Sound Devices 552 Portable 5-Channel Production Mixer and Stereo Recorder

  • Price: $2,895.00
  • B&H # SO552
  • Mfr# 552

Product Highlights

  • 5 Analog Inputs
  • Analog and Digital Outputs
  • Built-in Stereo Recorder
  • Records to SD/SDHC Cards
  • Uses AA Batteries or External DC Power

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The Sound Devices 552 Production Mixer combines professional-quality analog and digital technologies in a robust metal housing to provide a compact and lightweight mixing and recording solution for a variety of applications. The unit features 5 transformer-balanced XLR mic inputs, each with its own limiter and sweepable high-pass filter. Each of the inputs also has its own pre-or-post-fader direct output. It also features 3 sets of master outputs and several unbalanced outputs, allowing you to connect to a variety of recorders, cameras, and more. The master XLR outputs can be set for analog or digital operation, and are capable of sending 4 channels of 24-bit AES/EBU signals.

The 552 also features an internal stereo recorder, which can capture WAV or MP3 files at either 16-bit or 24-bit; with sample rates from 44.1kHz all the way up to 96kHz. The unit accepts SD and SDHC flash memory cards, which are widely-available and feature no moving parts for exceptional reliability. A simple joystick control on the 552's front panel lets you take command of recording functions.

All of this technology is packed into a compact unit that weighs less than 5 pounds. The top and bottom chassis panels are constructed from molded, metalized carbon fiber for exceptional durability. The front panel is gasketed for excellent moisture resistance. The unit can operate on a set of 4 AA batteries, or an external 10-18VDC power supply.

Lightweight and Portable
The unit has a lightweight design that uses metalized, molded carbon fiber top and bottom panels for strength and durability. It also has a gasketed front panel for resistance to moisture
5 Input Channels
The mixer features 5 XLR inputs, each with 2-stage gain control, a limiter, a sweepable high-pass filter, and solo monitoring. Each input also has its own dedicated pre-or-post-fader TA3 direct output
Analog and Digital Outputs
The mixer has 3 sets of balanced master outputs, as well as several unbalanced connectors for versatile connectivity to complex and multi-camera setups. The XLR outputs can be set for analog or digital operation, and are capable of outputting 4 channels of 24-bit AES/EBU digital audio
Built-in Stereo Recorder
The internal recorder can write WAV or MP3 files to SD or SDHC cards at rates as high as 24-bit/96kHz. Recording controls are accessed by an easy-to-use joystick on the front panel
Flexible Metering
The bright LED meters offer accurate level metering, including a zoom mode for high-precision monitoring near 0dB
Time Code Capability
The mixer can accept time code input in order to time-stamp your files
Setup Menu and Voice Confirmation
When accessing and navigating the Setup Menu, voice confirmations are played back in your headphones to supply you with critical operational information
Powering Options
The mixer can be powered with a set of 4 AA batteries, or by an external 10-18VDC power supply for terrific flexibility
Inputs 5 x Balanced XLR Inputs
1 x DC Power Input
Outputs 5 x TA3 Direct Outputs
2 x Analog/Digital XLR Outputs
1 x 10-Pin Hirose Mic/Line "Return A" Output
1 x 3.5mm "Return B" Output
1 x 3.5mm Tape Output
1 x 3.5mm Mono Mic Output
1 x TA3 "Return B"/Time Code In Connector
1 x TA3 Balanced Stereo Output (2 Jacks, L/R)
1 x TA3 Tape Output
1 x TA5 Output
1 x 3.5mm Headphone Output
1 x 1/4" Headphone Output
Impedance Input:
XLR Mic: 2 kOhms
XLR Line: 16 kOhms
Return A/B: 20 kOhms
Output
XLR Line: 85 Ohms
XLR -10 Setting: 3.2 kOhms
XLR Mic: 150 Ohms
10-Pin Hirose Line: 85 Ohms
10-Pin Hirose -10 Setting: 3.2 kOhms
10-Pin Hirose Mic: 150 Ohms
TA3 Mic/Line: 1 kOhms
TA3 Direct Outs: 1 kOhms
Tape Outs: 1.8 kOhms
Mono Mic Out: 150 Ohms
Headphones: 50 Ohms
Gain 93dB (Mic In to Line Out)
53dB (Mic In to Mic Out)
79dB (Mic In to Tape Out)
107dB (Mic In to Headphone Out)
THD & Noise 0.09% Max (50Hz - 20kHz, +18dBu at Line Out, Fader Fully Up)
Frequency Response 20Hz - 30kHz (+0.2, -0.5dB)
Metering LED Meters
Control Voltage Out Not Specified by Manufacturer
Phantom Power 12V and 48V Phantom (Each Mic Selectable)
Operating Temperature -20°C to 60°C, 0 to 90% Relative Humidity
Power Internal ±16V (Bi-Polar) Regulated Audio Rails
3.2-8V Range Internal Batteries
Isolated (Floating) External DC Input Jack, 5-18V
Dimensions (HxWxD) 2.1 x 11 x 6.6" (53 x 279 x 168mm)
Weight 4.4 lbs (2kg) (Without Batteries)

