8-Channel Mic Pre w/o AD conversion (but has direct outs)

RecordingMaster

RecordingMaster

A Sarcastic Statement
Can anyone suggest an 8-Channel Mic Pre w/o AD conversion, but has direct outs? Oh and to top it all off, for under $1000!

I already have an echo audiofire12 to handle all my AD conversion going into PT via Firewire. So I am just looking for an upgrade to using a Mackie mixerboard w/ direct outs. I have a few standalone pres too, but want something separate with a strip of 8, doesn't need "character" or "color", but I still want it to sound decent. I just don't want a big mixer in a rack anymore.

It seems there are a lot of options out there with AD and firewire or usb connection, but I don't want to pay for that part of the equation, just the pre amps with direct outs to go into my converter/interface.

I had my heart set on a Mackie Onyx 800 R, but for some God forsaken reason, they have discontinued it and replaced with a model with wayyyy less features per channel, which renders it pretty useless for anything even semi-serious, imo.

Any suggestions, please let me know! Thanks!
 
The ones I can think of have digital as well as analog out.
I think the focusrite platinum octopre LE mk2 had digital as an option, so maybe you could snag one without the add on card?

Other than that, maybe a small mixer?

I diy racked 8 mic pres that were pulled from consoles within your budget.
Takes up a lot more space than a 1u rack, but I do love them.
That might not appeal to you though.
 
Last edited:
I know you say you don't want a big mixer...and I wouldn't normally suggest a mixer but, in this case...

Have a look at the Allen & Heath Mix Wizard 3 12:2. It has 8 scrumptious sounding mic pre amps, each with a direct out to handle that side of things. However, it'll also give you 100mm faders for level adjustment (tons easier than a tiny knob on an interface) plus a huge number of routing options for things like creating headphone monitor mixes--routing options you probably don't even know you need until you try them.

I just had a look on eBay and there are a bunch of the Mix Wiz 12:2 mixers on sale for in the $800-$1000 range. Have a look. You'll be glad you did.
 
Last edited:
Thanks guys. I just don't understand why everything good has been discontinued! The focusrite looks okay but a few things that bug me are having two xlr jacks on the front and the rest on the back, no phase and phantom or low cut switches on any channels (no go for me). The PM80- looks awesome but after reading reviews apparently it isn't worth more than a pile of horse sh!t?

Allen and Heath is cool and all, but I don't care about routing options and headphone mixes and such and the thing is a behemoth! As for routing, I have a patchbay and an audiofire12 with 12 ins/outs and conservative amount of outboard, so I'm good there. As for headphone mixes, I don't waste time mixing separate headphone mixes and everything for people tracking. Call me lazy, or just simplistic, but I just ask them what they want in their phones while tracking and I pull up that fader in the main mix - eg: more guitar? less drums? more verb on your vox? etc. If more than one player is recording at the same time, they can both agree on a usable headphone mix. Since I am actually mixing the levels and everything else later, it doesn't matter how wildly I throw the faders around to make to artist happy in their phones.

Anyhow, anything else guys/gals? That M80 really that bad? Someone just please put up a Mackie Onyx 800 R up for sale and my conundrum is solved!
 
The Jensen transformer equipped M80s are far from a "pile of horseshit". Where are you getting these bad reviews? You have to take the sources into account.....
 
We'll have to agree to differ on one point. I don't see doing personalised headphone mixes and getting them perfect as a waste of time. The improvement in performances can be marked, particularly for vocalists, when they get the right thing into their ears.
 
What about the Presonus Digimax D8? The Xmax pre's are pretty cool and unlike the focusrite all the mic in's and out's are on the back. Phantom power is in blocks of 2 rather than 4 (although annoying the phantom power switches are on the back!) but still no low cut or phase invert.

Or the ART Tubeopto 8 which does have phase invert, low cut, pad and phantom power in blocks of 4 on the front, all in's and out's on the back, plus each channel has an gain and output pot and you can select whether the outputs go to the digital out or the analogue ones in blocks of 2.
 
I wonder if the SM PRO PR8E is any good.
Mic/line in on the front, TRS out at the rear.

Gain and phantom on the front and per channel.
 
mdainsd said:
The Jensen transformer equipped M80s are far from a "pile of horseshit". Where are you getting these bad reviews? You have to take the sources into account.....
Click to expand...
I saw multiple sour reviews on Google about the later models (post 2000) without the Jensens. However, even without Jensens (and no I'm not paying an extra $250-something to upgrade all of the transformers), I wonder how good it actually is, regardless of what people have said. Only way is to try it I guess. :facepalm:
 
I think you're going to have a hell of a time finding exactly what you want.
The expensive multichannel units have bells and whistles.
The cheap ones don't but are usually built to be cheap and that's not what you're looking for.
Mixers are mixers.

IDK. Fill a rack with 2 channel pres or something.

I'm loving these jobs but they're bulky enough, you gota build a PSU and you wire your own polarity/phantom.
Seems like a lot of hassle but I don't think I'll ever upgrade them.
They're currently housed in a mac pro case. :p
 
witzendoz said:
Have a look for a Studio Projects 828, should be under $1000 in the US (edit opps, sorry Canada), I don't have one but I have 2 x VTB-1 pres and they are very good for the price. A sp828 is on my future to buy list.

Alan.
Click to expand...
Thanks I didn't know about that one. Odd features indeed though. Solo and panning? Weird. That M80 has pan too. hmm.

I'm a little turned off by Studio Projects stuff - A) there are never any reviews and B) I had a terrible experience with one of their multi-pattern condensors. Had to return it. And it wasn't faulty. Cheap and thin and distorted like a mother upon even moderate spl.
 
Yeah Steen, you're right I will have a hard time. I'm sort of hoping that Presonus M80 (even without Jensens) works well and sounds good. Really hoping.
 
Bobbsy said:
We'll have to agree to differ on one point. I don't see doing personalised headphone mixes and getting them perfect as a waste of time. The improvement in performances can be marked, particularly for vocalists, when they get the right thing into their ears.
Click to expand...

Yes, I agree about performance. That's why I just ask what the vocalist wants more or less of and they are good to go. I hear what they hear while they track. No biggie. I guess it would be different if I were say, recording a vocalist in isolation with a band out on the floor, all live. They'd each want different levels.
 
Justsomeguy said:
What about the Presonus Digimax D8? The Xmax pre's are pretty cool and unlike the focusrite all the mic in's and out's are on the back. Phantom power is in blocks of 2 rather than 4 (although annoying the phantom power switches are on the back!) but still no low cut or phase invert.

Or the ART Tubeopto 8 which does have phase invert, low cut, pad and phantom power in blocks of 4 on the front, all in's and out's on the back, plus each channel has an gain and output pot and you can select whether the outputs go to the digital out or the analogue ones in blocks of 2.
Click to expand...
Thanks, yeah I checked those out a while back.
 
RecordingMaster said:
Yes, I agree about performance. That's why I just ask what the vocalist wants more or less of and they are good to go. I hear what they hear while they track. No biggie. I guess it would be different if I were say, recording a vocalist in isolation with a band out on the floor, all live. They'd each want different levels.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I do the same. I'm usually working with one person at a time due to space limitations so I just hear what they hear.
If their performance is quiet in the cans, I just pop one ear off and keep tabs on them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top