8 'neutral' pre-amps interface?

[PaulMac]

Hey. I'm looking to buy a mobile interface with 8+ neutral pre-amps.

I really don't want the pre-amps to add character, and the interface will ideally be quite portable. I don't really have a budget... anything under $1000/£700 would be ideal, though.

Any suggestions?

[jordanvoth]

The profire 26/26 is raved anout a bunch, presonus firestudio 26/26 is also decent (I found the pres to be a bit muddy but that's just me, lots of happy users with them to be found). Mackie has a new one coming that will probably be a bit out of your price range but most likely worth it. For vanilla pres that are the best bang for my buck I love the Mackies.

[PlugHead]

I've said it before, and good luck finding one used, but - the Ramsa WZ-AD96m is a superb unit for that duty. It'd chew up and spit out any other in your price range (it was about $2500 when new a decade ago...)

I wish I had another one.

Otherwise, consider the Mackie ONYX...

[Chrisc_o]

Originally Posted by Paul.

Hey. I'm looking to buy a mobile interface with 8+ neutral pre-amps.

Pretty much every interface with preamps in your price range can be described as being "neutral". Actually, this probably applies to most interfaces in any price range.

Color is rarely a concern for the pres in these things so you pretty much have all the selection in the world.

[mrc]

wrong post, sorry

[Eric Pederson]

Originally Posted by mrc

wrong post, sorry

Sorry, but lol @ reason: blindness

[PaulMac]

Originally Posted by PlugHead

I've said it before, and good luck finding one used, but - the Ramsa WZ-AD96m is a superb unit for that duty. It'd chew up and spit out any other in your price range (it was about $2500 when new a decade ago...)

I wish I had another one.

Otherwise, consider the Mackie ONYX...

Haha. I actually have the Onyx. It's the 4 pre-amp version, which is a bit of a pain. I'd have to go to the 1620 for 8 pres.
Since I already have the firewire card that would pretty much just be £350 ($550-ish).

[PaulMac]

Focusrite Saffire?

[TacticalPizza]

Originally Posted by Paul.

Focusrite Saffire?

I have no experience with it, but a friend has one and he loves it. Though I'm not sure about his level of experience with recording...

[Puffer Fish]

Focusrite ISA 828--clean if you want it to be but character if you want it/ hit it hard. Probably not in your budget though. Maybe used?

[Heartfelt]

Originally Posted by Paul.

Hey. I'm looking to buy a mobile interface with 8+ neutral pre-amps.

I really don't want the pre-amps to add character, and the interface will ideally be quite portable. I don't really have a budget... anything under $1000/£700 would be ideal, though.

Any suggestions?

The Steinberg MR 816 has really, really good pres for an interface. They are
neutral but not thin. They have a nice, full sound. Another is the Echo Pre 8. I
have an echo unit and still use it for mobile needs. The one I have doesn't
have their newer pres and they may sound great. The pres in mine are kinda
like a Mackie VLZ, good but not great. The conversion on the Steinberg is a
step above the Echo in my experience.

Another that I would give a shot, if the Steinberg wasn't available is the
Presonus Firetube.The conversion specs are nice, you have 6 Xmax pres
which are nice and full, two tube pres (I know you said no color - sorry) and
then 8 additional channels of conversion only (no pres) for 16 channels of
conversion. That is a smoking deal for well under a grand. I have a Studio
Live 16.4.2 and my impression on the presonus is that it would likely be
between the two previously mentioned.

Hope this helps.

[PaulMac]

Originally Posted by Heartfelt

The Steinberg MR 816 has really, really good pres for an interface. They are
neutral but not thin. They have a nice, full sound. Another is the Echo Pre 8. I
have an echo unit and still use it for mobile needs. The one I have doesn't
have their newer pres and they may sound great. The pres in mine are kinda
like a Mackie VLZ, good but not great. The conversion on the Steinberg is a
step above the Echo in my experience.

Another that I would give a shot, if the Steinberg wasn't available is the
Presonus Firetube.The conversion specs are nice, you have 6 Xmax pres
which are nice and full, two tube pres (I know you said no color - sorry) and
then 8 additional channels of conversion only (no pres) for 16 channels of
conversion. That is a smoking deal for well under a grand. I have a Studio
Live 16.4.2 and my impression on the presonus is that it would likely be
between the two previously mentioned.

Hope this helps.

Hey Heartfelt. Thanks for your feedback man.
You put some good opinions accross. Firestudio tube sounds good for use outwith my mobile project, although it doesn't have 8 pres the same. What might counter this is the Presonus Firestudio. Seems to be the same 8 model, but with 8 pres that are the exact same.
What seems a little disappointing is looking at the prices of them here in Europe and then the US prices which are 25% cheaper. The Firestudio Project has Class-A converters and seems to be a very reasonable price. Same with the Firepod.

Thanks for reminding me of Presonus.

One thing is, though. Their quality seems to lack a little bit, and I mean a little. I wonder how their pres would compare with M-Audio or Focusrite.
It's a real option, though. If I'm stuck on what to buy before Friday the various Presonus interfaces will be on the final list.

