ADAT pre options help!

[S-O]

Hey there, I have a Profire 2626, and I am looking to expand to 16 inputs, and I have been looking at some options, and I am torn between buying a Focusrite Octopre MkII or picking up another Profire 2626, anyone have any experience running 2 Profires? I can find those a little cheaper than the Octopres.

Thanks!

 

[Studdy]

Im a similar situation, except I run Fireface 800. I'm waiting to hear about the Behringer ADA8200 before I decide on one. I have a feeling the pre's are gonna kinda suck ass in any of these devices, so im hoping the ADA8200 will have a low enough noise floor to use it just as a decent a/d converter. Not to steal the thread on you, but am I overlooking a good multichannel a/d converter under the 500$ mark that doesnt have preamps. I think its a dumb move for companies not to bypass the preamps. And back to your original question the profire is being discontinued they are cheap right now. Does have preamp bypass. The only downfall of the profire is that the sample rate cannot be changed on the Profire with out it being connected to the computer. Not really standalone, and i dont want to install a profire on my system. Where as the octopre (not sure if it has pre bypass but i assume so) it is "truly standalone" Hope this helps. Good luck

 

[sprack]

You might also look at a used Presonus LT.

 

[Arsenu,]

i'd say stick with the same brand. products made by the same brand tend to work better together + tech support won't put the blame on one another when problems arise...

there are plenty of decent 8-pre ADATs out there, depends what your budget tough

 

[Trevoire520]

Im a similar situation, except I run Fireface 800. I'm waiting to hear about the Behringer ADA8200 before I decide on one. I have a feeling the pre's are gonna kinda suck ass in any of these devices, so im hoping the ADA8200 will have a low enough noise floor to use it just as a decent a/d converter. Not to steal the thread on you, but am I overlooking a good multichannel a/d converter under the 500$ mark that doesnt have preamps. I think its a dumb move for companies not to bypass the preamps. And back to your original question the profire is being discontinued they are cheap right now. Does have preamp bypass. The only downfall of the profire is that the sample rate cannot be changed on the Profire with out it being connected to the computer. Not really standalone, and i dont want to install a profire on my system. Where as the octopre (not sure if it has pre bypass but i assume so) it is "truly standalone" Hope this helps. Good luck

The Profire 2626 bypasses the preamps if you use the TRS inputs. But as you say you need to connect to a computer to change sample rate (though how often do you really find yourself doing that? I use the same sample rate for everything)

i'd say stick with the same brand. products made by the same brand tend to work better together + tech support won't put the blame on one another when problems arise...

Anything using an ADAT connection will work exactly the same as anything else using an ADAT connection. Manufacturer just doesn't come into it, maybe it would if you were daisy chaining via firewire.

 

[Trevoire520]

Hey there, I have a Profire 2626, and I am looking to expand to 16 inputs, and I have been looking at some options, and I am torn between buying a Focusrite Octopre MkII or picking up another Profire 2626, anyone have any experience running 2 Profires? I can find those a little cheaper than the Octopres.

Thanks!

At this end of the market the preamps are all pretty interchangeable from one device to another. Look at features like switchable impedance, pads on the preamp, hi-z inputs, high pass filters, overall connectivity options etc.

My recommendation would be to make sure that whatever you get has ADAT input AND output. This gives you extra outputs from your DAW and makes clocking/syncing easier if you add more pre's to your setup later on.

 

[S-O]

At this end of the market the preamps are all pretty interchangeable from one device to another. Look at features like switchable impedance, pads on the preamp, hi-z inputs, high pass filters, overall connectivity options etc.

My recommendation would be to make sure that whatever you get has ADAT input AND output. This gives you extra outputs from your DAW and makes clocking/syncing easier if you add more pre's to your setup later on.

Thanks! I may grab another Profire, the one I have has done me right so far! And they are quite cheap now that they have been discontinued! haha

And you are definitely right, at the price range I am looking at right now, all the pres are pretty comparable. I also use the TRS in to defeat the pre and use outboard pres that I have or that I borrow for sessions.

 

[Trevoire520]

Also with another Profire if your main one dies for whatever reason you can just plug in the other and crack on with your session (albeit with 8 less preamps)

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

I'm using a digimax D8. I didn't need the extra outs.

I actually prefer the xmax pres to the octane pres.

My only complaint about the digimax is the location of the phantom switches and lack of TRS/XLR combo jacks. I like that there is a phantom switch on every pre, I hate that they stuck the switches on the rear making them inaccessible when you rack it. I just leave it on all the time, but it still sucks.

I can also get behind the pads on every channel as well, but I tend not to need them.

I'm also not having a clock problem (no idea how this happened) with a s/pdif interface connected at the same time.

 

[guitarguru777]

Sell everything, buy a Saffire Pro40 and an Octopre MKII and be happy. Trust me. For the price there is nothing better for 16 channels of i/o with GREAT pres' and killer conversion!

 

[Capitancambarro]

If you could stretch your budget a bit you could get the Audient ASP 008 with digital out option. Seriously killer pres (better in my experience than most any budget preamps out there) and very good 8 channel AD. No DA though.