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#1
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Selecting 8-chan micpre/ADAT interface
Budget: $1K~3K
Use: Live, location recording, mostly classical choral & instrumental Recorder: Alesis HD24 Priorities: 1) "tonally neutral" mic preamps 2) 8 channels 3) ADAT lightpipe output (44.1, 48K @ 24 bit) 4) 1 RU (if possible?) Short list: Mackie Onyx 800R Focusrite OctoPre Presonus Digimax Any thoughts, advice, experience, recommendations? I have a large, live recording project (150 voice men's festival chorus + organ, brass, percussion) in about a month from now that I would like to upgrade for. I am also likely buying a matched pair of Josephson C42 as my main stereo pair (since I can't justify the $$$ for Schoeps or DPA) Open for suggestions. |
#2
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Selecting 8-chan micpre/ADAT interface
On Mar 27, 2:03 pm, "Richard Crowley" wrote:
Priorities: 1) "tonally neutral" mic preamps 2) 8 channels 3) ADAT lightpipe output (44.1, 48K @ 24 bit) 4) 1 RU (if possible?) Short list: Mackie Onyx 800R Focusrite OctoPre Presonus Digimax For what it's worth, I have a Mackie 800R and it sounds just fine. I can't compare it to the others because I haven't heard them. I actually found a use for the impedance switch that's on the first two channels. The CAD 7000 ribbon mic that I reviewed sounded best when switched to 500 ohms. Everything else around here sounds best when switched to the highest impedance, so I guess it's no big deal, but something to try. The M-S matrix is pretty neat. Wish there were two pairs like that. |
#3
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Selecting 8-chan micpre/ADAT interface
"Richard Crowley" wrote in message ... Budget: $1K~3K Use: Live, location recording, mostly classical choral & instrumental Recorder: Alesis HD24 Priorities: 1) "tonally neutral" mic preamps 2) 8 channels 3) ADAT lightpipe output (44.1, 48K @ 24 bit) 4) 1 RU (if possible?) Short list: Mackie Onyx 800R Focusrite OctoPre Presonus Digimax Any thoughts, advice, experience, recommendations? I have a large, live recording project (150 voice men's festival chorus + organ, brass, percussion) in about a month from now that I would like to upgrade for. I am also likely buying a matched pair of Josephson C42 as my main stereo pair (since I can't justify the $$$ for Schoeps or DPA) Open for suggestions. I'm running Presonus Firepods, which are roughly the firewire-equipped version of the Digimax. The preamps are fine. Nothing spectacular, but clean and reliable for their price. For recording to my HD24 I run from the line outputs and through a patchbay into the recorder. I decided to steer away from the Lightpipe ports becasue I trust the A/D converters in the Alesis unit a little more than the ones in the Presonus, and want the option of recording to higher resolutions without sacrificing channels. I"ve never played with an OctoPre. The focusrite has the onboard compressors, of course, but with the HD24 I've rarely had to worry that much about recording levels. A 2-channel outboard limiter would easily accommodate the times I've needed to worry about getting good recording levels without clipping. I had a bad experience with Mackie's service, and so don't buy or recommend them. That says nothing one way or the other about the quality or performance of their gear; I just can't afford to be treated like mud when I need to get something fixed. It's on the extreme high end of your budget, and doesn't have the lightpipe output, but the kind of recording you're doing is pretty demanding. If you're going to be doing a lot of this kind of thing, you might consider the True Systems Precision 8. I've only heard about them, but by reputation they are remarkably transparent and quiet. Cheers, Walt |
#4
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Selecting 8-chan micpre/ADAT interface
Mike Rivers wrote: For what it's worth, I have a Mackie 800R and it sounds just fine. I can't compare it to the others because I haven't heard them. I actually found a use for the impedance switch that's on the first two channels. The CAD 7000 ribbon mic that I reviewed sounded best when switched to 500 ohms. Everything else around here sounds best when switched to the highest impedance, so I guess it's no big deal, but something to try. The M-S matrix is pretty neat. Wish there were two pairs like that. Hi Mike, do you know how the variable impedance is accomplished on the Mackie 800R? Thanks, Andy |
