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688 User`s Guide

1. STANDARD TIME ZONES Standard Time Universal Time value from table once to essere pha 2008 Universal Time Standard Time value from table are approximate ho m m m Senet aes ing Time Summer Time es 11 usually one hour in advance of Standard p aan P R 930 Time is kept in some places E 7 i Aa A ae 1 Map outline Mountain High Maps Compiled by HM Nautical Almanac Office 180 150 W 120 W 90W o 120E 150 E igo asowW 120W 90W 60w sow 0 30B 60E 90E 129E 150E 180 To enable or disable Daylight Saving Time Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select SYSTEM gt Daylight Saving Time 3 Do one of the following gt To enable turn and press the encoder to select On gt To disable turn and press the encoder to select Off Calibrating Faders amp Pans The 688 Faders and Pan pots come pre calibrated to center However should they ever need to be recalibrated that can be done via a System settings sub menu option To calibrate faders and pans Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select SYSTEM gt Fader Pan Calibration 3 Ensure all front panel controls are turned to the 12 o clock position Press the Headphone encoder to select OK A Calibration Successful message appears when calibration is complete To cancel without calibrating press the MENU button or use the Headph
2. 020000 eee 53 688 User s Guide One Mic Per Sound Source 0000 eee eees Number of Open Microphone Attenuation Last Mic Lock On 000 ees MixAssist Setup Screen anann anann ee ees Recording Using Media 00 0 ccc eee eee eee Transport Control 00 cece eee eee Recording TracksS 00 eee eee eee eens Recorder Settings cece cece eens File Type and Media Track Assignment WAV Broadcast WAV 0 0c e eee eee ees Comms and Returns Overview of Slate Mic 0 00 c cece eee ees Setting up an External Slate Microphone Setting Slate Mic Gain 0 cece eee Slate Routing nesans annann aanre Using the Slate for Notation 000 Using Private COMMS 600 anann n eee Activating the COMMS 00e eee eee eee Timecode and Sync Timecode 2 acieoetere ack eu oases ee eeaee ts bees Setting the Timecode Mode 00008 Setting the Frame Rate 0 00 eee ee eees Setting Timecode Hold Off 20005 Jamming the Timecode 000 cece eae File Storage File SUrUCCUICS 6 2502 ctiwierwothwhere Shaws ns oye Transferring Files to PC 0 0 cece eee eee Take List and File List 0 00 cece eee eee Accessing the File List 000 c cence eae Deleting Files or Folders 000 cece eeees File Storage SettingS
3. Access the Input Settings screen Slide the RTN FAV switch right to toggle L and R track routing together Independent assignment of signal to the L and R tracks for inputs 1 6 is adjusted using the input s dedicated Pan control To route inputs 7 12 to L and R tracks 1 Access the Input Settings screen INPUTS 2 Slide the RTN FAV switch right to toggle track R routing or left to toggle track L routing To route any input to X1 and X2 tracks 1 Access the Input Settings screen 2 Slide the MIC TONE switch right to toggle X2 routing or left to toggle X1 routing An additional routing PRE is available for X1 and X2 routes This indicates a pre fader routing Track Name Shortcut An input s track name can be quickly edited from the input settings screen To edit an input s track name from the Input Settings screen Access the Input Settings screen for the input to be adjusted 2 Hold the same switch or shortcut used to access the Input Settings screen for 2 seconds For example if the Input Settings screen was accessed by Sliding the PFL switch to the left then hold the same PFL switch left for 2 seconds The on screen keyboard will appear allowing entry of a text val ue 3 When finished slide the RTN FAV switch right or Enter on attached USB keyboard to set the track name Track names can also be edited from the Take List For details refer to Take List Overview Adju
4. Q gt Pause Stop Q gt Press in the Transport Control While recording press once to stop recording While in playback press once to pause and press again to stop While in standby press and hold to display next take name Play Rewind Load previous take o gt Y p o Push down the Transport Control Begins playback of the last file recorded or file currently loaded Push the Transport Control Left While in standby push left to load the previous take While in playback push and hold left to rewind Fast forward Load next take Push the Transport Control Right While in standby push right to load the next take While in playback push and hold right to fast forward RECORDING To make a recording 1 Push up the Transport control Recording will begin While recording both the take name background color top of Main screen and timecode counter bottom left of Main screen will become red and the absolute time counter bottom of Main screen will run Additionally the time remaining value of CF and SD will appear yellow while the media is being accessed Take name during recording Yellow text indicates media is being written to Cean2s MAAN SD g 20 im l l mM Ei oO s Ea Z Emma I I I Al Kl Music F 7 O LJ J Un I d a Oe J WS Timecode during recording 2 Press in t
5. Connecting Headphones 000c eee eee 21 Selecting Headphone Source 2000 eee 21 Headphone Encoder Mode 0200000 22 Configuring the Headphone Preset List 22 Power Powering the 688 00 cece eee eee eee 25 Using External Power 000c eee eee nnn 25 Using Battery Power 0cc cece eee e eens 26 Voltage Ranges and Thresholds 26 Power SettingS 00 cece eee eee eee eee 27 Inputs a Physical Input Controls 00 cece eee eee 29 Activate an Input 0 0 0 cece eee eee 30 Input Setting Screens 0 0 eee eee eee eee 30 Setting Input Source 0 ees 31 Setting Input High Pass Filters 00000 32 Setting L R X1 and X2 Routing 005 32 Track Name Shortcut 0 000 cece eee eens 33 Adjusting Trim and Fader Controls 33 Outputs Output Connections 0 0 0 cece eee 39 Adjusting Output Gain 0 0 cee ees 39 Output SettingS 0 cece eee ees 40 OURODUT LINKING wasaa eet ecard iw sears wy ocr eden KE Sele A 41 Setting Output Type and Nominal Level 41 Output ROUN Gee si s aaa a a a e a S 42 AES Output ROUting nananana nannan 42 Limiters OvervieW 2 eee eee eee eens 49 Enabling the Limiters 000c cece eee eaee 50 D m TM MixAssist OvervieW 2 eee eee eee eens 53 Right Side Panel 0 0 00 cee ee
6. SUB MENU DESCRIPTION OPTIONS Slate Com Mic Source Select internal or external slate micro e OFF phone Use Ext 15V setting for external e Int Mic condenser microphones e Ext Mic e Ext 15V Mic Slate Com Mic Gain Sets the input gain for external and inter 0 36 dB nal slate microphone 1 dB increment Slate Routing Select which tracks and outputs the slate mic signal is routed to Com Return Gain Sets the gain of the COM RTN e 0 24 dB 1 dB increment COM Mutes Output Pro Toggle automatic muting of COM Program Yes gram when COM is activated e No MIC Switch Action Selects the action of MIC switch primary Disabled and the action of the Select MIC switch Slate secondary function e Com RTN Switch Action Selects the action of RTN switch prima e No Action ry and the action of the Select RTN e RINA switch secondary function e RTN B e RTN C e Com RTN FAV Headphone 70 COMMS AND RETURNS SUB MENU DESCRIPTION OPTIONS FAV Switch Action Selects the action of FAV switch primary No Action and the action of the Select FAV switch secondary function Com RTN FAV Headphone e e e e e e 79 Z O Com Return Gain By default the gain of the COM RTN input is O dB This can be adjusted from 0 to 24 dB in 1 dB increments To adjust com return gain Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select COMMS RETURNS
7. gt Setting Input Source gt Setting Input High Pass Filters gt Setting L R X1 and X2 Routing gt Adjusting Trim and Fader Controls gt Adjusting Trim Inputs 7 12 gt Adjusting Pan gt Configuring Linking gt Configuring Phantom Voltage gt Configuring the PFL Toggle Mode gt Input Delay On the front panel there are six sets of controls related to inputs such as pans faders and trims PFL status Activity LED 1 6 PFL Left 1 6 Right 7 12 Fader 1 6 Pan PFL status Activity LED 7 12 The Trim Pan and Mini fader controls may be pressed to retract the controls into the front panel when not in use 29 688 User s Guide CONTROL DESCRIPTION PFL Pre Fade Listen PFL switch Solos input signal in headphone moni tors and displays Input Settings screen Fader 1 6 Adjusts fader level for inputs 1 6 Trim 1 6 Adjusts trim level for inputs 1 6 Mini fader 7 12 Adjusts fader level for inputs 7 12 Pan Fades input signal between L and R tracks If routed PFL Status Activity LED Green Signal present on input e Red Signal clipping on input e Amber Limiter engaged on input e Blinking Yellow Input soloed PFL in headphone monitors Activate an Input The 688 has six dedicated Trim controls on the front panel To activate an input 1 Ifthe Trim control for an Input is recessed push it in and it will pop out 2 Turn the Trim control cl
8. Bell 3 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to enable or disable the bell Op tions include On or Off Configuring the Meters The meters displayed in Meter Views are configurable For instance the meters can be displayed as segmented or solid bars Additionally the track names may be displayed to help identify the tracks in Meter Views To configure the meters Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select SYSTEM gt Meter Display Style gt To display segmented meters set the style to Segmented gt To display meters as solid bars set the style to Solid 3 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select SYSTEM gt Track Names in Meters Options include OPTION DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE Off Turns off the display of track names in meters The example shows segmented meters 99 688 User s Guide OPTION DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE Bottom Positions track names on the lower end of the meter scale The example shows solid meters E 00 02 O 6 0 6 x 00 00 AGB Dep Bottom w ramp Applies a gradient to the background color and positions track names on the lower end of the meter scale OQTONE AB EES Ea Top Positions track names on the higher end of the meter scale 1 4 2 i g g aa oe e 30 00 01 39 06 ioyos ame LENE Setting Meter Ballistics and Peak Hold Audio meter ballistics is the manner in which
9. Noise 0 09 max 1 kHz 22 Hz 22 kHz BW fader at 0 0 dBu output 126 dBu 128 dBV maximum 22 Hz 22 kHz bandwidth flat filter trim Equivalent Input Noise control fully up Inputs XLR Mic Active balanced for use with lt 600 ohm mics 4k ohm actual 12V or 48V phantom power 10 mA max XLR AES AES3 or AES 42 10V power Sample Rate Converted XLR Line Active balanced for use with lt 2k ohm outputs 10k ohm actual TA3 Line Active balanced for use with lt 2k ohm outputs 10k ohm actual RTN A B C 3 5 mm 10 pin Unbalanced stereo for use with lt 2k ohm out puts 6 5k ohm actual Slate Mic TA3 6 5k ohms Input Clipping Level O dBu minimum trim control fully down Maximum Input Level XLR 3F Mic O dBu 0 78 Vrms XLR 3F Line 40 dBu 80 Vrms RTN A B C 3 5 mm 10 pin 24 dBu 12 4 Vrms Pre Fader Input Limiters Inputs 1 6 16 dBu threshold fixed soft knee hard knee 20 1 limiting ratio 1 mS attack time 500 mS release time Post Fader Input Limiters Inputs 1 12 Adjustable threshold 4 dBu to 18 dBu 20 1 limiting ratio 1 mS attack time 500 mS release time 115 688 User s Guide High Pass Filters Adjustable 80 Hz to 240 Hz 18 dB oct at 80 Hz Up to 96 kHz SR Fixed 50Hz 6 dB octave 192 kHz SR Blue 96K full response Green 96K 80 Hz Yellow 50 hz 192K Red 96K 240 Hz Microphone
10. The background of the value will become orange to indicate the value is being edited 4 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to set the new delay value for the chosen input Outputs The 688 offers multiple outputs with flexible configuration Whether you need to send the LR mix to multiple cameras the camera RTN feed via IFB or AES digital signals the 688 is up to the task The right panel features three master LR bus transformer balanced outputs via two 10 pin hirose connectors and two XLR M connectors which can alternatively be used to send up to eight Signals four pairs of AES digital four active balanced Aux outputs via TA3 an additional unbalanced stereo Aux output via TA3 and a 3 5 mm unbalanced stereo Tape Output Output Connections Topics tn this section include gt Output Connections gt Adjusting Output Gain gt Output Settings gt Output Linking gt Setting Output Type and Nominal Level gt Output Routing gt AES Output Routing gt Aux X1 X6 Routing gt Tape Output Routing gt Playback to LR Outputs gt Output Delay gt Return Loopback Mode gt Sending Tone to Outputs On the 688 the Left and Right XLR M and Hirose 10 pin connectors are each transformer balanced from separate windings This improves isolation from po tential interference Aux outputs X1 to X4 use active balanced TA3 connections The Tape Out 3 5mm X5 X6 output TA3 and Headphone output 3 5mm and 1 4
11. Toggle slate mic and tone generator Can be customized or disabled in the Main menu Comms Returns Used for various shortcut functions Slate Tone LED Indicates slate mic is active or tone generator is locked on Select Encoder Multiple purpose rotary encoder Used for various shortcut functions Meters Button Cycles between meter views Used for various shortcut functions Transport Control Controls playback and recording Used for various shortcut functions Also on the front panel there are six sets of controls related to inputs such as pans faders and trims OVERVIEW OF CHASSIS PFL status Activity LED 1 6 PFL Left 1 6 Right 7 12 Pan 1 6 Fader 1 6 Trim 1 6 Mini Fader 7 12 PFL status Activity LED 7 12 FEATURE DESCRIPTION PFL Switch By default this switch has dual functionality It activates Pre Fade Listen PFL and displays Input Settings screen for input 1 6 slide left and 7 12 slide right Slide again to deactivate The functionality of this switch may be altered via the Main menu s Inputs gt PFL Toggle Mode Does not affect Master Output signal For momentary ac tion hold the switch for one second or longer The input LED flashes yellow when an input s PFL is active Because the CL 6 accessory provides separate PFL switches for inputs 7 12 when the CL 6 is attached to the 688 the dual functionality of the six PFL switches o
12. are all unbalanced stereo connections See Specifications chapter for full details on the electronic specifications of the var ious Output connections Adjusting Output Gain Output gain is adjusted from the Output meter view The output meters have blue indicators Adjustment 39 688 User s Guide To adjust output gain 1 Press the METERS button repeatedly until the Output meter view is visible If the Output Meters view is not available it must be selected as one of the three views in main menu option SYSTEM gt Meter Views 2 Turn and press the SELECT encoder to choose an output and enter gain ad justment The background color of the chosen output becomes orange and the output gain value is displayed in the lower right corner of the screen 3 Turn the SELECT encoder to adjust the output gain Press the SELECT encoder or wait 2 seconds to exit Gain Adjustment mode Output Settings The Main menu has a sub menu of settings related to outputs These may be used to customize the configuration of the 688 outputs To access Outputs sub menu 1 Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select OUTPUTS SUB MENU DESCRIPTION OPTIONS Linking Choose which output pairs are linked for e Linked the purpose of arming and level adjust e Unlinked ment L R X1 X2 X3 X4 X5 X6 Levels Type Select the nominal level of analog outputs e Mic or switch the output to send AES
13. ensure the top of the card the side with the branding label is facing the rear of the unit Sound Devices Quality Assurance engineers have done extensive testing to ensure media approved for use with the 688 works re liably and provides the best performance in a variety of extreme conditions When choosing your media please refer to the Ap proved Media List available on the Sound Devices website at www SoundDevices com ApprovedMedia Card Slot Media Door CF Memory _ SD Memory Card Slot 5 688 User s Guide The memory card must be formatted before recording A Reformatting a card will erase all data on the card To re format an SD or CF card Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select File Stor age 3 Do either of the following o Select Erase Format CF to reformat a Compact Flash card Transport MENU Button METERS Headphone Button Encoder o Select Erase Format SD to reformat a Secure Digital card Press the Headphone encoder to begin the formatting process 5 Read any warning message s and press the Headphone encoder to contin ue 6 Press the METERS button to return to the Main screen Transport Control 58 The 5 position Transport control is used to perform all recording and playback functions FUNCTION DIRECTION ACTION A Push up the Transport Control Record Begins recording a new file
14. horizontal meters the active MixAssist inputs Recording The 688 offers 16 track polyphonic or monophonic broadcast WAV file recording to Secure Digital SD and CompactFlash CF cards These memory cards are an easy to source reliable and affordable file storage Topics tn this section include gt Using Media gt Transport Control gt Recording Tracks gt Recorder Settings gt File Type and Media Track Assignment option that also may be quickly gt WAV Broadcast WAV gt MP3 gt MP3 Bit Rate gt Sample Rate gt F Sample Modes delivered to post immediately after recording stops All common sampling rates are supported including up to six tracks at gt Bit Depth 192 kHz gt Pre roll gt Slate Microphone The memory cards can be set gt Playback independently recording either identical material for real time backup or combinations of WAV Poly WAV Mono and MP3 files Using Media Before recording anything install and format the media storage memory cards you intend to use in the 688 The slots for memory cards are located on the right panel behind the Media Door which is held closed magnetically To insert media Firmly pull open the Media Door 2 Insert your choice of media memory card into the slots provided When inserting the SD card ensure the bottom of the card the side with metal contacts visible is facing the rear of the unit When inserting a CF card
15. or only the armed X1 and X2 tracks to either media WAV Broadcast WAV The 688 writes AES 31 broadcast WAV formatted files The audio files created by the 688 include additional metadata in the file s header Broadcast Audio Ex tension BEXT and iXML data chunks For details see Metadata Overview MP3 MPEG 1 Layer III is a lossy compression algorithm often used for music and transcription recording purposes The 688 records two channel MP3 audio files with data rates of 128 192 and 320 kbs For more information sMP3 Bit Rate MP3 recording is only possible when RECORDER gt Sample Rate is set to 44 1k or 48k To set file type and track routing Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select either of the following o RECORDER gt Record to CF o RECORDER gt Record to SD 3 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to choose a file type and track as Signment for the chosen media When RECORDER gt Sample Rate is set to 88 2k or higher arming and recording ISO tracks 7 12 is disabled 61 688 User s Guide MP3 Bit Rate The 688 records MP3 files at a default bit rate of 320kbs but that bit rate may be changed A high bit rate MP3 file preserves more audio information with an increased file size A low bit rate MP3 file preserves less audio information with a decreased file size To change the MP3 bit rate Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encode
16. s time and date are reset during the production day or if the Time code mode is changed from 24h Run to another mode and back the timecode value will change To ensure proper synchronization you must re jam all time code devices To access the Timecode Jam menu do one of the following gt Press METERS MIC gt Press MENU and then use the Headphone encoder to select TIMECODE SYNC gt Jam Menu Jam Received TC ey Received TC 0002 01 07 Eia ym a l OO 02 01 0F eet ee ee ae 17 m g Difference 00 00 00 00 Receiwed UBiks 03 02 15 00 Generator UBits 03 02 15 00 Jam TC To manually jam the timecode gt From the Timecode Jam menu press the Headphone encoder To exit the Timecode Jam menu without jamming gt Press either the MENU or METERS button Setting the Timecode Generator Timecode values may also be manually set To set the timecode generator 1 Press the MENU button 76 TIMECODE AND SYNC 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select TIMECODE SYNC gt Set Generator TC The Set Generator TC screen appears with four fields representing hours HH minutes MM seconds SS and frames FF 3 Navigate the screen s fields by doing the following gt Turn the encoder to move orange highlight from one field to the next gt Press the encoder to select a field Chosen fields appear blue Turn and press the encoder to change each field s value 5 When
