Sound Devices Launches Scorpio 32 Channel Mixer/Track Recorder

State-of-the-Art Production Sound

Back in 2017, the introduction of the MixPre series of portable and “affordable” audio recorders was a big success for Sound Devices. This line of products is perfect for independent filmmakers and small/medium production companies. I bought a MixPre-6 myself, even as I’m not an audio professional – the build and sound quality is top-notch.

Today, with the launch of the Scorpio, Sound Devices is back in its core market: the high-end audio products. Before diving into the specifications of the product, let’s start by saying that it’s not for everyone. The Scorpio’s target is audio professionals and film mixers – or someone with deep pockets.

There is nearly no production scenario I can think of that the Scorpio can’t handle with 16 mic/line preamplifiers, 32 channels of Dante in and out, AES in and out, 12 analog outputs and multiple headphone outputs.

Sound Devices’ Scorpio front and left panel.

Sound Devices Scorpio Features

If you ever had the chance to work with a Sound Devices product, you know that the user interface is straightforward, with great attention to detail, made by professionals for professionals. Scorpio’s interface is no different. With one or two button presses, you can reach many functions and features of the device, with one hand only. Also, the Scorpio is a real audio channel mixer. The internal matrix menus allow you to create customizable routing of any input to any channel, bus, or output, and up to 12 buses may be individually mixed.

Part of Sound Devices’ reputation exists around the pristine quality of the audio preamps. For this high-end audio recorder, the microphone preamp circuits have been redesigned for an even smoother sound. The company claims that the Scorpio features the lowest signal/noise ratio of any preamp in Sound Devices’ 20-year history. Furthermore, the preamps include analog limiters (so no digital clipping), high-pass filters, delay, 3-band EQ and, of course, phantom power.

For recording, the Scorpio has an internal 256GB SSD. For redundancy purposes, you can also record to two SD cards, simultaneously. A remote Android application, SD-Remote, allows for control, timecode display, metadata editing, and display of the transport controls of the Scorpio onto a bigger screen. Finally, you can plug a keyboard via USB into the Scorpio to edit metadata.

In terms of powering options, several options are available. The Sound Devices Scorpio can run off two L-Mount batteries. For more “professional” scenarios, you can feed it through the built-in TA4 DC inputs, using smart batteries, NP-1 batteries, or in-line power supplies. Finally, a plethora of accessories is available, including a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, an NP-type battery cup, a smart battery cup, TA5F to XLRF cables, an SL-Riser, and a dual-bay smart charger/calibrator.