So, I have been reading some recording magazines lately. I've been noticing a lot of reviews and stuff for mixers instead of rack mounted interfaces. Is there any real advantages to that? I'm using the Saffire Pro 40 and an Octopre now. I just have been feeling like the preamps built into those are not very impressive to my ears any more, so I am trying to just see my options. Thanks.
You'd have to buy a VERY expensive mixer to better the pre amps in what you have now.
If your issues really are with the pre amps then there are quite a few stand alone mic pres on the market--I won't presume to suggest any particular model because everyone's idea of what sounds good is different. However, it's fair to say that people tend to choose a pre amp on the basis of how it colours the sound, not because it's somehow more accurate. Frankly, my own opinion is that it's better to find a mic that suits you better rather than colouring the sound with a pre amp but I acknowledge that many other folks think differently.
As for mixers, they have their place but the advantage are more to do with signal routing and monitoring options, the convenience of using long faders rather than tiny knobs and, in some cases, the ability to use the mixer as a control surface. Again, to get the best of these advantages you need more than an cheapie entry level mixer though.
And then there is the room that things are recorded in, as well as the quality of the sound being recorded. The environment in which any instrument or voice is recorded has the most impact on how it sounds recorded. This includes quality of the instrument and performance with it.
#1 and #2 in the chain that is most important.
You have quite clean preamps already. If they are not working for you, then address #1 and #2. Or maybe #3 (monitors) are misleading you to think the others are not working.
I'm not even going to go into #4 (throwing money at the issues) here. If the others are good, then #4 will be more obvious. Which is where your question apparently starts.
