REVIEWS
I bought a new Sound Devices MixPre3 mkii for use on travel gigs, and projects that only require a couple channels of audio. In the past, I've purchased one of * cases or an , * or * case, but i wanted to make this setup as streamlined as possible. Strut cases are made by a small crew (including a former manager/employee of Portabrace) in southwestern Vermont.
This case is just as durable as any * case and has some great features not found on those cases, such as the handy "noiseless" zippers that allow adjustments to controls without opening noisy Velcro flaps all the time. Access to all portions of the recorder seem easier than the bag i had with the original SD MP3 and the included harness is as easy as it gets, but is perfect for the job, without needing to carry the rig over one shoulder. Considering the weight of the recorder, the simplicity of the harness is really all you need.
I reached out to Strut via their website to thank them for such a thoughtfully designed bag and got a personal response from John Fairley, the owner, who certainly cares about the products he and his crew design and fabricate.
I would highly recommend this bag to anyone purchasing a MixPre3 and encourage you to look at the rest of their product line. - James-
MP3Stealth
I was surprised to even find a wearable field recorder case for my Tascam DR-60D. It was a bit spendy but worth the investment. It is well constructed with velcro end openings for the cables and access to side controls. The clear top cover is very nice and keeps the unit from getting affected by the elements. I would definitely recommend this field case for your Tascam recorder.”
-Marc-
DR60D “Awesome Field Recorder Case”
ZOOM F6 “Great case at a reasonable price”
The Zoom F6 is uniquely designed to be used in tandem with a DSLR, but to use it as a more traditional field recorder requires the right bag - and this is the one. It's beautifully designed, extremely well made, and reasonably priced. There are attachment points wherever you could possibly want them and it comes with a lightweight harness that works surprisingly well. It provides excellent protection and just the right amount of extra storage space without adding much bulk.
There is a clear, attached cover that can be held open by a well-placed Velcro strip. It has Velcroed access to the mic inputs that doesn't stress the cables (as the K-Tek does when the side flaps are closed) as well as zippered access (which I'm assuming was added so you can access the sides without making a lot of noise separating Velcro). The Velcro closure on the bottom allows the size of the case to expand or contract with the size of an external battery.
When I was researching bags, it was only available at B&H and it was out of stock with no indication of when it would be available. I contacted Strut and learned that they had just sent B&H a shipment, put in my order and contacted Strut again to compliment them on how well made the bag was. They said they would convey that to the person who stitched it. Doesn't get any better than that! - Mark - 6/19/23
“Perfect for the tascam dr60d mkii. Must have.” -305DirtyDadeChico-
Strut Bag
Solidly built and designed, like the rest of their cases. Has cutouts in all the right spots for access, accessories, mounts, and some extra space for cables, etc. Once all the leads are fitted, it tightens up. There is just enough room to slip in an external USB battery, which is a nice feature with the AA-voracious DR series. If you're looking for something really weatherproof though you might have to modify it a bit, the fit starts pretty loose.” -Brandon-
“Classic player in the field”
I purchased the Strut STR-DR60D case for my Tascam DR60D recorder. I was looking for the most reasonably priced case for both protection and to protect while in use in the field. I am pleased with my purchase. I find that overall the case is very nice for protecting the deck, allowing me easy access to all controls and dials along with a clear but covered view of the main controls and adequate scratch or dirt protection. This is not the kind of case that offers drop protection or anything like that. However if you are wearing the case and recording in the field, you should be able to keep the deck in new like condition. The strap is well designed, and keeps the deck at the right position for use, with no back strain at all. I like that it goes over both shoulders and offers support. The Tascam DR60d is a small and light deck to begin with, but the strap allows long term use in the field with no discomfort. The case has some storage space, but personally I would prefer if it had greater space for storage. For me, that is because of the way I use the deck which always includes using an external battery, and the use of a pre-amp for channels 3 and 4. I have a small pre-amp that I prefer for this deck. These 2 items make it so that I generally put the deck (which I have in the Strut Case) into a larger mixer style bag, such as a small Kata Kaola bag, which allows room for mics and mic cables. If I were to put some Velcro on the outside of the bag, I would likely have room to Velcro the battery to the bag and use the pre-amp in the storage space provided or vice versa, and perhaps at some point I will try that. But all that aside, I am very happy with the bag and its construction. I like to put any of my recorders inside some sort of protection from the elements, and this does a very nice job. As far as price, I wish the price was lower, because it cost about 2/3rds of what the deck cost, but for me, I still think it worth it for keeping the deck covered and working and offering that layer of protection while in use or stored.” -Clifford-
“A Good Case For The Field”