17. trademarks of Apple Inc registered in the U S and other countries Windows and Microsoft Excel are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U S and other countries All other trademarks herein are the property of their respective owners FCC Notice This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules Operation is subject to the following two conditions 1 This devices may not cause harmful interference and 2 This device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation FCC Part 15 19 a 3 www sounddevices com support sounddevices com Manual Conventions Symbol Description gt This symbol is used to show the order in which you select menu commands and sub options such as Main Menu gt Audio indicates you press the Menu button for the Main Menu then scroll to and select Audio by pushing the Control Knob A plus sign is used to show button or keystroke combinations For instance Ctrl V means to hold the Control key down and press the V key Simultaneously This also applies to other controls such as switches and encoders For instance MIC HP turn means to slide and hold the MIC TONE switch left while turning the Headphone HP encoder METERS SELECT means to hold the METERS button down as you press the SELECT encoder O A note provides recommendations and important related information The text for notes also appea
18. 32 INPUT TYPES Channel 3 OFF MIC MIC PH LINE LINE PH Channel 4 OFF MIC MIC PH LINE LINE PH Channel 5 OFF MIC MIC PH LINE LINE PH AES 42 AES 3 is conditionally available only if Channel 6 is already set to AES 42 or AES 3 Channel 6 OFF MIC MIC PH LINE LINE PH AES 42 AES 3 4 Slide the PFL switch to the left again to return to the Main screen Setting Input High Pass Filters Each input features a high pass filter HPF The filter is off by default but may be adjusted from 80Hz to 240Hz in 10Hz increments To adjust an input s high pass filter 1 2 Access the Input Settings screen for the input to be adjusted Push the Select encoder The HPF label will become orange to indicate ad justment Turn the Select encoder to adjust the value Press the Select encoder or wait 2 seconds to exit adjustment mode The new value is saved and the HPF label will become red again When RECORDER gt Sample Rate is set to 192k the HPF options are off and 50 Hz Setting L R X1 and X2 Routing Routing of inputs to L R X1 and X2 tracks can be adjusted quickly from the input settings screen An input s routing to a track is indicated on the input settings screen with labels in the bottom left X1 X2 and bottom right L R of the LCD A red label indicates the input is routed and a black label indicates the input is not routed To route inputs 1 6 to L and R tracks 2
19. Arrows Main screen Adjusts headphone volume In menus Moves highlight While editing parameters Changes the value Enter Main screen Accesses the HP Monitor Source list In menus Activates current selection Same as encoder press 113 688 User s Guide KEYSTROKES ACTION Alt Enter Main screen Toggles arming of selected track Ctrl Enter Access gain adjustment for highlighted L R X1 X2 X3 X4 X5 X6 or RTN track Ctrl Up Down Arrows Main screen Select tracks Input Settings screen Adjusts trim gain for inputs 7 12 Ctrl Left Arrow Input Settings screen Change X1 assignment Ctrl Right Arrow Input Settings screen Change X2 assignment 114 Specifications Various product specifications for Topics tn this section include the 688 are provided here for your gt Analog Inputs convenience They relate to inputs gt Digital Inputs and outputs powering environmental Analog Outputs parameters as well as physical aspects gt Digital Outputs Recorder of the mixer gt Timecode and Sync gt Power Specifications are subject to change gt Environmental without prior notice gt Dimensions and Weight For the latest information available on all Sound Devices products visit our website at www sounddevices com Analog Inputs Frequency Response 10 Hz to 40 kHz 0 5 dB 3dB 65 kHz 192 kHz sample rate re 1 kHz THD
20. Bottom Panels Top panel Front panel The top panel of the chassis features the SL 6 multi pin header connector used with the optional SL 6 accessory Similar to the top panel the bottom panel not shown features the CL 6 multi pin header connector used with the op tional CL 6 accessory Both connectors are located under removable protective covers The front panel provides the LCD as well as several buttons switches and con trols as defined in the following tables 688 User s Guide 10 Transport Control 4 SELECT Select Encoder Slate Tone LED Meters Button METERS Power Switch and LED Timecode LED Menu Button ARM Headphone Encoder MIC TONE Switch RTN FAV Switch Headphone Clipping LED FEATURE DESCRIPTION Power Switch and LED Powers 688 on and off and indicates power status Timecode LED Flashes blue to indicate whether the internal timecode generator and QuickBoot is active while the mixer is off Menu Button Provides access to the Main menu Used for various shortcut functions Headphone Encoder Adjusts headphone level and monitor source Used for various shortcut functions Headphone Clipping LED Illuminates red to indicate headphone output is approaching clipping level RTN FAV Switch Toggles monitor source Can be customized or disabled in the Main menu Comms Returns Used for various shortcut functions MIC TONE Switch
21. I O Time code input and output on 5 pin LEMO connector Tape Output Unbalanced stereo tape level output on 3 5 mm connector Sleeve Ground Tip Left Ring Right RTN B Input Unbalanced stereo 3 5 mm female connector for Return B audio input Sleeve Ground Tip Left Ring Right Main Outputs Transformer balanced analog outputs on standard 3 pin XLR 3M con nectors Can be set to send AES3 digital signals 1 2 and 3 4 on L and R respectively in Main menu OUTPUTS section Pin 1 Ground pin 2 Hot pin 3 Cold Unbalance by grounding pin 3 to pin 1 Battery Compartment Holds five AA LR6 batteries for backup powering NiMH rechargeable cells advised DC Input Accepts DC voltages from 10 18 V for powering Pin 1 Negative pin 4 Positive Back Panel The back panel contains BNC wordclock connections Wordclock Input Wordclock Output FEATURE DESCRIPTION Wordclock Input Accepts word clock rates between 44 1 kHz and 192 kHz for synchro nizing the internal recorder to external digital audio devices Wordclock Output Provides word clock signal to synchronize external digital audio de vices 13 688 User s Guide 14 The LCD and User Interface The LCD display is the primary source Topics tn this section include of information when operating the 688 gt Meter Views All settings are configured
22. Powering each analog Input se lectable 12 V Phantom through 680 ohm resistors 10 mA per mic available 48 V Phantom through 6 8k resistors 10 mA per mic available Digital Inputs AES3 Balanced 110 ohm AES42 AES42 Mode 1 provides 10 V Digital Phantom Power Post Fader Digital Lim 4 dBu to 18 dBu threshold adjustable iters 20 1 limiting ratio 1 mS attack time 500 mS release time Analog Outputs Outputs Line XLR and 10 pin transformer balanced 120 ohms 10 XLR and 10 pin transformer balanced 3 2k ohm Mic XLR and 10 pin transformer balanced 150 ohms TA3 X1 X4 Mic Line 10 active balanced 240 3 2k 120 ohms TA3 X5 X6 10 unbalanced 100 ohms Tape Out 3 5 mm unbalanced stereo 1 8k ohms Headphones 3 5 mm and 1 4 unbalanced stereo 60 ohms Maximum Gain Mic In to L R X1 X2 X3 X4 Line 91 dB Mic In to L R X1 X2 X3 X4 10 77 dB Mic In to X5 X6 10 74 dB Mic In to L R X1 X2 X3 X4 Mic 51 dB Headphone Max Gain 63 dB Line 1 6 Input 44 dB Line 7 12 Input 103 dB Mic Input Line Output Clipping i Level 1 THD 20 dBu minimum with 10k load 116 SPECIFICATIONS Output Limiters L R and X1 X2 adjustable threshold from 4 dBu to 18 dBu soft kKnee hard knee 20 1 limiting ratio 1 mS attack time 500 mS release time Digital Outputs Recorder
23. Side signal To produce a stereo sig nal from an MS configuration the signal from both microphones must be pro cessed Configuring Phantom Voltage Phantom powering is a fixed DC voltage of either 12 or 48 volts This voltage is resistively applied to pin 2 and pin 3 of an input s XLR 3F connector relative to pin 1 In this configuration there is no voltage difference between signal pins 2 and 3 On the 688 the factory default sets phantom power voltage to 48 volts but that may be changed To configure phantom voltage 1 Press the MENU button INPUTS 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select INPUTS gt Phantom Volt age 3 Turn the Headphone encoder to change the setting Options include 48V or 12V This setting globally adjusts the voltage level of phantom power on all in puts with phantom power enabled Configuring the PFL Toggle Mode By default access to PFL and the Input Settings screen for inputs 1 12 can be achieved with one hand This is called 12 Channel mode However the PFL switches on the 688 may be configured to focus operation solely on inputs 1 6 while leaving inputs 7 12 accessible via a button combina tion This configuration option is called 6 Channel mode To enable 6 Channel PFL Toggle mode 1 Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select INPUTS gt PFL Toggle Mode gt 6ch Solo PFL for inputs 1 6 while tn 6 Channel mode gt Slide PFL
24. all call Slate to any of its outputs or record tracks The Slate mic can also be used to send private communications COM to any of the six Aux outputs This section discusses the flexible options and setup of the returns and communication systems Overview of Slate Mic Topics tn this section include gt Overview of Slate Mic gt Using the Slate for Notation gt Using Private Comms gt Activating the Comms gt Monitoring COM RTN gt Routing Com Sends gt Comms Returns Settings gt Setting up an External Slate Microphone gt Setting Slate Mic Gain gt Slate Routing gt Com Return Gain gt COM Mutes Output Program gt Switch Actions The slate microphone can be used to audibly identify a scene or slate at the start of recording or communicate with other members of the production crew The 688 incorporates a built in slate mic and a TA3 connector for an external Slate mic The built in mic is the default Its audio performance is not suitable for critical recording applications it should be used for documenting scenes and for communication purposes only Use an external slate mic when higher quality communications are required Setting up an External Slate Microphone An external microphone can be used instead of the built in microphone To set up an external slate microphone 1 Connect the microphone to the SLATE MIC IN TA3 connector on the left panel Press the MENU button Turn and press the He
25. clock is present the word UNLOCK blinks yellow and red on the Main screen Word Clock Sensitivity A menu option is available on the 688 letting you adjust the sensitivity of the word clock input to allow the mixer to work with word clock sources of lower voltage amplitude To set the sensitivity 1 Press the MENU button 2 Select the Timecode Sync gt Word Clock In Termination Options include Off or 75 Ohm By default sensitivity is set to Off 79 688 User s Guide 80 File Storage The 688 has multiple options for file management of the SD and CF cards In this chapter we discuss the file and folder structure copying files from one media to another transferring files from the CF or SD card to a computer formatting media and generating CSV Sound Reports directly from the 688 interface File Structure Topics tn this section include gt File Structure gt Transferring Files to PC gt Take List and File List gt Accessing the File List gt Deleting Files or Folders gt File Storage Settings gt Setting Folder Options gt Generating Sound Reports gt Defining File Max Size gt Setting Scene Increment Mode gt Setting Take Reset Mode gt File Playback Mode gt Selecting a Default Playback Card gt Erase Format Media The 688 records polyphonic or monophonic audio files Polyphonic recordings have multiple audio tracks within a single file Monophonic recordings have a file for eac
26. current scene name does not end in a letter a letter will be appended Numeric When set to Numeric and the scene name ends with a number the Scene Increment shortcut will increment that number to the next numerical value If current scene name does not end in a number a number will be appended FILE STORAGE Setting Take Reset Mode By default take numbers reset when a new scene is selected or when a new daily folder is created This behavior can be modified to only happen when the daily folder changes only happen when the scene changes or to never happen To set take reset mode Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select FILE STORAGE gt Take Reset Mode Options include Never Scene Change Daily Folder Change or Either Scene or Daily File Playback Mode When playback is initiated the selected file will play to the end and then stop unless of course playback is stopped prematurely by manually pressing the Transport control in twice This default behavior is called Play Once but it may be modified so that all files in the folder will be played Play All the selected file will play in a loop until stopped Repeat One or all files in the folder will be played in a loop until manually stopped Repeat All To set file playback mode 1 Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select FILE STORAGE gt File Play back Mode Options inclu
27. er to free wheel through wireless dropouts 74 TIMECODE AND SYNC OPTIONS Mope TYPE DESCRIPTION Ext TC Auto Rec Cont Reader Timecode is based on external timecode sources Generator and allows recording on the 688 to be triggered via external timecode starting and stopping Also if timecode is disconnected the 688 continues counting from the same value using its internal timecode generator This is useful when work ing with wireless timecode sources allowing the mixer to free wheel through wireless dropouts In the event of a dropout the 688 will stop recording when it receives a stationary value Setting the Frame Rate By default the 688 s frame rate for the timecode generator is set to 30nd The frame rate value is stored in the Frame Rate field of metadata When using an external timecode mode ensure the mixer s frame rate is equal to or cross jam compatible to the external frame rate To set frame rate for the timecode generator 1 Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select TIMECODE SYNC gt Frame Rate Options include 23 98 24 25 29 97nd 29 97df 30nd and 30df Setting Timecode Hold Off Some devices that send Rec Run timecode will have a tendency to occasionally send short bursts of running or invalid timecode When using these devices as an external timecode to trigger recording this behavior can result in uninten tional recordings or
28. ey Sen O A A A A O VV SD Card Slot Timecode O Tape Output RTN B Input Main Outputs Battery Compartment DC Input FEATURE DESCRIPTION USB B Connector Factory use and keyboard connection with adapter CompactFlash Slot Accepts approved CompactFlash cards with the label side toward the rear of the mixer Compatible with Type I and Type II cards High speed UDMA cards are recommended for higher track count recording 12 OVERVIEW OF CHASSIS FEATURE DESCRIPTION 10 pin A and C Each connection includes a pair of transformer isolated Outputs and a stereo unbalanced Return input Analog Output levels are selected between Line 10 and Mic levels in Main menu OUTPUTS section 10 pin A outputs can be set to AES Outputs 5 6 and 7 8 in Main menu OUTPUTS section X1 X2 X3 X4 Out puts Line 10 or Mic level selected in Main menu OUTPUTS section Pin 1 Ground pin 2 Hot pin 3 Cold Float pin 3 to unbalance X5 X6 Output Unbalanced stereo tape level output on TA3 connector Pin 1 Ground pin 2 Left pin 3 Right COM RTN Input Line level input for return feed from on set communications sources SD Card Slot Accepts SD SDHC SDXC cards with the notched corner oriented to ward the top of the 664 High speed class 10 cards are recommended Insert until it clicks securely in the slot The card should glide smoothly into the slot Press to eject Timecode
29. file and which tracks to Off record to the CF card Wav Poly Wav Poly ISOs Only Wav Poly LR Only Wav Poly X1X2 only MP3 LR MP3 X1X2 Wav Mono Wav Mono ISOs only Record to SD Sets the type of file and which tracks to record to the SD card The default is Wav Poly Off Wav Poly Wav Poly ISOs Only Wav Poly LR Only Wav Poly X1X2 only MP3 LR MP3 X1X2 Wav Mono Wav Mono ISOs only MP3 Bit Rate Sample Rate The bit rate of recorded MP3 files The default is 320kbs The internal sample rate and sample rate of recorded WAV files The default is 48k 320kbs 192kbs 128kbs 44 1k 47 952k 47 952kF 48k 48 048k 48 048kF 88 2k 96k 192k Bit Depth The bit depth of recorded WAV files The default is 24 24 16 RECORDING SUB MENU DESCRIPTION OPTIONS Pre roll Time Adjust the amount of record time to be e 0 6 seconds 1s increment appended before each recording Maximum value is 3 seconds when recording WAV Mono files to any media Higher sample rates also limit pre roll Rates of 88 2 and 96k should be 3 sec onds and 192 kHz is 1 second The default is O seconds File Type and Media Track Assignment The 688 supports simultaneous recording to CF and SD media By default all armed tracks are recorded to both cards as a polyphonic WAV file It is possible to record only the armed ISO tracks only the armed L and R tracks
30. finished with your edits turn the encoder to highlight Done and press the encoder to save your new timecode value Setting User Bits By default you may customize the user bits with a four field format delineated by colons such as UU UU UU UU where U represented a user definable value Set Generator UB User Bits Mode u u u u u u u u Often the first three fields in the format are manually reset daily using two digit numerical values for the date such as MM DD YY UU The User Bits mode lets you configure the device to automatically populate the first three fields with values derived from the system s date To set User Bits mode Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select TIMECODE SYNC gt Set Generator UBits 3 Press the encoder again to select one of three mode options o UU UU UU UU four two digit user definable fields the default o MM DD YY UU first three two digit fields represent month day year o DD MM YY UU first three two digit fields represent day month year When set to MM DD YY UU or DD MM YY UU the system will populate the first three fields so those fields will appear grayed out in the Set Generator UB screen leaving only the last field UU to be customized by the user 71 688 User s Guide Setting Display Mode By default the timecode is displayed as the largest clock on the screen in meter views However you may reverse the position
31. gt Com Return Gain 3 Turn the Headphone encoder to adjust the Com Return gain 0 dB to 24 dB 4 Press the Headphone encoder to accept the value COM Mutes Output Program By default Aux outputs that have been assigned the Com Send source will mute all other assigned sources when the COM Send source is active This be havior can be changed so that the other sources and the COM Send are mixed together To adjust comms muting behavior Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select COMMS RETURNS gt COM Mutes Output Program 3 Turn the Headphone encoder to set the value to Yes or No Press the Headphone encoder to accept the value MIC TONE and RTN FAV Switch Actions The primary and secondary actions of the MIC RTN and FAV switches may be altered to fit the needs of the specific workflow The No Action option helps prevent accidental activation The following table displays the default action for each switch and the actions available for each switch 71 688 User s Guide 72 SELECT RTN FAV right RTN B SWITCH DEFAULT ACTION AVAILABLE ACTIONS MIC TONE left Slate s N Action e Slate e Com SELECT MIC TONE left Com RTN FAV left RTN A e No Action e RINA SELECT RTN FAV left Com RTN RTINB e RTN C FAV H h RTN FAV right eadphone Com RTN FAV Headphone To customize switch actions Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the H