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews
Sound Devices 552 Portable 5-Channel Production Mixer and Stereo Recorder
 
4.3

(based on 15 reviews)

Ratings Distribution

  • 5 Stars

     

    (9)

  • 4 Stars

     

    (4)

  • 3 Stars

     

    (1)

  • 2 Stars

     

    (0)

  • 1 Stars

     

    (1)

86%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

  • Versatile (12)
  • Excellent sound (11)
  • Good power output (9)
  • Low distortion (7)
  • Easy to use (5)

Cons

    Best Uses

    • Professional recording (11)
    • Outdoor events / games (6)
    • Amateur recording (4)
    • Performances (3)
      • Reviewer Profile:
      • Experienced (10), Professional musician (3)

    Most Liked Positive Review

     

    Great, but could be better

    Extremely robust, high-quality pre-amps, built in recorder is invaluable. Overall this is a great product, as one would expect from Sound Devices.

    However, as was mentioned before, the gai...Read complete review

    Extremely robust, high-quality pre-amps, built in recorder is invaluable. Overall this is a great product, as one would expect from Sound Devices.

    However, as was mentioned before, the gain knob on channel 1 can be a bit difficult to manage if you have fat fingers. Also, a quick read of the manual is a must. The first time I ever used a 442 I was able to figure out every function I needed in just a few minutes of fiddling with it while the rest of the crew was setting up the scene, but the 552 is a little less intuitive in some of its features, thanks to the new menu system.

    My biggest complaint, though, is SVEN. Good lord is he obnoxious, and hard to understand. Especially when you're trying to navigate the menu while an AD is yelling in your ear or some other distracting noises are preventing you from focusing your full concentration on deciphering his ridiculous accent. There are PLENTY of speech synthesizers in the world which are clear, intelligible, and capable of pronouncing English words without sounding like a Swede who's playing [rotund] Bunny (profanity filter won't let me use the right word here... it's the game where you stick marshmallows in your mouth til you can't say the phrase any longer). For that matter, how hard would it have been to hire a VO artist to record all of SVEN's lines and just stick them in some on-board memory for playback? SD is, after all, a company devoted specifically to creating products intended to record the sounds of human beings speaking.

    VS

    Most Liked Negative Review

     

    Good recorder but with flaws

    Robust, great features, good battery economy. Yes sven is a little hard to understand but that's not a deal breaker. However what is a deal breaker is that you can only record internally ...Read complete review

    Robust, great features, good battery economy. Yes sven is a little hard to understand but that's not a deal breaker. However what is a deal breaker is that you can only record internally to a stereo track. This to me is a huge flaw. I had to record a scene in which 4 people had radio mics and a boom. Panned the boom to the left and radios to the right. Radio mic channel had too higher noise floor because all people were live on one channel. At least have a gate option or something to eliminated unwanted noise. To be fair you can actually run direct outs to a different recorder but that kinda just turns it in to a really expensive pre mixer.

    REVIEWS

    Reviewed by 15 customers

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    1.0

    good mixer but tight battery compartment

    By go georgia

    from afghanistan

    Comments about Sound Devices 552 Portable 5-Channel Production Mixer and Stereo Recorder:

    i loved the mixer but now that a couple of pearstone rechargeable batteries got stuck in it, i hate it because i'm in afghanistan and it will take forever to send the mixer back for repair and then back here. so stupid. the battery tube is just too tight and how would i know? it's only now i'm reading online that some batteries are fatter than standard. not a single word about that in the manual. and what should i do? so upset by sound devices

    Share this review

    (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

     
    5.0

    Love this mixer!

