Thread: MOTU 896HD vs Mackie Onyx 1220 with firewire card

How do those two compare?

I'd like to upgrade my studio to 8 inputs and better A/D converters (currently using a Delta 44). I want decent mic preamps built-in so I can quickly record a whole bunch of tracks.

I was thinking about the PreSonus FirePod but then found those two options which seem better.

The Mackie has the advantage of being a mixer, so the routing options are plenty (with some imagination, you can provide 4 headphone mixes, and it has a Talkback mic built in) and can double as a board for our rehearsal space (although a pricy one for just 4 mic input). It only has 4 mic preamps, but I hear they are above average (Onyx) and there are 8 remaining channels (4 stereo actually) which can be used with outboard pres. So it's 12 separate A/D channels but only 4 preamps.

The MOTU has adequate routing options (I guess 2 headphone mix are possible, mono of course) but they have to be set in software (not that big of a deal, but less friendly). It has 8 preamps and 8 A/D converters, can be used as an interface for other digital signals.

I'm kind of assuming the MOTU has the better A/D conversion, while the Mackie has the better preamps.

Any thoughts? Opinion?
Is the Firepod sufficient? (the monitoring options are kinda weak though, it's only the sum of the inputs, no individual levels unless you adjust the preamp gain, but it is 400$ less, 400$ which can be used for other gear)

The MOTU 896 HD has 8 outputs in addition to the headphone and main outs that can be used as monitor mixes. for musicians.