32. invalid timecode stamps on the mixer To prevent this the 688 features a Timecode Hold Off function This feature only applies when in Ext TC Auto Rec and Ext TC Auto Rec Cont timecode modes When using these external timecode auto record modes the 688 will delay the start of recording for a specified hold time Running timecode that lasts for less than the Hold Off value will not trigger a recording on the 688 To set up Timecode Hold Off Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select TIMECODE SYNC gt Hold Off 3 Specify the hold time in 0 1 second intervals Options include 0 0 s 8 0 s 75 688 User s Guide If Pre Roll is set it will be applied Pre Roll will only capture audio from the initial detection of a timecode signal If no Pre Roll is selected the file will begin after the Hold Off time expires It is best practice to set Pre Roll to a value greater than the specified Hold Off value This ensures that audio is captured from the moment a timecode signal is detected and that unintentional files triggered by short bursts of timecode are not generated Jamming the Timecode The Jam Received TC screen better Known as the Timecode Jam menu dis plays detailed information about the mixer s internal SMPTE timecode generator and SMPTE timecode present on the mixer s timecode input It also features a button allowing you to jam the timecode if necessary If the mixer
33. menu 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select FILE STORAGE gt Folder Options 3 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select a folder level Options in clude Top level Mid level or Bottom level Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select lt Add New Entry gt 5 Use the on screen keyboard or an USB keyboard if attached to enter a value 6 Optional If you mistype while entering a value slide the RTN FAV switch left to backspace and remove the mistyped text 7 Slide the RTN FAV switch right to accept the new value In addition to custom entries the Mid level folder may be set to lt Daily gt and the Bottom level folder may be set to Scene e When the Mid level folder is set to lt Daily gt a folder will be created auto matically and named according to the date Whenever a new day occurs the 688 will prompt the user to confirm the creation of a new daily folder e When the Bottom level folder is set to lt Scene gt a new folder will be creat FILE STORAGE ed each time the scene name is changed The top level folder value is stored in the Project field of metadata The mid level folder value is stored in the Roll Tape field of metadata Generating Sound Reports The 688 can generate sound reports as a comma Separated values CSV file CSV files can be opened and edited by any common spreadsheet application such as Microsoft Excel OpenOffice Calc Apple Numbers Go
34. might RTN_ _ FAV vary because the RTN FAV switch action may be MENU ie modified via the Main menu s COMMS RETURNS settings For example if the RTN switch left action is set to RTN A and the alternate combination action of SELECT RTN switch left is set to RTN B then pressing MENU sliding the switch left will ac cess Loopback Mode for RTN A Likewise press ing MENU SELECT sliding the switch left will access Loopback Mode for RTN B This shortcut variable also applies to FAV switch right actions USB Keyboard Shortcuts A standard USB keyboard connects to the 688 to ease navigation and data en try Attach the keyboard to the 688 USB port using a USB A to USB A adapter included Anytime the QWERTY pop up keyboard is displayed the USB key board can be used to enter data Additionally the following shortcuts are available Keyboards with an embedded USB hub are not compatible Apple brand keyboards are not compatible Some keyboards must be connected only after the mixer is turned on KEYSTROKES ACTION F1 or Menu key F2 Accesses the Main menu Accesses the Take List F3 Cycles between available Meters views and the Main screen Ctrl R Record Ctrl S Stop Spacebar Play Left Arrow Main screen Rewind Input Settings screen Toggle phase inversion Right Arrow Main screen Fast forward Input Settings screen Toggle LR Mix assignment Up Down
35. ohm 1 5 V p p input 75 ohm 5V p p output at SR Termination 75 ohm Off Power External Power Supply 10 18 V on locking 4 pin Hirose connector pin 4 pin 1 Mates with gold Hirose HR10A 7P 4P DigikKey HR110 ND or silver Hirose HR10 7P 4P DigikKey HR100 ND locking connector Internal Power Supply Accepts 5 AA sized LR6 batteries nominal NiMH rechargeable recommend ed PowerSafe 10 second power reserve Idle Current Draw 680mMA at 12V 8 16W Inputs 1 6 powered on SD and CF inserted Environmental Operation and Storage Operating 20 C to 60 C Storage 40 C to 85 C 0 to 90 relative humidity non condensing Dimensions and Weight Size H x W x D 3 cm x 32 cm x 19 8 cm 1 in x 12 7 in x 5 6 in Weight 5 2 4 lbs 14 oz unpackaged without batteries 2 21 kg unpackaged without batteries 118 Accessories The 688 works with various accessories which may be purchased separately and used to further enhance your field mixing and recording experience This section is not intended to be an all inclusive list of accessories available for use with the 688 For the latest information available on all Sound Devices products and their accessories visit our website at www sounddevices com Electronic Accessories Topics tn this section include gt Electroni
36. save and load various custom gt Copying Quick Setup Files configurations as Quick Setup XML files gt Deleting Quick Setup Files These Quick Setup files retain all gt Loading Previously Saved Settings settings made in the Main menu as well as adjustments made to all inputs including routing via the Input Settings screens Four configurations may be saved directly to the mixer others may be saved to memory cards for use later Saving Settings After you have configured the 688 s settings via the Main menu and Input Set tings screens you can save the configuration as a Quick Setup file To save settings as a Quick Setup file 1 Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select QUICK SETUP 3 Select where you want to save your settings Options include OPTION DESCRIPTION INT1 INT4 Select one of the Save Settings to INT 1 4 options to store your configuration locally on the mixer There are four internal INT locations Each will hold one Quick Setup file New settings stored to an INT location will overwrite any Quick Setup file previously stored there CF Select Save Settings to CF to store your configuration on any CompactFlash memory card inserted into the 688 SD Select Save Settings to SD to store your configuration on any Secure Digital memory card inserted into the 688 Saving to a CF or SD card will create a folder named SETTINGS if it
37. sources remaining with adequate voltage When all power sources are depleted PowerSafe shutdown occurs automatically Power Settings The 688 allows you to configure the type of external power source and what the mixer should do in the event of an unintentional power loss To configure Power settings 1 Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select POWER 3 Adjust the settings based on the following table PARAMETER DESCRIPTION OPTIONS Ext DC Ref Calibrates the power level indicator accord e 12V Ext DC ing to the type of external DC source By e NiMH default this is set to 12V Ext DC e Expanded NiMH Select the appropriate option for the dey Lead Acid e 14V Li ion external DC power e Full Range Ext DC Loss Choose what action the 688 should take e Switch Power when external power is removed or voltage Source drops below the set threshold By default e Shut down this is set to Switch Power Source If the Ext DC Loss setting is configured to Switch Power Source when external power is lost but there are no internal batteries with adequate voltage in the 688 then automatic PowerSafe shutdown will occur PowerSafe SAFE When all connected power sources are depleted or power is lost unexpectedly the PowerSafe circuitry activates The 688 displays a warning stops any active recordings finishes writing files and shuts down The PowerSafe Battery pow ers the 688 during t
38. switch left Access inputs 1 6 Input Settings screens while in 6 Channel mode gt Slide PFL switch right Solo PFL for inputs 7 12 while in 6 Channel mode gt SELECT PFL press SELECT encoder and slide PFL switch left Access inputs 7 12 Input Settings screens while in 6 Channel mode gt SELECT PFL press SELECT encoder and slide PFL switch right Configuring Input to ISO Routing By default each input is routed to its associated ISO track pre fade The fader does not affect the signal on the ISO track This routing can be configured on a per input basis to be post fade The fader does affect the signal on the ISO track To configure Input ISO Routing 1 Press the MENU button 37 688 User s Guide 38 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select INPUTS gt Input to ISO Routing 3 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select the desired input routing and edit its value 4 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select Prefade or Postfade Input to ISO Routing for inputs 1 8 also affects the pre or post fade status of those inputs routing to AES digital tracks Configuring Input Delay Input delay is applied before the signal is sent to the recorder and outputs Each input can be delayed up to 30ms To configure input delay Press the MENU button Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select INPUTS gt Input Delays Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select the input
39. to select FILE STORAGE gt File List QUICK SETUP Select the memory card with the file you want to delete Select the SETTINGS folder on that card Select the Quick Setup XML file you want to delete Slide the RTN FAV switch to access OPTION Select Delete SS Loading Previously Saved Settings For fast reconfiguring of the 688 previously stored Quick Setup files may be easily loaded from internal locations or memory cards inserted into the mixer To load a Quick Setup file Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select QUICK SETUP gt Load Settings QUICK SETUP 2 Save Settings ta 3 Save Settings to 4 Save Settings to Save Settings to 5 Save Settings to C f Save Settings to 5D 3 Select the file you want to load from the provided list The first option in the list reloads the Factory Default settings Selecting this option restores all settings on the mixer to original factory defaults 109 688 User s Guide 110 Shortcuts The 688 features numerous shortcuts to help speed navigation The shortcuts require either simultaneously pressing combinations of front panel controls or using keystroke combinations when a USB keyboard is attached to the mixer Front Panel Shortcuts Topics tn this section include gt Front Panel Shortcuts gt USB Keyboard Shortcuts FUNCTION SEQUENCE ACTION Arm Disarm Track METERS SELECT Pre
40. to toggle MS decoding for this head phone preset gt Slide the MIC TONE switch right to toggle mono summing for this head phone preset All active sources will be summed into both headphone channels gt Slide the RTN FAV switch left to name the headphone preset gt Slide the RTN FAV switch right to toggle the favorite status of this head phone preset 7 Press MENU or METERS to Save the preset and exit the Headphone Preset Editing screen Only one preset at a time can be set as a favorite Marking a preset as favorite will remove the favorite status of all other presets Choosing a Favorite Headphone Preset A single headphone preset can be designated as a favorite This favorite head phone preset can be quickly accessed via the front panel To choose a predefined Headphone preset as favorite Press the Headphone encoder to display the list of available sources 2 Turn the Headphone encoder to highlight the predefined preset you want Options include LR ST LR Mono L Mono R Mono LR MS ST and X1X2 3 Slide the RTN FAV switch right to set the highlighted Headphone preset as your new favorite 23 688 User s Guide Headphone Source Shortcuts There are a total of four headphone monitor shortcuts on the 688 By default these shortcuts go to RTN A RTN B COM RTN and the headphone source set as favorite To monitor RTN A gt Slide the RTN FAV switch to the left To monitor RTN B gt Hold
41. 00 cece eee eee eee Setting Folder Options 0000ce eee eee Metadata and Take List Take List Overview 0 ccc cece eee eens Accessing the Take List 00 e eee eee eee Playing TakeS 0 ccc eects Editing Metadata on the 688 005 System Setting up Tones and Bells 000008 Configuring Record Stop and Warning Bells Configuring the Meters 000 cece eee Setting Meter Ballistics and Peak Hold Setting Peak Hold 00 c cece eee ees Setting up Date and Time Parameters Calibrating Faders amp Pans 0 cece eens Turning MixAssist On or Off 000 e cece eee 55 Assigning Inputs to MixAssist 0000000 55 LCD Views During MixAssist 2 000000 ee 56 MP3 Bit Rat s cccascatiwtancadeeddentaaneiacada 62 Sample Rate annann cece eee eens 62 F Sample Modes 0 00 e eee eee cee ees 63 Bit Depth 422420224 eaeuewonpcdeeeeaenavemoeecaues 63 PreslOlll stn cecceseueaeuewonpcdeeeeneneremeeeaues 63 Slate Microphone 00 cece eee eee eens 64 PIAYDACK co su4oatcutaeenn ee pu deer eae ses emeeteues 64 Monitoring COM RTN 000 cece eee eee 70 Routing Com Sends 00e cece eee eee ees 70 Comms Returns Settings 000 cece ee eee 70 Com Return Gain 2 00 ees 71 COM Mutes Output Program 71 MIC TONE and RTN FAV Switch Act
42. 12h switches This option is disabled when e 6ch the CL 6 is attached Input to ISO Routing Sets pre or post fade status of each e Prefade input s routing to its ISO track e Postfade Input Delays Sets delay for each input s signal up to e 0 0 30 0 ms 30 ms in 0 1 ms increments Configuring Linking Pairs of adjacent inputs may be linked 1 2 3 4 and 5 6 Linked inputs share a common fader The pan control of the odd input controls the balance of both signals to the L R and X1 X2 tracks The following illustration indicates which controls are active and what those controls do when inputs are linked 35 688 User s Guide 36 Linked inputs have connecting background ce ee 112 OLR ST 5 1 23 OO 00 00 0 AB ES Ea Odd fader and pan are disabled Even trim controls even input To configure channel linking Press the MENU button Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select INPUTS gt Channel Linking Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select the input pair e WNE Turn and press the Headphone encoder to set linking indicated by pairs Options include Unlinked Linked pair or Linked pair MS For instance selecting 1 2 configures channel linking for input pair 1 and 2 Selecting 3 4 MS configures Mid Side linking for input pair 3 and 4 MS Linking When input pairs are linked Mid Side MS the odd channel is used for the Mid Signal and the even channel is used for the
43. 524 0625 Email support sounddevices com Copyright 2015 Sound Devices LLC All rights reserved 127 CS 664 Production Case 128 Sound Devices LLC E7556 Road 23 and 33 Reedsburg Wisconsin USA 1 608 524 0625 Fax 1 608 524 0655 SOUNDSDEVICES Customer Support Toll Free 800 505 0625 support sounddevices com http www sounddevices com support http forum sounddevices com Product Information For more information about products and accessories visit us on the web at www sounddevices com
44. AES3 Output AES Out 1 4 on XLR 3M connectors AES Out 5 8 on Hirose 10 pin connectors 110 ohm 2 V p p AES and S PDIF compatible with RCA adapter Sampling Frequency 44 1 kHz 88 2 kHz 47 952 kHz 96 kHz 48 kHz 192 kHz 48 048 kHz A D 24 bit A D Dynamic Range 114 dB A weighted typical Input Delay Adjustable 0 30 mS for each input in 0 1 mS steps Output Delay Adjustable 0 417 mS 0 12 5 frames 30 fps for each output in 1 mS steps Media Type Secure Digital Extended Capacity SDXC Secure Digital High Capacity SDHC Secure Digital SD CompactFlash CF FAT32 formatted lt 32GB exFAT for gt 32GB on board memory card format ting File Type Record WAV Broadcast Wave File format polyphonic or MP3 Playback WAV Broadcast Wave File format polyphonic or MP3 Sampling Clock Accuracy 0 2ppm Timecode and Sync Modes Supported Off Free Run External Rec Run 24h Run Frame Rates 23 976 29 97DF 30DF 24 29 97ND 30ND 25 Accuracy Ambient Generator 0 2ppm 0 5 frames per 24 hours Holds TC clock for two hours after main battery removal Timecode Input 20k ohm impedance 0 3 V 3 0 V p p 17 dBu 3 dBu Timecode Output Output 1k ohm impedance 3 0V p p 12 dBu 117 688 User s Guide Wordclock In Out Square wave 10k 75
45. Character scene increment will use e Numeric Take Reset Mode Defines when take number is reset e Never e Scene Change e Daily Folder Change e Either Scene or Daily File Playback Mode Determines what If any playback action Play Once the 688 will perform upon reaching the e Play All end of a file during playback e Repeat One e Repeat All Default Playback Card The source media that files will be played CF from when playback is initiated e SD 85 688 User s Guide SUB MENU DESCRIPTION OPTIONS Erase Format CF Formats CF card to FAT32 32 GB or less or exFAT greater than 32 GB file sys tem Erase Format SD Formats SD card to FAT32 32 GB or less or exFAT greater than 32 GB file sys tem Setting Folder Options 86 By default recorded files are written to the root level of the SD and CF card Three levels of directories can be configured from Main menu option FILE STOR AGE gt Folder Options Folder choices include Top Level Mid Level and Bot tom Level Folders are created when the record key is pressed SD CF root level gt Top level Mid level Bottom level Each folder level has a corresponding list of available names that can be edited manually When a folder level is manually named all subsequent recordings will be written to that folder until the Folder option is changed To manually set the name of a folder level Press the MENU button to access the Main
46. ENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select SYSTEM gt Headphone Pre set List The Headphone Preset List will be displayed presets with a blue back ground are visible and presets with a black background are hidden 3 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to toggle the visibility of each pre Set Defining Custom Headphone Presets In addition to the six predefined headphone sources 10 options are available as custom headphone presets To customize a headphone preset Press the Headphone encoder to display the list of available sources 2 Turn the encoder to choose one of the 10 customizable preset options such as HP Preset 1 3 Slide the MIC TONE switch left or right The Headphone Preset Editing screen appears HEADPHONE MONITORING HP Preset 1 HP Preset vA AA MAA EJee fal fr cL JCR wA Bs MO Left HP Right HP Pre fade routing Unrouted source Post fade routing Ol Out Rtn DADANE Rtn HA Com RTM Com RTN Pre fade B Post 4 Do one of the following gt Turn the Headphone encoder to move the orange highlight horizontally gt Turn the Select encoder to move the orange highlight vertically 5 Press the Headphone or Select encoder to change the selected source be tween Off black Post fade blue and Pre fade green Only ISO sources have the pre fade option 6 Optional Do any of the following gt Slide the MIC TONE switch left
47. ER STORED IN Set BY U User M Macuine Originator Reference bEXT M Software Version bEXT M Family UID IXML M shared by files belonging to the same take Total Files IXML M number of files representing a take File Set Index IXML M Original File Name IXML M Metadata is included in MP3 files inside the ID3 tags Metadata in MP3 files can not be edited with the 664 The following table shows the ID3 fields that meta data is stored in and the format in which it is stored Square brackets denote variables and are not included in actual metadata ID3 FELD FORMAT Artist Name TC HH MM SS FF Track Title SC scene name TK take number Album Title FR frame rate D duration Renaming or Deleting Previous Takes 94 Previous takes can be renamed or deleted from the Take List When a take is renamed or deleted the action applies to all files associated with that take on both media To rename a take iF MENU HP Press in the MENU button and Headphone encoder together to view the Take List screen Turn the Headphone encoder to choose a take from the list This does not apply to Next takes Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select Rename Enter a value using the on screen keyboard or an optional USB keyboard if attached When finished slide the RTN FAV switch right or press Enter on the at tached USB keyboard To delete a take L eo 2 MENU HP Press in the MENU button and Hea
48. Highlighted take eis E d SEBE What media the take is stored on BARNTOZ IE ABIO The folder that the take is stored in BARNTO1 Hgs The scene name of the take s The take number of the take IEEE The cate the take was recorded e The notes field In the example the highlighted take is known as the current take Edits made to the current take will be applied to the next take and subsequent recordings that follow Previous takes are listed below the current take 91 688 User s Guide Accessing the Take List There are two ways to access the Take List One way is via the Main menu s FILE STORAGE sub menu The other is provided in the following procedure To access the Take List 1 cr MENU HP Press and hold the MENU button and Headphone encoder The Take List screen appears Turn the Headphone encoder to highlight takes and view details in the right column Press the METERS button to exit or close the Take List screen Playing Takes Playback of a take may be initiated from the Take List To play a take from the Take List 1 MENU HP Press in the MENU button and Headphone encoder together to view the Take List screen Turn the Headphone encoder to highlight a take to play Push down the Transport control to begin playback The Main screen is dis played and playback begins Editing Metadata on the 688 Notes Scene Take Circle Status Folder tape Project and all track names may be edited dir
