PreSonus DigiMax FS by Enlightened Hand
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Sound Quality
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Ease of use
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Features
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Bang for buck
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Overall:
If you end up recording with a rack mount interface enough eventually you'll run into the problem of needing more simultaneous analog input channels. Typically you'd be limited by the number of available analog inputs on your base unit. But many units come with ADAT digital expansion for the inclusion of additional A-D converters. Those converters would also need to be fed an analog signal. So you can either buy a converter set and then buy preamps to feed it. Or you can go for something like the Digimax FS.
The Digimax FS is 8 preamps with inserts on each channel in a 1 rack unit space combined with 8 channels of A-D AND D-A conversion via ADAT i/o, with 8 channels of direct, pre conversion analog outputs as well as 8 post conversion analog outputs. Wordclock is handled via BNC cable and there is a word clock termination button for when the D-max happens to be the last unit in the distribution chain. In short, it's a very useful channel expansion unit.
IN USE
I've used the Digimax FS as the primary channel expansion for my Firestudio 2626 via ADAT. Hook up is simple and problem free. It's just a matter of attaching the right cables, pressing the right buttons and you're good to go. What makes the Digimax so good are it's ins and outs. With a Digimax you can run 8 additional channels into your ADAT equipped interface and you can have each channel take advantage of signal processing via it's insert. You can also run the pre-converted analog channels to wherever you wish, be it a recorder or a cue mix system for direct monitoring, while you run the converted signals to your main interface. You can also monitor the return signals through the post D-A analog outputs. All of this makes for a very powerful, flexible channel expansion unit.
The sound of the preamps on the Digimax is fine with me. It's not special and it's not bad. It's just basic. The preamps don't have quite as much headroom as they would need to handle quiet sources with gain hungry mics. But they do fine in the vast majority of recording situations. If there is ever a need the Digimax has 6 line inputs and two instrument DIs.
All in all I recommend the Digimax FS for it's connectivity and abundant usefulness and a sound that doesn't kill your recordings.
