Neve Portico 5012 vs Focusrite ISA428

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I am currently upgrading my projectstudio from a DMP3 and a Tascam US122 to good stuff and I want to be done with it (yeah, I know *haha*)

So I am thinking a good AD/DA interface and a separate preamp. For the interface I selected the RME multiface. For the separate preamp I am either looking at the Focusrite ISA428, which was suggested by I guy I know with his own professional studio, or the Neve Portico 5012. They are different amps, but will not be able to try them out and compare them. I feel the 5012 is a step up from the ISA 428 and more people seem to like it. Also, it is a great price at $1450,-. The ISA 428 has more functionality with the selectable impedance and the optional A/D card.

I will use it mostly on solo acoustic guitar, but also for some male voice and piano.

Please advise me. What can you tell me about either or both units? Thanks...
 
My opinion is that the Portico has a larger range of available sounds. The Focusrite is a good clean preamp however and nothing to be ashamed about. The focusrite is slightly grainy in its response. I like the Portico's smoothness especially with the Silk switch.

Hard call. If I needed that many clean preamps I would opt for the Focusrite for general instrument duty or possible drums. If you want the big vocal however, the Portico delivers this.

They are both supposed clones of a Neve 1073 and I think the 5012 comes closer to that goal. Duh, Rupert Neve design both. He did not by the way design the Focusrite although the company claims it has "the same vintage design".

I have never heard anyone rave about the AD on the ISA 428 so don't get lost in that feature. If you want the best, then a dedicated soundcard from Lynx or even RME along with the Portico would be a much better sound. However, slightly more in cost.
 
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Thanks so much for your reply Middleman, I am really leaning towards the Neve. Also, because I don't need the extra preamps, that is no reason to go for the ISA, 2 really are enough. Also, if the A/D isn't that special, the Neve will be the one. Also, it's more portable, which is great for the RME on my laptop along with my desktop.

Talking of interfacing, would there be a better alternative to the RME?
 
The Lynx has a better sound to my ears than RME. More open sounding above 500Hz. A little tighter too in the low end.

Fletcher at Mercenary.com did a shootout with Lynx, Apoogee and Radar I think it was. Summarizing his comments, the Lynx held its own in the shootout, the Radar of course was the favored.

Apogee, Mytek, Lavry, the usual suspects, are all top of the heap in convertors. Some people don't care for the Lavry's, others rave.

If you are only doing limited channel work than a Lynx II is a great solution. I have the A-version which provides 4 in and 4 out channels plus stereo AES/SPDIF. This card is great as you can use 4 channels for recording, 2 channels for monitoring and two for a headphone feed duriing tracking.

You can then reroute everything and use the channels for external bussing of reverb and delay. Overall it's a very versatile card for $899. If money is a concern the Lynx 1 gets you the top end conversion with fewer channels in the $500 range.
 
Mr Middleman, say I bought the Lynx Two, and wanted to use an Apogee converter, how would I go about connecting it to the card?
 
NoSalaryCap said:
Mr Middleman, say I bought the Lynx Two, and wanted to use an Apogee converter, how would I go about connecting it to the card?
Click to expand...

Can you be more specific? The Lynx and the Apogee are both ADDA convertors. Are you asking how to use both together? Not sure.
 
I can get the RME ADI8/DD ADI-8DD which is tested in the same league as the Apogee for just 700 bucks. How about it? Good idea?
 
In between the Lynx II and Lynx I is the Lynx L22, a 2x2 version of the Lynx II without SMPTE, maybe some other video interface type stuff. But for strictly a 2x2 converter plus AES/EBU and SPDIF, it's an awesome card at around $650.
As far as how to use a Lynx card and an Apogee converter together, you would use the SPDIF or AES/EBU digital out of the Apogee to go into matching digital in of the Lynx card, which would then get it onto and off of the PCI buss. This would be somewhat redundant, as Middleman pointed out, except that you would have the A/D and D/A converters of the Lynx available for additional simultainious conversion, giving you more I/O.

RD
 
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