Sound Devices and Dan Dugan Debut Dugan Automixing for the 688

Mixer/Recorder at NAB 2016

Firmware version 3.00 will make the 688 the first field mixer/recorder ever to
offer the coveted Dugan automixing 4/14/2016 6:15 PM
LAS VEGAS, APRIL 14, 2016 Sound Devices, LLC and Dan Dugan Sound
Design, Inc. are pleased to announce that the Sound Devices 688
mixer/recorder will be offering Dugan automixing as part of its Firmware
Version 3.00 update, available at no cost to 688 owners upon release next
week at NAB 2016.
On the market for less than a year, the 688 will be on display at Booths
C6040 and C6706, respectively, featuring Dugans well-known automatic mic
mixing. In keeping with Sound Devices commitment to giving production
sound mixers the tools they need to help them mix in increasingly complex
production settings, the inclusion of the Dugan Speech System, along with
Sound Devices MixAssist, makes the 688 the go-to automixing tool for
field production applications.
This collaboration brings together the durable, professional-grade audio
equipment Sound Devices is known for and the well-respected Dan Dugan
automixing algorithm, says Jon Tatooles, Chief Business Development
Officer, Sound Devices, LLC. Were proud to be the first and only field
production mixer that offers Dugan automixing. Adding automixing from an
industry powerhouse like Dan Dugan Sound Design enhances an alreadygreat product.
Dugan automixing takes over the nerve-wracking job of cueing mics in and
out, freeing up the location recordist to pay more attention to the artistic
balance, says Dan Dugan, CEO, Dan Dugan Sound Design, Inc. Mixes are
cleaner and post-production time is reduced for dramatic dialogue recording.
In addition, over-the-shoulder recordists for news, documentaries and reality
shows will appreciate how my automixing makes it possible to use several
mics at once without background noise build-up. Im pleased to license Dugan
automixing for inclusion in this excellent product from Sound Devices.
Getting a great production mix can be challenging in many field applications.
Unscripted dialog, multiple characters, and wide-and-tight multi-camera
coverage often require the use of wireless lavalier mics and multi-track
recording. In these situations, automixers improve intelligibility, reduce noise
and reverberation, and maintain consistent overall gain as microphones are
turned on and off.

Dugan automixing is widely used in broadcast television applications, in

dialogue recording for TV and motion picture production, and in house of
worship (HOW) applications. It also is a good choice for teleconferencing,
video trucks, and theater applications with multiple wireless microphones on
stage.
Many front of house and live broadcast mixers are familiar and comfortable
with Dugan automixing, and how it sounds, adds Tatooles. We added Dugan
to the 688 mixer/recorder because its a great option. Both Dugan and our
MixAssist algorithms have the same goal attenuating unused microphones
to reduce background noise and the likelihood of feedback. The way they do
it differs. There are subtleties that may steer a user to one method over
another. The inclusion of Dugan automixing gives the sound mixer a choice,
situation dependent, on which automixing tool best suits their application.

MixAssist from Sound Devices can be used for mixing many speech-specific
applications, including reality TV productions; a variety of broadcast TV
programs, such as game shows, debates, and panel discussions; wireless
multi-mic dialogue recording for TV and motion picture production; sound
applications for various corporate needs; HOW capture; and more.

Sound Devices is committed to the continual improvement of existing feature

sets. In addition to the Dugan inclusion, the Firmware v3.00 update also
enhances Sound Devices MixAssist automixing feature with the ability to
adjust the amount of attenuation applied to inactive/closed-mic sources. This
allows the end user to tweak MixAssist to find the sweet spot between
optimal noise reduction and smooth-sounding mix in different production
environments.

The 688 features six high-bandwidth mic/line XLR inputs, each complete with
phantom power, high-pass filter, analog input limiter and variable pan, plus
six additional line-level TA3 inputs for added flexibility in complex
productions. All inputs are assignable, pre- or post-fade, to eight-output
buses: left/right plus Aux 1-6. The main left/right mix is available to three
outputs simultaneously via transformer-balanced XLR and Hirose outputs.

For recording, the 688 offers 16-track, polyphonic, or monophonic broadcast

WAV and MP3 file recording to SD and CompactFlash cards. All common
sampling rates are supported, including 192 kHz on up to six tracks. The 688

features comprehensive metadata editing, sound report creation, an

Ambient timecode generator and reader, a two-second, power-on-to-record
ability called QuickBoot, and PowerSafe, a built-in, 10-second power
reserve to protect against data loss from inadvertent power loss.

About Dan Dugan Sound Design, Inc.

Dan Dugan is the inventor of the automatic microphone mixer. Dan Dugan
Sound Design, now in its 48th year, has been designing automatic
microphone mixing technology since the late 1960s. Dugan technologies
provide the best possible mix of live microphones, providing fast, transparent
crossfades without upcutting, choppy sound or shifts in background noise.
Transitions between talkers are smooth and consistent, no matter how many
mics are open.

Dugan hardware products and the licensed Dugan algorithm in other

manufacturers products improve audio quality in broadcast news panels,
sports commentary, talk shows, corporate meetings, political debates,
distance learning, live theater, and other applications. Dugans hardware
products are accessories to sound-mixing consoles. The Dugans patch into
the input insert points of a mixing console, giving the board operator all of
the features of the board, such as EQ and sends, with the addition of
automatic mixing. www.dandugan.com

About Sound Devices

Founded in 1998, Sound Devices, LLC, designs both Sound Devices audio
products and Video Devices video products. Sound Devices offers portable
audio mixers, digital audio recorders and related equipment for feature film,
episodic television, documentary, news gathering, live-event, and acoustical
test and measurement applications. Video Devices offers digital video
monitors, recorders and related products that address a range of video
productions, including fast-paced studio applications, live sports, and events,
as well as mobile, TV, film, and documentary productions.

The Sound Devices, LLC, headquarters is located in Reedsburg, Wisconsin.

Additional offices are located in Madison, Wisconsin, Chicago, and Berlin. For
more information, visit the Sound Devices and/or Video Devices websites:
www.sounddevices.com and www.videodevices.com.