Oh look here... 8 pres. Oh and there! 8 more! They're everywhere!!

[daleandtheguitar]

I just bought a H.R. enthusiast mag for the first time in a year and noticed that there has been a boom in units offering 8 individual mic pres. Two that I was looking at (in conjunction with each other) were the M-audio ProFire 2626 ($699) and the Presonus Digimax D8 ($399). I use ProTools and getting 16 channels in for just over $1k is pretty serious stuff - provided they don't sound like dog vomit! And really, I don't think I've ever heard a pre that sounds like dog vomit. The stuff going into the pre... that's another story.

Does anyone have any experience with any of the 8-in-1 units? While I doubt their audio quality would ever be bad to the point of useless (for a novice such as myself, at least), how are these modestly priced boxes sounding?

D.

[Audio~Geek]

While I haven't heard the preamps on either units, the D8 on the lowend of the Digimax line, the FS being $680.99 and the LT being $900.99.

My friend keeps recommending the Focusrite Octopre w/ digital card ($1078) mainly because its better preamps and converters than all the others and built in compressor/limiters on each channel.

But honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with that set up.

The biggest bullshit part about the 2626 is that you can only use 18 I/O in pt.
Don't forget to add $259 for M-Powered if you don't have it already.
Where are you planning on ordering this from?
May I suggest Revolution Audio Canada (http://revolutionaudio.ca)
Free shipping in Canada, (you don't live in Yukon or NWT do you?) and I'll throw in a T-shirt. We have the 2626 in stock.

[otek]

Been there before, but how about the Audient ASP?


otek

[tannoy]

Fuck, I thought the 8 appeared and I've missed it...these short thread-titles at the entry-page are driving me insane...

[Slipperman]

I know these guys.

http://www.apiaudio.com/8mx2.html


REALLY good pre's in a small footprint.

I've had 2(16 channels total) of them for 14-15 years.

Limiter is dreadful. Don't bother. Ever. Shut off.

Mixer thingie works well and sounds solid.

Metering is for shit, especially if yer in a hurry, but ya get used to/over it.

They have been a minor pain in my ass from a maintenance perspective.

The majority of everything else I have ever tried in the format besides the Crane Song Spider(which is NOT 1RU by the wildest stretch of the imagination) has been kinda shaky on one front or another.

Which is certainly not to say I've tried everything that's out there.

That's why we've got this thread.



SM.

PS. Whoops! Just remembered...
Oram "Octopre" was a pleasant surprise as well. Not the "cheese and mud" I was dreading. Funny, I always though that guy(John Oram) has designed a bunch of decent sounding pre's over the years. None of which have gained much popularity, probably due more to the "reasons everyone is sick of talking about"(Crazy marketing/outlandish claims) as the sonics of the kit itself.
Anyhoo.
I've both bought and used a slew of his pre's on a ton of stuff over the last 20 years or so... Reaching all he way back to his early BizarroWorld offerings like the 2 channel (Red) SoundTech "Panoramic Microlyzer" which originally shipped in some crazy exotic wooden box and was actually just 2 channels of pre with attendant(and not so hot) "80 series Trident stylee" Eq's.

So

of course

he needed to call it...

the

PANORAMIC MICROLYZER




...







Moving right along.


OK. Gotta jet. Here's a picture of the ATI box for those who are too lazy to click the link at the top of my post.

[Audio~Geek]

Hey slippy I think he's looking for something with 8 channel ADAT out which the ATI does not.

[otek]

I know these guys.

http://www.apiaudio.com/8mx2.html




Damn. Ive seen these guys around, was completely unaware API was actually making them. How the fuck did I miss that? :Confused:

otek

[Dr. Bob]

Damn. Ive seen these guys around, was completely unaware API was actually making them. How the fuck did I miss that? :Confused:

otek

I dunno... maybe too much time behind a console?? :grin:

I saw these when I was up looking at the 1608 and caught a glimpse of McBride's Monster.

Damn lotta bang for the buck, seriously!

IMHO, it's a toss up between the 8MX2 and a lunchbox full of the 212's.

Obviously the 212's are a few more sheckles, but good shit ain't cheap and cheap shit ain't always good.

Of course the 3124 is a nice option as well... and you don't have to find any place to put the PSU, like you do with your typical lunchbox.

Shit... why did I reply to this thread.... now you got me fukin' lusting after the 3124's again....




damn... :doubledeuce:


There goes another hole in my fukin' wallet... :icon_eek:

thanx....

[daleandtheguitar]

Hey slippy I think he's looking for something with 8 channel ADAT out which the ATI does not.

I was mainly surprised at the sheer number of 8-in-1 pre racks that have blossomed in the past few months and curious if anyone had any listening time with some of the home consumer-oriented models. I don't have an ADAT in to my computer. I would have gone with the Profire 2626 into the PC's firewire and the D8's ADAT out into the 2626's optical in. I also marveled at the fact that there now seemed a very viable and affordable option to max out Pro Tools M-Audio's number of in's I can use. Provided they offer a clean signal and sound at least good, a home recordist could get a lot of use out of them. And it's nice to compare my wish list with some more seasoned dreams. The ATI unit would just glow in my rack (...the rack which I would have to buy so I could start talking about my rack and the ATI pre that sits in it).

[otek]

The ATI unit would just glow in my rack (...the rack which I would have to buy so I could start talking about my rack and the ATI pre that sits in it).

