Pat McConnel – Sound Devices Vice President of Sales

REEDSBURG, WI, MAY 21, 2013 — Sound Devices, experts in audio and video products for field production, is pleased to announce two internal promotions. As the company continues to evolve in the professional audio and video markets, it has named Pat McConnell Vice President of Sales and Ed Capp Global Sales Director.

At a time when the level of technical expertise required for successful sales is paramount, the pair has demonstrated leadership in the specialized audio and video production markets. In their new roles, Pat and Ed will oversee the Sound Devices sales team to further promote the company’s entire range of products globally, while continuing to strengthen the Sound Devices reseller and distributor network.

Ed Capp – Sound Devices Global Sales Director

Pat, who joined the company last year, brings his deep experience in audio, systems sales, and sales management to the company. He also continues on with the tradition of single-syllable first names for Sound Devices officers. Ed, a 10-year veteran of the Sound Devices sales team, has been instrumental in significantly expanding the reach of Sound Devices throughout the world. Ed has developed Sound Devices strength in Asia as well as the important Southern California markets.

“Ed and Pat are a great sales team and together they manage Sound Devices presence throughout the world,” says Matt Anderson, President of Sound Devices. “As the Sound Devices product lines become more and more technical, it is critical that our sales team is led by knowledgeable individuals who are immersed in the changing audio and video technology landscape. We are very excited to continue to grow our sales force and look forward to both Ed and Pat’s future contributions to the company.”

Sound Devices, LLC designs and manufactures portable audio mixers, digital audio recorders, and digital video recorders and related equipment for feature film, episodic television, documentary, news-gathering, and acoustical test and measurement applications. The fourteen-year old company designs and manufactures from their Reedsburg, Wisconsin headquarters with additional offices in Madison, WI and Highland Park, IL. For more information, visit the Sound Devices website,  www.sounddevices.com.

BOCA GRANDE — Specializing in providing professional audio content for film, television, commercials and video games, Watson Wu Studios has come to rely heavily on Sound Devices portable mixers, recorders and interface gear for field recording, voice-over and music recording session projects.

Composer/Sound Designer/Field Recordist Watson Wu has worked on several projects that utilize Sound Devices gear. Most recently, his company completed a project for Korean video game Metro Conflict by Red Duck, which is slated to be released next year. Sound Devices 788T, 552, 442, 744T and MixPre-D were all used on location in order to capture several firearms recordings. Watson Wu Studios also recently completed work on the AAA video game Assassin’s Creed 3, where Wu was contracted to find, arrange and record the sounds of full-scale cannons being deployed. With an abundance of microphones placed strategically around the cannons and in the background, Wu and his team captured more than 24 channels of audio using various Sound Devices 744T and 722 Recorders, 302 Mixers and a 702 Recorder.

“Many years ago, I had the opportunity to listen to various unedited firearms recordings from colleagues who used Sound Devices recorders,” says Wu. “I was extremely impressed with how the microphone brands sounded so different from each other. Before that, most of the guns sounded like popcorn, and this was true from one brand of microphone to the other. My experiences and observations in the field prompted me to rent, and then eventually buy, my first Sound Devices field recorder, the 702. Now I’m using several Sound Devices products regularly, including the 442 Mixers, the USBPre 2 Audio Interface and the 788T-SSD Recorder.”

During the production for Dodge’s Guts, Glory, Ram TV commercials, Wu relied on his Sound Devices 442 Mixer to maintain control of beefy truck sounds. Wu has also worked on projects for the NBA, NHL and Lexus, where he composed and recorded music utilizing various microphones connected to the Sound Devices USBPre 2 Audio Interface.

“Sound Devices has always been the most reliable recording gear I’ve used,” adds Wu. “Since I often carry my entire rig on location, the lightness and thinness of Sound Devices gear is essential. Most of my recordings are done in super hot weather. Rarely do I encounter freezing temperatures, but the few cold-weather sessions I have been in have proven the reliability of the Sound Devices systems. Sound Devices also records true high-resolution sample rates, which is important, since most of my clients need 96 kHz and sometimes up to 192 kHz. There are other brands to choose from, but I really need the features and the robustness provided by Sound Devices.

During a few projects, Wu worked particularly long days at outdoor sessions, where the temperature rapidly rose by 30 degrees. “At the peak of the super hot day, the non-Sound Devices brands started to fail,” he recalls. “They either stopped responding or we had to keep adjusting the uncontrollable recording gains. During all of this, the Sound Devices gear we had just kept going without any problems.”

