Sound Devices showcases rack-mounted video and audio recorders at CCW 2014

NEW YORK Sound Devices ( http://www.sounddevices.com ), along with its new video-products brand Video Devices (www.videodevices.com), showcased its full complement of rack-mounted production decks at CCW 2014. The companys Paul Isaacs (pictured), VP of marketing and product design, offered attendees a look at the Video Devices PIX 270i and PIX 250ivideo recorders and Sound Devices 970 audio recorder.

Replacing tape- and disc-based video decks, the PIX line of IP-connected video decks with FileSafe and PowerSafe address a range of multiple-source video productions, including fast-paced, mission-critical studio applications, live events and mobile truck production. In addition, at CCW, Sound Devices featured its first-ever dedicated, audio-only rack-mounted solution, the 970, which boasts 64 channels of Dante and MADI. The half-rack, 2U device simplifies any application requiring high-quality, high-track-count audio recording.

According to the company, its PIX 270i and PIX 250i recorders offer significant advantages and time-savings for production workflows, providing tapeless, file-based recording and playback with the ability to access and transfer high-quality files over gigabit Ethernet. The units record edit-ready Apple ProRes (up to ProRes4444) or Avid DNxHD files, and allow simultaneous multiple-drive recording, offering solid redundancy and backup capabilities (four drives for PIX 270i and two drives for 250i). The audio capabilities, including 64 channels of both MADI audio and Dante audio-over-Ethernet for PIX 270i, and PIX 250is 16 tracks of audio, make each unit a comprehensive, cost-effective replacement for complex video servers, and an effective tool for high-performance video production.

Both PIX products feature network connectivity, and can be connected over Ethernet for simultaneous, frame-accurate grouped recording and playback, delivering a cost-effective, scalable solution addressing the multiple-camera recording and multiple screen playback production needs. Any number of units can be grouped, controlled and configured as a single system from either the hardware or the built-in Web browser-based control panel, PIXNet.

Video Devices PIX 270i and PIX 250i and Sound Devices 970 all feature the companys proprietary PowerSafe technology. PowerSafe circuitry has a built-in 10-second power reserve. In the event of power loss, the unit continues to operate for up to 10 seconds, then stops any file operation and shuts down. This ensures that a complete power loss has no effect on the recording. In addition, these newest rack-mounted products feature FileSafe, which automatically detects and repairs corrupted file headers when drives are mounted. If a drive is inadvertently removed during recording, the user can simply reinsert it to repair the files automatically.

A tool for professionals requiring a significant number of audio channels, Sound Devices 970 records 64 channels of monophonic or polyphonic 24-bit WAV files from any of its 144 available inputs. These inputs include 64 channels of Ethernet-based Dante, 64 channels of optical or coaxial MADI, eight channels of line-level analog and eight channels of AES digital. Any input can be assigned to any track. In addition, 32-track recording at 96 kHz is supported. The 970 records to any of four attached drives, which include two front-panel drive bays and two rear-panel e-SATA connected drives. Material can be recorded to multiple drives simultaneously or sequentially. This eliminates time-consuming post-record copying and allows for continuous long-form, high-track-count recordings.

The Sound Devices 970 also features Ambient Recording Lockit time-code technology, an embedded Web-based control panel for machine transport and setup control over Ethernet-based networks, as well as file transfer over the data network with SMB. File metadata editing of scene name, take name, notes, track names, and reel folders can be done during, before and after recording across all drives. In addition to RS-422 and GPIO control, the unit also allows for format conversion between analog, AES digital, MADI and Dante.

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Sound Devices showcases rack-mounted video and audio recorders at CCW 2014