“This case is made to fit with just about any solution for the DR-60 being thought of or being able to be created by the owner of this case. The harness leaves you hands free is you are a boom operator, this can be patched into a DJs sound board to capture live audio, or used as a main source for audio for a DSLR or Camcorder. If you are using wireless receivers for say lav mics there are place that allow you to attach them to the case. For a Boom Operator this is a plus as now they don't have to deal with cabling issues since only a XLR to mini jack is needed to pipe sound in the the DR-60D mkII in my case. All the battery compartments are easily accessed without the need to tear the recorder out of the Strut case to get the the batteries in the recorder. It also have a compartment for the Tascam BP-66AA and accessory external pack or in some cases I have heard that ppl used the lithium cell phone packs to power the DR-60. You just need to be careful of the size. but there is lots of room inside that pocket as well. The left cable flaps work perfectly giving you the space needed to route XLRs out of the case, however the right flap needs a bit better solution in my opinion. the 1/8 phone stress relief collar get cramped and tends to bend. Over time this could cause a cable short. There are also two (2) velcro straps on either side of the DR-60's handles that allow you to secure the recorder so that there is no way for it to fall from the case.” -Greg-
“This is an Excellent Field Case”
“I use this product to record sound in the field, using two tracks, one for wireless lav and one for shotgun. The quality of the case is great and all of the available openings are perfectly aligned for my Tascam. I can fit the wireless receiver in the small pocket provided. Very happy with this product. I don't use the harness, just wear it diagonal across my shoulder. I might figure out how to make a different strap so that it's easier to do that. That's my one tiny issue with it.” -Cynthia.-
“Great product”
“A nice addition that allows students to use the DR-60 as sound recordists use units. It's basic and much appreciated!” -Christopher-
“Great for students”
“This is one of the ONLY cases made for the Tascam DR-60D, thankfully it's a GREAT one. The only other option is lacking the features and options the Strut comes with, so keep that in mind when purchasing as it's a much better value. This has performed well and grants easy access to the unit. I love that the harness comes with it as it's so much easier that carrying it around, and it's comfortable too. If you use the Tascam DR-60 in the field, then you NEED this case.” -Chris-
“Durable and Well Thought-Out”
“It's a great bag. So far nothing is coming apart and it keeps things organized. It could use some more pockets and slots in my opinion but that would probably increase the price. I wish the harness was a little tighter too, but I am a skinny guy so I'm used to extra tightening. I used to use a modded camera bag before. Night and day with this bag. Worth the price!” -Marcos-
“A Necessity”
“Well I'll start off by saying when I seen the price I thought it was a little high, but I needed the case, and so I purchased it anyway. When I got it I was surprised at how well made it was and that the compartments were made for the Tascam dr60D perfectly. So yeah it's a must if your out with your Tascam and need it to be stored, or on your body when your out.” -Don-
“Perfectly made for the DR60D”
“I bought with for use with my Tascam DR70D recorder and it works well. The pouch also allows for an external battery to be used. The bag is small so it couldn't be used like a full size audio bag with recorder and wireless gear but if you are just using a recorder it's great and the fact that it includes a harness makes it a better deal.” -dave-
“Small and works great”
“This bag fits well and has a pocket that the {*other} doesn't have, has well stitched seams, and the harness is a nice back up to my current {*other}. Over all a good product.” -John-
“Well made product”
“Field equipment is expensive and damages easy. The Tascam 60D is a great recorder, but wouldn't stand a chance on my shoots without a protective case. This Strut case fits the 60D like a glove and has plenty of ways to access buttons or run cables. I strap my XLR cable & headphones to the Strut using Ripties. Battery changes doesn't mean you have to disconnect cables to remove the recorder from the case. Just open the bottom Velcro door & there is plenty of space to access the batteries. This Strut case makes a great recorder field worthy.” -Leo153-
“Exactly with I was looking for”
Pros - This is well made, has openings for cables in all the right places Cons - No good place for a pair of wireless receivers, somewhat expensive.” -Brian-
“Well made”
“This case is the perfect partner for the Zoom F3. It has multiple openings that provide access to all ports and can be somewhat closed up even with XLR plus attached. I say somewhat closed up as you obviously cannot completely reclose the velcro closer with wires running out of the opening but it does a very decent job to protect the Zoom F3.” -Steve-
“Zoom F3 - Perfect for outdoor protection.”
“Expect any of these Zoom F6 cases to be on the smaller side compared to other field recorders.
Expectations were met. Better than other brand cases in my opinion.
Best clear cover for this specific case. Actually closes perfectly and has Velcro in spots that are actually useful. No open areas so dust or contaminants are minimal.
Again. It is small to fit the needs of the Zoom F6 but does have a useful pouch in the front of the case to store wireless recorders or Lav mics.
Shipping was flawless. Didn't have any issues there. Fits my needs overall.” -Tony-
“Zoom F6-Works great!”
“I use this case to mount my Zoom F6 on my belt while I am running sound in documentary and news situations. Its got a small footprint and is has space for my dual channel receivers. Great craftsmanship from a former {*other} executive, handmade in Vermont.” -Spencer-
“Great for Camera Operators”
“Fits perfectly, nice compact size, casual / stealth look!
The bag fits MixPre-6 like a glove and it's hooked in securely. You can open the bag from any side (mostly velcro everywhere, with zipper options on left and right sides) so it's easy to eg. adjust something that isn't in the front panel, do neat cabling, and change batteries / SD card without taking the MixPre out of the bag.