For current undisclosed projects, Wu is using his Sound Devices 442 Mixers, along with a 552 Production Mixer, to go in front of his 778T-SSD Recorder, as well as a 702 Recorder. This setup is being used to record full automatic weapons and exotic vehicles.

Wu incorporates Sound Devices gear into his portable setup for vehicle engine recordings by rigging DPA, Rode and other lavalier mics inside the engine compartment. He then routes the mic cables to 442 Mixers and sometimes a rented 552 Production Mixer. In addition, he also places various Sennheiser, Rode and Shure dynamic mics onto the body of the vehicle to capture exhaust sounds. The Sound Devices mixers’ incredibly fast responding limiters allow the recorders to capture these controlled extreme sounds. For external pass-by shots, Wu either uses Sennheiser MKH-418s or Neumann RSM-191s stereo shotgun mics connected to a Sound Devices 702 recorder.

“What I really like about all Sound Devices recorders is that I can use both external as well as the attached Sony L rechargeable batteries,” concludes Wu. “There were a few crucial takes where the 788T-SSD alerted me that the external battery was running extremely low. With an always-attached Sony L battery (while the recording was still going), I removed the external battery and plugged in fresh new one. You can do this same process again and again without interrupting the recordings. This is absolutely fantastic for my long session days. You just can’t match this feature. In addition, I’ve also had two CompactFlash memory cards fail on me where the internal SSD in my 788T-SSD retained the sound files. It’s a blessing to have this redundancy. Another great feature of the 788T is that it can record all eight channels at 24/96 on to single poly wave files. After a session, I can simply drag and drop a poly wave file into my editor, and all eight channels are perfectly lined up, ready for playback and editing.”

Sound Devices, LLC designs and manufactures portable audio mixers, digital audio recorders, and digital video recorders and related equipment for feature film, episodic television, documentary, news-gathering, and acoustical test and measurement applications. The fourteen-year old company designs and manufactures from their Reedsburg, Wisconsin headquarters with additional offices in Madison, WI and Highland Park, IL. For more information, visit the Sound Devices website, www.sounddevices.com.

CHICAGO — When it comes to recording dynamic audio for the hit NBC show Chicago Fire, Blair Scheller, the program’s production sound mixer, turns to a range of Sound Devices gear, including its 788T and 744T Digital Audio Recorders, 552 and 442 Production Mixers, and CL-WiFi Interface for 788T, to provide a rock-solid performance and consistent deliverables. Filmed primarily at Cinespace Chicago and at field locations in and around the city, Chicago Fire chronicles the lives of the men and women of Chicago Firehouse 51.

Along with his sound team, which includes Utility Jim Gaudio and Boom Operator Jason Johnston, Scheller’s approach to production sound on Chicago Fire is typical of today’s dialog-oriented episodic productions. Much of the photography is done with two cameras, so boom mics, typically Schoeps CMITs, are not practical for large ensemble group shots. In these cases, all actors with speaking parts have a wireless microphone. Scheller utilizes 12 channels of Lectrosonics wireless with SR transmitters and Venue receivers. Wireless receivers are connected to an Audio Developments AD 146 analog console. The production recorder on set is Sound Devices 788T, recording simultaneously to both CompactFlash and the 788T’s internal hard drive. For backup, a Sound Devices 552 records the mix to SD cards. CompactFlash cards are turned in, transferred and then cleared after breaks in the day.

“The more I can provide to post production, the better the chance of getting great audio, as the post-production team can do quite a bit with isolated tracks,” says Scheller. “We often shoot in on-location environments that may not be ideal for sound, but with both my mix- and iso-tracks, we dramatically minimize the need for ADR.” The series typically relies on ADR only for those scenes on the “fire” set, where the actors are suited with respirators.

Another important aspect of Scheller’s system is Sound Devices CL-WiFi. “The CL-WiFi is essential for the way I use the 788T. I can quickly reset after a false take right then and there with it,” he says. For more portable applications on location, Blair’s bag rig consists of a Sound Devices 744T recorder, 442 mixer, and a Lectrosonics VR field receiver.

Scheller began his career as a boom operator working on a wide range of projects, everything from local Chicago-based productions to Hollywood blockbusters. During the production of Michael Mann’s Public Enemies, Blair transitioned from boom to mixer, mixing second unit. Since then he has relied on the 788T for several shows, including the Playboy Club and MTV’s Underemployed.