#5
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Selecting 8-chan micpre/ADAT interface
On Mar 28, 10:23 am, "AndyP" wrote:
Hi Mike, do you know how the variable impedance is accomplished on the Mackie 800R? Not exactly. I don't have the schematic, but it's not just resistors and it's not a tapped transformer. There are a bunch of inductors and capacitors on the circuit board in an area associated with those two channels that aren't in the other channels. I think they're "faking" it. G But it definitely makes a difference. In addition to whatever it does in terms of loading the mic, the low frequency rolloff changes as you change the impedance setting. At the 2.4K setting it's flat down to 10 Hz. At 500 ohms, it's down about 2 dB at 20 Hz, and it's about 4 dB down at 20 Hz at the 300 ohm setting. |
#6
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Selecting 8-chan micpre/ADAT interface
Mike Rivers wrote: Not exactly. I don't have the schematic, but it's not just resistors and it's not a tapped transformer. There are a bunch of inductors and capacitors on the circuit board in an area associated with those two channels that aren't in the other channels. I think they're "faking" it. G But it definitely makes a difference. In addition to whatever it does in terms of loading the mic, the low frequency rolloff changes as you change the impedance setting. At the 2.4K setting it's flat down to 10 Hz. At 500 ohms, it's down about 2 dB at 20 Hz, and it's about 4 dB down at 20 Hz at the 300 ohm setting. Interesting. Thanks Mike. Andy |
#7
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Selecting 8-chan micpre/ADAT interface
Mike Rivers wrote:
Not exactly. I don't have the schematic, but it's not just resistors and it's not a tapped transformer. There are a bunch of inductors and capacitors on the circuit board in an area associated with those two channels that aren't in the other channels. I think they're "faking" it. G But it definitely makes a difference. In addition to whatever it does in terms of loading the mic, the low frequency rolloff changes as you change the impedance setting. At the 2.4K setting it's flat down to 10 Hz. At 500 ohms, it's down about 2 dB at 20 Hz, and it's about 4 dB down at 20 Hz at the 300 ohm setting. Almost sounds like the extra loading was applied AFTER the phantom-power decoupling capacitors (thereby effectively forming a high-pass filter). |
#8
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Selecting 8-chan micpre/ADAT interface
On Mar 28, 6:02 pm, "Richard Crowley" wrote:
Almost sounds like the extra loading was applied AFTER the phantom-power decoupling capacitors (thereby effectively forming a high-pass filter). Or maybe a shunt inductance of a few Hy? |
#9
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Selecting 8-chan micpre/ADAT interface
I picked up an OctoPre a couple of months ago. The pres sound fine to
me (actually really good for the $$$) but the compression is another thing entirely. It's a one knob deal with a yellow light showing the "compression level". If the light is just blinking a bit or barely blinking it sounds OK. The light gets steady and darker as the compression increases and it sounds pretty bad once that happens. But since I use it primarily for drum kit tracking (minus BD/snare which go through an RNC) and only use light compression if any on the remaining kit I have no problem with it. I'm recording heavy rock stuff most of the time if that makes a diff. max rock On Mar 27, 3:49 pm, "soundhaspriority" wrote: "Richard Crowley" wrote in message ... Budget: $1K~3K Use: Live, location recording, mostly classical choral & instrumental Recorder: Alesis HD24 Priorities: 1) "tonally neutral" mic preamps 2) 8 channels 3) ADAT lightpipe output (44.1, 48K @ 24 bit) 4) 1 RU (if possible?) Short list: Mackie Onyx 800R Focusrite OctoPre Presonus Digimax I want to pick up an Octopre. The compressors are supposedly a useful anti-clipping aid. My only concerns are the vague rumors about bad internal construction, but I can't find anything definite. One high end Australia dealer claims he opened one up for repair and found that a bad trace had been replaced by a jumper. This is not likely if the circuit board is good quality epoxy. ??? Bob Morein Dresher, PA (215) 646-4894 |