    By blocktek

    from San Francisco Bay Area, CA

    About Me Experienced

    Verified Buyer

    Pros

    • Accurate Controls
    • Excellent Sound
    • Versatile

    Cons

      Best Uses

      • Professional Recording

      Comments about Sound Devices 552 Portable 5-Channel Production Mixer and Stereo Recorder:

      I can't say enough good things about the 552. As a long time user of the 442, I'm familiar with Sound Devices reputation and well thought-out and designed products. The 552 is no exception. Build quality is amazing, and I'm constantly finding new features hidden in its treasure trove of a menu system. Just integrating the 2 track digital recorder would've been enough to justify upgrading my system - having new features like adding an additional channel, split monitoring, talkback & foldback monitoring, and a timecode input just insure that I won't outgrow this mixer for a long time.
      My only complaint is the lack of 12T mic powering, but a 48v-12T adapter took care of that handily.

      Share this review

      (1 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

       
      3.0

      Good recorder but with flaws

      By Beatworms

      from Ny ny

      About Me Professional Musician

      Verified Reviewer

      Pros

        Cons

          Best Uses

            Comments about Sound Devices 552 Portable 5-Channel Production Mixer and Stereo Recorder:

            Robust, great features, good battery economy. Yes sven is a little hard to understand but that's not a deal breaker. However what is a deal breaker is that you can only record internally to a stereo track. This to me is a huge flaw. I had to record a scene in which 4 people had radio mics and a boom. Panned the boom to the left and radios to the right. Radio mic channel had too higher noise floor because all people were live on one channel. At least have a gate option or something to eliminated unwanted noise. To be fair you can actually run direct outs to a different recorder but that kinda just turns it in to a really expensive pre mixer.

            Share this review

            (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

             
            5.0

            Best Production Sound Mixer Out There

            By ChrisSound

            from Washington, DC

            About Me Experienced

            Verified Buyer

            Pros

            • Excellent Sound
            • Low Distortion
            • Powerful
            • Versatile

            Cons

              Best Uses

              • Professional Recording

              Comments about Sound Devices 552 Portable 5-Channel Production Mixer and Stereo Recorder:

              Once you figure out the shortcuts to access the menus it is an amazing mixer. Great preamp, limiter, etc. Very versatile for various uses. The only downside is "SVEN", the voice that tells you system info. It is nearly impossible to understand.
              Sound Devices is the standard for production sound, and for good reason.

              Share this review

              (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

               
              5.0

              Rolls Royce of Field Mixers

              By TruSound

              from Granada Hills, Ca.

              About Me Experienced

              Verified Buyer

              Pros

              • Easy To Use
              • Everything about it
              • Excellent Sound
              • Low Distortion
              • Powerful
              • Versatile

              Cons

                Best Uses

                • Amateur Recording
                • Events
                • Home Studio
                • Performances
                • Professional Recording

                Comments about Sound Devices 552 Portable 5-Channel Production Mixer and Stereo Recorder:

                The 552 is one fantastic field mixer, tons of features and built like a tank, expect to see years of service from this machine.Another beautiful Sound Devices product...If your in the market for a 5 channel mixer, don't hesitate to purchase one, [$] is a steal considering the feature set.

                Share this review

                (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

                 
                5.0

                Durable, all in one

                By H Man

                from New Mexico

                About Me Experienced

                Verified Buyer

                Pros

                • Easy To Use
                • Excellent Sound
                • Versatile

                Cons

                  Best Uses

                  • Professional Recording

                  Comments about Sound Devices 552 Portable 5-Channel Production Mixer and Stereo Recorder:

                  This product is an all in one mixer and recorder, and suitable for my needs in the field. The sweepable high pass/low cut filter is great! Accompanying instructions are clear and easy to follow.

                  Share this review

                  (2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

                   
                  5.0

                  Not as hard to use as I thought

                  By Soundmavin

                  from Pikesville, MD

                  About Me Experienced

                  Verified Buyer

                  Pros

                  • Easy To Use
                  • Excellent Sound
                  • Low Distortion
                  • Versatile

                  Cons

                  • SVEN needs to be replaced

                  Best Uses

                  • Amateur Recording
                  • Events
                  • Professional Recording

                  Comments about Sound Devices 552 Portable 5-Channel Production Mixer and Stereo Recorder:

                  This mixer is the Swiss Army Knife of mixers. It should be the last field mixer that you will ever need unless they start making one with a USB or firewire out. That would be the only improvement for the user other than getting another SVEN voice. It is hard to understand in a noisy environment but you get use to it,"cause you have to. I use this product in high end productions and the multitude of outs and ins makes this the best field mixer I have ever used.