Chicago Fire, produced by Universal Television and Wolf Films, airs on NBC on Wednesdays at 10/9c.

Sound Devices, LLC designs and manufactures portable audio mixers, digital audio recorders, and digital video recorders and related equipment for feature film, episodic television, documentary, news-gathering, and acoustical test and measurement applications. The fourteen-year old company designs and manufactures from their Reedsburg, Wisconsin headquarters with additional offices in Madison, WI and Highland Park, IL. For more information, visit the Sound Devices website, www.sounddevices.com.

The PIX 240i KIT includes a PIX 240i, lightweight durable case (PIX-HC1), power supply (XL-WPH3), batteries (XL-B2), storage media (PIX-CADDY), sun hood (PIX-HOOD), 1/4 20 articulating mount (PIX-ARM), HDMI and SDI interconnection cables.

The PIX 240i KIT Includes:
1 PIX-HC1 Lightweight Durable Case
1 PIX 240i Video Recorder
2 PIX-CADDY 2 SSD Mounting Accessory
2 PIX-SSD5 2.5” SSD Drive
2 XL-B2 7.2V Li-Ion L-Series Battery
1 PIX-ARM Mounting Arm
1 PIX-HOOD Removable Hood Accessory
1 HDMI Cable (3 ft)
1 SDI Cable (3 ft)
1 XL-WPH3 Universal In-Line Power Supply
1 1/4-20 Simple Stand
1 User Guide Bundle (not shown)

ANTARCTICA — As a location sound recordist specializing in capturing wildlife and natural history audio, Chris Watson has traveled all over the world, enduring some of the most extreme climates and harshest working conditions on Earth to get compelling sound. For his work on Frozen Planet, the BAFTA award-winning documentary series co-produced by the BBC and the Discovery Channel, he turned to Sound Devices 744T Recorder and MixPre Compact Field Mixer for his portable audio recording needs.

Frozen Planet, presented by Sir David Attenborough, is a seven-part series focusing on life and the environment in the Arctic and Antarctic. In order to document how climate change is affecting landforms such as glaciers and ice shelves, and the extent of sea ice, the series required Watson and the production team to capture a comprehensive record of the natural history in the polar regions.

For his work on Frozen Planet, Watson, who was based at McMurdo Station, the National Science Foundation’s United States Antarctic Program base on Ross Island, located in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, flew to the South Pole and also worked on the continent’s ice shelf and ice plateau, where it was -47.2 degrees Fahrenheit (-44 degrees Celsius) on some occasions, with a wind chill. Despite being exposed to such extreme cold, Watson’s Sound Devices 744T unit performed flawlessly.

“The reliability of my kit is absolutely paramount, especially when working in such remote locations,” says Watson. “If you go to the South Pole and the equipment doesn’t work, you have no way to fix or replace it, and you’ve wasted your time. The construction, portability and reliability of my Sound Devices gear were fantastic. In fact, it was so cold that on several occasions I had to stop before my 744T did.”

For his rig, Watson set up his 744T with a Sound Field ST450, an ambisonic recording instrument. The 744T works directly with ST450, with Watson using all four-line inputs to record the signals in B format. The 744T has a B-format decoder in the headphone amplifiers, which proved especially handy for the Frozen Planet project. Even though Watson was recording to this less common surround sound format, he was able to decode it and listen to a stereo approximation of his recordings. He also recorded in double-mid side (DMS), a surround sound format that uses three microphones and three channels of his 744T to create four or six audio channels in post production.

“The ease of connectivity of the 744T is great,” adds Watson. “When I want to record content, I can burn the files to CompactFlash and the internal hard drive, which gives you the confidence you need when working in these types of places, thousands of miles from any sort of base that your data is secure. I also like the fact that with the 744T you can back up files to an external drive on location as well.”

Sound Devices 744T, a powerful four-track, file-based digital audio recorder, has become a staple in the rigs of many feature film and episodic television sound mixers. The super-compact 744T records and plays back audio to and from its internal hard drive, CompactFlash cards and external FireWire drives, making field recording simple and fast. The 744T reads uncompressed PCM audio at 16 or 24 bits with sample rates between 32 kHz and 192 kHz. Compressed audio recording and playback from 64 kbps to 320 kbps is also supported.

