Motu 828mkII

alex123 · Post by **alex123** » Sun May 06, 2007 4:47 pm

Hey guys, right now i have the presonus firepod, but i want something a bit better sounding and i was told that you shouldnt run a mic through 2 pre-amps or it might screw one up. So i cant buy any better mic pre-amps to use with my firepod because i cant bypass the mic pre's on the firepod. So i was looking into getting the motu mkII or the older one. Will i notice a sound difference bettween one of the motu's and the firepod? Will the motu 828MKII be better quailty then the older motu 828? I am only 14 and running a little low on cash and do not know a ton about recording. What do you think i should do to get a better sound? Thanks for your help.

BradLyons · Post by **BradLyons** » Sun May 06, 2007 6:11 pm

Alex, while the 828mkII is a great little interface--it is NOT NOT NOT true that you can't buy additional pres to use on your Firepod. While the Firepod does have 8 mic pres built-in, it also has line level inputs so that you can use any piece of outboard mic-pre you wish. Both boxes have decent converters and while there are some distinct benefits to the MOTU box, it's not going to be your best-served upgrade when it sounds like better pres might be what you're after.

alex123 · Post by **alex123** » Sun May 06, 2007 6:13 pm

Alright thanks alot brad. Is there any pre you would suggest to use when recording drums? that would be great thanks alot.

BradLyons · Post by **BradLyons** » Mon May 07, 2007 4:02 am

What kind of budget are you talking? First, however, what drum mics are you using? What don't you like about the pres in the Firepod?

alex123 · Post by **alex123** » Mon May 07, 2007 12:30 pm

I have a Beta 52 on kick, sm 57's on toms and snare, and 2 sm 81's as overhead. i have never tried anyotuher pre other than the one on the firepod so i dont know what the difference would be. The drums just dont stand out at all and sound really weak, and kinda muddy. My budget is up to 1500$. I would need 6 pre's, 2 toms, 1 kick , one snare and 2 overheads. If i could get a single pre-amp to use on everything like guitar, vocals, and just one drum, like the kick or snare, that would be better. Thanls alot

BradLyons · Post by **BradLyons** » Mon May 07, 2007 1:21 pm

Okay, that helps. Understand this will probably be a two-step upgrade to really get what you're after, the first being the mic-pre and then the second being the converters they are plugged into. While the Firepod is a good device, products like the RME Fireface are certainly going to be a better converter. But, I think you're on the right "track" so to speak. There are several ways to do this, you could either get what would fit your budget now---or possibly cut your pres in half and get 4-channels for what is in your budget and then improve on that later.

However if I were trying to get 6-channels of pre for my drums on a $1500 budget with the mics I have..... this is one possibility I'd consider:

KICK & SNARE:

ART PRO CHANNEL x2: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ProChannel/

WHY? Well, your drum sound is about TONE, the ProChannel is an affordable way to add some of that tone not only with a tube-ish sound on the pre, but also an EQ and Compressor to dial in your sound. The better you can get it on the front-end, the better it will sound and easier to mix later. The kick and snare is a BIG part of your sound, this is an inexpensive way to get a good tone.

---------
OVERHEADS:

PRESONUS MP20:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MP20/

This is a 2-ch mic pre that is very clean, yet highly affordable! The SM81's want to give you some good clarity on the top-end, however the pres on the Firepod are going to prevent that from happening. The MP20 is an affordable solution that I think will surprise you!

--------
TOMS

Well, a second MP20 would certainly work quite good hear by giving you both a fast transient response, but also good sustain and clarity. But another option might be a Focusrite TwinTrakPro.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TwinTrakPro/

WHY? Well, this pre isn't really that pristine on the top-end--but it has some coloration and punch to it that will sound nice on Toms. You also have Optical Compressors which is EXCELLENT for tracking to give you a little more added "punch" in the analog spectrum. Based on what you have and what you're after, I'd say this would be an inexpensive way to get there while also getting some good quality and a diverse range of pres for not only drums, but other applications.

alex123 · Post by **alex123** » Mon May 07, 2007 1:35 pm

wow, thanks alot. so, what are advantages to better converters? is it a better sound quality. Once agian, thanks alot for your help.

alex123 · Post by **alex123** » Mon May 07, 2007 1:40 pm

and also like i was wanting to maybe save a little money and just get 2 pre's to use on my kick and snare, then in the future buy some for my toms and overhead. And if i could, i would want the pre's to be really nice sounding so i also could use them on guitar and vocals. The pre for around 800$ i guess. Do you think this is a good idea or will it make everything sound kinda weird, like having the kick and snare sound really good then the overheads and toms sounding just alright. thanks

gearboy · Post by **gearboy** » Mon May 07, 2007 3:51 pm

alex123 wrote:and also like i was wanting to maybe save a little money and just get 2 pre's to use on my kick and snare, then in the future buy some for my toms and overhead. And if i could, i would want the pre's to be really nice sounding so i also could use them on guitar and vocals. The pre for around 800$ i guess. Do you think this is a good idea or will it make everything sound kinda weird, like having the kick and snare sound really good then the overheads and toms sounding just alright. thanks

Around $800...

Sytek MPX-4Aii with Burr-Brown on 3-4 is the perfect preamp for your needs. You're getting four channels, two ultra-clean, two with more of a darker (and rounder, almost tubey) sound to them. Great for drums, guitars, etc. Bang for buck one of the best preamps out there. Steve Albini uses them at Electrical Audio in Chicago, and I trust his judgement. (EA also uses Neotek consoles whose preamps are the same as the Sytek.) Anyway, yeah, they rock. I love mine, and I paid $600 used.

I also have a Presonus MP20. After modding my MP20 with Burr-Brown Op-amps it became a completely different beast. I love the sound and detail. You can get the parts for $75 and it takes all of 15 minutes to do, no soldering required. Easier than changing tubes in your guitar amp. Jenson will also replace the transformers in them for approx $80 roundtrip (I plan on doing this to my MP20 at some point, though the op-amp swap is more noticeable). You could get four channels of MP20 preamps for approx $700 used.

Back to the Sytek... I feel that you will get the most for your money this way. Please keep in mind, however, that the Sytek has no pads. It was built this way to keep a pure signal from input to output. You can easily pick up a couple of in-line pads off of eBay (A15AS). I have four of these A15AS pads that I use with my Sytek when needed.

Jeff