[Adlen]

If I were you I'd go with the Focusrite Saffire. I have the Pro40 at the moment and I'm looking to sell it to buy a Liquid56 and a Pro14 for mobile recordings. They're brilliant interfaces and VERY clean preamps.

If you're interested in buying my Pro40 PM me, I'm not asking too much for it

[kevynosborn]

I own the Mackie Onyx 400f, and though I love it to death I wouldn't call the preamps neutral--vanilla, yes (as JV said), but full, rounded, bumped, warm, etc. would all be more in line with my terminology. Compared to the other interfaces in the price range the Onyx preamps sound subdued in the midrange.

All the Presonus 26/26s I've heard sound "scrape-y" and unclear to me. They also seem horrendously unstable; my buddy went through 3 of them before he eventually moved to an M-Audio Profire.

I actually liked the sound of my old Alesis io26. I bought my cousin a little USB-powered Alesis io2 a few months ago and it still has that characteristic flatness (or at least, what I perceive to be flatness) that I liked, and though it would be no replacement for your Onyx I would call the preamps neutral, if a little dull and occasionally midrange-spikey.

I should mention, however, that Alesis' customer service sucks and that my io26 died after 14 months. But from what I gather online this is unusual.

[Jimsi]

Originally Posted by Adlen

If I were you I'd go with the Focusrite Saffire. I have the Pro40 at the moment and I'm looking to sell it to buy a Liquid56 and a Pro14 for mobile recordings. They're brilliant interfaces and VERY clean preamps.

If you're interested in buying my Pro40 PM me, I'm not asking too much for it

I think my Saffire Pro 40 is good, I think you will like it with the clean 8 preamps...have fun man

[Jimsi]

Originally Posted by Adlen

If I were you I'd go with the Focusrite Saffire. I have the Pro40 at the moment and I'm looking to sell it to buy a Liquid56 and a Pro14 for mobile recordings. They're brilliant interfaces and VERY clean preamps.

If you're interested in buying my Pro40 PM me, I'm not asking too much for it

why not use your pro 40 for mobile recordings, wont it be a lot more flexable and handy with the extra inputs?...because of bus power? I saw the pro 14 and it looks limited to me...except for the firewire bus power thing....it will drain your laptop battery fairly quickly...? no?

[Adlen]

Originally Posted by Jimsi

why not use your pro 40 for mobile recordings, wont it be a lot more flexable and handy with the extra inputs?...because of bus power? I saw the pro 14 and it looks limited to me...except for the firewire bus power thing....it will drain your laptop battery fairly quickly...? no?

I'll still be able to use my Liquid56 for mobile recording when I need more inputs but the Pro14 is for the situations where that's either not an option or it's overkill. I don't have a car so transporting Gator racks is a bit of a pain and the Pro14 can be chucked in a backpack with my laptop and taken anywhere, including the middle of a field because of the bus power.

Also, one of the situations I find myself in often is recording live events that I'm mixing FOH. One venue is a school who do a lot of performing arts and they use an A&H GL2400 with 4 buses, so I can use the 4 Pro14 inputs, others i usually so it over 8 bus but I can get away with recording 4

I want the Liquid56 for the Liquid pres (the fact that the XLR connections are all on the back is a major bonus too), I'm getting the Pro14 as an extra 4 inputs for that rig as well as an ultra-portable mobile recording solution.

[Blast9]

Art Tubefire?

Maybe joelpatterson can chime in.

Since you already have the Mackie Onyx 400F and it has line ins - why not look into getting something like a Soundcraft or Allen and Heath Zed 10 or Peavey portable mixers?

I am not sure if any of these have individual channel outs though

[PaulMac]

Ahh sorry. I should have said... it's the 1220 I have. Taking that + another heavy mixer around for its pre-amps would not be ideal.
I essentially need one unit with 8 pres the same.

[Jimsi]

I am sorry Paul for hijacking your thread...:-)

Originally Posted by Adlen

I'll still be able to use my Liquid56 for mobile recording when I need more inputs but the Pro14 is for the situations where that's either not an option or it's overkill. I don't have a car so transporting Gator racks is a bit of a pain and the Pro14 can be chucked in a backpack with my laptop and taken anywhere, including the middle of a field because of the bus power.

Also, one of the situations I find myself in often is recording live events that I'm mixing FOH. One venue is a school who do a lot of performing arts and they use an A&H GL2400 with 4 buses, so I can use the 4 Pro14 inputs, others i usually so it over 8 bus but I can get away with recording 4

I want the Liquid56 for the Liquid pres (the fact that the XLR connections are all on the back is a major bonus too), I'm getting the Pro14 as an extra 4 inputs for that rig as well as an ultra-portable mobile recording solution.

ah, the extra inputs...I do like the idea of the 2 liquid pres on the liquid 56

[PaulMac]

Originally Posted by Jimsi

I am sorry Paul for hijacking your thread...:-)


ah, the extra inputs...I do like the idea of the 2 liquid pres on the liquid 56

No bother
I think the Liquid pres are great... I've not heard a direct comparison with the Saffire pres, though.