Sound Devices has released an update for its 8-Series Portable Mixer-Recorders. The main improvement adds compatibility to its SD-Remote, a remote control app. Now, the mixer-recorders can be controlled with Apple iPads and Android tablets.
With firmware version 3.21, the SD-Remote app can connect to iPads running iOS 13 or above via Bluetooth LE. In version 3.20, Android tablets were able to connect via Bluetooth LE, and in version 3.21, Sound Devices improved the stability of the Android connection. Other fixes in 3.21 include removing unlisted headphone presets when the headphone knob is set to Preset/Vol and the Bluetooth setting no longer gets stuck in the off position.
Sound Devices Scorpio, 888, 833
SD-Remote allows sound mixers to access transport controls, edit metadata, write notes for each take, monitor outputs, and arm/disarm/mute/solo channels. The app displays large-scale meters for each channel as well as timecode for easy monitoring. It can also configure and email sound reports. The app is very intuitive and helps streamline workflows when using the Scorpio, 888, or 833.
If you haven't updated the 8-Series firmware, previous version 3.20 included several new changes:
- Eliminated improper L-Mount battery status
- Eliminated 888 critical power error message with odd meter and LED
- File copy process no longer gets stuck when copying RF64 WAV files
- 888 now shows the correct Dante device name as SD-888
- 888 now correctly links X7 and X8 by default
- A10-RX US SuperSlot menu no longer allows scrolling beyond the maximum allowed subchannel
- Scorpio no longer displays inaccurate routing of XL-AES to channels 17-32
- Timecode offsets from system time when loading a setup file with Timecode Mode set to Time of Day (24 hour) no longer occurs
The SD-Remote app is free and can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store. Upgrading the 8-Series to 3.21 is also free via Sound Devices. The firmware will cover all previous updates as well as add SD-Remote support for iPad. It can be found here.