49. Linking inputs as a stereo pair also links those inputs limiters LIMITERS To link limiters Press the MENU button 2 Do either one or both of the following gt Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select LIMITERS gt L R Link ing gt oe and press the Headphone encoder to select LIMITERS gt X1 X2 Linking 3 i press the Headphone encoder to set linking Options include On or Off 51 688 User s Guide 52 MixAssist The 688 s powerful digital processing engine delivers 12 channel auto mixing capability using the most sophisticated algorithm on the market MixAssist automatically attenuates the level of inputs that are not open and helps maintain consistent background sound levels regardless of the number of open microphones This automatic attenuating function is commonly referred to as auto mix MixAssist intelligently attenuates redundant mics picking up the same sound source which significantly helps to reduce comb filtering and phasing artifacts Topics in this section include gt Overview gt Noise Adaptive Threshold gt One Mic Per Sound Source gt Number of Open Microphone Attenuation gt Last Mic Lock On gt MixAssist Setup Screen gt Turning MixAssist On or Off gt Assigning Inputs to MixAssist gt LCD Views During MixAssist Overview The MixAssist feature auto mixes post fade input signals to the L and R buses Other signals are not affected by M
50. MMS RETURNS gt RTN Switch Action and COMMS RETURNS gt FAV Switch Action settings RTN A Loopback Mode amp RTN signal levels Out pJ t5 Out pi cS Assigned output Unassigned output Tape Out M Output replaced with RTN A signal For instance in the sample screenshot the left side of RTN A is being sent to X1 X3 and X5 and the left side of Tape Out while the right side of RTN A is being sent to X2 X4 X6 and the right side of Tape Out 46 OUTPUTS This change in output sources is only active when the mode is active and the RTN Loopback Mode screen is displayed The sources normally assigned to out puts are restored when RTN Loopback Mode screen is exited To exit Return Loopback mode gt Press the METERS button Outputs to be replaced with RTN signal can be configured from the Return Loop back Mode screen or via the Main menu s OUTPUTS gt RTN Loopback Routing To configure outputs for Return Loopback mode 1 Do one of the following gt Enter Return Loopback mode gt Press MENU and select OUTPUTS gt RTN Loopback Routing 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to toggle the assignment of outputs Return Loopback mode outputs apply to all returns Sending Tone to Outputs The 688 s internal tone oscillator can be used to send a predefined tone or pulse to the mixer s outputs to aid setup of proper gain staging with other equipment such as cameras The Left Indent pulsing tone
51. Microphone powering The main source of extra 688 current draw 48 V Phantom can draw a large amount of current depending on what model mi crophone is used Two identical phantom powered microphones draw twice as much current as one e Audio Recorder The recorder whether in record or playback draws extra current Higher sample rate WAV recordings draw more current during re cording e Digital Outputs Disable digital outputs in the Main menu when they are not needed since they draw additional current e Output level Higher output levels into multiple low impedance inputs increases current draw e Headphone Output circuit High headphone output levels and low imped ance headphones increase current draw e LED and LCD Brightness Decrease LED and LCD brightness to reduce cur rent draw Inputs The 688 has 12 analog inputs which are assignable pre or post fade to outputs for optimum routing flexibility The inputs include six high bandwidth mic line inputs on XLR connectors each complete with phantom power high pass filter analog input limiter and variable pan Six additional line level inputs on TA3 connectors offer increased flexibility for more complex productions In addition to the primary inputs there are three stereo unbalanced return RTN inputs Physical Input Controls Topics tn this section include gt Physical Input Controls gt Activate an Input gt Input Setting Screens
52. Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select SYSTEM gt Version Info SYSTEM Updating Firmware Periodically Sound Devices releases firmware updates to improve system per formance and expand the 688 feature set which may be downloaded from the website and used to update the firmware on the mixer To update firmware o Vt o eg Download the firmware from the Sound Devices website to your computer Extract the ZIP file which will contain a folder with a prg file and related documentation Copy this prg file to the root level of an approved SD or CF memory card Do not place the file in any folder Be sure to use a memory card already formatted in the mixer Insert the SD or CF card with the prg file Power on the mixer if not already on Power the mixer from an external DC power source Do not perform firmware up dates with low batteries or unstable power sources Press the MENU button Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select SYSTEM gt Update Firm ware Follow the on screen instructions After the update is complete the mixer power cycles When it reboots the updated version number will appear briefly on the splash screen and the mixer displays a message confirming the firmware update 105 688 User s Guide 106 Quick Setup The 688 helps improve work flow Topics in this section include efficiency by providing users a way gt Saving Settings to
53. SOUNDS DEVICES 7 a a meg ae a ee gy i a a a ey es Tu ip tt aT MTOE A T i eo 2 ee 00 03 26 00 mao aero o im m Sef 688 Field Production Mixer with Integrated Recorder and MixAssist User s Guide Legal Notices Product specifications and features are subject to change without prior notification Copyright 2015 Sound Devices LLC All rights reserved This product is subject to the terms and conditions of a software license agreement provided with the product and may be used in accordance with the license agreement This document is protected under copyright law An authorized licensee of this product may reproduce this publication for the licensee s own personal use This document may not be reproduced or distrib uted in whole or in part for commercial purposes such as selling copies or providing educational ser vices or support This document is supplied as a technical guide Spe cial care has been taken in preparing the information for publication however since product specifications are subject to change this document might contain Omissions and technical or typographical inaccura cies Sound Devices LLC does not accept responsi bility for any losses due to the user of this guide Trademarks The wave logo and USBPre are registered trademarks FileSafe PowerSafe SuperSlot MixAssist QuickBoot and Wave Agent are trade marks of Sound Devices LLC Mac and OS X are
54. a visual meter responds to audio signal levels The ballistics for all meters is globally set for the mixer via System settings To configure meter ballistics 1 Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select SYSTEM gt Meter Ballistics Options include OPTIONS DESCRIPTION VU Only Volume Units VU meter ballistics correspond closely to how the human ear perceives loudness This provides a good visual indication of how loud a signal will be In VU mode the attack and decay of the meter signal is 300 mS VU meters provide good visual indication of how loud a signal will be but provide poor information of actual signal peaks 100 SYSTEM OPTIONS DESCRIPTION Peak VU In Peak VU mode the perceived loudness or VU is simultaneously displayed as a standard bar while the peak signal is displayed as a single independent segment above the VU Peak Only Peak reading ballistics PPM correspond to actual signal peaks but do not necessarily correspond to perceived signal loudness Peak meters have an instantaneous attack and a slow decay to allow visual monitoring of peak activity Peak metering is useful in digital audio workflows In the digital realm signal overload can cause immediate distortion Setting Peak Hold When meter ballistics is set to Peak VU or Peak Only peak hold displays the last highest peak value on the meter as a separate indivi
55. ack and On blue In addition to Off and On ISO sources have a third option Pre Fade green Activating an ISO source will change all Mix Aux and HP sources to Off Activating a Mix Aux or HP source will change all ISO sources to Off The Follows Live box is not an output source but an option When active the out put s sources do not change from the Live configuration upon playback Tape Output Routing Tape Output is often used to send signal from a camera to a producer or director over an IFB The default source for Tape Output is the master L and R tracks However any return signal can be routed to the Tape Output instead To configure the Tape Output source 1 Press the MENU button OUTPUTS 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select OUTPUTS gt Tape Out Source 3 Choose a source to be routed to Tape Output Options include L R RTN A RTN B or RTN C RTN C RTN B L R Playback to LR Outputs By default audio on L and R recorded tracks will be sent to the headphone out puts and both L and R outputs during playback This can be disabled so that LR analog outputs do not send the playback signal to the L and R outputs To enable or disable playback to LR Outputs Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select OUTPUTS gt Playback to LR Outputs 3 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select Yes or No Output Delay The signal of each output can be delay
56. adphone encoder to select COMMS RETURNS gt Slate Com Mic Source 4 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select Ext Mic for dynamic mi 67 688 User s Guide crophones or Ext 15V Mic for condenser microphones When the Slate or COM function is active the 688 will use this microphone Setting Slate Mic Gain The gain of the slate mic is 36 dB by default If this gain is too high it can be adjusted To adjust slate microphone gain Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select COMMS RETURNS gt Slate Com Mic Gain 3 Turn the Headphone encoder to adjust slate microphone gain 0 dB 36 dB For quick adjustment of slate microphone gain slide the MIC TONE switch to the left and hold while turning the Headphone encoder Slate Routing 68 By default the slate mic is routed to all outputs and tracks This routing can be customized To route the slate microphone 1 Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select COMMS RETURNS gt Slate Routing The Slate Routing screen is displayed Slate Routing E OurpUts L Bw 3 yA X Se eteeterel Thee ks L RP 41 3 12 3 seeecood ve food Scroll amp select using encoders 3 Do one of the following gt Turn the Headphone encoder to move the orange highlight horizontally gt Turn the Select encoder to move the orange highlight vertically 4 Press either encoder to change the selected
57. al overload clipping pre and post fade e Flashing yellow input PFL solo R Mix Indicator Illuminates blue when the input has been routed right bus PFL Switch Activates PFL slide left and displays Input Settings screen slide right for respective inputs 7 12 Bus Track Arm LEDs Illuminates red to indicate the track is armed for recording LED Bus Track Meters Displays metering levels for L R X1 and X2 tracks Record Button The Transport Control on the mixer operates normally when the CL 6 is attached This alternate backlit Record button provides an addi tional control point for starting a recording Stop Button This alternate backlit Stop button provides an additional control point for stopping a recording Attaching the CL 6 124 The CL 6 was designed to mount on the 688 and 664 field mixers The CL 6 at taches with screws to the bottom panel of the 688 field production mixer When used with a 664 the CL 6 may be attached to either the top or bottom panel Regardless of a top or bottom mount the process for attaching the CL 6 re mains the same To attach the CL 6 Turn the mixer off Do not connect the CL 6 with mixer on 2 Remove the disposable protective covers over the multi pin headers from the mixer and the CL 6 using a small flat tool A jeweler s screwdriver works well The protective covers are attached with adhesive 3 Remove only one of the
58. and Peak Hold gt Setting Peak Hold gt Setting up Date and Time Parameters gt Calibrating Faders amp Pans gt Using a USB Keyboard gt Viewing Shortcut Information gt Viewing Version Information gt Updating Firmware The 688 s internal tone oscillator used for sending tone to outputs and tracks has several settings to accommodate different workflows Activating tone is explained in more detail in the Sending Tone to Outputs sec tion of this guide To define tone settings 1 Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select SYSTEM 3 Configure the tone oscillator by modifying the following parameters 97 688 User s Guide 98 PARAMETER DESCRIPTION OPTIONS Tone Routing Displays the Tone Routing screen where the tone signal can be routed to any output or track Tone Routing E D Jtputs XS K4 X5 XG EEE Tracks Hl x2 1 2 3 EEEE 7 0 9 10 1112 HANNAS Scroll amp select using encoders By default all outputs and tracks are selected Outputs L R and X1 X6 Tracks L R X1 X2 and tracks 1 12 Tone Level Sets the level of the internal tone generator By default this level is set to 0 dBu 0 20 dBu 1 dBu increment Tone Frequency Sets the audio frequency of the internal tone generator By default this frequency is set to 1000 Hz 1100 10000 Hz 10 Hz increment Tone Action e Sets the action for when
59. as exceeded the threshold is referred to as the attack time and the time it takes for limiting to cease once signal has fallen back below the threshold is referred to as release time gt Overview Overview Sound Devices recommends using limiters at all times Without input limiters high signal conditions can overload a channel and cause distortion In normal operation with a properly set gain structure the threshold of the input limiter is rarely reached The default threshold of all limiters on the 688 is 16dBu All 688 limiters use a 20 1 compression ratio This means that any signal that exceeds the threshold by 20 dB will exit the limiting stage at only 1 dB above the threshold The 688 limiters have a 1 ms attack time and a 500 ms release time The input limiter is actively limiting when the respective input s Input Activity LED illuminates yellow Limiting activity will also be displayed as a yellow square on the right side of the input s meter on the Main screen If the limiting activity is regularly indicated reduce the amount of gain applied to the channel by turn ing down the Trim control 49 688 User s Guide Enabling the Limiters When enabled the limiters are globally activated at either a Hard Knee or Soft Knee setting The knee of the limiter determines how the limiter operates in relation to the set threshold With hard knee when the signal reaches the threshold the mixer immediately attenuates only th
60. c Accessories gt Cases gt Cables and Connectors gt Software ACCESSORY PHOTO DESCRIPTION SL 6 This optional powering and wireless system sim plifies interconnection and provides better control display and navigation of the user interface for SuperSlot compatible wireless receivers It also provides a antenna distribution USB charging port two 12 V isolated outputs and two non iso lated direct battery outputs for powering addition al devices along with PowerSafe for the receivers Wireless receivers are not included CL 6 This optional input controller attaches to the bot tom of the 688 and adds six full sized tactile fader controls sunlight viewable LED metering and big back lit Record and Stop controls When the CL 6 is attached to a 688 the 688 s mini faders origi nally assigned as faders for 7 12 switch to control trim levels of 7 12 and the CL 6 faders control fader levels of 7 12 For more information see CL 6 Controller 119 688 User s Guide Cases ACCESSORY PHOTO DESCRIPTION CS 664 This production case designed by CamRade for Sound Devices may be used for either the 688 or 664 and one attached accessory such as the SL 6 or CL 6 pictured here with the 688 Case has a detachable accessory compartment and a battery compartment for NP type batteries on the bottom Strap sold separately CS Strap This medium
61. d to your computer 2 Copy the files from the card to the computer Sound Devices recommends that you copy files first before editing files on the computer Do not edit files directly from the memory cards 82 FILE STORAGE Take List and File List A file is an individual file stored on attached media A take is a single recording that can consist of multiple files on one or both media The Take List displays a list of takes and provides functions for deleting renaming and editing of meta data fields Edits made in the Take List will be applied to both SD and CF cards if applicable For details on the Take List see Take List Overview Accessing the File List The File List displays files and folders on a chosen media and provides functions for deleting files or folders copying files or folders to other media renaming folders creating sound reports formatting media and emptying Trash and False Take folders The File List functions only apply to the chosen media To access the File List Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select FILE STORAGE gt File List An alternative way to access the File List is by sliding the MIC TONE switch while the Take List screen is displayed That switch acts as a toggle between the File List and Take List screens The first screen displays each media and general information along with menu options 3 Slide the RTN FAV switch to access options for t
62. date a wide dynamic range To set bit depth 1 Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select RECORDER gt Bit Depth 3 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select 24 or 16 The bit depth value is stored in file metadata Pre roll By default the pre roll time is O seconds off When active pre roll begins re cording at a set number of seconds preceding the record button being pressed 63 688 User s Guide To set pre roll time Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select RECORDER gt Pre roll Time 3 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select a value 0 s to 6S Pre Roll is disabled when the timecode mode is set to Record Run External Time code Auto Record or External Timecode Continuous Auto Record This prevents possible overlapping timecode numbers between adjacent files Maximum pre roll time is 3 seconds when RECORDER gt Sample Rate is set to 88 2k or 96k Maximum pre roll time is 1 second when RECORDER gt Sample Rate is set to 192k Slate Microphone The 688 s built in slate and external microphone is used to notate scenes from the mixer location Its audio performance is not suitable for critical recording applications It should be used for documenting scenes and for communication purposes only To use the slate microphone 1 Slide the MIC TONE switch left to activate the slate mic The Slate Tone LED illuminates green t
63. de Play Once Play All Repeat One or Repeat All Selecting a Default Playback Card By default the CompactFlash memory card is the playback card If no CF card is present the SD card will be used The default playback card is indicated with a green background on the main view Default playback card DANI LAN SOrshoO saa a 20 89 688 User s Guide To set the default playback card Press the MENU button Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select FILE STORAGE gt Default Playback Card Options include CF or SD An alternative way to set the default playback card is to press in and hold the Headphone encoder while pushing down on the Transport control Erase Format Media 90 Before recording to CF or SD media cards must be formatted by the 688 To format media 6 Press the MENU button Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select FILE STORAGE Do either of the following gt Select Erase Format CF to reformat a CompactFlash card gt Select Erase Format SD to reformat an SD SDHC or SDXC card Press the Headphone encoder to begin the formatting process Formatting media will erase all data on the card Follow the message s that appear on screen and press the Headphone en coder to continue Press the METERS button to return to the Main screen Cards with a capacity of 32 GB or less will be formatted with the FAT32 file sys tem Cards with a capacity greater than 32 GB will be fo
