Dugan Automixing automatically balances levels of microphones in-use and attenuates unused microphones, ideal for multi-microphone applications. On Scorpio, up to 16 channels can be automixed at a time, and two separate groups can be mixed simultaneously. Scorpio’s intuitive LED metering and sunlight-readable screen display accurate Dugan channel attenuation and gain distribution across all channels.
Dan Dugan, inventor of automixing, is himself a Sound Devices user, employing the company's products in field recordings for the Nature Sounds Society. “I am impressed with their quality and robust construction,” says Dugan. “With the addition of the Dugan Speech System algorithm, users can focus on overall sound quality and the mix balance rather than trying to adjust all of the microphones.”
Dugan Automixing in the Sound Devices 633 Compact Mixer won the 2019 Cinema Audio Society Award for Outstanding Product-Production. Sound Devices’ audio mixer-recorders have an exclusive license to Dugan’s industry-renowned algorithm, which also appears on the 688, and now the Scorpio.
Additionally, firmware version 2.00 includes support for additional third party USB control surfaces via the MCU protocol. The Icon Platform M+, the Icon Platform X+, Icon Platform B+, Behringer X-Touch, and Mackie MCU Pro are now compatible with Scorpio. This support includes custom mapping of third party controller buttons to Scorpio functions.
Other new features include SuperSlot support for the Sennheiser EK-6042 wireless receiver and the ability to email Sound Reports as CSV or PDF files from the SD-Remote mobile app, increasing efficiency at the end of a day’s shoot. The support for Sennheiser EK-6042 introduces the ability to set frequency, calibration tone, squelch level, and pilot squelch of the receiver from the Scorpio user interface, and the ability to monitor RF signal strength, TX battery levels, and active antenna.
Apart from solving many reported bugs, the new firmware introduces many new functions, such as a Power Status indicator added to Meters screen indicating current power source and status, support for nested record folders to organize recordings, shortcuts for Automixer Mode On/Off plus Edit Scene, Edit Take, Edit Notes for the */** toggles and Menu+PFL shortcuts. The USB-A port now also supports configurable Charge Out settings for 500 mA and 1.5 A.
Scorpio users may immediately upgrade to version 2.00 by visiting the Sound Devices Download page.
www.sounddevices.com
