MOTU 8Pre vs. Presonus Firepod - Ready... FIGHT!

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

I'm upgrading my really, really modest gear as soon as I manage to save some extra from my next paychecks, and after a new computer I'm going to invest in an interface. Right now I have two options: 8Pre and Firepod. They both have ~the same features, except the 8Pre has only two analog outputs. The 8Pre is also a bit more expensive, but somehow it seems sexier to me than the Firepod

Which one do you think I should get? Or is there anything better in the same price range? I'm going to use the interface for normal recording and monitoring stuff.

 

[006]

The differences really between the FirePod and the 8Pre are the fact that the FirePod has sends, the 8Pre doesn't. If you are into reamping then this will be a problem with the 8Pre. Also, the 8Pre has ADAT i/o, the FirePod doesn't. And something I really like about the 8Pre over the FirePod is that the 8Pre has multi-led meters on the front for each channel. That *really* comes in handy when tracking, you can actually see the levels you're getting. On the FirePod it's just a single clip indicator, that's it. By the time it clips, it's too late, obviously.

I just ordered the 8Pre from SweetWater on Sunday night. Should be here Thursday or Friday this week.

~e.a

 

[deathtotaliban]

I own a firepod and I'm really happy with it. The 8pre looks nice though, with the ADAT and the leds ( I know what you are talking with on the firepod, it can get annoying). Even though I'm a big Presonus fan I would say unless you are going to be doing any re-amping go with the 8pre, the ADAT capabilities make it really nice and easy to add an extra 8 inputs.

 

[J.DavisNJ]

Sorry to intrude, BUT...can anyone confirm if one has better pres than the other? Or pretty equal?

-Joe

 

[deathtotaliban]

im sure they are pretty equal, but I don't buy into the who "pre-amps make an honest difference" thing. Sure some neve and other units sound great but for the average band/artist its not going to make any sort of difference except a few more thousand dollars that you wont have.

 

[Curran]

presonus is the way to go man !!!! sounds better than anything motu as ever made. AND there converters sound WAYYYYYYYYYYY better than the motu monkeys

Love Curran

 

[006]

Mmmm...not too sure about that. I can't say for sure what kind of conversion they are using with the 8Pre but I'd definitely take any of MOTU's HD setups over any PreSonus interface any day. The 8Pre is a brand new unit from MOTU and I wouldn't doubt they've done some work in that department, as well as the preamps. It's made quite a big hit at this year's NAMM. Honestly, I think it comes down to reamping or not...ADAT i/o alone in a unit with 8 pres that costs under $600 brand new, pretty good deal to me. If you want ADAT with a PreSonus unit, you'd have to go with the FireStudio, which I wouldn't mind having myself but I can't see a reason to spend over $100 more for what I am trying to do right now.

Taliban I think said it best about the pres...unless you are doing some big shit, local bands don't deserve Neve.

~e.a

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

Thanks for the replies! I don't need to reamp right now, but since the 8Pre has ADAT I/O, I could easily buy a dirt cheap ADA8000 and hook it up with the motu if I run into reamping needs. Well, I guess I just have to live with tuna and macaroni for a few more weeks and get the 8Pre

 

[musickey]

Presonus!

 

[006]

See, I'm getting the ADA8000 to hook up to the 8Pre so I can record trigger splats. I figure I don't need anything special for that, anything that will pick-up a blip will work, heh. Plus I have found them on eBay for $170...they're only $250 new. That's honestly probably the best way to go. Giving you 16 channels of input and 8 channels of output...with the FirePod you get 8 channels of i/o...but no ADAT and you'd have to spend *another* $600 or so to daisy chain another FirePod for 8 more inputs. I don't think I'd trust the ADA8000's pres too much, they might be ok, I have no idea, I'm sure they aren't great...but I'm pretty sure sending a direct guitar signal out to a reamp unit would be perfectly fine. But that's me.

~e.a

 

[nwright]

Couldn't you get the Firestudio, though, and do the same thing as you are with the 8Pre MOTU unit? Would that still be better price-wise? I'd love to hear the Firestudio, as the Presonus site says the pre's are better than the Firepod's now, which I think sound pretty schweet for a unit of this price.

 

[006]

No, because you'd spend more money.

MOTU 8Pre = $549
Behringer ADA8000 = $250 new, $170 on eBay
FireStudio = $699
FirePod = $499

MOTU + Beh (eBay) = $719
FireStudio + Beh (eBay) = $869

Now, to get the same amount of inputs with the Pod you'd need a second one daisy chained to it, so two of them would run you $1k...you might save some bucks by going eBay...but even that route you'd spend more than you would for a brand spankin new MOTU and Behringer put together.

I absolutely hate math with a passion, and I've just laid it out simply.

~e.a

 

[nwright]

I didn't know what the cost of the MOTU uit was, so there you go...

 

[musickey]

Yeah the MOTU looks like a nice device just hope the pre's sound at least as good as the fire pods wich i doubt they do, the pad switch on the front is nice but i would rather have the inputs on the front of the unit like the firepod, having to dig in the back of my rack everytime i hade to make a connection change would get old fast. but anyway they look like pretty competetive devices. It all comes done to the pre's and a/d converters if you ask me though.

 

[JeffTD]

The reason I'd completely write off the MOTU is that the only outputs on the damned thing are for monitors - no possibility of reamping, outboard gear, etc.

 

[musickey]

The reason I'd completely write off the MOTU is that the only outputs on the damned thing are for monitors - no possibility of reamping, outboard gear, etc.

very true

 

[006]

Yes...buy a $170 Behringer ADA8000, hook it up via ADAT and blammo! you have 8 outputs for reamping. Problem solved.

As far as the pres go, you can't say you "doubt" either one being better. Unless you've tried both preamps, as I'm about to do since my 8Pre has arrived and my friend has a pair of FirePods I've been working with the past couple of weeks.

In this price range, I strongly feel that the preamps are all within the same league. Some people may like how the PreSonus pres sound more, some may like the MOTU's sound more. The point is, though, that unless you are spending a hunk of cash on some nice preamps, the ones in the units in this range are good enough. When you have a Neve cloned 2 channel rack unit, and then a FirePod (or similar), you can say the Pod's pres sound like crap. They're sitting next to some Neve clones...I mean, c'mon. But when you are comparing them to something in the same price range, who cares? Honestly.

~e.a