64. digital e Line digital signals L R 10 pin A 10 pin C 10 X1 X4 e AES XLR L R 10 Pin A only AES Output Routing Displays the AES output routing matrix where sources can be assigned to AES output channels X1 X6 Routing Choose sources for X1 X6 outputs for live and playback Playback to LR Outputs Whether or not playback of L and R tracks Yes is sent to the main L and R analog out e No puts Tape Out Source The source for the unbalanced 3 5mm e L R Tape Out e RINA e RIN B e RTN C Output Delays Set the delay of L R X1 X2 X3 X4 and 0 417 ms per out X5 X6 per output put 40 OUTPUTS SUB MENU DESCRIPTION OPTIONS RTN Loopback Routing Displays the RTN Loopback Routing e RTN Left Xi X6 screen e RTN Right X1 X6 RTN Loopback Routing amp a Outputs Outputs x x4 x x4 x Scroll amp select using encoders Select output sources for Return Loop back mode Output Linking Output linking allows the gain delay and track arm status L R X1 X2 only of an output pair to be controlled with only one action By default the output gain of L R and X5 X6 are linked and X1 X4 are unlinked L R X1 X2 X3 X4 and X5 X6 pairs can be linked or unlinked from the Main menu To configure output linking Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select OUTPUTS gt Output Link ing 3 Turn and press the Headph
65. ding six full sized fader controls for Using High pass Filters inputs 7 through 12 and PFL control high pass filter control Other features include large daylight viewable LED track meters with track arm indicators for tracks L R X1 and X2 plus additional recording controls Front Panel The front panel has the following features L Mix Input R Mix Indicator LED Indicator PFL Switch Bus Track Arm LEDs Record Button a Tir AG A aan Yoo GS gk Leoooooso00000000000000 e 00000000000000 ooco000 j a ORG G Maa Q Oe sOO00000000 go moooooooooooo00000o000o s 2 1 Td 18 702 468 8 WLS Input Fader High pass High pass Bus Track Meter LEDs Stop Button Filter Button Filter LED FEATURE DESCRIPTION Input Fader Primary control for adjusting the fader levels of inputs 7 12 during operation Ranges from off to 16 dB Nominal setting is in the mid dle 0 dB High pass Filter Button High pass Filter LED Push to toggle activation of high pass filter per channel Illuminates blue to indicate high pass filter is engaged per channel 123 688 User s Guide FEATURE DESCRIPTION L Mix Indicator Illuminates blue when the input has been routed track L Input LED Indicates input signal activity IIluminates in various colors and inten sities to show signal level and activity e Green signal presence pre fader e Yellow limiter activity pre and post fade e Red sign
66. does not already exist 107 688 User s Guide 4 Name your Quick Setup file When saving to CF or SD cards if a file with the entered name already exists that previous file will be overwritten by the new file you save 5 Slide the RTN FAV switch to select OK and save your Quick Setup file All Quick Setup files are saved as XML files Copying Quick Setup Files 108 Quick Setup files saved on one memory card may be copied to another memory card as an additional backup To copy files from one memory card to another Press the MENU button Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select FILE STORAGE gt File List Select the memory card with the file you want to copy Select the SETTINGS folder on that card Select the Quick Setup XML file you want to copy Slide the RTN FAV switch to access OPTION QUICKSETUP XML 2S YS 7 Select the Copy File option The name of this option will vary depending on whether you are copying to a CF card or an SD card Deleting Quick Setup Files Saving a new configuration to any of the internal INT locations will overwrite the previously saved file The same applies to files saved to CF or SD cards so long as the file names match However if you want to delete a file from a CF or SD card you can do that without replacing it with a file of the same name To delete a file from a memory card 1 Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder
67. down the Select encoder and simultaneously slide the RTN FAV switch to the right To monitor COM RTN gt Hold down the Select encoder and simultaneously slide the RTN FAV switch to the left To monitor the favorite headphone source gt Slide the RTN FAV switch to the right These are the default headphone source shortcuts These shortcuts may be cus tomized via the Main menu s COMMS RETURNS settings Headphone Peak LED 24 The Headphone Peak LED located just left of the Headphone encoder illumi nates red to indicate headphone output is approaching clipping level Monitoring without a visual indication of headphone clipping can mislead a sound mixer into thinking the output or return feeds are distorted Power The 688 utilizes different powering Topics tn this section include options such as external DC power or it may be powered by five AA batteries When used with the SL 6 accessory an gt Powering the 688 gt Using External Power gt Using Battery Power optional powering and wireless system gt Voltage Ranges and Thresholds the 688 may be powered via an NP1 gt PowerSafe battery gt QuickBoot gt Forcing Power Off Optional The 688 also incorporates exclusive gt Power Consumption PowerSafe technology with smart sensing of available power sources front panel power warning indication and an integrated 10 second power reserve that safely stops recording and shuts down in th
68. dphone encoder together to view the Take List screen Turn and press the Headphone encoder to choose a take to delete Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select Delete Press the Headphone encoder to confirm deletion OK Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select Cancel should you want to exit without deleting the take METADATA AND TAKE LIST Editing Metadata in Other Programs Since Sound Devices recorders write metadata to WAV files using the Broadcast Wave File standard many professional applications can read and edit this meta data Sometimes it is useful to edit metadata in bulk after recording and before sending the files to post production 95 688 User s Guide 96 system The 688 SYSTEM sub menu allows for setup and control of various key system settings such as tone or bell levels date and time parameters meter ballistics and more This sub menu also provides access to viewing product version information and conducting firmware updates Some System settings such as those related to headphones Meter Views or the LCD are described in more detail in others sections of this guide where applicable This section provides information for System settings not already covered elsewhere Setting up Tones and Bells Topics tn this section include gt Setting up Tones and Bells gt Configuring Record Stop Warning Bells gt Configuring the Meters gt Setting Meter Ballistics
69. dual meter segment By default this meter segment will remain visible for 1 second This time frame is called the Peak Hold and it may be adjusted or disabled altogether To modify the Peak Hold time for meters Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select SYSTEM gt Meter Peak Hold Time Options include OPTIONS DESCRIPTION 1 5 sec Infinity Sets the Peak Hold time to display the highest peak value for the selected time from 1 to 5 seconds Sets the Peak Hold time to display the last highest peak value indefinitely until a higher peak is reached Off Does not hold peak values Setting up Date and Time Parameters Properly setting the time and date is important for file metadata file system functioning and some timecode functions Setting the correct GMT time zone and daylight savings values is also vital for correct data stamping on the exFAT file system The 688 has several System settings related to date and time parameters PARAMETER Time Format DESCRIPTION OPTIONS Sets the format used for times displayed by the 12hr mixer By default the format is set to 12 hours e 24hr Date Format Sets the format used to indicate the date used e mm dd yy in metadata By e dd mm yy default the format is set to two digit increments yy mm dd for month day year mm dd yy Set Time Date Displays the Set Time Date screen used to set
70. duty neck strap with metal hooks was designed by PortaBrace for use with various Sound Devices production cases Cables and Connectors ACCESSORY PHOTO DESCRIPTION XL 1B A 12 inch TA3 F to TA3 F cable used to connect TA3 auxiliary outputs to TA3 inputs of receiving devices and TA3 outputs of sending devices to TA3 inputs XL 2 A 25 inch TA3 F to XLR 3M cable used to connect the TA3 auxiliary outputs to third party devices with XLR 3F inputs Each package contains two cables XL 2F A 25 inch XLR 3F to TA3 F cable used to connect mixers and other devices with XLR 3M outputs to the TA3 7 12 inputs on the 688 Also used to attach standard microphone as auxiliary slate mic Each package contains two cables 120 ACCESSORIES ACCESSORY PHOTO DESCRIPTION XL 3 A 12 inch 3 5mm to TA3F link cable XL 4 Bag of four 4 TA3 F type connectors XL 7 A 12 inch cable to connect unbalanced stereo TA3 X5 X6 connection to unbalanced stereo 3 5 mm inputs XL 10 Hirose 10 pin to two XLR balanced L R and 3 5 mm plug stereo return A and C breakout cable includes in line 20 foot extension cable The XL 10 is a high quality multi pin breakout and extension cable designed specifically for Sound Devices field production mixers It provides easy access to the balanced outputs and stereo return A and C con nections XL H Bare Hirose 4 p
71. e Sorte sree cede teow ete cee cetera Ged 116 POWO io i525 aara cto ogee ate ce eee cae ere aes 118 Analog Outputs 00 c cece eee eee 116 Environmental 0 00 e eee eee 118 Digital Outputs Recorder 00 cece eee ee 117 Dimensions and Weight 000ee eee eeee 118 Accessories Electronic ACCeSSOriI S 1 2 eee 119 Cables and Connectors 00 cece eee eee 120 E ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee 120 DOMW A AE E eects tee eene nee wene aces 122 CL 6 Controller Front Panel 0 00 ccc eee eee eee eee eee een nes 123 Trim Levels 664 only 0000 cece eee eee 126 Attaching the CL 6 0000s cece eee eee 124 Using High pass Filters 0 0c cece eee eee 126 Trim Levels 688 only 000 cece eee eee 126 FEES asians wet nea han we eae 127 688 User s Guide Overview of Chassis The 688 chassis is made of light weight Topics in this section include and durable carbon fiber gt Front and Top Panels The front panel of the chassis features gt Left Side Panel several easy to reach controls gt Right Side Panel switches LEDs and a sunlight visible Back and Bottom Panels LCD screen Its side panels provide a variety of connection options for ultimate I O flexibility The top and bottom panels offer additional connectors that allow for expansion with optional accessories such as the SL 6 on the top only or the CL 6 on the bottom only Front Top and
72. e eee eee ee 12 Back Panel 105 2uon essen ad geenien ot aweanareanen 13 Accessing the Main Menu 0000e ee eees 17 Customizing the LCD and LEDs 4 18 Using LCD Daylight Mode 000000ee 18 Defining Custom Headphone Presets 22 Choosing a Favorite Headphone Preset 23 Headphone Source Shortcuts 000000ee 24 Headphone Peak LED 00 0c c ee eeeee 24 PowerSate 1 ccc cee eee eee 27 QuUICKBOOt 1 2 tenes 28 Forcing Power Off Optional 000 28 Power Consumption 0 0 cee eee eee ees 28 Adjusting Trim Inputs 7 12 0 000 nananana 34 AQ UStINOG Pall sa28ccscendeuseetanensuce ee ata 34 UE SENGS 2452222544 aseussaneeeaneeeseeaeees 35 Configuring LINKING 0 ccc eee ees 35 Configuring Phantom Voltage 005 36 Configuring the PFL Toggle Mode 37 Configuring Input to ISO Routing 37 Configuring Input Delay 0000 000 ee 38 Aux X1 X6 Routing 0 2 eee ees 43 Tape Output ROUTING 0 00 eee ees 44 Playback to LR Outputs 0000 eee eee 45 OUTPUT Delay iis 20 6 6 e sors d awk ee a eae ees 45 Return Loopback Mode 000c cece eee 46 Sending Tone to Outputs 0000 cece ees 47 Adjusting the Threshold 0000 cece e ees 50 Linking Limiters 000 cece eee eee eee 50 Noise Adaptive Threshold
73. e event of a power loss Powering the 688 The 688 operates on either external DC power or internal AA battery power Power LED To turn on the 688 gt Flip the Power switch to the ON position The Power LED illuminates yellow then green The Sound Devices splash screen appears briefly on the LCD and then the Main screen is displayed As part of the Main screen the LCD displays a DC voltage indi cator in the form of a battery icon that indicates the level of the power source internal or external currently in use Normal Voltage Green Warning Voltage Yellow Low Voltage Orange Critical Voltage Red Using External Power The 688 uses only one power source at a time with external DC power taking precedence over internal AA battery power 25 688 User s Guide To connect an external power source gt Plug a DC power source not included into the 10 18 VDC input on the right panel Pin 4 of the locking Hirose connector is positive and pin 1 is negative Using Battery Power The 688 uses five AA batteries as a backup to external power Alkaline AA bat teries may be used with the 688 however NiMH batteries are the preferred type because they provide for longer run times compared to Alkaline batteries To insert batteries Unscrew the battery cap counter clockwise 2 Insert five AA NiMH batteries not included into the battery tube Orient the batteries with the positive
74. eadphone encoder to select COMMS RETURNS gt MIC Switch Action MIC TONE left COMMS RETURNS gt RTN Switch Action RTN FAV left or COMMS RETURNS gt FAV Switch Action RTN FAV right 3 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to choose a switch switch Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select an action for the chosen Timecode and Sync The 688 features a fully integrated Topics tn this section include Ambient timecode generator and stinaceds reader that supports all common rates Setting the Timecode Mode and modes The 688 holds accurate gt Setting the Frame Rate timecode for up to two hours after gt Setting Timecode Hold Off Shutdown using its own internal Jamming the Timecode Lithium Ion timecode battery This gt Setting the Timecode Generator timecode battery is charged whenever Setting User Bits the 688 is powered on Setting Display Mode gt Word Clock In amp Out After two hours without power the 688 gt Word Clock Sensitivity reverts to a slightly less precise time of day crystal to maintain the date and time on the device Word Clock connectors on the back panel allow the 688 to be sample synchronized with other digital audio equipment in the work flow Timecode File based recorders place a timecode and frame rate stamp in the BEXT and IXML chunks of an AES31 Broadcast WAV file During playback the mixer gen erates SMPTE timecode from this number and extrapolates it ba
75. ectly from the Take List for next or previous takes The term file refers to a single file on one medium but the term take refers to a recording which may consist of multiple files with identical content on different media Editing a take in any way will affect all files associated with that take 92 To edit metadata from the Take List 1 MENU HP Press and hold the MENU button Headphone encoder togeth er to view the Take List screen Turn and press the Headphone encoder to choose a take to edit A list of metadata parameters appears Selecting the take at the top of the list Orange text and indicated by NEXT will set metadata value for future takes Selecting any other takes in the list will edit metadata for existing takes Turn and press the Headphone encoder to choose what metadata to edit METADATA AND TAKE LIST 4 Some parameters are text based numeric based or a list of options When editing do one of the following gt For text fields use the on screen keyboard or an optional USB key board if attached to enter text When finished slide the RTN FAV switch right to accept the value gt For numeric fields use the Headphone encoder to edit the value When finished select Done gt For list fields use the Headphone encoder to select a value Metadata Overview On the 688 broadcast WAV files include iXML data and bEXT chunk data For applications that don t recognize bEXT
76. ed up to 417 milliseconds This is useful while interfacing with video equipment when the audio signal is being processed faster than video creating an audio video offset To adjust output delay 1 Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select OUTPUTS gt Output Delays 45 688 User s Guide Output Delays E Co SN Delay value during adjustment L R Delay value of selected output in mS 058 m Frame calculation of selected output 01 3 Frames at 23 98 fps 1 mS or 10 mS increments Frames mS mode 10m5 3 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to enter delay adjustment mode The background of the selected delay becomes blue Turn the Headphone encoder to adjust the delay value 5 Press the Headphone encoder to set the delay value Optional Do any of the following Slide the RTN FAV switch left to adjust values in frames Slide the RTN FAV switch right to adjust values in milliseconds Slide the MIC TONE switch left to adjust in 1 mS increments Slide the MIC TONE switch right to adjust in 10 mS increments vvv yv Return Loopback Mode Return Loopback mode temporarily replaces the output source with the selected RTN signal This is useful for sending camera audio playback to a producer or director To enter Return Loopback mode gt Press MENU RTN switch action RTN switch action is whatever action is defined for monitoring the chosen return in the Main menu s CO
77. end facing in and the negative end facing out With external power connected depleted AA batteries may be removed from the 688 and replaced with new ones without affecting operations Voltage Ranges and Thresholds The DC voltage indicator provides power status information based on the Ex ternal DC Reference parameter which defines the voltage range and warning threshold for external DC power sources Setting the External DC Reference to a value appropriate for the type of external power being used maximizes runtime with that source For instance the indicator appears solid green when the active power source is full or operating within the defined high voltage range As the voltage depletes the indicator s color changes from green to yellow warning to orange low and to red critical based on the external power source s range and threshold as shown in the following table Ext DC REF Low VOLTAGE WARNING VOLTAGE HicH VOLTAGE 12V Ext DC 9 10 11 NiMH 11 11 5 13 Expanded NiMH 11 11 5 18 12V Lead Acid 10 11 4 14 14V Li ion 12 5 13 5 16 3 Full Range 6 11 5 18 If the active power source is removed or its voltage drops to the critical thresh old the 688 switches to alternative battery power or shuts down according to how its External DC Loss parameter is configured in the Power settings 26 POWER A The DC voltage indicator flashes red when there are no other connected backup power
78. ess it in to select any category or sub menu option MAIN MENU Ex 2 INPUTS OUTPUTS 4 LIMITERS Headphone Encoder 5 MASSIST p RECORDER 7 COMMS RETURNS 8 TIMECODE SYNC 9 FILE STORAGE While sub menu options are covered in more detail throughout this guide in sections related to those options the Main menu s categories are provided with brief descriptions in the following table CATEGORY DESCRIPTION POWER Settings related to external power sources Also displays voltage level of External DC Internal DC AA and PowerSafe See Power Settings for details INPUTS Settings related to channel linking phantom power PFL or Input modes input to ISO routing and input delays See Input Settings for details OUTPUTS Settings related to output types or levels output sources output routing and output delays See Output Settings for details LIMITERS Settings related to input and output limiters See Limiters for details MIXASSIST Allows MixAssist to be enabled or disabled and inputs to be added or removed from MixAssist See MixAssist Setup Screen for details RECORDER Settings to target recording media WAV sample rate bit depth MP3 bit rate and recording pre roll time See Recorder Settings for de tails COMMS RETURNS Settings related to communications Comm including slate mic source gain routing comm return gain and RTN and FAV switch actions See Comms Returns Sett