The 744T’s time code implementation makes it ready for any recording job—from over-the-shoulder to cart-based production. The 744T employs a no-compromise audio path that includes high-performance Sound Devices’ microphone preamplifiers. Designed specifically for high-bandwidth, high-bit-rate digital recording applications, these preamps set the standard for frequency-response linearity, low-distortion performance, and low noise.

Another key component of Watsons’ rig is the Sound Devices MixPre Compact Field Mixer. While recording pods of Orca whales and Weddell seals under the sea ice, Watson used the preamps on the MixPre independently, feeding the audio into his backup recorder. By using the MixPre as a stereo preamp, he was able to capture these sounds under the sea ice, utilizing the dynamic range of the hydrophones.

“The MixPre has that rich sounding analog quality to it, which I like,” concludes Watson. “It also allows me to get a clean analog front end from the hydrophones, because the signals are so loud. I was actually out about 20 miles off shore and stood on nearly 10 feet of sea ice, and was able to record not only pods of orcas coming up to the sea ice, but also the sounds of the ice shifting and cracking.”

Sound Devices MixPre, like its present successor, the MixPre-D, is a studio-quality two-channel, portable, stereo microphone mixer. Its impressive audio performance and comprehensive features, including pan switches, built-in slate microphone, 1 kHz tone oscillator, and headphone monitoring, make it ideal for the front end of any studio or field production system. Film production engineers value the compact size and ability to withstand extremes in the field. The MixPre combines rugged mechanical and electrical construction, compact size, and high-quality components.

Sound Devices, LLC designs and manufactures portable audio mixers, digital audio recorders, and digital video recorders and related equipment for feature film, episodic television, documentary, news-gathering, and acoustical test and measurement applications. The fourteen-year old company designs and manufactures from their Reedsburg, Wisconsin headquarters with additional offices in Madison, WI and Highland Park, IL. For more information, visit the Sound Devices website, www.sounddevices.com.

The 664 Field Production Mixer is the new flagship in Sound Devices’ line of portable audio mixers. The intuitive 664 has six input channels and four output buses. All inputs and outputs are recordable to both CF and SD cards. This unprecedented amount of I/O connectivity and recording capability makes the 664 perfect for any portable production application.

“It is an honor and privilege to once again win a Technical Achievement Award by the Cinema Audio Society,” says Matt Anderson, President of Sound Devices. “Being recognized by such a prestigious organization confirms our efforts to continue to bring innovative, industry-leading products to market.”

The 664 has six ultra-low noise, high-dynamic-range analog inputs. These transformer-less preamps accept mic- or line-level signals, and include analog peak limiters, high-pass filters, input trim controls and direct outputs. Input connectors 1 and 6 can be selected to accept AES42 or AES3 digital signals

In complex multi-camera productions, output flexibility is essential. The 664 can send its main left/right outputs to three cameras simultaneously. Two additional output buses, X1 and X2, appear on balanced TA3 connectors. AES3 digital outputs are individually selected to appear on the main XLR and multi-pin output connectors.

The 664 can record each of its inputs and four output buses for 10 record tracks. Recordings are saved to CompactFlash and SD cards. Recordings are either 16- or 24-bit broadcast WAV files, with extensive metadata. All popular production sampling rates are supported. When used with a CL-6 Input Expander, the 664 records 16 tracks, 12 inputs and four output buses.

The mixer’s built-in, rock-steady Ambient time code generator allows multiple devices to operate in synchronization. The 664 can operate as a time code master clock, or its clock can be jammed from an external time code. A helpful time code compare utility shows the difference between internal and external time codes.

This year’s winners were announced at the 49th annual CAS Awards on Saturday, February 16th at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.

Sound Devices had also received Cinema Audio Society’s Technical Achievement Award for the 744T and 788T.

Sound Devices, LLC designs and manufactures portable audio mixers, digital audio recorders, and digital video recorders and related equipment for feature film, episodic television, documentary, news-gathering, and acoustical test and measurement applications. The fourteen-year old company designs and manufactures from their Reedsburg, Wisconsin headquarters with additional offices in Madison, WI and Highland Park, IL. For more information, visit the Sound Devices website, www.sounddevices.com.

