So I'm about to make a purchase, but I don't have enough to do everything at once. So I'd like to know what purchase I should make first that would give me the most improvement up front. I kinda know the answer but I guess I am looking for a confirmation.
I have the option to purchase the 003 Factory (upgrading from the 001), I would still use the preamps from my mackie.
I also have the option of purchasing a preamp (in anticipation of upgrading to the 003 and ditching the mackie). Someone had suggested the Focusrite Octopre which would give me 8 premamps.
I'm thinking I would get the greater benefit from getting the preamps first.
on a side note, I have Alesis monitor ones and although they are not great, they are not horrible, I am looking for a minor upgrade and someone suggested the KRK RP8 G2 series, anyone have any opinions on these or other suggestions?
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Well I have to say that I don't know whether an 001 to an 003 wo
Well I have to say that I don't know whether an 001 to an 003 would give a marked sound upgrade. My feeling is that even if the converters suddenly become better, the fact you are using the pres from the Mackie, will mean you get little to no improvement unless its functionality.
With that in mind, at present the situation as I read it is this:
you have functional converters
you have functional preamps
you have functional monitors
If I am understanding this correctly, I would advise that the single best improvement you could make would be preamps.
Better converters converting Mackie pres will not do anything but show them up. As for monitors, there is nothing to hear right now.
So preamps, 8-channel, I have to say again I think going to Focusrite wouldn't give much of an improvement over a Mackie set.
Therefore it comes down to budget. You should sink as much as you can into one or two channels. The only time that this law of increasing returns changes is with a few units:
Seventh Circle build-yourself boxes
API lunchbox kits
JLM TMP08
Where once you actually hit an investment of $1500, the cost-per-channel gets much cheaper. The JLM is approx $1800US which is $225 a channel.
The API you can spend $1k on getting PSU, box and a couple pres from Mercenary, and after that its $3-500 per channel. And the seventhcircle stuff again you need PSU & box which is approx $1000 with a starter channel, then each channel after that is $2-400.
If have $1000-1500 to sink into this right now, then the best thing you can do is sink the money you would have spent on 8 channels of Focusrite plus some extra into something like this. I saw Octopre LE at $600 and Octopre Platinum at $800.
If you definitely only have $6-800 to spend, I'd suggest spending it on 1 or 2 channels that are much better.
Then you have 1-2 'gold channels' and the 001 pres make up the rest. But if you can bite the bullet and get yourself on the ladder with 7th circle or API lunchbox, then your subsequent upgrades will be the best 'bang for the buck' you can get.