Looking at the Studio Projects SP828

NashBackslash

New member
I am currently tracking from my Behringer MX9000's onboard pre-amps.

I was thinking of selling the board to invest in better mic pres. I'm keen on the Studio Projects SP828 but I don't really know how does it sound like.

Hopefully people who have heard both the MX9000 and the SP828 can answer my questions. How do they both compare? I understand that I shouldn't expect a WORLD of difference from the two but is the SP828 better-sounding than the MX9000?

How do tracks recorded with the SP828 stack up? I plan on getting 3 SP828 units to replace the 24 tracks I had with the MX9000. Will I hear a positive difference when I start mixing tracks recorded with the SP828 or will they just sound the same? Or worse (I doubt this though)?

Any input will be much appreciated.
 
You might want to go for a couple channels of nicer preamp rather than a whole bunch of one level. You're not often going to be using all 24 preamps at once, and you might be better off keeping your mixer for when you need more than a handful of pres, and then adding a high end 2-channel or so onto it. Then you can do, say, drums with two good channels and other decent ones, and all sorts of other things can be multitracked with the same two good channels.
 
Not that many people seem to have SP828's. I think it's because there are other options that offer A/D conversion in the same rackspace with similar quality preamps. Bottom line is that you are unlikely to hear many reviews.

I do have an SP828. I have bought a couple of Behringer items, but returned them all except for a line mixer that is only used for location-recording monitoring. I could not stand the sound from a Behringer mixer I tried years ago. Maybe they've improved. I also have a Sytek 4-channel preamp, and I've used the usual suspects like Mackie and Yamaha mixers at other times. I put the SP828 a step above the Mackie and Yamaha mixers I have (I have not tried an Onyx) but a couple steps below the Sytek.

The SP828 is noticably better - but not spectacular compared with the mixers. There is more quiet gain available which really helps make it easier to get a decent sound. Moving to the Sytek, there is an improvment in the actual sound over the 828, where you can really hear more clarity and detail.

It really depends on your mics too. Better preamps matter more with mics that need more gain. Otherwise, you may not hear much difference.
Not sure how your Behringer stuff stacks up. I also bought my SP828 when they were cheaper. The price has gone up making them less of good choice, IMO. If you could get sn SP828 for under $400 USD or so, it be a slam-dunk. At $700 or $800...
 
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Yeah, they ARE a little epensive. I think I'll pass. I might as well save up, and go for a variety of good pre-amps, as mattamatta suggested.

All My Money Are Belong To Good Pre-Amp !!
 
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