoore said:

Really dark at the end .... ?

Oh I screwed up! Once I realized how long I was talking for, and how quickly the sun set, I should have just cut and started again, but I really didn't want to re-start (especially as I'd already broken the seal on the box! And I'd hate to edit various parts together, I do prefer to just do a single one take)

 

On 10/20/2019 at 1:21 AM, docmoore said:

So between the F8N and the Maxx ... not enough difference to keep one over the other ...

I'd probably prefer to keep the Zoom F8n?

However, I am aware I probably have a strong bias towards the F series just because I've used them for so long (there is even things about the F series I prefer over the Sound Devices 833!). So maybe I'm not being totally fair to Zaxcom, and I should just use it for longer before judging it. (although I might not even get that many hours with Zaxcom under my belt because I'm not switching from F8n to Maxx now, but to an 833 instead!)

Also another factor to consider is that it likely will be much easier for me to sell the F8n than the Maxx.

Then again it is also cool to "own a Zaxcom", just one item.... as it is a major major brand I otherwise have nothing from. So another fact in favor of selling the F8n.

On 10/20/2019 at 1:21 AM, docmoore said:

not an advantage when you want a smaller bag?

Maxx / F8n are very similar in size. 

My F8n bag is bigger than my Maxx bag only because it is a bigger bag itself with more "stuff" in it. 

Heh, my 833 rig is currently smaller than my F8n rig! 

I'm having a change of heart lately about Orca bags, prefer to go slimmer and smaller. 

 

On 10/20/2019 at 1:21 AM, docmoore said:

Just interested from a personal perspective ... I have found a Demo Maxx Block 21

that is very tempting ... but probably should consider a Nomad / Nova for full Zaxnet if I go am spending that kind of money. 

I wouldn't recommend buying a Maxx in late 2019 unless it is at a very good price. 
(however.... if you're interested in buying mine, please ignore that previous statement! haha)

As for Nomad, I also wouldn't recommend a Nomad unless the price is very good. 
Be aware as well there many different Nomad versions. 
A Nomad 12 for instance I wouldn't pay more than around US$2.5K ish for.
While a Nomad Lite would have to be under US$2K for me to begin to consider it. 

Buy Nova if you want to also buy a Zaxcom MRX414 with it (at least one, preferably buying two of them). 

Be aware if you wait just a few more weeks/months, so that Nova is shipping at volume, and fulfilling all orders, then secondhand Nomad prices will surely tumble even lower than we've already seen them go. 

 

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Thanks for all the great insights.

I am out working on a mission in a Mexican border town and distance has given me a bit of perspective on the Maxx/Nomad choice. Seems like the future with Zaxcom will really be Nova and their ecosystem if wireless is your priority. 
 

For me it may be a future need but at present is not so I may be best served by a Mixpre 10 II or Zoom F8n ... enough inputs for add on wireless as that need grows.

Davinci Resolve Studio has been a bit hit or miss with TC sync and the present TC bugs in the new Mixpre II series does not help but I assume that they will sort it soon enough.

 

Thanks again!

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