79. ess the Headphone encoder to confirm 87 688 User s Guide Defining File Max Size By default the maximum size of WAV files is 4GB When the max file size is reached the file is split and a new file is written automatically This split is seamless and sample accurate To set maximum file size 1 Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select FILE STORAGE gt File Max Size 3 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to set a maximum file size If longer recording times with less splits are wanted various options affect this e Record mono WAV files rather than poly WAV files See File Type and Media Track Assignment for details e Lower the Sample rate See Sample Rate for details e Lower the amount of armed tracks poly only See Recording Tracks for details Setting Scene Increment Mode 88 The 688 provides a Scene Increment shortcut but it is disabled by default Scene names will not increment unless the Scene Increment mode is enabled See Shortcuts for a description of all button shortcuts To enable Scene Increment mode Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select FILE STORAGE gt Scene Increment Mode Options include OPTIONS DESCRIPTION Disabled Shortcut is disabled Character When set to Character and the scene name ends with a letter the Scene Increment shortcut will change that letter to the next letter of the alphabet If
80. h audio track Polyphonic file names consist of a scene name take number and a file exten Sion SOLTO1 WAV scene number extension take number Monophonic file names consist of a scene name take number mono track des ignator and a file extension S017T01_3 WAV L scene number extension take number track designator The track designators are associated with the 688 tracks This differs from track names which may be edited and are covered in depth in the Metadata section of this guide 81 688 User s Guide This table illustrates the association between 688 tracks track names and track designators TRACK Track Name TrRacK DESIGNATOR Track L MixL 1 Track R MixR 2 Track 1 Chi 3 Track 2 Ch2 4 Track 3 Ch3 5 Track 4 Ch4 6 Track 5 Ch5 7 Track 6 Ch6 8 Track 7 Ch7 9 Track 8 Ch8 A Track 9 Ch9 B Track 10 Ch10 C Track 11 Chil D Track 12 Ch1i2 E Track X1 Auxl F Track X2 Aux2 G Transferring Files to PC When finished recording and the media remaining time on the Main screen is white you may remove the SD or CF card s from the 688 and mount them to any computer and transfer your recorded files using a card reader or card slot To remove the SD card 1 Open the Media Door 2 Push it in to release the card and then pull it out To remove the CF card gt Open the Media Door and pull out the card To transfer files Mount your memory car
81. h the RTN FAV switch to the left This enables editing of the scene name When used during recording the current scene name is edited During standby when not recording the next scene name is edited Current Take Phrase HP FAV Press and hold down the Headphone encoder then push the RTN FAV switch to the right This accesses the phrase list and applies the selected phrase to the last take recorded during Standby or to the currently recording take during recording Toggle Sample Frame Rate Display METERS RTN Press and hold METERS then slide the RTN FAV switch to the left This toggles the display of timecode frame rate information and audio sample rate information Toggle Daylight Mode SELECT HP Press and hold down Select encod er then press Headphone encoder This toggles the LCD display between Standard and Daylight modes Jam Menu METERS MIC Press and hold METERS then slide ucCO TONE the MIC TONE switch to the left is lt lt This accesses the TC Jam menu Slate Mic Gain MIC HP turn Slide and hold the MIC TONE switch to the left then turn the Headphone encod er This adjusts the slate mic gain 112 SHORTCUTS FUNCTION SEQUENCE AcTION RTN Loopback Mode rep MENU RTN FAV or MENU SELECT RTN FAV B ai This accesses Loopback Mode for the configured returns A B or C SELECT The actions of these shortcut combinations
82. hat is not the case for inputs 7 12 By attaching the optional CL 6 accessory which provides additional dedicated controls the functionality of the Mini faders on the 688 changes to become Trim controls To adjust trim for inputs 7 12 1 Access the Input Settings screen for the input chosen from 7 12 2 Rotate the SELECT encoder to adjust the trim level The gain value is dis played on the Input Settings screen Adjusting Pan The Pan pot routes inputs to the left L and right R channels of the stereo Master Bus The Pan pot has a detent in its center 12 o clock position 34 INPUTS To adjust an input s pan gt Turn the Pan pot After setting the pan press the Pan pot in to recess the control when not in use Input Settings The Main menu has a sub menu of settings related to inputs These may be used to customize the configuration of the 688 To access Inputs sub menu 1 Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select INPUTS SUB MENU DESCRIPTION OPTIONS Channel Linking Sets channel linking for each input pair Unlinked 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 e ch ch e ch ch MS ch represents the numerical value of the selected input pair MS stands for Mid Side 48V 12V Phantom Voltage Globally adjusts voltage level of phantom power on all inputs which have phantom power enabled PFL Toggle Mode Globally alters the behavior of PFL e
83. he Transport control to stop recording Recording Tracks The 688 features 16 recording tracks Each of the 12 inputs is permanently routed to its associated ISO track Buses L R X1 and X2 can also be armed for recording ISOs can be sent to both pre and post fade X1 and X2 can record any combi nation of channels pre or post fade CE snd PAN SDAD LANAN Eq g 20 Lim Armed ISO track lt Sn J S Unarmed ISO track To arm or unarm a track for recording 1 Press the METERS button repeatedly until the chosen track is visible on the Main screen Turn the SELECT encoder to move the white highlight to the chosen track METERS SELECT Press the METERS button and SELECT encoder together 59 688 User s Guide Recorder Settings 60 The background color changes to indicate the track s armed status Red armed Grey unarmed and Black input powered off When RECORDER gt Sample Rate is set to 88 2k or higher arming and recording ISO tracks 7 12 Is disabled Channels 7 12 can still be used to feed any mix bus when set to record with higher sampling rates The Main menu has a sub menu of settings related to recording These may be used to customize the configuration of the 688 s Record settings To access the Recorder sub menu 1 Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select RECORDER The default is Wav Poly SUB MENU DESCRIPTION OPTIONS Record to CF Sets the type of
84. he card Options include o Create Sound Report o Copy to other card o Rename o Empty Trash o Erase Format In necessary to return to the Card screen press MENU 4 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select CF or SD and view its con tents A list of files on that card will be displayed Folder names are preced ed by a slash CV 83 688 User s Guide File list of CF root File list within a folder named Dune B TRASH 00 59 19 00 eaves d 00 58 20 00 FALSETAKES 20 ND DS WAM 30 ND DUNE 00000500 DS WALA 00000500 48000 24b 48000 24b 14 03 01 15 04 56PM 1 OMB 5 Turn the Headphone encoder to highlight a chosen file or folder Information pertaining to your selection appears on the right 6 Slide the RTN FAV switch to access options The OPTION menu will vary de pending on the file or folder selected Folder options include o Create Sound Report o Empty Folder Trash and False Takes folders only o Copy Directory to other card o Rename Folder o Delete folder from chosen card File options include o gt Copy file to the other card o Delete file from chosen media Deleting Files or Folders Files and folders may be deleted from the File List File deletion applies only to the chosen media To delete all files associated with a take use the Take List To delete a file or folder 1 From the File List turn and press the Headphone encoder to select CF or SD A lis
85. his time This feature ensures that files are protected even in the event of unexpected power loss A Power Critical AA Batteries critically low Terminating any recording and powering down in The PowerSafe Battery recharges from the active power source only when the 688 iS powered on 27 688 User s Guide QuickBoot QuickBoot circuitry is enabled for two hours after the 688 is powered down During this time the 688 can turn on and start recording in less than two sec onds Each time the 688 is turned on and off the two hour timer is reset Be yond the two hour mark QuickBoot is deactivated so powering up results in a normal slightly longer boot up process Within the two hour time frame while QuickBoot is enabled the internal Time code TC generator continues to be active and the TC LED on the front panel of the 688 blinks every two seconds Forcing Power Off Optional In the unlikely event you need to manually force a complete shutdown of the 688 by passing the PowerSafe and QuickBoot features do the following To force power off 1 Slide the Power button to the left 2 Press and hold the MENU button for 5 seconds After the 688 is manually powered off the QuickBoot is reset and the TC LED no longer flashes Power Consumption 28 Many factors influence the rate at which the 688 uses battery power current draw The following list highlights the larger current drawing functions e
86. ily 1 SELECT MIC TONE Press and hold the SELECT encoder while sliding and holding the MIC TONE switch left The slate mic activates and the Slate Tone LED illuminates green 2 Release the MIC TONE switch The slate mic deactivates and the Slate Tone LED turns off To lock Comms on 1 SELECT MIC TONE Press and hold the SELECT encoder while sliding the MIC TONE switch left The slate mic activates and the Slate Tone LED illu minates green 69 688 User s Guide 2 Slide the MIC TONE switch left again The slate mic deactivates and the Slate Tone LED turns off Monitoring COM RTN The COM RTN allows the Sound Mixer to hear communication back from other members of the production crew such as the boom op The COM RTN signal can be quickly heard in headphones by using the assigned RTN FAV toggle action or by assigning it to a custom HP preset For two way communication activate the COM RTN and the COM Send at the same time To monitor COM RTN 1 SELECT RTIN FAV Press and hold the SELECT encoder while sliding the RTN FAV switch left The headphone monitor source changes to COM RTN 2 When finished slide the RTN FAV switch right to return to the selected monitor source Routing Com Sends The com send source can be assigned to any of the auxiliary outputs X1 X6 Com send sources are assigned in the Aux Output Routing screens See Aux X1 X6 Routing for details Comms Returns Settings
87. in locking DC connector HR10 7P 4P XL NPH An NP type battery cup with 24 inch cable termi nated in Hirose 4 pin locking DC connector HR10 7P 4P 121 688 User s Guide ACCESSORY PHOTO DESCRIPTION XL LB2 A 75 ohm LEMO 5 to BNC input and BNC output cable for timecode jamming of audio and video equipment with BNC connectors for SMTPE time SS es code XL LL LEMO 5 to LEMO 5 coiled cable for timecode inter connection between the 688 and other devices XL LX LEMO 5 to XLR 3F input and XLR 3M output for timecode interconnection between the 688 and other devices XL WPH3 The XL WPH3 is an AC to DC in line 100 240V power supply unit with 50 60 Hz input a 12 VDC 3 75 A 45 W output and a Hirose 4 pin DC plug It comes supplied with a 3 pin IEC cord Software ACCESSORY PHOTO DESCRIPTION Wave Agent Sound Devices Wave Agent a file librarian for computers provides a comprehensive range of tools for preparing audio files for problem free passage through complex production workflows For more a free download visit www waveagent com 122 CL 6 Controller The CL 6 Controller is an optional input Topics in this section include expansion accessory available for use gt Front Panel with Sound Devices 688 or 664 gt Attaching the CL 6 gt Trim Levels 688 only It adds dedicated front panel controls Trin Levels God only inclu
88. ing of the timecode and absolute time clocks on all meter views so that the one you deem most important is larg er Timecode Absolute Time To reverse the clock display 1 Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select TIMECODE SYNC gt Display Mode Options include OPTIONS DESCRIPTION Big A time Displays absolute time as the larger clock in all Meter Views Big Timecode Displays the timecode as the larger clock in all Meter Views Word Clock In amp Out 78 By default the 688 uses its own internal clock to generate its sampling rate The Word Clock BNC input connection on the back panel may be used to clock from an external signal The 688 internal word clock may also be used as clock master by connecting its output connection to external audio devices The 688 accepts word clock signals between 44 1 kHz and 192 kHz To synchronize to an external word clock signal Connect the word clock signal to the BNC input on the 688 s back panel Press the MENU button 3 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select TIMECODE SYNC gt Sync Reference 4 Set the sync reference to Word Clock TIMECODE AND SYNC When the 688 is locked to external word clock it is indicated by WCK in yellow text at the bottom of the Main screen Sasa ae Berna sala Hosa ey Eji _ 10 0 20 Lim l I I i 01 46 49 07 Ati 0 E Wordclock value If no valid external word
89. ings for details TIMECODE SYNC Settings related to timecode and sample clock synchronization See Timecode and Sync for details FILE STORAGE Settings related to file storage and metadata See File Storage Set tings for details SYSTEM Various system settings See System for details 17 688 User s Guide CATEGORY DESCRIPTION QUICK SETUP Allows user to save and recall user settings to and from SD CF and internal memory Also allows resetting all settings to factory default See Quick Setup for details Customizing the LCD and LEDs 18 Because the 688 is a portable field mixer it may be used in a variety of environ ments including some where lighting is an issue that requires adjustments to the mixer With some System settings you can modify the brightness levels of the LCD the brightness levels of the LEDs and even enable or disable the LCD Daylight mode To set the LCD brightness level Press the MENU button Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select SYSTEM gt LCD Brightness Turn the Headphone encoder to change the value from 10 to 100 Then press the encoder to make your selection By default the LCD brightness level is set to 100 To set the LCD brightness level Press the MENU button Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select SYSTEM gt LED Brightness Turn the Headphone encoder to change the value from 5 to 100 Then press the encoder to make your selec
90. ions 71 Setting the Timecode Generator 05 76 Setting User Bits 0 cece ee ees 77 Setting Display Mode 00 cece eee ees 78 Word Clock In amp OUt 1 2 cee 78 Word Clock Sensitivity 000 cece e ee eee ee 79 Generating Sound Reports 000ee eee eee 87 Defining File Max Size 1 0 cece eee 88 Setting Scene Increment Mode 005 88 Setting Take Reset Mode 0000 cece eee 89 File Playback Mode 00 cece cence eens 89 Selecting a Default Playback Card 89 Erase Format Media 000ce cence eae 90 Metadata Overview 0c cece eee eens 93 Renaming or Deleting Previous Takes 94 Editing Metadata in Other Programs 95 Using a USB Keyboard 0 ccc eee eee ees 104 Viewing Shortcut Information 06 104 Viewing Version Information 00ee05 104 Updating Firmware 0 cece eee eens 105 Quick Setup Saving Settings asennan anann eee eee eee 107 Deleting Quick Setup Files 00000 cea 108 Copying Quick Setup Files 0 000 eae 108 Loading Previously Saved Settings 109 Shortcuts Front Panel Shortcuts 00 eee e eee eee ee 111 USB Keyboard Shortcuts 000c cece e eee 113 Specifications Analog Inputs 00 cece eee eens 115 Timecode and Sync 1 eee eee 117 Digital APUS r
91. irst and is loudest This does not prevent another input from opening when unique program audio is sensed at that input Number of Open Microphone Attenuation As the number of open inputs increases the level of each input as it is routed to the track will decrease by 3 dB per doubling of open mics This ensures that the overall level of the track is consistent regardless of the amount of open inputs routed to it Last Mic Lock On When talking stops the last input to be active will remain open This maintains a consistent level of natural sound and avoids a dramatic transition to silence on the track even when no inputs are in use MixAssist Setup Screen While MixAssist on the 688 is capable of auto mixing all 12 inputs MixAssist may be configured from the MixAssist screen to attenuate fewer inputs or none at all To access the MixAssist screen 1 Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select MIXASSIST The MixAssist screen is displayed MixAssist Mode MixAssist master On Off MixAssist is applied to Tracks L amp R Input Selection Input assigned to MixAssist E PATAMAR ee Input not assigned to MixAssist Scroll amp select using encoders 54 MIXASSIST Turning MixAssist On or Off By default the MixAssist feature is turned off MixAssist is also disabled automatically when Main menu option RECORDER gt Sample Rate is set to a value higher than 48 048 kH
92. is useful for identifying the left or odd Aux channel of the stereo pair on the receiving device To send a continuous tone to outputs gt Do one of the following o Slide the MIC TONE switch to the right for a brief burst of tone o Slide and hold the MIC TONE switch for one second to turn on a continu ous tone Slide the switch again to turn off the tone By default 1000 Hz tone is sent at O GB to all outputs and tracks To send an L Ident pulsing tone gt Press and hold the SELECT encoder then slide the MIC TONE switch to the right By default a continuous tone is sent to outputs while the Left Identifier signal pulses the amplitude of tone by 20 dB to the Left channel X1 X3 and X5 out puts Repeat the SELECT TONE combination to turn off the L Ident pulse These factory defaults may be customized via System settings Custom configu ration includes routing to outputs or tracks setting decibel level and frequency and changing the functionality of the MIC TONE switch actions For details see Setting up Tones and Bells 47 688 User s Guide 48 Limiters Limiters prevent clipping by attenuating Topics tn this section include Signals that exceed a set threshold The amount of attenuation is defined by the o en gt Enabling the Limiters ratio of the limiter and expressed as two p Adjusting the Threshold numbers gt Linking Limiters The time it takes for limiting to begin once signal h
93. ixAssist Inputs that are auto mixed will be open unattenuated when a person talks into the input s microphone and closed attenuated when the person stops talking Microphone channels open with ultra sensitive responsiveness to voice levels to ensure that no syllables are lost and then will gate off smoothly over 500mS This gating action is smooth and imperceptible when switching between microphones MixAssist is more sophisticated than a simple gate and uses four different principles to automix input signals MixAssist will allow several microphones to be open simultaneously if there are several talkers and MixAssist does not limit the number of open microphones Noise Adaptive Threshold When an input s post fade level surpasses the MixAssist threshold it will be opened Unlike a simple limiter or gate this threshold is dynamic MixAssist continuously analyzes all inputs assigned to it to determine an average noise floor level and uses that level as the threshold This prevents common back ground noise fans crowd murmur etc from causing the input to open while allowing normal sounds to open the mic 53 688 User s Guide One Mic Per Sound Source Often a sound source such as someone speaking is captured by more than one microphone MixAssist actively compares signals from all inputs and when it senses the same audio on multiple inputs it will only open the input in which that specific program audio arrived f
94. n the 668 changes Slide left activates PFL and slide right displays Input Settings for inputs 1 6 only Fader 1 6 Adjusts fader level for inputs 1 6 Mini Fader 7 12 Adjusts fader level for inputs 7 12 When the CL 6 accessory is attached to the 688 the mini faders become trim controls for inputs 7 12 Trim 1 6 Adjusts trim level for inputs 1 6 Pan 1 6 Adjusts pan between L and R tracks PFL status Activity LED 1 6 Indicates PFL status and input signal activity PFL status Activity LED 7 12 Indicates PFL status and input signal activity 11 688 User s Guide Left Side Panel XLR Inputs LALA N LAON NNS TA3 Inputs M Outputs FEATURE DESCRIPTION XLR Inputs Active balanced analog microphone or line level inputs Inputs 1 and 6 can also accept AES3 or AES42 Mode 1 signal Pin 1 ground pin 2 hot and pin 3 cold TA3 Inputs Active balanced analog line level inputs Pin 1 ground pin 2 hot and pin 3 cold Headphone Outputs 3 5mm and 1 4 headphone outputs Can drive headphones from 8 to 1000 ohm impedances to very high levels Tip left ring right and sleeve ground Right Side Panel USB B Connector CompactFlash Slot 10 pin Aand C X1 X2 X3 and X4 Outputs X5 and X6 Outputs COM RTN Output f AN E a ras S ae i rh Ng e cs et i th ih lt a p ma ne W a TE I T
