Pre for HDR, which ones?

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Hi Max,

If you are avoiding PreSonus pres because you are assuming that the build
and sound quality are similar to Nady etc I'd say you are misinformed. (
unless you have tried them and dislike them then ignore my babbling that
follows. I would be interested to hear about what you didn't like though )

The Nady 8 channel pre appears to be very similar to SM Pro Audio 8 channel
pre ( if not the same unit rebranded ) and are both about $100 street price
:
http://www.smproaudio.com/PR8.htm

http://www.nadywireless.com/products/product_pgs/pra8_p...

If you compare the price, specifications and user feed back of all the pres
mentioned you'll see that for most applications the PreSonus pres are far
superior to the Nady and SM Pro Audio pres and in the same range as the
other pres you are considering.

Plus if you got one of the PreSonus pres your name would be printed on the
front panel! ;-)

( following prices are list not street price )

PreSonus DigiMax $1699
http://www.presonus.com/digimax96k.html

PreSonus DigiMax LT $999
http://www.presonus.com/digimax_lt.html

Yamaha MLA8 ~$800 ???
http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/ContentDetail/Model...

Mackie Onyx 800r $1279
http://www.mackie.com/products/800r/specs.html

RME OctaMic $1099 ( $1497 w/ADC )
http://www.rme-audio.com/english/micpreamps/octamic.htm

Focusrite Octopre $999 ( $1249 w/ADC )
http://www.focusrite.com/downloads/userguides/octopreus...

--
John L Rice
Drummer@ImJohn.com

"Maxy888" <maxy888[NOSPAM]@tiscali.it> wrote in message
news:yp%Xd.4839$tY2.3707@news.edisontel.com...
> Hello,
> I own a Mackie HDR with modified analog I/O (incredible sound!!!).
> I would like to record live concerts and I need 24 preamplifiers so to
> have 1x6u rack.
>
> Any advice?
> My idea would be:
> 1) Yamaha MLA8
> 2) Mackie Onyx 800r
> 3) Rme Octapre
>
> I am really not interestede in Presonus, Nady and similars...
>
> the units should have an hi-pass filter, a phase shift, pad, meter (led)
> and (less important) one or two lo-z inputs...
>
> Thanks for helping...
>
> Max
>

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

In article <yp%Xd.4839$tY2.3707@news.edisontel.com> maxy888[NOSPAM]@tiscali.it writes:

> I own a Mackie HDR with modified analog I/O (incredible sound!!!).

Modified? How? I think the stock AIO-8 card sounds mighty good.

> I would like to record live concerts and I need 24 preamplifiers so to have
> 1x6u rack.

> My idea would be:
> 1) Yamaha MLA8
> 2) Mackie Onyx 800r
> 3) Rme Octapre

Pick the one you like. I don't see that there would be any great
difference between them when recording a live concert. If they have
significantly different maximum gain, I'd get the one with the highest
available gain, but I think that they're all within a couple of dB of
60 dB.

> the units should have an hi-pass filter, a phase shift, pad, meter (led) and
> (less important) one or two lo-z inputs...

I don't think you want a phase shift, but you might want a polarity
reversal switch. You can look at the pictures of the other ones as
well as I can, but I can tell you that the Mackie 800R on my workbench
right now has a high pass filter, a polarity reverse switch, a
modestly useless 3-LED meter (-20, 0, and OL), two channels with
switchable input impedance (which, with a few exceptions, I believe,
is a bunch of baloney).

It's transformerless, and those impedance switches switch some
inductors into the input circuit. When set for 300 ohms (the lowest
input impendance) the low frequeny response is 3.5 dB down at 20 Hz,

It also has two channels with high impedance instrument inputs, and
the two variable-Z channels can be switched to give you left-right
from an M-S mic pair. It also has an A/D converter with IEC-60958 Type
1 or 2 (that's AES/EBU or S/PDIF to you) and ADAT Lightpipe outputs.
In some casual testing at 44.1 kHz, I couldn't tell the difference
between the Mackie AIO-8 card connected to the analog output of the
800-R and the digital output connected to the HDR through an AES/EBU
card. The Onyx A/D converter-PDI-8 combination has 16 samples more
latency than the AIO-8


--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Many of the recording I do are classical or acoustic jazz... I really can
hear the difference on the HDR converters.
I saw some time ago a really nice (I presume) 16 channel 2 (or 3) rack space
preamp from tfpro but I can't find it in their website anymore It's not the
M16). Let me say that I'd like to spend not more than 130.00$ per channel...

