Mike Rivers wrote:
vas wrote:

If you can live with 20 (solid) mic pres, RME Fireface800 + 2x RME
Octamic D get you 36 inputs for under $4K. RME Cardbus+Digiface + 3x
Octamic D = 24 mic pres/26 inputs @ about $4300-$4500.

I realize it's a long way from the top of the thread, but the original
poster was after a "simple and cheap" system with a Powerbook. But it's
going to be hard to get out for much less than $3K. A couple of Mackie
Onyx mixers with Firewire cards would give him the inputs as well as a
way to monitor (more important than most people realize when getting
started in remote work) but that can be a pretty big armful to carry.

I'd leave the Powerbook at home, buy a 24-track hard disk recorder (a
used Mackie MDR24/96 for $800 or less, or a brand new Alesis HD24 for
$1500) and whatever mic preamps he can afford, from the Behringer on
up. Transfer the files from the recorder to the Powerbook for mixing.
Pray that it's working since you don't have a way to monitor. High
reliability and minimum amount of haywire.

I dunno...why buy a standalone HD recorder without preamps (or even
converters in some cases) when preamps/ADCs are what he's lacking? I
think it's a redundant idea. Solid multichannel interface + additional
pres/ADCs are the way to go. Money spent on the recorder is money NOT
spent on better pres/ADCs. Like I said: 2x used Presonus Digimax + RME
fireface 800. $2500-3000 for a 4RU, very usable 26 channel rig, with
monitoring. Dunno about you, _I_ think that's pretty
cheap...seriously, 26 channels of micpre, ADC, and interface, for $3K?
Millennia/Prism it is not, but you could make FINE location recordings
with something like that. If you wanted to be REALLY cheap, RME
cardbus/digiface + 3x Behringer ADA8000. $1600...even less if you
managed to find this stuff used...but the micpres on those things suck;
to my ears, anyway.

The OP should put his money toward the best multichannel interface he
can afford, 'cause that's what's going to make or break the rig...then
add pres and ADCs as money allows. Without getting silly with the
Magma/TDM setups (in which case, just bring the damn G5 as well and
shut up about "low cost"), there are really only three serious choices:
Metric Halo, upper end MOTU and RME. For the number of channels in one
box, RME is it. How come Lynx hasn't made anything portable (again,
not requiring the Magma ridiculousness)? I bet that'd be a hit. 2
Onyxes? Well, yeah a tad cheaper (maybe...then again I don't know
because the FW cards are not standard on the Onyx), but way bulkier,
prolly not as good, and way less reliable, I would wager. RME's
drivers are second to none, MOTU and Metric Halo are also really good
(for mac that is; MOTU on PC is a disaster most of the time). Also,
WRT the standalone recorder, there'd be no transfers, etc...the
editing/mixing system could be the same one, which is also extremely
convenient. Reliability...well, yeah that COULD be a problem if you're
not careful with the system. Get the rig up and running, do a few
gigs, then get the standalone thing for backup purposes. The other
thing with the portability: perhaps the powerbook and the
interface/micpres/ADCs can be squeezed into 3-6RU, but what is the OP
going to do about 24 mics/DIs/snakes/cables/MIC STANDS/etc? That's not
so easily miniaturized. Is he planning to patch into someone else's
multichannel split?

Peace,
--Vas