95. nected inputs 7 through 12 have dedicated fader controls PFL switches and LEDs to indicate various input signal and track activity The CL 6 LED meters show L R X1 and X2 metering activity Additional buttons are also available for starting or stopping recordings and tog gling the high pass filter from on at 150 Hz to off 125 688 User s Guide Trim Levels 688 only When the CL 6 is attached to the 688 the mini faders on the 688 become dedi cated trim controls for inputs 7 12 To adjust the trim level for inputs 7 12 gt Turn the appropriate mini fader on the 688 The trim gain will be displayed on the mixer s LCD Trim Levels 664 only When the CL 6 is attached to the 664 the mixer s SELECT encoder may be used to adjust trim for inputs 7 12 To adjust the trim level for inputs 7 12 1 Slide the input s PFL switch on the CL 6 to the right to access the Input Set tings screen on the mixer s LCD 2 Turn the SELECT encoder to adjust trim for the input The trim gain will be displayed on the mixer s LCD Using High pass Filters 126 The High pass Filter button on the CL 6 is a toggle which turns the high pass filter off or on to a predefined setting of 150 Hz On the 688 the high pass filter may be adjusted to other frequencies via the Input settings however if the button on the CL 6 is used high pass filtering is turned on at a set frequency of 150 Hz To turn on or off high pass fil
96. o indicate the slate mic is active 2 Slide the MIC TONE switch left again to deactivate the slate mic By default the slate mic is routed to all tracks and outputs The gain of the slate mic can be adjusted and an external mic can be used optionally For details see Comms and Returns Playback 64 Playback may be initiated at any time except when the 688 is recording Un less playback is initiated from the Take List or File List the active take will be played The active take is whichever take was recorded or played most recently The active take is displayed at the top of the Main screen RECORDING Active take Default playback card 4 DF snd 4 ata SOushosiaay 3 20 To play back the active take gt Push the Transport control down in any view beside the File List or Take List gt To play back a specific file from the Take List or File List push the Transport control down while a file is highlighted in one of those views For details see Take List Overview and Accessing the File List 65 688 User s Guide 66 Comms and Returns The 688 is equipped with three stereo returns RTN A B C which allow the Sound Mixer to hear Camera audio directly from the 688 interface to ensure quality audio is being sent to camera RTN audio can be quickly monitored on the 688 headphone output with a toggle of the RTN FAV switch The 688 can utilize an external slate mic or the built in slate mic for an
97. ockwise until it clicks to activate the input Trim Control The input is deactivated whenever the Trim control for that input is fully rotated counter clockwise Input Setting Screens Each input has its own Input Settings screen This screen provides access to the input s settings such as input source high pass filter and track routing and also displays information about the input s gain and meter levels To access an Input Settings screen and PFL solo the input Ensure the chosen input has been activated 2 Slide the PFL switch to the left for inputs 1 6 or right for inputs 7 12 Step 1 is based on factory defaults If sliding the switch to the left does not display the Input Settings screen then the PFL Toggle Mode is not set to its 12 Channel default When the PFL Toggle Mode is set to only 6 Channels you must slide the PFL switch to the right instead of the left since sliding to the left is used to activate PFL without leaving the Main screen All Input Settings screens share some common elements such as channel name number level meter trim gain value fader gain value X1 X2 routing HPF and source selection Items displayed on the bottom half of the screen are adjusted by the physical controls that they are near Select encoder MIC TONE switch RTN FAV switch and Headphone encoder 30 INPUTS Channel number Channel name Input level meter Trim gain value Fader gain value HPF setting In
98. ogle Docs and many more Ensure the spreadsheet application is set to delineate by com ma MP3 files are not included in Sound reports To define headers for sound reports Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select FILE STORAGE gt Sound Report Info A list of sound report headers appears 3 Select a header to edit Do one of the following gt Use the Headphone encoder to select an existing item from the list gt Use the Headphone encoder to select lt Add New Entry gt Then use the on screen keyboard to enter a new value Other options include lt None gt lt Current Selection gt and lt System Date gt Sound reports are generated by folder All files in the folder are included in the sound report Files located within sub folders will not be included in the sound report For example if you have a Mid and Bottom level folder you have to create a sound report on the bottom level where the files are located To generate a sound report Access the File List See Accessing the File List for details 2 Turn the Headphone encoder to highlight the folder in which you would like to generate a sound report 3 Slide the RTN FAV switch right to access the options menu for this folder Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select Create a Sound Report A csv file will be created in the folder with a name of FOLDER NAME REPORT CSV 5 When prompted for confirmation pr
99. one encoder to select Cancel 103 688 User s Guide Using a USB Keyboard By default the SYSTEM gt USB Port sub menu is set to Keyboard The alternative option is Factory Test which is a setting reserved for the purposes of in house quality assurance testing Included with the 688 is a USB 2 0 A Female to Female connector and a USB A to B cable which may be used to connect a standard USB keyboard to the 688 mixer To use a USB keyboard with the 688 1 Connect the keyboard s male USB A plug into the supplied USB A female adapter Connect the the other end of the adapter to the USB A to B cable Plug the other end of the cable into the USB B jack on the mixer s right panel Keyboard shortcuts are provided in the Shortcuts section of this guide Viewing Shortcut Information While this guide provides a section on the various shortcuts available with the 688 there is also an abbreviated list provided as a quick reference on the mixer itself To view shortcut information Press the MENU button Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select SYSTEM gt Shortcut Info Turn the encoder to scroll down the list e WNE Press the encoder to select OK and exit the list Viewing Version Information 104 Information regarding the product s serial number software and timecode versions plus build numbers is provided on the mixer via a System settings Sub menu option To view version information 1
100. one encoder to select the desired output pair and adjust its linked status Setting Output Type and Nominal Level By default left XLR right XLR 10 pin A and 10 pin C balanced outputs are set to analog Line 4 dBu nominal level However each output may be set to Mic Line and 10 analog Additionally left XLR right XLR and 10 pin A may be set to AES digital To set output level and type Press the MENU button Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select OUTPUTS gt Levels Type Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select the output Options for each output will vary but can include Mic Line 10 or AES 41 688 User s Guide Output Routing The master L and R tracks are permanently routed to their respective outputs unless the connections have been set to AES in which case they use AES out put routing AES Output Routing There is a total of 8 channels of digital output on 4 connections Each of the XLR 3M or 10 pin A outputs can be configured to output AES3 digital signals For more information see Setting Output Type and Nominal Level Any track can be routed to any AES output in any combination No sources are assigned to any of the 8 AES outputs by default To access the AES Output Routing screen 1 Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select OUTPUTS gt AES Output Routing AES Output Routing Screen The AES Output Routing screen consists of rows that rep
101. ones to dangerously high vol umes Turn down the headphone gain before attaching headphones or selecting a headphone source to prevent accidental high levels To adjust Headphone gain gt Turn the Headphone encoder The gain value will be dis played in the lower right corner of the Main screen Selecting Headphone Source The default list of headphone presets consists of six predefined headphone sources and 10 customizable presets To select a headphone source 1 Press the Headphone encoder to display the list of available sources 2 Turn the encoder to change the headphone source Options include LR ST 21 688 User s Guide LR Mono L Mono R Mono LR MS ST X1X2 and HP Preset 1 through HP Preset 10 The headphone source changes immediately as it is highlighted in the list 3 Press the encoder to close the list Headphone Encoder Mode The default functionality of the Headphone encoder can be reversed so that the Headphone encoder must be pressed before turning to adjust the headphone volume and headphone source can be selected by simply turning the Head phone encoder To set Headphone Encoder mode 1 Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select SYSTEM gt Headphone En coder Mode gt Preset Vol Configuring the Headphone Preset List 22 Presets can be excluded from this list to make preset selection simpler To edit the Headphone Preset list Press the M
102. or iXML this information is ignored The following chart details the supported metadata parameters METADATA PARAMETER STORED IN Set BY U User M Macuine Project IXML U FILE STORAGE gt Folder Options gt Top Level or Take List Roll Tape IXML DEXT M uses creation date or is overridden by User U FILE STORAGE gt Folder Options gt Mid Level or Take List Scene IXML DEXT U Take List Take IXML DEXT M or U Take List Notes IXML DEXT U Take List Circle Take IXML U Take List File UID IXML M Unique File Identifier File Sample Rate IXML FMT U RECORDER gt Sample Rate Digitizer Sample Rate IXML U Actual sample rate of AD converter Bit Depth IXML FMT U RECORDER gt Bit Depth menu Channels IXML FMT U Number of channels tracks in the file Frame Rate IXML DEXT U TIMECODE SYNC gt Frame Rate TC Flag ND or NDF IXML bEXT U TIMECODE SYNC gt Frame Rate Start Time Code IXML DEXT M Stored as a sample count since midnight Duration M U Bits IXML DEXT U TIMECODE SYNC gt Set Generator UBits Time Code Sample Rate iXML M Channel Index IXML M Track Number Interleave Index IXML M Track Name IXML DEXT U Take List Master Speed IXML M Current Speed IXML M Speed Note IXML M Originator bEXT M Creation Date bEXT M Creation Time bEXT M 93 688 User s Guide METADATA PARAMET
103. ose peaks above the threshold compressing at whatever ratio is set With soft knee attenuation begins slightly before the threshold at about 6 dB for a more gradual tape like sound making the compression much more difficult to detect To enable or disable limiters Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select LIMITERS gt Limiter Enable 3 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to activate or deactivate the limiter Options include Off Hard Knee and Soft Knee Adjusting the Threshold The default threshold of all limiters is 16 dBu however that may be adjusted from 4 dBu to 18 dBu in 1 dBu increments To adjust the threshold Press the MENU button Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select LIMITERS Define the threshold parameters based on the following table PARAMETER DESCRIPTION OPTIONS Input 1 6 Post Sets the level at which input limiters will begin 4 dBu 18 dBu Fade Threshold attenuating on inputs 1 6 1 dBu increments L R Threshold Sets the limiter threshold for the Master Bus e 4 dBu 18 dBu 1 dBu increments X1 X2 Threshold Sets the limiter threshold for the Aux Bus e 4 dBu 18 dBu 1 dBu increments Linking Limiters 50 Limiters for L R and X1 X2 channel pairs can be linked on the 688 Anytime two limiters are linked both channels will be limited when signal reaches the threshold in any channel of the pair
104. put source setting X1 X2 routing 9E EAE L R routing Input Settings screen for inputs 2 4 and 6 include an INV option for inverting phase IN LR MIX Inputs 7 12 allow separate routing to L and R tracks since these inputs do not have pan controls Setting Input Source Each input channel may be configured to receive signal from a unique source To set an input s source Slide the PFL switch left to access the Input Settings screen for that input 2 Press the Headphone encoder to display the list of available input sources Options include 0 0 3 Turn the Headphone encoder to select an input source Not all types of sources are available for each channel OFF Use to deactivate an input without having to change trim MIC Use for dynamic microphones or mic level sources MIC PH Use for microphones requiring phantom power LINE Use for analog line level sources LINE PH Use for phantom powered condenser microphones Provides 48V or 12V phantom power but at a line level gain range Useful in high sound pressure level environments AES42 Use for digital AES42 Mode 1 microphones AES3 Use for a digital AES3 source Encoder INPUT TYPES Channel 1 OFF MIC MIC PH LINE LINE PH AES 42 AES 3 Channel 2 OFF MIC MIC PH LINE LINE PH AES 42 AES 3 is conditionally available only if Channel 1 is already set to AES 42 or AES 3 31 688 User s Guide
105. r to select RECORDER gt MP3 Bit Rate 3 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select a bit rate Options include 128 192 and 320 kbs Sample Rate 62 The 688 records WAV files at 48 kHz sample rate by default To set sample rate Press the MENU button Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select RECORDER gt Sample Rate Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select a sample rate Options in clude 44 1k 47 952k 47 952kF 48k 48 048k 48 048kF 88 2k 96k and 192k The sample rate value is stored in file metadata Those options with F are F mode rates The F stands for faux or Fostex Certain restrictions apply when using sample rates at or greater than 88 2 kHz 88 2 96 kHz 192 kHz Maximum record tracks 8 6 WAV mono recording Disabled Maximum pre roll time 3 seconds 1 MixAssist Disabled ISO 7 12 recording Disabled RTN loopback Available Disabled High pass filters Unchanged Off or 50 Hz X3 X6 outputs Available Disabled AES outputs Available Disabled Limiters Available Disabled Input delay Available Disabled Output delay Available Disabled RECORDING F Sample Modes The 48 048kF mode is used in specific work flows with Avid Final Cut Pro and other post production environments that do not recognize audio files writ ten at 48 048 kHz In this mode files are recorded at a 48 048 kHz sampling rate but are stamped at 48 kH
106. rear screws from the CL 6 The rear screws are lo cated on either side of the multi pin header Either screw may be removed but do not remove both 4 Remove the rear screw on the mixer that corresponds with the one removed from the CL 6 5 Remove the left and right screws from the mixer The screws removed in previous steps will not be reused with the new assembly However these screws should be kept if you should decided to operate the mixer without the CL 6 in the future CL 6 CONTROLLER Multi pin Header Uncovered with ribbon cable Rear Screws Left Screw Right Screw r AUE ar i et SA No SENS NES 7 b3 l Multi pin Header I Covered a EE _ EEE Connect the supplied ribbon cable to the multi pin header on the mixer Carefully slide the rubber gasket into place where the ribbon cable connects to the mixer With the mixer positioned on a flat stable surface hold the CL 6 in hand and connect the other end of the ribbon cable to the CL 6 Insert the excess ribbon cable into the cavity behind the header on the CL 6 while lowering the CL 6 into position Ensure the ribbon cable is fully within the cavity and not pinched between the accessory and mixer 10 Using a screwdriver drive the 3 longer screws supplied through the CL 6 and into the mixer one in place of the removed rear screw and two others in place of the removed right and left screws After the CL 6 is con
107. resent each AES output and columns that represent the available source for those outputs AES Output Routing f 9 101112 oon aooooooo9ooo0000 Highlight Unrouted source OOOOOOOCOOBOOOUOULI Scroll amp select using encoders To configure output sources in the AES Output Routing screen 1 Do one of the following gt Turn the Headphone encoder to move the orange highlight horizontally gt Turn the Select encoder to move the orange highlight vertically 2 Press the Headphone or Select encoder to change the selected source be tween Off black and On blue 42 OUTPUTS Aux X1 X6 Routing X1 and X2 tracks are routed to their respective outputs by default Output sources are configured in the Output routing screen To access the Aux Output Routing screen Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select OUTPUTS gt X1 X6 Rout Ing 3 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select an output Aux Output Routing Screens The Aux Output Routing screen consists of boxes that indicate sources available for routing to the chosen output The sources are arranged in two sections e Live left half of screen e Playback Right half of screen Upon playback all sources configured in the Playback section will be used Sources configured in the Live section are used at all other times X3 ROUTING Ex Com Follows Live Routed source a Pre fade routed source Highligh
108. rmatted with the exFAT file system The exFAT file system is not compatible with Windows XP or Mac OS X 10 6 4 or lower Metadata and Take List Metadata is used to convey the details Topics tn this section include or content of a recording A take can gt Take List Overview consist of multiple metadata files gt Accessing the Take List gt Playing Takes The 688 Take List allows the sound gt Editing Metadata on the 688 mixer to enter and edit the metadata Metadata Overview of broadcast WAV files such as Scene gt Renaming or Deleting Previous Takes Take Notes Track Names and Circle gt Editing Metadata in Other Programs Status Applications that can read Bext and IXML data will display the metadata of files generated by the 688 Metadata can also be used to generate a Sound Report in CSV file format directly from the 688 Take List Overview The Take List displays all tracks recorded across both media By default when a recording is made the name of the file is the take number such as T01 wav From the Take List a user can enter a scene name for the next take so that when the recording occurs the file name contains both scene and take In the Take List screen takes are listed in the left column in the order they were recorded The top item in orange text indicates the next take The right column displays details about the highlighted take TAKE LIST Ex A 4 MORH Start timecode value of take
109. rs in a different color and italicized A A cautionary warning about a specific action that could cause harm to you the device or cause you to lose data Follow the guidelines in this document or on the unit itself when handling elec trical equipment The text for caution ary notes also appears in a different color bold and italicized 688 User s Guide Rev 1 B e March 12 2015 This document is distributed by Sound Devices LLC in online electronic PDF format only but may be purchased in printed form E published amp or printed in the USA Sound Devices LLC E7556 Road 23 and 33 Reedsburg Wisconsin USA Direct 1 608 524 0625 Toll Free 800 505 0625 Fax 1 608 524 0655 Revision History This table provides the revision history of this guide and includes notes for what changes were made Rev Date Firmware Description Version 1 A 1 B March 2015 v1 00 Preliminary Draft Initial Official Publication 688 User s Guide Table of Contents Overview of Chassis Front Top and Bottom Panels 05 9 Left Side Panel aactaee cece ace ae ee oeeee ae en Bees 12 The LCD and User Interface Meter Views 0 0 c cece eee e eee eens 15 Using Meter VIEWS 0 00 c cece eee eee 16 Customizing Meter Views 00 cece eens 16 Headphone Monitoring
