Preamp question

[Kevin Deschwazi]

This is probably the best 8 channels of pres you can buy for this sort of money:

http://www.prodigy-pro.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17485

unfortunately you need to be handy with a soldering iron as there's no PSU fitted. I say offer him $850 if he fits a power supply and you've got yourself 8 channels of outstanding preamps for an incredible price.

The greens are based on the preamps in the Amek Mozart console, I built a two channel version myself and it blows the prosumer stuff I was used to (focusrite platinum, DMP-3, TL Audio ivory etc.) out of the water.

You'd have a good chunk left to put towards some converters.

 

[Stefan Elmblad]

As an answer to the original question, I would suggest different pre's. But since the thread has been mostly about 8-channel preamps, I thought I'd mention the Line Audio OMP, which is 8 channels in a rack unit at a list price of $795. Delivery time is about a month though, as people line up for these handbuilt units.

 

[pohaku]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...90030755084&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MESE:IT&rd=1

With Burr-Browns on two channels, you get some variation even in the 4 channel box. He was originally asking $700 for it on Gearslutz.

 

[chipwits]

After researching a bit on preamps I decided to go with the Seventh Circle Audio preamps. If you know how to solder and don't mind DIY, they to me, offer a superb deal: high end quality that is affordable.

They offer a chassis (and power supply for it) which can contain between 1-8 preamp modules. They sell four different high quality preamp modules for it: A12 (API 512 clone), C84 (clean), J99 (Jenson Twin Servo clone), N72 (Neve clone). All of these modules are praised and used by many top recording engineers such as Michael Wagener (see gearslutz.com).

I am personally getting the chassis (w/ power supply) and two C84 modules to start ($599). Since these modules are very clean, praised, and less colored than: Neve, Jenson Twin Servo, and API 512. I will add more channels as I can afford w/ my options open as to which type of module to add (including any new modules they come out with). Oh, and they provide with the chassis, rubber plugs for the holes of any unused modules to keep the dust out and for aesthetics.

SCA's website: http://www.seventhcirclestudios.com/SCA/SCA.htm

James

 

[elenore19]

If you're starting a studio you might consider spreading the $ around. I might sell/return the multimax (multimix), and maybe do something like this: get the Focusrite Saffire pro 26i/o (8 preamps plus digital ins for $700), a set of mshilarious msh-1o's for about $50 shipped, a karma k-55 tube mic for about $200 shipped while they're on sale, a good kick/bass amp mic like a beta 52, a d112, or a d-6 for about $200 shipped... that's like $1150, and you have some $ left for other tom mics, or a good fet condenser, an fmr rnc or pro vla (both are compressors) or an sm7b which you could use for snare, rock vocals, guitar amp whatever. if you can get some $ for the alesis multimix, you could invest that in cabling, stands, acoustic baffling, etc.
Just an opinion-- I'm sure many would disagree.

I would send back my mixer if I really wanted to, but truth is, it works for what I plan on doing, and I got it cheap, and also yeah, I just went through a lot of work to get it so yeah. Thanks for the suggestions, but I'll upgrade my studio as I get older and get more money But yeah, I am absolutely broke right now and I just ordered drum mics last night, but yeah. I'm just looking into preamps for future reference and my own information so I can get what I'll need for upgrading the ol' studio. Thanks for the advice though

-Elliot

 

[kojdogg]

I would send back my mixer if I really wanted to, but truth is, it works for what I plan on doing, and I got it cheap, and also yeah, I just went through a lot of work to get it so yeah. Thanks for the suggestions, but I'll upgrade my studio as I get older and get more money But yeah, I am absolutely broke right now and I just ordered drum mics last night, but yeah. I'm just looking into preamps for future reference and my own information so I can get what I'll need for upgrading the ol' studio. Thanks for the advice though

-Elliot

Cool man-- I certainly know what it's like to have to grind out the cash to get gear. That's a pretty cool and versatile unit from what I've seen, so have fun with it. I think researching stuff and having as much information about gear for future purchases is a great idea, and you'll get pretty strong opinions about items on boards like this from people who are actually using the stuff rather than through the glorified catalogs that many recording mags are (i really dig tapeop though-- great resource for any level recordist/engineer). good luck!

 

[barny15]

i personally would never buy an 8 channel preamp. i prefer to buy seperate preamps, whether they be single channel or dual channel, but never more than two. the reason being that each preamp has its own characteristics, and in my experience, it's a lot more fun and more interesting to record different parts of a drum kit, or different guitar tracks with different preamps. the more preamps you have, the more tools you have to make things interesting. with an 8 channel preamp, you can adjust some settings and things, some gain controls or eq controls if that particular preamp has them, but you basically still only have one tool, and things will come out sounding very similar. if that makes any sense...

 

[littledog]

Some of it makes sense, at least maybe for your situation. Remember that most of the great records from the sixties etc. that everyone points to as the "classic sound" (that some people still strive for) were made using all the same preamps from a particular console (Neve, API, Trident, Helios, etc.)

Few people would describe their sound as homogenized or boring. You still have mic and compression choices (among other things) to get a huge variety of sound.

In practice, I'm much like you - in my studio I have 7 brands of outboard preamps for a total of 21 channels. But when I do remote recording I'm looking to keep things as compact and light as possible - and an 8-channel mic pre is just the ticket. Plus, since I use an 002R when doing location recording, an 8 channel pre with lightpipe is the only way to get 16 channels of simultaneous tracking.

So, while it may be perfectly reasonable to get 8 different mic preamps, in some situations it is even more reasonable to get an 8 channel pre. Sometimes, like in my case, it is even essential.

 

[BigRay]

I prefer to have 8 of the same for my work(classical live)...it gives me a consistant result, one that I am now intimately familiar with. sometimes I will use TWO brands(DAV and Pendulum) but never more than two.
for instance, 3 days ago I had a chamber ensemble recording. I used 4 channels of Pendulum and 4 of DAV. Get something mentioned here, and get to it already!

Some of it makes sense, at least maybe for your situation. Remember that most of the great records from the sixties etc. that everyone points to as the "classic sound" (that some people still strive for) were made using all the same preamps from a particular console (Neve, API, Trident, Helios, etc.)

Few people would describe their sound as homogenized or boring. You still have mic and compression choices (among other things) to get a huge variety of sound.

In practice, I'm much like you - in my studio I have 7 brands of outboard preamps for a total of 21 channels. But when I do remote recording I'm looking to keep things as compact and light as possible - and an 8-channel mic pre is just the ticket. Plus, since I use an 002R when doing location recording, an 8 channel pre with lightpipe is the only way to get 16 channels of simultaneous tracking.

So, while it may be perfectly reasonable to get 8 different mic preamps, in some situations it is even more reasonable to get an 8 channel pre. Sometimes, like in my case, it is even essential.

 

[ermghoti]

I ended up with an RME MultifaceII and a Mackie Onyx 800R on basically your budget*. Works really nice, I'm getting some excellent sounds, and I have 8 x 1/4 balanced i/o, a stereo digital i/o and a MIDI i/o, in addition to the Mackie's eight pres (two switchable to DI). I'm curious as to how much better the Fireface converters might be, and the extra pres would be nice, but I'd probably just add another Multi if/when I need to expand.

* Careful eBAying got me the RME + the PCI card for about $800, and the Mackie for like $900, both new.