Designed for musicians, Sound Devices' MixPre-3M is a 2-in-1 studio-ready device with the features of a multitrack audio recorder and USB audio interface. Thanks to its features, the MixPre3M sets a new standard and enables applications anytime, anywhere. Same as its forerunners of the MixPre series, the 3M delivers software specifically tailored to the needs of musicians, including metronome, overdub, remixing, effects and much more. The front end of the MixPre series is particularly noteworthy: Class A amplifiers, excellent analog limiters and a 32-bit conversion with extremely low self-noise work in the input stage. This means that even in the market for high-priced studio equipment, mixing is done.
A robust enclosure allows it to be used in harsh environments such as sound design/foley sessions or live concerts, while its compact design means it takes up little studio space. In general, the design is intuitive, while buttons and controls are easily visible and accessible at all times. Lighting also helps to make work safer, even if the lighting conditions are not optimal at any given time. A flexible I/O routing, many connections, the informative display and various functions such as 96dB gain, 48V phantom power, lowcut filter and limiter complete the already impressive overall package.
I purchased this unit in order to improve the audio I capture with my EOS R for video work. I also required 3 inputs in order to do interviews with two speakers and also an ambient mic in the room. I come from a music studio background and these pre-amps really have impressed me, also the ease of use with which I can navigate the menus after minimal time with the product really show how well this has been designed. On a side note I would recommend power considerations other than the 4 AA battery slider that comes with the unit. This was for me was approximately 1.5 hours with 1 phantom power channel running.
Overall, I absolutely love it