And, yes Mike, I did mean a polarity reversal switch... I explained myself
very bad, sorry...

About Mackie Onyx 800r I would use it only as a pre, not using converters (I
have my AIO-8).
Maybe in the US you have some brands not imported here in Italy... I would
gladly apprichiate some names... What about Sytek for example or Summit
Audio?

Max


"Mike Rivers" <mrivers@d-and-d.com> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:znr1110490458k@trad...
>
> In article <yp%Xd.4839$tY2.3707@news.edisontel.com>
maxy888[NOSPAM]@tiscali.it writes:
>
> > I own a Mackie HDR with modified analog I/O (incredible sound!!!).
>
> Modified? How? I think the stock AIO-8 card sounds mighty good.
>
> > I would like to record live concerts and I need 24 preamplifiers so to
have
> > 1x6u rack.
>
> > My idea would be:
> > 1) Yamaha MLA8
> > 2) Mackie Onyx 800r
> > 3) Rme Octapre
>
> Pick the one you like. I don't see that there would be any great
> difference between them when recording a live concert. If they have
> significantly different maximum gain, I'd get the one with the highest
> available gain, but I think that they're all within a couple of dB of
> 60 dB.
>
> > the units should have an hi-pass filter, a phase shift, pad, meter (led)
and
> > (less important) one or two lo-z inputs...
>
> I don't think you want a phase shift, but you might want a polarity
> reversal switch. You can look at the pictures of the other ones as
> well as I can, but I can tell you that the Mackie 800R on my workbench
> right now has a high pass filter, a polarity reverse switch, a
> modestly useless 3-LED meter (-20, 0, and OL), two channels with
> switchable input impedance (which, with a few exceptions, I believe,
> is a bunch of baloney).
>
> It's transformerless, and those impedance switches switch some
> inductors into the input circuit. When set for 300 ohms (the lowest
> input impendance) the low frequeny response is 3.5 dB down at 20 Hz,
>
> It also has two channels with high impedance instrument inputs, and
> the two variable-Z channels can be switched to give you left-right
> from an M-S mic pair. It also has an A/D converter with IEC-60958 Type
> 1 or 2 (that's AES/EBU or S/PDIF to you) and ADAT Lightpipe outputs.
> In some casual testing at 44.1 kHz, I couldn't tell the difference
> between the Mackie AIO-8 card connected to the analog output of the
> 800-R and the digital output connected to the HDR through an AES/EBU
> card. The Onyx A/D converter-PDI-8 combination has 16 samples more
> latency than the AIO-8
>
>
> --
> I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
> However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
> lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
> you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
> and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

You need 24 mic preamps for a classical gig?

Syteks are good, but the metering is pretty poor. You can easily
overdrive them without noticing if you're not careful. And they sound
horrible overdriven. Great River makes 4-channel preamps, too.

Is your 6 rack spaces for 24 channels of pres or for 24 channels of pres
plus the recorder? Is the True System 8-channel preamp too much dough?

