How are the preamps on the 896HD compared to say the Sytek MPX-4A? From what I've read on this board through searching, people seem to like the Motu preamps but are they alright as my primary and only source for preamps? What about compared to some of the cheaper standalone preamps on Musicians Friend?
Take a look at the MOTU user's site, Unicornation.com. There are a number of threads comparing MOTU preamps with other manufacturers. My sense from reading these posts is that the MOTU preamps are more highly rated than most stand-alone units in the, say, $400-500 range. I don't know how they would fare against something like the FMR RNP, but I can tell you that a number of people have reported improved results with the Grace Designs 101.
My own personal experience is with the MOTU 828. I've done side-by-side comaprisons with the Aphex 207 and the Focusrite Trakmaster and I prefer the MOTU preamps. I can also tell you that the MOTU is a notch above the preamps in my old stand-alone hard disk recorder (Fostex VF16). Having said that, I'm in the process of upgrading to a Great River ME-1NV ($1,075) combined with a Lucid 9624 A/D converter.