CONTACT:

Jon W. Tatooles
Sound Devices, LLC
Tel: 608-524-0625
Fax: 608-524-0655
E-mail:  jon_tatooles@sounddevices.com
Web:  www.sounddevices.com 

Nicole Rosen
D . Pagan Communications, Inc.
Tel: 631-659-2309
Fax: 631-659-2310
E-mail:  nicoler@dpagan.com
Web:  www.dpagan.com

LOS ANGELES, FEBRUARY 12, 2013 — When Academy Award-nominated Supervising Sound Editor Wylie Statemen sought a field recorder capable of providing the superior sonic quality needed to capture background and sound effects for Quentin Tarantino’s Academy Award-nominated film Django Unchained, he turned to Sound Devices 788T digital audio recorder. Stateman, who has been recognized in the Sound Editing category for Django Unchained—the sixth time he has been nominated for an Academy Award—chose the 788T for its small size, reliability and ease of use.

With more than 30 years of motion picture experience, Stateman has a high set of standards when it comes to choosing gear for his film projects. The industry veteran bases his selection on sonic quality, robustness of build and reliability. As he typically works in “run-and-gun”-type recording environments, he also looks for small, lightweight equipment. According to Stateman, “Although mobility is very important, there is no substitute for sonic integrity and reliability. Year after year we compare Sound Devices with other machinery and for several years now, the Sound Devices family of recorders has proven to be the best. Sound Devices equipment will continue to be a part of our field reconnaissance.”

For Django Unchained, Stateman used the 788T to record atmosphere, background, sound effects and samples for the film’s sound design needs. “We traveled to some pretty harsh environments, including Monument Valley and Death Valley, in order to capture authentic sounds for the film,” says Stateman. “I would say the majority of the post-production sound in Django Unchained owes its roots to the recordings made possible by the 788T.”

For the movie’s fight scenes, Stateman not only recorded the sound of guns, but the shots’ echoes as well. The same holds true for other weapons such as whips and chains, and various impulse devices, including signal cannons, blank guns and live firing weapons.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has nominated Django Unchained for an Academy Award in a total of five categories, including Sound Editing, Best Picture, Original Screenplay, Actor in a Supporting Role and Cinematography. The film is also up for several British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards, including a nod to Stateman and the audio team in the sound category. Additionally, the Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Awards nominated the film in the Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects and Foley category.

Throughout his illustrious career, Stateman has been nominated for multiple industry awards, including six Academy Awards, four BAFTA Awards and 15 Motion Picture Sound Editor Awards. Stateman won the 1993 BAFTA Award for Best Sound for his work on JFK. He has also won the Motion Picture Sound Editors Awards for Best Sound Editing for Inglorious Bastards (2010), Memoirs of a Geisha (2006) and Born on the Fourth of July (1990). Stateman is also the co-founder of the post-production sound services company Soundelux.

With the influx of multi-tracking both in the field and on set, the Sound Devices 788T has become the next-generation digital audio recorder for advanced sound mixers who require additional isolated tracks. It boasts eight full-featured inputs and records to up to 12 tracks. It accepts either microphone or line-level signals, provides 48-V phantom power for condenser microphones, offers peak limiters for microphone inputs and features fully adjustable high-pass filters—all in a compact package. Routing flexibility allows each input to be routed to left/right mixed tracks, isolated tracks or aux tracks.

The 788T has several options for recording media, including an internal SATA hard drive (solid-state in the 788T-SSD), CompactFlash cards, an external FireWire hard drive or DVD-RAM (with bus powering). Any or all of these can be used simultaneously. Additionally, when connected to Mac or Windows computers with high-speed USB or FireWire 400/800, the 788T functions as a high-speed mass storage device.

To simplify AES3 connectivity with mixers and cameras, the 788T has eight channels of balanced AES3 digital input and six channels of balanced AES3 output. The 788T can be clocked from an external word clock or from video sync. The 788T is also equipped with a high-accuracy time-code reader/generator. It also includes auto-record features to chase external rec-run video sources. To simplify metadata entry, the 788T accepts USB keyboards directly or can be operated remotely from iOS devices with the optional CL-WiFi.  The 788T, like all Sound Devices products, is versatile and designed to withstand the physical and environmental extremes of rigorous field production.

Sound Devices, LLC designs and manufactures portable audio mixers, digital audio recorders, and digital video recorders and related equipment for feature film, episodic television, documentary, news-gathering, and acoustical test and measurement applications. The fourteen-year old company designs and manufactures from their Reedsburg, Wisconsin headquarters with additional offices in Madison, WI and Highland Park, IL. For more information, visit the Sound Devices website, www.sounddevices.com.

