PSA Sound Devices 302 mixer

[aflynt]

I know this is only barely even tangentially related to Digital/Modeling, but if you are ever in the market for a high quality little portable mixer for your personal IEM feed or whatever (something several steps up from a Rolls PM(x) quality and feature-wise), I'd strongly advise you to consider a used Sound Devices 302 field mixer. They were standard issue for small pro location video shoots for 15 years, but now they are being replaced by devices with integrated recorders. They used to be over a grand new, but you can get them on eBay now for $200-300. I'm bringing this up because it's not something that might be on a musician's radar at all.

They have a near-perfect and truly exhaustive feature set for a little mixer used with a self-contained personal IEM rig.

• Tiny, paperback book sized (1.8" x 8.4" x 4.5") format with controls on front and ins/outs on the sides.
  • Works with field mixer audio bags which are perfect for setting on the stage next to a pedalboard and taking up almost no space.
• 3 transformer isolated mic preamps with 12 or 48v phantom power that can also be switched over to line level ins.
• 80 or 160hz high pass filter per channel that is positioned before the mic pres. Great for loud stages with overhyped subs.
• Defeatable input limiters per channel.
• Defeatable output limiters with configurable threshold.
• Stereo busses with LCR panning per channel.
• XLR L/R outs that can be configured to run anywhere from -56dB to line level.
• Tone generator that can be set to 100hz, 400hz or 1k with configurable level.
• Advanced metering that can be set up with various combinations of PK and VU and brightness adjustable LEDs.
• Metering can be switched to monitor any of the inputs or outputs including PFL on the 3 channels.
• Can run of internal (3 AA) or external batteries / PSU and can be switched between power sources w/o interruption.
• Stereo unbalanced line level input that can be used as inputs 4/5.
• Multiple 302s can be linked together for more channels. You can fit them side by side in most field mixer bags.

This may seem like overkill, but this is all stuff I've been wishing I had with my Rolls PM59 over the last couple years doing festival shows and rehearsals with IEMs and running into every crazy issue you can think of.

-Aaron

 

[quadgear]

View attachment 28261
I know this is only barely even tangentially related to Digital/Modeling, but if you are ever in the market for a high quality little portable mixer for your personal IEM feed or whatever (something several steps up from a Rolls PM(x) quality and feature-wise), I'd strongly advise you to consider a used Sound Devices 302 field mixer. They were standard issue for small pro location video shoots for 15 years, but now they are being replaced by devices with integrated recorders. They used to be over a grand new, but you can get them on eBay now for $200-300. I'm bringing this up because it's not something that might be on a musician's radar at all.

They have a near-perfect and truly exhaustive feature set for a little mixer used with a self-contained personal IEM rig.

• Tiny, paperback book sized (1.8" x 8.4" x 4.5") format with controls on front and ins/outs on the sides.
  • Works with field mixer audio bags which are perfect for setting on the stage next to a pedalboard and taking up almost no space.
• 3 transformer isolated mic preamps with 12 or 48v phantom power that can also be switched over to line level ins.
• 80 or 160hz high pass filter per channel that is positioned before the mic pres. Great for loud stages with overhyped subs.
• Defeatable input limiters per channel.
• Defeatable output limiters with configurable threshold.
• Stereo busses with LCR panning per channel.
• XLR L/R outs that can be configured to run anywhere from -56dB to line level.
• Tone generator that can be set to 100hz, 400hz or 1k with configurable level.
• Advanced metering that can be set up with various combinations of PK and VU and brightness adjustable LEDs.
• Metering can be switched to monitor any of the inputs or outputs including PFL on the 3 channels.
• Can run of internal (3 AA) or external batteries / PSU and can be switched between power sources w/o interruption.
• Stereo unbalanced line level input that can be used as inputs 4/5.
• Multiple 302s can be linked together for more channels. You can fit them side by side in most field mixer bags.

This may seem like overkill, but this is all stuff I've been wishing I had with my Rolls PM59 over the last couple years doing festival shows and rehearsals with IEMs and running into every crazy issue you can think of.

View attachment 28262

-Aaron

Nice. I'd want a version with 3 stereo inputs.

Thanks!

 

[aflynt]

Nice. I'd want a version with 3 stereo inputs.

Thanks!

Lol. Well, you could get 2 and link them. Then you'd have 3 stereo mic / line inputs and 2 stereo unbalanced line inputs.

Edit: or if you had one stereo input that was line level, you could get a Sound Devices 442.

-Aaron