8 Channel Preamplifier / AD Converter - Which would be best combination for Logic 8?

[jhed]

Hey folks,

Was wondering if anyone here would be able to help. I am looking into investing in some mobile recording kit that would allow me to record 16 tracks of audio simultaneously into logic 8 with as little stress as possible.

Ideally I would like an interface with 8 Mic pre's with the option of adding another 8 inputs with an A/D converter. An example of the combo's i'm thinking of going for would be an M-Audio 2626 w/ a behringer ada800 or a motu 8 pre w/ a behringer ada800. However- from what I hear- it is rarely as simple as this and problems can occur (I had a friend who was running logic, and tried to use a behringer/digi 003 combo and could not get the ada800 in to the daw for the life in him).

Has anyone here had any good/bad experiences with the setups mentioned above? I really am just looking for something that is reliable and works first time with minimal faffing about in logic 8.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Jhed
(Live sound tech looking to move into the mobile recording realm)

[SANDS]

there are many options for that configuration, it's all about budget.
Here are some I have owned and use that have worked well for me on both pc and mac with Cubase sx3, 4 and 5. Can't offer help with Logic, haven't used it in a long time.

budget based of course here.

products I have owned

motu 896 hd, great for the money has everything you need and can be modded in the future. great drivers

motu 8pre, not good, sounds thin and weak compared to the pre's on the 896.

Echo Audiofire 8, one of my favorite products for the money that whole range of Audiofires is great. The new Audiofire 8 has adat i/o. solid drivers.

I own the little brothre of the Apogee Ensemble, the Duet. It works well and has solid drivers, love the Maestro software. The Ensemble has all you would need as well.

Don't own and have never had a chance to spend much time on the Metric Halo stuff, but judging from the respones on here it sounds really solid.

Rme Fireface 800, been around for a long time, works well on mac. Just used one last month with my buddy Jason. Not one issue, Has everything you are looking for as well.

As far as expansion a/d for 8 channels, I have never used the Behringer. Used the Digimax 96k and the Digimax LT from Presonus and it worked out decent, not my favorite but it was was better that the Motu 8pre. I have heard good things about the Audient ASP008, but never had a chance to use it on anything.

hope that helps.

[YUGA]

Steinberg MR816 X/CSX comes with 8 pres and ADAT I/O. Lots of people are raving the pres and converters on this unit.

Check out this thread.
Steinberg MR816 CSX Audio Interface - Recommended ?

[t_chance]

Originally Posted by SANDS

As far as expansion a/d for 8 channels, I have never used the Behringer. Used the Digimax 96k and the Digimax LT from Presonus and it worked out decent, not my favorite but it was was better that the Motu 8pre. I have heard good things about the Audient ASP008, but never had a chance to use it on anything.

I'm setting up a M-Audio 2626 right now with a RME Octamic D ADAT into it with the RME clock, no problems to PT-8. I am using the 2626 analog ins coming from a True Systems 8 and other pre's into the RME. I'm sure the M-audio would work fine with any ADAT lightpipe source. Presonus, Motu, Echo, ect.
The driving force in the switch-over in the personal studio is to get away from the Behringer ADA on the signal chain we had going to the Mackie HD recorder. If you want one to get by until you find out you need something better, I have a friend who has one he is ready to part with.

[jhed]

Thanks for all the input folks- all very helpful stuff. Are there no logic users on here who might be able to shed some light on their experiences as this is the main thing i am concerned about?

I'm looking for something on the more affordable side as I will have to budget for mics and cables on top of the initial hardware.

[zarquon]

I have a MOTU 828 II that I use with Logic all the time. While it doesn't have the pres you are looking for, other MOTU stuff does. The drivers are solid, and it works well with logic. I've used it with Logic 7 & 8 on both PPC and Intel based Macs.

Hope this helps.

Z.

[James Lehmann]

I would spend a few hours searching this Forum for advice - there is so much here on this subject already.

As a Mac user, one name you will see being recommended again and again for a reliable, stable and good-sounding set-up with Logic is Metric Halo.

[SANDS]

Like I said I use Cubase with my hardware, but I do have friends that use only Logic, In my experience Logic and any Motu unit works well, Motu drivers and mac cpus have always been great for me. Same with the Apogee Duet and Ensemble, the early drivers were not perfect but now they are working great, both these units work well with Logic too.

[klaukholm]

In the medium range, I would consider the MH ULN8.

[James Lehmann]

Originally Posted by klaukholm

In the medium range, I would consider the MH ULN8.

Wow! If $6,000 is 'medium range' what would you consider high-end?

[klaukholm]

Our grace/millennia into prism or euphonix is what I consider high end.
It is also twice the cost per channel.
The MH can be had for 3000GBP in the classifieds hint hint.

[BenF]

Hello klaukholm,

I'm interested in your reasons for selling off your ULN8.

Doesn't fit your gear need?
Quality?
Just had it in for comparison?
Etc.?

Thanks. Ben

[klaukholm]

It does not fit our current needs.

It is great value for the money, particularly if you need dsp power, 10DA, 8AD,
7.1 monitor control, headphone out, 8 preamps etc.
It is VERY light and compact.

[BenF]

Thanks, klaukholm.

How did it compare to your star prism and euphonix gear for A/D and D/A? The all in one value is compelling. Just curious of the opinion from your respectable ears.

Ben