SHANGHAI, CHINA, JANUARY 22, 2013 — When the reality, cooking competition show, MasterChef China tasked Boxtop Studio Films’ Director/Producer Chad Grochowski with overseeing the design and construction of the set, contracting production equipment and international crew, and handling the post-production process for its inaugural season, he turned to Sound Devices, experts in portable audio and video products for field production, and its PIX 240 Production Video Recorder. The PIX 240 helped Grochowski ensure the highest image quality possible for the program, a collaboration between Dragon TV, Shine UK and the International Channel of Shanghai.

Known around the world, MasterChef is a massively successful reality TV franchise, with productions in more than 40 countries. Having seen many of these versions and noting that the production quality was not always consistent, Grochowski wanted to achieve the best-looking show possible. This required capturing the highest image quality, given the production’s budget and local availability of HD cameras and lenses. In addition, Grochowski was looking for a solution that would minimize the time needed for ingest and transcoding of the recorded material.

In order to accomplish this, Grochowski utilized eight to 10 Sony HDW-F900R CineAlta HD cameras, each equipped with Sound Devices’ PIX 240, to record in Apple ProRes 422 (1920x1080i 50). As the show was being edited in Final Cut Pro HD, this was especially appealing to the producers. In addition, bypassing the HDCAM compression to tape and recording the pure HD-SDI output stream with the PIX 240, enabled significant workflow and image-quality advantages.

“The ingest process using Sound Devices 240 Gb SSD drives and its PIX-CADDY couldn’t have been easier,” says Grochowski. “By using this recording media instead of HDCAM tape, we saved on tape purchase and deck rental costs during the two-and-a-half-month filming period. The PIX 240 also allowed for instantaneous dailies and provided great imagery and smooth workflow.”

Time-code synching was also a beneficial feature on set, as all PIX recorders were synched, including up to 32 tracks of wireless microphone feeds, which were routed into a MADI-interfaced PC running Nuendo 7. With eight to 10 cameras rolling simultaneously, plus recording 12 to 32 tracks of audio, running time-of-day timecode ensured that all media were synched. In addition, the audio team utilized Sound Devices 788T with its CL-8 Mixing Control Surface to capture and mix audio during off-site filming situations.

The post production team was able to handle the Ingest and Media Management using just two PCs and an iMac. Materials were ingested directly from each PIX-CADDY via USB 3.0 and/or FW800. By using one PIX-CADDY per SSD drive, they were able to minimize wear and tear on the drive contacts, further ensuring reliable performance for the entire production.

Several key members of the MasterChef China crew also worked with Grochowski and the International Channel of Shanghai on Season 2 of The Amazing Race: China Rush, which was recently awarded the “Best Adaptation of an Existing Format” award from the Asian Television Awards held this past December.

Sound Devices PIX 240 is the perfect companion to a wide range of professional cameras used for feature films, such as ARRI and RED, as well as small-format HD cameras from Sony and Canon. Sound Devices latest update for PIX offers Apple ProRes 4444 recording from video sources over 3G-SDI (4:4:4 RGB or YCbCr). Users can connect PIX 240 and 240i to cameras with HD-SDI, 3G-SDI, or HDMI and record directly to QuickTime using a range of different Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHD codecs, including Apple ProRes 4444. Since PIX recorders use ProRes and DNxHD, files recorded in the field can be used directly in post production, making for simpler, faster workflows.

The PIX 240i’s high-performance five-inch, IPS-based LCD display is an accurate field monitor, providing users with immediate confirmation of framing, exposure, focus,  audio metering, and setup menu selections. It offers excellent color accuracy and contrast, great off-axis visibility, and accurate motion tracking.

PIX 240 and 240i users now have the ability to record into Apple ProRes 4444, which offers impressive quality with 4:4:4 sources and workflows involving alpha channel transparency. With its 12-bit, 4:4:4 capability, the PIX 240 and 240i can record 330-Mbps Apple ProRes 4444 files that are perceptually indistinguishable from the original source material. Popular cameras with 4:4:4 capable outputs include the ARRI ALEXA, Canon C500 and Sony F3.

Additional features available in this latest v3.0 firmware update include time-code and recording status displays on the SDI and HDMI outputs, up to 500 ms of audio delay to compensate for multi-device picture delay, and selectable 4:4:4 or 4:2:2 video output independent from the source material.

The built-in hardware scaler and frame rate converter allows PIX to output and record material at different resolutions and frame rates than supported by the camera. Conversion between HD and SD, with and without anamorphic conversion, is available.

The audio circuitry of the PIX recorders is based on Sound Devices’ award-winning 7-Series digital audio recorders. The low-noise (-128 dBu EIN), high-headroom, high-bandwidth inputs are mic/line switchable and include limiters, high-pass filters and phantom power.

Sound Devices, LLC designs and manufactures portable audio mixers, digital audio recorders, and digital video recorders and related equipment for feature film, episodic television, documentary, news-gathering, and acoustical test and measurement applications. The fourteen-year old company designs and manufactures from their Reedsburg, Wisconsin headquarters with additional offices in Madison, WI and Highland Park, IL. For more information, visit the Sound Devices website, www.sounddevices.com.

REEDBSBURG, WI — Sound Devices, announces its latest major upgrade to the PIX 240 and PIX 240i Production Video Recorders. This new update, available for all PIX customers free of charge, offers Apple ProRes 4444 recording from video sources over 3G-SDI (4:4:4 RGB or YCbCr). Recording 4:4:4 offers productions superior color precision for applications in chroma-keying, color-grading and multi-generational editing.

PIX 240 and 240i users now have the ability to record into Apple ProRes 4444, which offers impressive quality with 4:4:4 sources and workflows involving alpha channel transparency. With its 12-bit, 4:4:4 capability, the PIX 240 and 240i can record 330-Mbps Apple ProRes 4444 files that are perceptually indistinguishable from the original source material. Popular cameras with 4:4:4 capable outputs include the ARRI ALEXA, Canon C500 and Sony F3.

“Sound Devices is pleased to announce this latest firmware update, which brings Apple ProRes 4444 recording over 3G-SDI to the PIX 240 and 240i,” says Paul Isaacs, Technical Development Manager, Sound Devices. “The additional color accuracy available in a 4:4:4 environment reinforces that the PIX recorder is a master-grade production recorder suitable for the most demanding production applications.”

Additional features available in this latest v3.0 firmware update include time-code and recording status displays on the SDI and HDMI outputs, up to 500 ms of audio delay to compensate for multi-device picture delay, and selectable 4:4:4 or 4:2:2 video output independent from the source material.

Users can connect PIX 240 and 240i to cameras with HD-SDI, 3G-SDI, or HDMI and record directly to QuickTime using a range of different Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHD codecs, including Apple ProRes 4444. Since PIX recorders use ProRes and DNxHD, files recorded in the field can be used directly in post production, making for simpler, faster workflows.

The PIX 240i’s high-performance five-inch, IPS-based LCD display is an accurate field monitor, providing users with immediate confirmation of framing, exposure, focus,  audio metering, and setup menu selections. It offers excellent color accuracy and contrast, great off-axis visibility, and accurate motion tracking.

The built-in hardware scaler and frame rate converter allows PIX to output and record material at different resolutions and frame rates than supported by the camera. Conversion between HD and SD, with and without anamorphic conversion, is available.

The audio circuitry of the PIX recorders is based on Sound Devices’ award-winning 7-Series digital audio recorders. The low-noise (-128 dBu EIN), high-headroom, high-bandwidth inputs are mic/line switchable and include limiters, high-pass filters and phantom power.

The HDMI-only PIX 220 and PIX 220i video recorders also gain new features available in the new version 3.0 update, including Apple ProRes 4444 recording, time-code and recording status displays on HDMI outputs, and up to 500 ms of audio delay to compensate for multi-device picture delay.

Sound Devices, LLC designs and manufactures portable audio mixers, digital audio recorders, and digital video recorders and related equipment for feature film, episodic television, documentary, news-gathering, and acoustical test and measurement applications. The fourteen-year old company designs and manufactures from their Reedsburg, Wisconsin headquarters with additional offices in Madison, WI and Highland Park, IL. For more information, visit the Sound Devices website, www.sounddevices.com.

CONTACT:

Jon W. Tatooles
Sound Devices, LLC
Tel: 608-524-0625
Fax: 608-524-0655
E-mail:  jon_tatooles@sounddevices.com
Web:  www.sounddevices.com 

Nicole Rosen
D . Pagan Communications, Inc.
Tel: 631-659-2309
Fax: 631-659-2310
E-mail:  nicoler@dpagan.com
Web:  www.dpagan.com