WideGlide wrote:

He has one of those Alesis hard disk recorders, and he wishes to record a
live show by taking 24 individual signals from a FOH console and bring them
into the Alesis. He feels he needs some type of 24 channel pre-amp /
line-in gain control unit. He mentioned he was looking at maybe buying
three Presonus DigiMax units...? I know nothing about these units
specifically. I felt that perhaps he may not even need any "front end" at
all, and that perhaps he could feed the signals straight from the FOH
console into the Alesis directly, that maybe the Alesis has some type of
variable input adjustment... or? If he DOES need a "front end", is there a
good portable unit that could be recommended? This guy would probably
prefer something on the inexpensive side, and is not worried too much about
pristine sonic quality. Any help would be appreciated... this guy is a good
friend, he looks to me for audio advise, I hope to be able to help him out.
It's just that I know very little about what he is trying to do
specifically. Thanks! -wg

It sounds to me like your friend is talking about microphones plugged
into the preamps on the FOH console and using some kind of direct
output from each channel to go to the Alesis. If this is the case,
then there's no need for a level control at all, neither on the Alesis
itself nor inline between the console and the recorder. The point of
the FOH console's input trim (gain control) is to bring each signal up
to a nominal line level for use inside the console. Spit this signal
out the direct outputs and it'll be at line level there as well. If
the levels hitting the Alesis are too hot or too quiet, then they're
too hot or too quiet inside the console as well and should be adjusted
at the input gain control. All of the signals can be recorded at
nonimal line level on the Alesis. The time for adjusting those
individual track levels comes later, when he's mixing the recording in
a controlled environment through another mixing console of some kind.
Does that make sense to you?

Of course the possibility exists that somebody other than your friend
is operating the FOH console and that person could be incompetent
and/or have peculiar notions regarding gain structure and might refuse
to cooperate with this recording process. In that case your friend may
find himself looking for some means to correct for inappropriate gain
settings coming out of the FOH console. He would be dealing with poor
gain structuring that will result in excessive noise and/or high
distortion. A situation like that is fundamentally opposed to
producing worthwhile recordings and your friend shouldn't waste his
time.

Long story short, the gain controls your friend seeks are already
located on the console and he needs to access those rather than buy an
outboard box.

ulysses