There's also just a bit of storage space so you can fit eg. a medium size USB power bank and some accessories (maybe an extra pair of lavs and in-ears, a pair of miniature condensers with short cables?) to the front pocket.
“Sound Devices MixPre 6 STR-MP6”
The greatest obvious thing compared to any of the other options is that this looks like a normal small black cordura bag. The colors, materials and branding don't shout I'm a sound bag like almost all the other options. Put on the flap and use Wingman, and you'll draw next to no attention while walking through busier spots.
The only slight drawbacks I can think of so far:
1) Everything is secured / closed with velcro: on one hand it makes the bag super flexible as mentioned, on the other hand there's going to be a loud ripping sound whatever you want to open, and the cover / rain flap sometimes seems a bit fiddly on the move as it's attached with velcro from both ends, and hence completely removable.
2) Only comes with a body harness, not an adjustable shoulder strap. This was clearly indicated, so it's not a fault of manufacturer nor B&H, and I suppose location professionals would be happier with the harness. I had to borrow a strap from another bag for my stealth use.” -Vaino-
“perfect size for the field. carries the essentials . well made and designed.” -Ken-
“well made, small in size”
“This case elegantly fits the compact Mix Pre 6ii, adding essential pockets and ports, without adding bulk. Its ideal.” -peter-
“Great case for the Mix Pre 6ii
“Tried the larger silent {*other}, but returned for this bag-a better fit for the mixpre, great quality, and I especially like the included shoulder harness. It doesn't fix the headphone encoder knob access issue on the mixpre, but I'm not sure any bag could. Happy I exchanged for this.” -Steven-
“Best mixpre6 case”
“I recently bought a MixPre-6 and was looking for a case to make it easy to carry about. Though the {*other} and {*other} bags look great, I wanted something smaller since I travel a lot in China and have enough gear to lug around and didn't want another case. The Strut seemed to be the only one suitable and it was just what I needed. The MixPre is nice and snug and with straps on all four corner posts, it's secure as well. The harness works well and on a shoot at a cricket event in HK a few days later, it all worked great (it's cricket, so I didn't have to move quickly).
Not a lot of room for other things inside and the pocket is big enough for some spare AAs but that's what I wanted.
All of this fits nicely in the front pocket of my cheap camera bag, and by using a short cardioid and the Wingman app, I can gather sounds in the city without drawing too much attention.
I run a short adapter for the headphone since that's a pain to access on the device, as is the tiny knob for the headphone volume, but that's on the device, not the bag. -Malcolm-
“Snug and compact case for my MixPre-6”
“I was looking at this one and the Portabrace option online, and after asking a few questions via Live Chat I chose the Strut case. It is very well made, and easy to use with total flexibility for accessing the battery packs. Frankly, I'm still trying to figure out how I will use some of the pouches (pictures would be nice) but I can't think of any improvements I would ask for and I expect this to last a long time. Made in Vermont - how cool is that?” -Adrian-
“Exactly what I wanted”
“Great fit bag with a lot of room for mics and cable. Feel steady. Great customer support. -Johnny-
“Fits well”
“I have only had it a couple weeks, but it works great with the mixpre-6 so far. Very happy with it!” -Sam-
“So far so good!”
“Perfect fit for the Mix Pre 3.
I tried a few sound cases that claimed to be suited for the mix pre 3, but they all offered a lot of padding and spare space, this is a nice tight fit, with one medium sized front pocket.” -Mark-
Sound Devices MixPre 3
“This is the first mixer bag I have purchased that really works - great design and high quality materials, and manufacturing.” -W. Keith-
“This bag really works”
“The bag works well for my MixPre3. Fits good and has access for cords and headphones.” -Tim-
“Bag for MixPre3”
“I talked to John at Strut before I bought this. https://strutcases.com/index.html I mean they make two versions of the STR for the MixPre 6 and the MixPre 3 because they are different by maybe an inch! This is thinking from folks that know what they are doing. Its so well made and well thought out. And the price is sooo reasonable. And its from Vermont. Super. Super. Super.” -Robin-
“This is Amazing!!!”
“This is a work of art - a perfect practical and simple bag for the Sound Devices Mix Pre 3 is perfect for most field recording needs. Its really well thought out with velcro and zip openings at the side to access things on the move. Plenty of room to expand in terms of adding wireless mics etc. Only wish - the front pocket could be just a little bit wider to accommodate alternative power packs for the Mix Pre 3 - I use an Anker Power Core Plus 20100 and have had to attach it with a separate pocket Ive attached at the back of the case. But it is a brilliant bot of kit.” -Christopher-
“perfect simple bag for field recording”
“I bought this field case for my MIxPre-3 Recorder a few months back and have used it a few times already. I have been very happy with the Strut field case. It is well fitted and does the job quite well.”
-Dan-
“Very Happy!”
“A well-made bag that fits the MixPre-3 perfectly. Easy access to the sides through zippered and Velcro openings. Clear rain cover can be removed from top. Bottom is adjustable to fit even the battery sled with large batteries. Straps hold the unit in place. Material seems durable. Front pocket is handy or collapses when not in use. Very nice!” -Phil
“A Perfect Fit”