Cheers,
Trevor de Clercq

max977 wrote:
> Many of the recording I do are classical or acoustic jazz... I really can
> hear the difference on the HDR converters.
> I saw some time ago a really nice (I presume) 16 channel 2 (or 3) rack space
> preamp from tfpro but I can't find it in their website anymore It's not the
> M16). Let me say that I'd like to spend not more than 130.00$ per channel...
>
> And, yes Mike, I did mean a polarity reversal switch... I explained myself
> very bad, sorry...
>
> About Mackie Onyx 800r I would use it only as a pre, not using converters (I
> have my AIO-8).
> Maybe in the US you have some brands not imported here in Italy... I would
> gladly apprichiate some names... What about Sytek for example or Summit
> Audio?
>
> Max
>
>
> "Mike Rivers" <mrivers@d-and-d.com> ha scritto nel messaggio
> news:znr1110490458k@trad...
>
>>In article <yp%Xd.4839$tY2.3707@news.edisontel.com>
>
> maxy888[NOSPAM]@tiscali.it writes:
>
>>>I own a Mackie HDR with modified analog I/O (incredible sound!!!).
>>
>>Modified? How? I think the stock AIO-8 card sounds mighty good.
>>
>>
>>>I would like to record live concerts and I need 24 preamplifiers so to
>
> have
>
>>>1x6u rack.
>>
>>>My idea would be:
>>>1) Yamaha MLA8
>>>2) Mackie Onyx 800r
>>>3) Rme Octapre
>>
>>Pick the one you like. I don't see that there would be any great
>>difference between them when recording a live concert. If they have
>>significantly different maximum gain, I'd get the one with the highest
>>available gain, but I think that they're all within a couple of dB of
>>60 dB.
>>
>>
>>>the units should have an hi-pass filter, a phase shift, pad, meter (led)
>
> and
>
>>>(less important) one or two lo-z inputs...
>>
>>I don't think you want a phase shift, but you might want a polarity
>>reversal switch. You can look at the pictures of the other ones as
>>well as I can, but I can tell you that the Mackie 800R on my workbench
>>right now has a high pass filter, a polarity reverse switch, a
>>modestly useless 3-LED meter (-20, 0, and OL), two channels with
>>switchable input impedance (which, with a few exceptions, I believe,
>>is a bunch of baloney).
>>
>>It's transformerless, and those impedance switches switch some
>>inductors into the input circuit. When set for 300 ohms (the lowest
>>input impendance) the low frequeny response is 3.5 dB down at 20 Hz,
>>
>>It also has two channels with high impedance instrument inputs, and
>>the two variable-Z channels can be switched to give you left-right
>>from an M-S mic pair. It also has an A/D converter with IEC-60958 Type
>>1 or 2 (that's AES/EBU or S/PDIF to you) and ADAT Lightpipe outputs.
>>In some casual testing at 44.1 kHz, I couldn't tell the difference
>>between the Mackie AIO-8 card connected to the analog output of the
>>800-R and the digital output connected to the HDR through an AES/EBU
>>card. The Onyx A/D converter-PDI-8 combination has 16 samples more
>>latency than the AIO-8
>>
>>
>>--
>>I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
>>However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
>>lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
>>you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
>>and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo
>
>
>

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Trevor de Clercq wrote:

> Great River makes 4-channel preamps, too.

And they rock. Millennia also does four and eight channel units.

> Is your 6 rack spaces for 24 channels of pres or for 24 channels of pres
> plus the recorder? Is the True System 8-channel preamp too much dough?

And how about that one from ATI? Is it still in production? And of
course, RNP's might also do him a treat, though only six channel for one
rack space.

But I wonder what kind of classical he's recording that he feels he must
have 24 mic preamps.

--
ha

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

In article <1v5Yd.1039258$35.38591784@news4.tin.it> plokmijn@tiscali.it writes:

> About Mackie Onyx 800r I would use it only as a pre, not using converters (I
> have my AIO-8).
> Maybe in the US you have some brands not imported here in Italy... I would
> gladly apprichiate some names... What about Sytek for example or Summit
> Audio?

> Let me say that I'd like to spend not more than 130.00$ per channel...

That's right around the price point of the Mackie 800R, at least in
the US. Summit and Sytek will cost you more. The Mackie is a perfectly
reasonable clean preamp. It doesn't add any character until you let it
clip, and then it clips. There's a review in the current issue of Tape
Op where the reviewer said he found that to be a nice touch for some
modern music, but personally I think it's ugly. I don't let my preamps
clip.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

In article <1gt851o.svd095uvug9vN%walkinay@thegrid.net> walkinay@thegrid.net writes:

> But I wonder what kind of classical he's recording that he feels he must
> have 24 mic preamps.

This is the way they record classical music today. It's been that way
since the days of the DA-88 when a symphonic rig was four or more
DA-88s and a rack full of Millenia Media preamps or something similar.



--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo