Quest for new multi channel Mic Pre...Advice??

[Jim]

Whoops, my bad. You are, of course, correct, HCM. I was working from a bad memory of a review I'd read a month or so ago. Sorry for the lapse. If Presonus put FW on it, it'd be awesome (not that it isn't awesome already).

[BradLyons]

Sooooo I'm preparing for a LARGE concert I'm recording locked to video this weekend and packing up the gear I'm taking out. I have a 64-input Allen & Heath iLive console I'll be using, but racked up some pres I'm taking out for specific tasks. I didn't realize until last night just how many Presonus pres I'm using!!

(2) ADL600's
(2) Digimax96's
and an MP20

While I'm not taking these out, I also use a Eureka, a DigimaxLT and (2) CentralStations. I didn't realize how much I liked Presonus products until last night, go figure.

[gearboy]

brad, have you done the Burr-Brown mod ($75, by hand) for the MP20 yet? You'll like it even more.

Jeff

[BradLyons]

Ironically, I don't want that done to my MP20. I have plenty of pres to give me punch and warmth outside of the MP20, but I have heard it--very nice. It makes a HUGE difference on the compressor in the Eureka, though!

[sdfalk]

I am a little curious about the ART TubeFire8
With no vents of any kind, won't it get a we bit hot?
Or is it some kinda Tube "like" technology
Anyone heard anything about it..good or bad?

http://www.artproaudio.com/products.asp ... t=1&id=130

[mhschmieder]

RME makes one which I think is called the OctaD. They also have a Quad version at roughly half the price (and half the size, as a half-rack).

I highly recommend the True Precision8 octal mic preamp, which has made at least a 300% improvement in my tracking. I now run everything through it, even if no additional gain is needed. It is hooked up directly to my RME Fireface 800, taking up all of its back panel analog inputs.

Unfortunately, there is no digital option for the True Precision8. I spoke to Sennheiser (the distributers) about this at Winter NAMM, but they have no immediate plans to do anyhing in that regard. There really isn't any space left on the back panel to fit anything else anyway. Maybe they'll put ojut a new model next year or later, as they are in heavy competition with Grace, whose octal mic pre does support a digital interface option (if memory serves).

Remember that many of the eight channel Firewire audio interfaces support additional inputs on the front panel (from two to four usually), which many times are independent rather than redundant of the ones in back. So many of those units are really 10-channel or 12-channel. What is your actual top count of channels for your live drum tracking?

[BradLyons]

IMHO, I'm not sure I'd welcome an A/D option for the Precision8 because in order to provide an A/D converter that is suitable for the quality of this pre, it won't be cheap. At that rate, those that are buying these kinds of pres typically have good converters. As I'm sure you're aware, digital out isn't a benefit unless the converter itself is good. Just because something is digital doesn't mean there's no analog to digital conversion going on, it's just a matter of where and in which item. The Fireface800 has excellent converters, I don't see where Sennheiser could improve on that or at least without the cost being at least a thousand dollars more and in that situation, would it be worth it? I don't feel so...... I do feel the benefit would be to expand I/O via ADAT optical, but again would it be worth the additional cost to make it worth while?

There is another pre coming out later this year that I think might catch your eye, unfortunately I'm not allowed to mention who or what....but it's a new 8-channel pre with a high quality A/D option. It's a different sound from the True Systems, however.

[gregwhartley]

There is another pre coming out later this year that I think might catch your eye, unfortunately I'm not allowed to mention who or what....but it's a new 8-channel pre with a high quality A/D option. It's a different sound from the True Systems, however.

Brad, you tease.

[BradLyons]

Actually, there are (2) coming....one's a 4-channel, another is an 8-channel and I think they are going to really get some buzz! Maybe I can talk about them in August.....

[mhschmieder]

Well, I was only trying to be helpful towards the original poster's perspective, which seemded to require the converters to sit in the multi-channel preamp unit.

I look forward to whatever this new unit is that Brad has hinted towards. There is plenty of room for more choices in the realm of multi-channel solutions.

[mhschmieder]

Hmm, it's been two years... can we now identify these units?

At any rate, I decided a few months ago against the TME OctaD or any other "combined" solution as too inflexible and too much compromise just for convenience sake. It's really a shame that the two or three dedicated multi-channel A/D Line Level to Digital units are extremely expensive and cover every digital format imaginable (e.g. RME ADI-8 DS, but there are others and they aren't much cheaper).

Why can't someone make a simple, high quality octal Line Level to ADAT Out? This is what the overwhelming majority of people need, and it's way more future-proof. Then you can focus on budgeting for quality singles, duals, quads, and octal mic pre-amps, without re-buying converters.