110. s For more in formation see the chapter on MixAssist Using Meter Views Although the first meter view is Known as the Main screen there are other screens which may appear on the LCD such as the Main menu or the Input Settings screen Regardless of what screen is visible returning to the Main screen and its meter view IS easy To return to the main screen at any time gt Press the METERS button You can also easily switch to any of three different meter views To toggle between the three meter views gt Press the METERS button Each press of the button switches the display to the next view Customizing Meter Views While the 688 provides three meter views by default all three may be custom ized to display the information you deem most important To customize the meter views Press MENU Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select SYSTEM gt Meter Views U N e Select the meter view you would like to change 4 Select the display option for that meter view For more information on configuring the meters displayed in Meter Views see Configuring the Meters THE LCD AND USER INTERFACE Accessing the Main Menu The majority of the 688 s settings are configured with the Main menu To access the Main menu MENU Button gt Press the MENU button The Main menu is made up of categories each with its own set of sub menu options Turn the Headphone encoder to navigate the Main menu and pr
111. s counting for up to two hours after power down Free Run Auto Mute Generator Timecode runs continuously however timecode output is muted during standby This is useful for triggering external devices when in free run time code workflows Free Run Jam Once Generator Allows the mixer to automatically jam to an ex ternal valid timecode source when first connected Once jammed the mixer will retain the timecode count even when disconnected from external source and for up to two hours after the mixer is powered down 24h Run Generator Timecode runs continuously with its value based on the mixer s time and date settings This is use ful for workflows requiring timecode be referenced to the Actual Time clock 24h Run Auto Mute Generator Timecode runs continuously with its value based on mixer s time and date settings however time code output is muted during standby Ext TC Ext TC Auto Rec Reader Reader Timecode is derived from external timecode sources Timecode is based on external timecode sources and allows recording on the 688 to be triggered via external timecode starting and stopping Ext TC Cont Reader Generator Timecode is based on external timecode sources If timecode is disconnected the 688 continues counting from the same value using its internal timecode generator This is useful when working with wireless timecode sources allowing the mix
112. sed on the timecode frame rate All files generated by the mixer have timecode numbers that begin on the O frame or 02 in DF modes and end on the O frame such that a file s duration is always an integer number of seconds long If necessary pre roll and post roll is dynamically applied to accomplish this simplifying syn chronization in post production The timecode value and frame rate of the 688 are displayed on the Main screen Fang aay Oda 20 Timecode Frame rate or sample rate If sample rate is displayed as shown instead of the frame rate toggle the view to frame rate by holding METERS down and slide the RTN FAV switch to the left 73 688 User s Guide Setting the Timecode Mode The Timecode mode determines if the mixer generates or reads timecode from an external source and when timecode runs and stops To set the Timecode mode Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select TIMECODE SYNC gt Time code Mode 3 Select a mode Options include OPTIONS Mope TYPE DESCRIPTION Off N A Turns timecode mode off Rec Run Generator Timecode runs while recording and is stationary when not recording In this mode timecode defaults to the last stationary value at power up When switching to Record Run from another mode the internal generator will stop at the last timecode value Free Run Generator Timecode runs continuously Timecode continue
113. source between Off black and On blue COMMS AND RETURNS Using the Slate for Notation To activate the slate function momentarily 1 Slide and hold the MIC TONE switch left The slate mic activates the Slate Tone LED illuminates green and the headphone monitor source changes to SLATE when slate is active 2 Release the MIC TONE switch The slate mic deactivates the Slate Tone LED turns off and the headphone monitor reverts to its previous source To lock the slate function on 1 Slide the MIC TONE switch left The slate mic activates the Slate Tone LED illuminates green and the headphone monitor source changes to SLATE 2 Slide the MIC TONE switch left again The slate mic deactivates the Slate Tone LED turns off and the headphone monitor reverts to its previous source Using Private Comms The 688 features Comms for private communication between the 688 operator and other members of the crew The most common use of Comms is for the sound mixer to communicate with the boom operator Activating the Comms When Comms are active the slate mic signal is sent to auxiliary outputs which have the Com send source activated and the other sources of that output are muted The COM signal is sent to the right channel of the headphone monitor and the selected headphone source is attenuated See Aux X1 X6 Routing for details Comm signal will never go to record tracks or affect recordings To activate Comms momentar
114. ss and hold METERS down then press the Select encoder This toggles the armed status of the highlighted track on the Main screen File Take List MENU HP Press and hold MENU down then press the Headphone encoder This displays the Take List screen False Take O0 wo HP lt lt Rewind Press and hold down the Headphone encoder then push the Transport con trol to the left This moves the previous recorded file s to the False Takes folder and decrements the Take num ber Scene Increment gt KO lO O HP gt gt Fast Forward Press and hold down the Headphone encoder then push the Transport control to the right This increments the scene name according to the Scene Increment Mode setting 111 688 User s Guide FUNCTION SEQUENCE ACTION Toggle Playback Card Ql HP Play Press and hold down the Headphone encoder then push the Transport control down ward Play This toggles the playback media card between SD or CF Target media is indicated by a green back ground on the Main screen LED Brightness MENU HP turn Press and hold MENU down then turn the Headphone encoder This adjusts the brightness of all LEDs LCD Brightness MENU SELECT turn Press and hold MENU down then turn the Select encoder This adjusts the back light level of the LCD Scene Name HP RTN Press and hold down the Headphone encoder then pus
115. sting Trim and Fader Controls The gain of an input is adjusted by two controls Trim and Fader This two stage architecture is identical to the topology of large mixing consoles and provides a great deal of control Trim is often thought of as a coarse gain control and the Fader as the fine gain control The Fader is the primary control used while mixing and it affects the level of input signal routed to all post fade destinations Use the Fader control to make fine gain adjustments The Fader control can be attenuated from off at full counter clockwise position to 16dB above the set trim level at full clockwise position Operate input faders at or near OdB the unity gain 12 o clock posi tion to optimize gain structure for the best performance 33 688 User s Guide 1 6 trim control 1 6 Fader control O To adjust trim and fade Access the Input Settings screen for the chosen input 2 Do one of the following gt For inputs 1 6 Set Fader control to 0 dB the unity gain position gt For inputs 7 12 Set Mini Fader control to O dB If the Mini fader control is recessed push it in and it will pop out 3 Adjust the input s Trim control clockwise until optimal level is achieved on metering and in headphones Analog trim level is adjustable from 22 to 72 dB of gain The digital trim level is adjustable from 20 to 40 dB Adjusting Trim Inputs 7 12 Inputs 1 6 have dedicated Trim controls but t
116. t ee Unrouted source A The Aux Output Routing screens have a Com Send option a feature explained in the Comms Returns section of this guide This flexibility in routing is useful for situations where the live feed to the Aux outputs is not the same program you want to send when playing back For in stance e Live source sent to the Aux output was not recorded and therefore does not playback e During playback you want to feed loud speakers but in Live mode you don t want anything feeding the speakers e Boom op gets fed a mono mix of his isolated channel during Live mode but during playback he will receive the LR mix 43 688 User s Guide 44 The X1 and X2 Output Routing screens differ from the other Output Routing screens Aux and HP sources are not available but an additional Input Setting appears Locked In py cE etting Unlocked Input etting When Input Setting is set to Locked changing the X1 and X2 routing from the Input Settings screens is disabled preventing accidental routing of channels to those outputs using the MIC TONE switch To configure output sources in the Aux Output Routing screen 1 Access the Aux Output Routing screen 2 Do one of the following gt Turn the Headphone encoder to move the orange highlight horizontally gt Turn the Select encoder to move the orange highlight vertically 3 Press either encoder to change the selected source between Off bl
117. t of files on that card will be displayed Ai Turn the Headphone encoder to highlight the chosen file or folder Slide the RTN FAV switch left or right to access options for the highlighted file or folder UJ 4 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select Delete 5 Press the Headphone encoder to confirm deletion or turn and press the Headphone encoder to cancel deletion Deleted files get moved to the Trash folder of the chosen card 84 FILE STORAGE File Storage Settings The following table provides the File Storage settings and available options Report headers SUB MENU DESCRIPTION OPTIONS Take List Accesses the Take List See Take List Overview for more details File List Accesses the File List Folder Options Sets options for folder structure with up e Top Level to three levels of hierarchy e Mid Level e Bottom Level Sound Report Info Enter information to be included in Sound Project Producer Director Job Date Location Sound Mixer Phone E Mail Client Boom Op Prod Co Prod Co Tel Mics Comments Roll Media File Type CF File Type SD Sample Rate Frame Rate Bit Depth Tone Level File Max Size Selects the file size at which a recording e 4GB will close automatically and then start a e 2GB new file e 1GB e 640MB e 512MB Scene Increment Mode Enables or disabled the scene increment Disabled Shortcut and selects which format the e
118. ter gt Press the High pass Filter button The High pass Filter LED illuminates when high pass filtering is on CS 664 Production Case for 664 or 688 Manufactured by CamRade for Sound Included e CS 664 Production Case e Detachable Wireless Bag e High quality Shoulder Strap Devices this production case was designed for use with the 664 Field Production Mixer or the 688 Portable Mixer Recorder as well as the CL 6 input expansion controller or the SL 6 wireless receiver pack The case accommodates NP type battery and includes doors to access back panel connections Features The production case is made from durable nylon padded with internal reinforcements for shock resistance durability and temperature insulation Other features include Detachable accessory compartment for wireless transmitters receivers recorders or mixers Divider compartment insert for use with 664 or 688 without attached accessory such as the CL 6 or SL 6 Battery compartment holds an NP type battery below the unit Quick trap door access to back panel Adjustable length comfortable padded leather strap Properly balanced with or without an NP type battery Loop mounts for attaching third party wireless cases or to combine with Sound Devices CS W Includes removable windowed cover with side access Covers can be rolled back and held with hook and loop fastener Published in Reedsburg WI USA www sounddevices com Tel 608
119. the MIC TONE switch is slid to the right By default this action is set to send a continuous tone e Sets secondary action for when the SELECT encoder is pressed and held as the MIC TONE switch is slid to the right By default this action is set to L Ident e The No Action option is used to prevent acci dental activation of the tone oscillator No Action Continuous L Ident Configuring Record Stop and Warning Bells The start of a recording is indicated audibly by a single 440 Hz tone sent to the sound mixer s headphones When recording is stopped two 220 Hz tones are sent These audible alerts are called the Record Stop and Warning bells Warning bells alert users with an audible tone when the mixer has encountered an error such as low power The default decibel level for these bells is 30 dBFS but that level may be changed in 1 dB increments from 60 to 12 dbFS or turned off entirely To set warning bell levels Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select SYSTEM gt Warning Bell Level 3 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to set a new level Options include Off 60 to 12 dbFS in 1 dB increments SYSTEM By default the Record Stop bells are turned on but they may be turned off Disabling does not apply to Warning bells To turn on or off the Record Stop bells Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select SYSTEM gt Record Stop
120. the time and date 101 688 User s Guide 102 PARAMETER DESCRIPTION OPTIONS Time Zone Sets the time zone based on Greenwich Mean e GMT 1 00 12 00 Time GMT e GMT e GMT 1 00 13 00 Daylight Savings Sets whether or not daylight savings is in effect On Time By default daylight savings is off e Off To set the formats for time and date Press the MENU button 2 Do one of the following gt Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select SYSTEM gt Time Format gt Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select SYSTEM gt Date Format 3 Turn and press the encoder to select a format option o gt Time Format options include 12hr or 24hr o Date Format options include mm dd yy dd mm yy or yy mm dd To set the time and date 1 Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select SYSTEM gt Set Time Date 3 Turn the encoder to move the highlight to each of the time and date fields Set Time Date E 4 Press the encoder to select a field 5 Turn the encoder to change the value of each selected field 6 When finished modifying the time and date fields turn and press the encod er to select Done To select the time zone Press the MENU button Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select SYSTEM gt Time Zone Turn and press the encoder to select the proper GMT time zone for your location SYSTEM E g be ote
121. tion By default the LED brightness level is set to 60 Using LCD Daylight Mode The default appearance of the LCD screen is a dark theme However a lighter theme is available as an alternative mode which can make viewing in bright conditions easier When enabled the LCD Daylight mode may be toggled between dark and light themes To enable or disable LCD Daylight mode Press the MENU button 2 Turn and press the Headphone encoder to select SYSTEM gt LCD Daylight Mode 3 Do one of the following gt Select On to enable gt Select Off to disable THE LCD AND USER INTERFACE To toggle LCD Daylight mode gt SELECT HP simultaneously press the SELECT and Headphone encoders 19 688 User s Guide 20 Headphone Monitoring The 688 provides two headphone outputs on its left panel several options for headphone sources including up to 10 custom presets plus a variety of other customizable features related to audio monitoring Connecting Headphones Topics tn this section include gt Connecting Headphones gt Selecting Headphone Source gt Headphone Encoder Mode gt Configuring the Headphone Preset List gt Defining Custom Headphone Presets gt Choosing a Favorite Headphone Preset gt Headphone Source Shortcuts gt Headphone Peak LED Connect headphones to either the 1 4 inch or 3 5mm headphone outputs lo cated on the left panel of the 688 A The 686 can drive headph
122. via the LCD Using Meter Views display All signal level meters can be Customizing Meter Views displayed on the LCD display Accessing the Main Menu gt Customizing the LCD and LEDs This chapter describes meter views gt Using LCD Daylight Mode including the Main screen which is displayed when no other screens are active the Main menu and LCD Daylight mode Other screens are described where applicable throughout the guide Meter Views The 688 displays important metering information at a glance on its LCD All meter views provide various combinations of input track and return meters By default the first of three predefined meter views is shown This view is known as the Main screen Active playback media Current Take Media time remaining and audio file format SMPTE timecode e P f hi 4 00 00 0000 AEE E Sample rate information RTN levels Absolute recording time The three predefined meter views are e LR 1 12 This meter view shown above shows left and right bus tracks as well as all 12 input tracks e LR X1 X2 RTNs This meter view shows left right X1 and X2 bus tracks plus all returns e LR X1 X6 This meter view shows left and right bus tracks as well as sig nal from X1 through X6 15 688 User s Guide 16 The Didik show all three a meter views CE snoSsiAte M m SHO AVA BX 20 Lir Use of the Mix Assist feature changes the appearance of the meter
123. z To turn MixAssist on or off Access the MixAssist screen Turn the Headphone encoder to move the orange highlight horizontally With the orange highlight positioned on the selected mode press the en coder to select On or Off Assigning Inputs to MixAssist Inputs that are assigned to MixAssist are referred to as active MixAssist inputs Inputs not assigned to MixAssist are referred to as inactive MixAssist inputs To assign inputs to MixAssist Access the MixAssist screen 2 Do one of the following gt Turn the Headphone encoder to move the orange highlight horizontally gt Turn the Select encoder to move the orange highlight vertically 3 With the orange highlight positioned on the selected source press either encoder to change the selected source between Off black and On blue Inputs that are routed post fader to the L or R bus and do not have automix acti vated will not be automixed but will still be analyzed by Mix Assist for the purposes of Last Mic Lock On One Mic Per Sound Source and Number of Open Mics Attenu ation 55 688 User s Guide LCD Views During MixAssist 56 A circle icon is displayed next to the meter for each active MixAssist input When the input is open the circle will be green As the input closes the circle will fade to black Open MixAssist input QO Closed MixAssist input The Meters view will display these circle icons above vertical meters or to the right of
124. z When played they will play back 0 1 slower than real time One use for the 48 048kF mode is to force a 0 1 speed reduction pull down of audio to match MOS telecined film 24 fps to NTSC in non linear edit sys tems such as Avid or Final Cut Pro Since the file is stamped as a 48 kHz file the edit system will play it back at 48 kHz and not at 48 048 kHz This audio pull down will match the transferred picture without the need for an intermedi ate step through other software to create the pull down When using 48 048kF sample rate set main menu option TIMECODE gt Frame Rate to 30ND or 24 When set to 30ND files will be stamped with a frame rate of 29 97 When set to 24 files will be stamped with a frame rate of 23 97ND Both 47 952 and 47 952kF settings use a record sampling rate of 47 952 kHz 0 1 lower than 48 kHz The 47 952kF mode however identifies the file as being recorded at 48 kHz When using 47 952kF sample rate set main menu option TIMECODE gt Frame Rate to 23 97ND or 29 97ND When set to 23 97ND files will be stamped with a frame rate of 24 When set to 29 97ND files will be stamped with a frame rate of 30ND MP3 recording is not allowed in F mode Bit Depth The 688 records 24 bit WAV files by default Bit depth defines the digital word length used to represent a given sample and correlates to the maximum dy namic range that is represented by the digital signal Larger bit depths accom mo

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