Expanding my Traveler's input options

[thebigcheese]

Right now, I have my MOTU Traveler and two ART Tube MP Studios. I'm considering how best to expand my inputs on a budget. I'm going to be recording some metal, so I want to see how things go miking the toms on the drums (which is why I need more inputs). Here are a couple of options I've come up with:
-DMP3 would fill in the last two analog inputs on the Traveler, allowing me to do just the drums, then everything else.
-For about the same price, the Behringer ADA8000 would give me 8 inputs, so I could record everything at once. I usually don't do that anyway, but it might be nice to have the option. I'm worried that the preamps aren't going to be as good as what I already have (or what I would have with the DMP3) and that the converter won't be as good as in the MOTU.
-I could spend a lot more and get an M-Audio Octane, which would have nice enough preamps and a good converter, but it's really more than I'd like to spend.

Are there other options? Is that Behringer unit going to be super sucky?

Edit: Actually, now that I think about it, I only have 7 mics right now anyway, so I guess I couldn't do anything else at the same time as the drums anyway. So, for future reference, what are going to be my options?

 

[MOFO Pro]

Well according to Behringer the ADA8000 has "8 new state-of-the-art, studio-grade IMP Invisible Mic Preamps"... what more could you ask?

Honestly... a lot of people have had pretty good luck with the Beringer unit... I can't speak to it from personal experience, but the converters have gotten moderate praise... it's a great budget alternative... but only that... a budget alternative...

It's regarded as one of those few Behringer Units that don't suck...

 

[thebigcheese]

Well, if there aren't really any other options, I might pick one up. I can't seem to find any other options for expanding inputs via ADAT. Is there just a converter that would have 8 TRS plugs or something and would still require external preamps? It would cost more in the long run, but maybe it would be better. I don't know, just trying to figure out what my options are.

 

[MOFO Pro]

Is there just a converter that would have 8 TRS plugs or something and would still require external preamps?

Yup... but for a significantly higher overall investment for the same capability...

Have you looked at the M-Audio Octane? It's along the same lines, a bit better quality... but about twice the price...

I try out the Behringer... It will give you a low cost bridge to an expensive final upgrade

 

[thebigcheese]

I did look at the Octane, but it's a good $300 more. After a little more digging, I found there's also a PreSonus unit for only like $100 more, the DigiMax D8, though the Behringer unit has 1/4" inputs as well which could be used with other preamps. The Octane has those as well, and many nice touches that the cheaper units are missing, so I guess I might have to just suck it up and get one of those. At least I wouldn't want to replace it later on, I guess. At this point, it's probably either the DigiMax or the Octane.

 

[antichef]

I've got a Traveler. The preamps on mine are flaky, btw - after some time something snaps and they get this flickery white-noise sounding noise that makes them pretty much unusable. I returned my first one to MOTU and got a replacement, which developed the same problem in one of the 4 channels, then I sent it to Black Lion for mods, and it came back with all 4 working (and sounding better, btw, but I'm not sure they do that mod anymore) and things were good for a couple of years, but recently channels two and three are flickering. argh. If yours is newer (MKII or MK3), then maybe that problem is solved.

Anyway - I've never expanded through ADAT, but I have added two channels through S/PDIF using the ART Digital MPA. I could not get that rig too work without using an external word clock (the Black Lion one, in my case), and using copper coax (instead of fiber) and using either 88.2 or 96 khz. Any other combination I tried (no clock, slaving either one off the other, with/without fiber, other sample rates, etc.) had a bunch of clicks and pops. With the combination I mentioned, it works very well. I can't tell you which component or components is/are responsible for the weirdness, and I can only imagine that your mileage will vary - just trying to share some experience and the fact that you may run into the clocking problem and that if you do, you shouldn't give up right away, because there could be some unlikely combinatorial solution that consistently works.

Later, I picked up an Echo Audiofire 12 used (and cheap) - I'm able to run that together with the MOTU with both connecting to my Macbook (running Logic Express 9) using daisy chained firewire, and both externally clocked. I can run all three units together by externally clocking all three and using the firewire daisychain and copper S/PDIF connections. Works like a champ, and I get a total of 22 inputs (or actually 20 if you subtract the two #!!!#$@ inputs on the MOTU).

With the MOTU and the Echo, there may be more flexibility with regard to sample rates, and it may even be possible to slave-clock the MOTU off the Echo or vice versa and ditch the external clock, but I haven't experimented since everything works.

If you're looking for a bunch of channels of conversion without preamps, I *highly* suggest to look at the Audiofire 12. I use it with two API 3124+ units, one Great River MP2-NV, and two TnC ACMP73 units, and that setup may be all I'll ever want for drums.