Factory Reset will fix the “unfixable”!
On set, there is always the potential for mistakes, errors, problems, calamities, squirrel attacks, and mysteries. Perhaps, though, the worst kind of problem is an audio problem; not because audio is the worst (it’s the best! after craft services…), but because audio is invisible. I’m digging a pretty big hole here. Audio techs, mixers, boom ops, etc. aren’t invisible, that’s just their mossy oak shoes, shorts, shirt, command belt, tactical vest, safari hat, Oakley sunglasses, field-mixer bag, and backpack full of pudding snacks and Slim Jim’s! It’s hard, nay, impossible to see anything that’s covered in mossy oak.
Let’s get back on track. Audio problems are really difficult to fix, because it’s usually a technical issue that could be anywhere from the mixer, to the frequency, to the XLR run- it’s one of those things you have to just start checking off the boxes, go down the list, and check everything. It’s like in Christmas Vacation when Clark Griswold couldn’t figure out why the 100,000 imported Italian twinkle lights wouldn’t work, so he starts checking every single one of them… lo’ and behold, the light switch wasn’t on in the garage. That is what audio is like!
Recently, we heard of an issue where none of the lavs or XLRs going into a Sound Devices 633 were showing up, the channels wouldn’t arm, you couldn’t even turn them on! Scary! After going through the normal steps without a solution, the tech ended up doing a factory reset. FIXED! Now, you will lose your folder structure, and any presets saved, but, it’s better than failing at life. To accomplish this, do this:
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Power down the mixer.
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Press and hold down the menu knob for 15.1 seconds.
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Power the mixer back up, wipe the sweat off, and get back to audio glory!