                  Share this review

                  (4 of 6 customers found this review helpful)

                   
                  4.0

                  Great Amazing

                  By cp

                  from garden grove, ca

                  About Me Experienced

                  Verified Buyer

                  Pros

                  • Easy To Use
                  • Excellent Sound
                  • Low Distortion
                  • Powerful
                  • Versatile

                  Cons

                    Best Uses

                    • Professional Recording

                    Comments about Sound Devices 552 Portable 5-Channel Production Mixer and Stereo Recorder:

                    I use this on documentaries and film shoots. I love the sound quality and the things it does. I love the five channels and the controls to work everything. It records to an sd card on board if you want it but it mixes everything down to 2 channels and I need all channels separate. I wish it recorded all channels separate.

                    Share this review

                    (3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

                     
                    5.0

                    Amazing mixer, recorder

                    By Speed

                    from Asheville, NC

                    About Me Experienced

                    Verified Buyer

                    Pros

                    • 5 inputs
                    • 5 outputs
                    • Built in recorder
                    • Excellent Sound
                    • Low Distortion
                    • Powerful
                    • Time code options
                    • Versatile

                    Cons

                    • SVEN

                    Best Uses

                    • Commericials
                    • Corporate Videos
                    • Events
                    • Films
                    • Home Studio
                    • Performances
                    • Professional Recording

                    Comments about Sound Devices 552 Portable 5-Channel Production Mixer and Stereo Recorder:

                    I used this product for Film, TV and Corporate videos and it smoked my sound devices 302 mixer. The 302 is a great mixer but the 552 is a monster.
                    It has 5 inputs, direct outputs for all 5 channels, time code options, built in recorder, tons of headroom, quite mic pre's, return to listen to the camera audio, tape out to send to my other field recorder, you can link another mixer for more channels, link it to the 744T. The built in record is great, really clean sound.
                    The thing I like least about the mixer is the automated voice SVEN. He's a little hard to understand at first but you get used to him.

                    Share this review

                    (2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

                     
                    5.0

                    Works Great!

                    By Catch-A-Sound-Wave Guy

                    from Rockville, Maryland

                    About Me Novice

                    Verified Buyer

                    Pros

                    • Digital path
                    • Excellent Sound
                    • Low Distortion
                    • Powerful
                    • Versatile

                    Cons

                      Best Uses

                      • Amateur Recording

                      Comments about Sound Devices 552 Portable 5-Channel Production Mixer and Stereo Recorder:

                      I am an ignorant amateur that is slowly, carefully moving to becoming a more experienced amateur. I read many blogs of professional soundmen that were using the Sound Devices 442 Mixer, and that were happy with it. It came time for me to upgrade my equipment to include a portable mixer, and I chose the Sound Devices 552. I do not have any regrets in my purchase of this product.

                      I agree with the earlier more-experienced reviewers here. I won't repeat their points.

                      Share this review

                      (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

                       
                      5.0

                      Flexible Pro Machine

                      By Metis Ikon

                      from New Canaan, CT

                      About Me Experienced

                      Verified Buyer

                      Pros

                      • Excellent Sound
                      • Powerful
                      • Versatile

                      Cons

                        Best Uses

                        • Professional Recording

                        Comments about Sound Devices 552 Portable 5-Channel Production Mixer and Stereo Recorder:

                        Long term investment, a bit complicated at first, built in recorder excellent backup recorder and usable sound for general recording. Will be coupling it with a 7 series recorder or Nagra LB in the near future.

                        Share this review

                        (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

                         
                        5.0

                        FAntastic A++++++

                        By Aaron

                        from Richmond, VA

                        About Me Experienced

                        Verified Buyer

                        Pros

                        • Easy To Use
                        • Excellent Sound
                        • Low Distortion
                        • Powerful
                        • Versatile

                        Cons

                          Best Uses

                          • Events
                          • Professional Recording

                          Comments about Sound Devices 552 Portable 5-Channel Production Mixer and Stereo Recorder:

                          How could I not love my purchase!!! This mixer/recorder opens my capabilities immensely. It works flawlessly. I love it. B&H had the best price [...]How could I be happier? impossible. Thanks B&H and thanks PSC!!!!!

                          Share this review

                          (3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

                           
                          4.0

                          Great, but could be better

                          By OEG Music

                          from Mesa, AZ

                          About Me Professional Musician

                          Verified Reviewer

                          Pros

                          • Excellent Sound
                          • Powerful
                          • Versatile

                          Cons

                          • Difficult To Use

                          Best Uses

                          • Amateur Recording
                          • Events
                          • Film Sound
                          • Professional Recording

                          Comments about Sound Devices 552 Portable 5-Channel Production Mixer and Stereo Recorder:

                          Extremely robust, high-quality pre-amps, built in recorder is invaluable. Overall this is a great product, as one would expect from Sound Devices.