#10
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Selecting 8-chan micpre/ADAT interface
Cool. Let us know what you think. I'd be particularly interested in
your take on the compression. max rock On Mar 29, 12:43 pm, "Soundhaspriority" wrote: Thanks, interesting. Mine arrives tomorrow. My main interest in the compression is to prevent clipping in live situations. Bob Morein Dresher, PA (215) 646-4894 "max rock" wrote in message ups.com... I picked up an OctoPre a couple of months ago. The pres sound fine to me (actually really good for the $$$) but the compression is another thing entirely. It's a one knob deal with a yellow light showing the "compression level". If the light is just blinking a bit or barely blinking it sounds OK. The light gets steady and darker as the compression increases and it sounds pretty bad once that happens. But since I use it primarily for drum kit tracking (minus BD/snare which go through an RNC) and only use light compression if any on the remaining kit I have no problem with it. I'm recording heavy rock stuff most of the time if that makes a diff. max rock On Mar 27, 3:49 pm, "soundhaspriority" wrote: "Richard Crowley" wrote in message ... Budget: $1K~3K Use: Live, location recording, mostly classical choral & instrumental Recorder: Alesis HD24 Priorities: 1) "tonally neutral" mic preamps 2) 8 channels 3) ADAT lightpipe output (44.1, 48K @ 24 bit) 4) 1 RU (if possible?) Short list: Mackie Onyx 800R Focusrite OctoPre Presonus Digimax I want to pick up an Octopre. The compressors are supposedly a useful anti-clipping aid. My only concerns are the vague rumors about bad internal construction, but I can't find anything definite. One high end Australia dealer claims he opened one up for repair and found that a bad trace had been replaced by a jumper. This is not likely if the circuit board is good quality epoxy. ??? Bob Morein Dresher, PA (215) 646-4894- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - |
#11
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Selecting 8-chan micpre/ADAT interface
I want to pick up an Octopre. The compressors are supposedly
a useful anti-clipping aid. My only concerns are the vague rumors about bad internal construction, but I can't find anything definite. One report I read was that the after-market, field add-in Lightpipe board was difficult to install and had to be "bent" to get it into its designated spot. This doesn't particularly trouble me, YMMV. One high end Australia dealer claims he opened one up for repair and found that a bad trace had been replaced by a jumper. This is not likely if the circuit board is good quality epoxy. I think he has no experience with PC boards. Repairing a trace (or even implementing an engineering change) with a soldered jumper wire is very common and sure beats throwing out a board worth hundreds (or thousands) of $$$ for a trivial fix. |
#12
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Selecting 8-chan micpre/ADAT interface
1) "tonally neutral" mic preamps
2) 8 channels 3) ADAT lightpipe output (44.1, 48K @ 24 bit) 4) 1 RU (if possible?) Short list: Mackie Onyx 800R Focusrite OctoPre Presonus Digimax Add to the list the MOTU 8Pre. "Tonally neutral" covers a bit of territory but if you can get by with something less than an 8 channel Millennia, the MOTU mic pre is pretty much non-colored, though certainly not an audiophile level device. The price sure is right. Scott Fraser |
#13
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Selecting 8-chan micpre/ADAT interface
"Richard Crowley" wrote:
Budget: $1K~3K Use: Live, location recording, mostly classical choral & instrumental Recorder: Alesis HD24 Priorities: 1) "tonally neutral" mic preamps 2) 8 channels 3) ADAT lightpipe output (44.1, 48K @ 24 bit) 4) 1 RU (if possible?) Short list: Mackie Onyx 800R Focusrite OctoPre Presonus Digimax The Ramsa (Panasonic) WZ AD96M 8-channel mic preamp/A-D converter may meet your requirements, if you can find one. rd |
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