FMR RNP VS. FOCUSRITE OCTAPRE

[Nosound]

here' the deal I need at least 4 pre's everybody seems to like FMR RNP which is just a daul preamp how does the Focusrite octapre compare with the FMR RNP with the Octapre I have 8 pre's which is sweet for recording drums but on the other hand I heard FMR would be better and could get by using just 4 pre's on drums Rick Rubib style from what I here. What should I do go with FMR or the Octapre . Thanks for any suggestion BTW buget is 1000$.

[statikcat]

I have a friend that used an octopre on a record and he seemed to like it. I have however used a Focusrite Twintrak and it sounded god awful. I replaced that with an FMR (big difference). If the octopre sounds like a Twintrak stay away..very far away. Maybe someone else knows more about those two.

[DrDeltaM]

4 pre's for less then $1000? That screams for Sytek :-)

[meteor]

from a purely sonic standpoint...

The octopre will sound a bit hazy/fizzy/harsh/sterile. If you have to get an 8 channel pre for less than 1000 get a mackie 800r.

The RNP will sound neutral/clean/solid. Also has a pretty great DI for each channel.

A sytek w/burr brown option on 2 channels (absolute must) will sound life-like and detailed on the stock channels and life-like/detailed/silky/slightly warm on the BB channels. No DI though.

I have used all of the above mentioned pres live and in person on actual projects at some time or another along the way.

If it was me and I only needed 2 channels I'd get the RNP - I used to have one and it served me well.

If I needed 4 channels for less than a G. I'd get the Sytek w/BB on ch. 3&4, and then spend the couple hundred left in your budget on at least 2 decent in-line attenuators (to pad the input of your kick and snare going into the stock channels). Then maybe get a great (radial/countryman) passive DI or 2 if you don't have DI input available to you on some other device in your system. I had one of these for a while as well and it was uniformly fantastic at being itself.

These days, as my career and interest has progressed, I've gotten into more high-end stuff(API, Chandler, Great River have all seen there day in my little project setup and I'm pretty sure an A-Designs Pacifica will be next) but I stil have an 800r for extra channels when I run out of the truly great stuff - it's not special but it's totally usable. Anyway, I remember buying my first decent preamps like it was yesterday so I hope my .02 was worth at least that to you.

cheers,

[Makinithappen]

Here's another vote for Sytek. I mainly use mine on toms but it sounds pretty decent on everything I've tried them on.

[jslevin]

I haven't been terribly impressed with the RNP -- which seems to be skating by on the RNC's rep -- or the Sytek -- which seems to be skating by on the lack of decent competition in this price range.

I'm not sure either of them are significantly better than a Symetrix SX202 or SX302 -- both are two-channels units that can be found for under $200 and sometimes even under $100 on eBay. Or a Presonus MP20, which can be had for $300 and change and which has user-serviceable op-amps and a "tube" knob for variable flavoring. Or for that matter, grab up a used Mackie 1402 (VLZ Pro if possible), which has SIX pres that all sound pretty decent.

I would try out one of these and blow the rest of your budget on a single-channel Great River ME-1NV. Now you have one truly premium channel, including a DI that mugs everythign else in this discussion, and a total of three preamps -- old school Rick Rubin on the drums. The Symetrix pres are so cheap, you could add more pairs pretty much at will.

By the way, the Octopre isn't anything worth writing home about. The Mackie Onyx pres sound much better to my ears.

JSL

[meteor]

Originally Posted by jslevin

I haven't been terribly impressed with the RNP -- which seems to be skating by on the RNC's rep -- or the Sytek -- which seems to be skating by on the lack of decent competition in this price range.

I'm not sure either of them are significantly better than a Symetrix SX202 or SX302 -- both are two-channels units that can be found for under $200 and sometimes even under $100 on eBay. Or a Presonus MP20, which can be had for $300 and change and which has user-serviceable op-amps and a "tube" knob for variable flavoring. Or for that matter, grab up a used Mackie 1402 (VLZ Pro if possible), which has SIX pres that all sound pretty decent.

Come on... "terribly impressed"? None of the other low budget options you mentioned would be "terribly" impressive either. I would agree that terribly impressive would require something along the lines of a GR. Maybe the Symetrix idea could be real cool as all of the Symetrix stuff I have used has been uniformly effective. I think Jim Williams might do a mod for the symetrix pres that really takes them a fair bit of distance. Also, the MP20 idea would be even cooler if you could find one of the older units with the Jensen x-former. Agreed on the Mackie 800r - totally disagree on the VLZ... nails on a chalk-board.

Since this is the "low end" section, I might also mention the new JoeMeek TwinQ as two of the channels. It has a switchable x-former and a bunch of other stuff that might be really cool and flexible.

cheers,

[jslevin]

Originally Posted by meteor

Come on... "terribly impressed"? None of the other low budget options you mentioned would be "terribly" impressive either.

Believe me, I am capable of being terribly impressed with low-end or midrange gear!

In this case, I meant, impressed relative to the price. You're paying about $230 per channel for either the RNP or the Sytek, and I don't see what's so great about them. I think they're about the same quality as the other options I mentioned, which are about half the price. Another impressive value is the Yamaha MLA8, by the way.

I know this is the Low End section, but bottom line, the guy has $1000 to spend on a 2-4 channels, I told him what I think is the best way to spend it. I'm pretty sure he'd be happier with my picks than with a Sytek, but it's just my opinion.

I think Jim Williams might do a mod for the symetrix pres that really takes them a fair bit of distance. Also, the MP20 idea would be even cooler if you could find one of the older units with the Jensen x-former.

Well, the beauty of either the SX202 or the MP20 is that you can buy them as stock items dirt cheap, and they sound just fine, and then if you want you can mess with them later.

JSL

[Acoustic Cloud]

"mess with them"??

Like, use them as hockey pucks?? What is "mess"?? tranny replacement??

Anyway, the Meek SixQ sounds amazing for the dough, easily!!!

[jslevin]

Originally Posted by Acoustic Cloud

"mess with them"?? Like, use them as hockey pucks?? What is "mess"?? tranny replacement??

The MP20 has the op amps socketed such that they're easy to swap out, so that naturally has become pretty popular. I've also read about replacing the transformers. The SX202 has a number popular mods as well, you wouldn't have any trouble searching for The details.

JSL

[Nosound]

Thanks guys guess I didn't know about the Presorus pre's or the the others you mentioned and I really need 4 because I want to be able to track drums.

[Tomer1]

Would you consider DIY?
For a grand and some change you can have 4 channels of SCA.
You can be sure that they will sound a hell of alot better then any budget Preamps out there.

[Nosound]

Yea that sounds cool if I could only read schematics and use a soldering iron but I don't have a clue on ether and hate to throw a grand on DYI that i know that I can't possibly do. I check into it once seem pretty awesome deal they had Neveish API style pre which would be sweet but here where I'm at I wouldn't trust anybody around here they verily can change a light bulb.

[Nosound]

The more I think about it the more I rather have the SCA micpre's any user's out there that can elaborate more on these micpre's.