Don't get it
Here's part of a review I found about the 828 at:
http://www.sinamex.com/Reviews/MOTU_828-Electronic_Musician.htm
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Because my first two projects involved recording only through the digital inputs of the 828, I later tested the analog inputs by recording a handful of MIDI tracks straight into the unit. Six of the 828's inputs are only ¼-inch, but channels 1 and 2 sport Neutrik combo jacks. Because those two channels are phantom-powered, you can connect any pair of microphones directly to the 828 without additional hardware (except mic cables).
The mic preamps don't sound bad, either. They're not as quiet as high-priced studio preamps, but they sound better than the preamps in most mid-level mixers and even as good as some standalone preamps.
The ¼-inch inputs have a wide range of available gain, letting them accommodate almost any signal level. The input trims are linked in pairs, so raising the gain of channel 5 also affects 6 and so on, but that shouldn't be a problem. The 828's line-level inputs sound great and match the level of audio quality found in MOTU's other interfaces.
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This confirms what I initially thought. 2 mic preamps with phantom that will provide gain to any mic and 6 line inputs with gain for keyboards, MIDI stuff, etc.
If you want/need more mic inputs you may want to consider the Aardvark Q10. 8 mic pre's with combo connectors, 4 with 48 volt. Reviews I've read are very good also. I've found it locally for $649 USD but I haven't priced the 828. I was looking for more mic pre's