Leave us not forget the small matter of the lack of lightpipe interface, so budget for 8 channels of quality converter while you're at it.

Even with a relatively "budget" converter (which might defeat the purpose), this puts the ATI at around the 4000 dollar mark.

For about half that (including converter card), there's the Audient I mentioned earlier.

I haven't tried the ATI, so I can't speak for the sound comparison to the Audient. I'm sure the ATI is more of a "character" pre. It also gives you the added flexibility of on-board summing.


otek

[Audio~Geek]

the 2626 has 16 channels of ADAT in.

[Slipperman]

Damn. Ive seen these guys around, was completely unaware API was actually making them. How the fuck did I miss that? :Confused:

otek

ATI actually bought API a few years ago.

Larry Droppa, who runs(owns?) ATI, has been making cool stuff forever.

Like the Paragon live desks.

Which(in the the BIG ones), by the way, sound AMAZING and have every whistle, button and bell one could imagine on a live desk.

Or a studio desk, for the most part.

I once mixed a record on one in a remote truck and it was a hilariously great experience. Like a SUPER SSL stylee thing(full parametric and dynamics package on every channel) that sounded waaayyy better than any SSL I ever used, including the the K series, at least at first blush.

Anyhooch.

These same cats are now also building and marketing the new Arsenal Audio line.

Which I have NOT heard, but I'll bet dollars to donuts is pretty fucking great kit as well.

SM.

[otek]

the 2626 has 16 channels of ADAT in.

Yeah, but the ATI better have 8 ADAT out, too, or you ain't gonna be able to use 'em. :Wink:

[Audio~Geek]

Yeah, but the ATI better have 8 ADAT out, too, or you ain't gonna be able to use 'em. :Wink:

and if you look at post # 6 I said that already :Roll eyes:

[Doylemusic]

Digimax lt (not the newer 96k version). Can find them used for around $500 on feeBay. Very clean/neutral sounding pres. Very useable, especially for clean sources (choir, stringed intruments, wind instruments, etc). Ok for drum overs, aux perc.

[edhombre]

+1 on the Digimax LT (48k version). I've found it very usable for the cash. Doesn't seem to add much audible suck. Also has a 20db pad on each channel which the last time I checked the Octopre didn't and I can't imagine not having...

[otek]

and if you look at post # 6 I said that already :Roll eyes:

Sorry, missed that. I thought your post was a direct response to mine.

otek

[Audio~Geek]

+1 on the Digimax LT (48k version). I've found it very usable for the cash. Doesn't seem to add much audible suck. Also has a 20db pad on each channel which the last time I checked the Octopre didn't and I can't imagine not having...

Hey that's a good point
My friend has the Octopre and really likes having compressors for each channel

[Wireline]

Octopre? Is this the same Octopre that many of y'all were slamming as the audio equivalent to the anti-Christ a few years back?

I had one, used it quite a lot, sold it after I got something that I thougt was better but really wasn't, and wished I had the Octopre with digital card back in the racks again...

Its your fault.

BTW - I used a Presonus Fireface for years, on a lot of projects, and still keep it in the remote rack...the pres do NOT suck at all, and even though its built quality is pretty low, the wall wart powered unit does seem to manage to keep finding ways to be useful.

[otek]

The [Focusrite] Octopre is not the worst of the bunch, though it's not exactly blowing my skirt up.

The on-board limiters, however, are truly horrible.


otek

[Slipperman]

Octopre? Is this the same Octopre that many of y'all were slamming as the audio equivalent to the anti-Christ a few years back?


I think yer referring to the FOCUSRITE silver thing.

Which I have never had the pleasure of using, but have been told repeatedly is TERRIBLE.

By like... EVERYBODY.

So... I dunno.

Anyhoo.

I'm referring to the Oram Octopre(which predates the Focusrite one, I think).

They are very strange sounding pre's which kinda grow on ya.

Kinda "Mr. Smoothie" on top, but also kinda "Fast" feeling in a way. I remark upon this because I think "Dark and SLOW" usually come as a PAIR of characteristics in a pre.

So you COULD use them on rooms(Where I think they are good) and on toms(Where I think they are often STELLAR with 421's or ND408's) and even brighter acoustic guitars. Bvox. Group vox.

Gotta bolt.

Best regards,

SM.

[malice]

A couple Daking IV would be cheap as well

malice

[radeng9805]

I tried a Digimax recently for a radio talk studio. Had a bunch of RE-20's plugged into it, didn't have enough gain for them. Checked the specs, only has 54 db of gain. Sounded resonably good, just not loud ehough. Switched to the Octopre with 60 db.

[Tommy Fobia]

I tried a Digimax recently for a radio talk studio. Had a bunch of RE-20's plugged into it, didn't have enough gain for them. Checked the specs, only has 54 db of gain. Sounded resonably good, just not loud ehough. Switched to the Octopre with 60 db.

Just out of interest, where were the re20s peaking with the gain maxed on the digimax?

[radeng9805]

With soft female voices, the RE20's were peaking at about -6. Even with a strong male voice, the peaks were not getting over +3. I will say though, with the gain wide open the Digimax was not noisy. Should work fine with higher output mics.

[JImbo]

I'm also an ATI 8MX2 owner, and thought I'd chime in that I really like the pres with my dynamic mics. It's hard to describe, but it really brings dynamic mics forward in the mix, with great articulation, slightly thicker low-mids, and a tight bottom.

Also the preamp speed makes them great from drums, banjo, or other source with fast transients.

- Jim