                          However, as was mentioned before, the gain knob on channel 1 can be a bit difficult to manage if you have fat fingers. Also, a quick read of the manual is a must. The first time I ever used a 442 I was able to figure out every function I needed in just a few minutes of fiddling with it while the rest of the crew was setting up the scene, but the 552 is a little less intuitive in some of its features, thanks to the new menu system.

                          My biggest complaint, though, is SVEN. Good lord is he obnoxious, and hard to understand. Especially when you're trying to navigate the menu while an AD is yelling in your ear or some other distracting noises are preventing you from focusing your full concentration on deciphering his ridiculous accent. There are PLENTY of speech synthesizers in the world which are clear, intelligible, and capable of pronouncing English words without sounding like a Swede who's playing [rotund] Bunny (profanity filter won't let me use the right word here... it's the game where you stick marshmallows in your mouth til you can't say the phrase any longer). For that matter, how hard would it have been to hire a VO artist to record all of SVEN's lines and just stick them in some on-board memory for playback? SD is, after all, a company devoted specifically to creating products intended to record the sounds of human beings speaking.

                          Share this review

                          (3 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

                           
                          4.0

                          Bursting at the seams

                          By Keith

                          from New York City

                          About Me Experienced

                          Verified Reviewer

                          Pros

                          • Powerful

                          Cons

                            Best Uses

                            • Professional Recording

                            Comments about Sound Devices 552 Portable 5-Channel Production Mixer and Stereo Recorder:

                            I use the 552 for location sound mixing and recording. I plan to buy the 744t and it will be perfect because the 552 offers 4 channels of digital output. The 552 offers a ton of features and I believe it is durable enough to last me a decade. 3G's is a chunk of change, but it is an investment non the less. The 442 maintained its value until SD killed it, enough said. As other reviewers have mentioned, the channel 1 gain control is a tight squeeze to get to. Fat fingers beware. I have used the 552 in the rain and heat and it works fine.
                            SVEN, the voice personality of the mixer is a bit hard to understand unless you read the included menu spec cards. You would think with all the navigation voice technology SVEN would sound more clear.. but you get used to him once you get to know him. I think he is from the United Kingdom.

                            All in all a solid product from a solid company. If you have the credit limit and the work connections why not?. I'm waiting to see how Sony responds.

                            Share this review

                            (4 of 7 customers found this review helpful)

                             
                            4.0

                            Good Attempt

                            By Quick Change

                            from Hawaii

                            About Me Professional Musician

                            Verified Buyer

                            Pros

                            • Clear Sound
                            • Compact
                            • Lightweight
                            • Versatile

                            Cons

                              Best Uses

                              • Events
                              • Mobile DJ
                              • Performances

                              Comments about Sound Devices 552 Portable 5-Channel Production Mixer and Stereo Recorder:

                              With five inputs and a built in recorder, this compact field mixer has a bunch of bells and whistles! Problem is they tried stuffing five inputs into a chassis that used to house only four. The biggest problem I have is with the #1 input controls. They are so close to the edge of the frame that it's hard to reach the gain knobs, activate it and turn it.

                              To access all the menu items takes some practice and understanding SVEN, the synthesized voice of the 552 is difficult at best. If you can get pass these and other small issues like the cost, you may enjoy the sound it produces.

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                              Batteries & Power

                              Required item:

                              Varta -  High-Energy 1.5 V AA E91 Alkaline Battery - 4 Pk
                              • Price: $1.50
                               
                              Pearstone -  NM-4H23 4 AA NiMH Batteries (2300mAh) with 4 Hour Charger (110-240V)
                              • Price: $13.99
                               

                              Power Supplies

                              Sound Devices -  XLNPH NP Type Battery Cup for Field Mixers
                              • Price: $72.00
                               

                              Requires a NP type battery.

                              Cables

                              Pearstone -  3-Pin XLR Male to 3-Pin XLR Female Audio Cable (6')
                              • Price: $14.95
                               

                              Cases & Protection

                              Sound Devices -  CS-5 Nylon Production Case for 552 or 788T
                              • Price: $250.00
                               

                              Media

                              Lexar -  4GB Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) Card
                              • Price: $7.49
                               

                              Adapters

                              Sound Devices -  XL2 TA3-F to XLR Connector Cable Pair
                              • Price: $60.00
                               

                              Headphones

                              Shure -  SRH240A Professional Around-Ear Stereo Headphones
                              • Price: $59.99
                               
                              View all Accessories

                              What's in the Box

                              Sound Devices 552 Portable 5-Channel Production Mixer and Stereo Recorder
                              • 1-Year Limited Warranty
                               
                               
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