hi
i asked just the same question, and no answers yet
the only thing i found is ART dps
but i am not sure of quality of ARTs

Originally posted by lince55:
I'm looking for a mic preamp with digital out ($500 range) , with a better sound that my samson mixer pre's, for use with a Rode nt2 mic and a daw based system with Echo Gina 20 Sound card.
Have you some advice?
Forgive my bad English

Lince

Does anyone with any expierence on this subject have any info for this guy?? Kurt

Like Kurt, I won't recommend anything I haven't heard or tried, but at least here are four other possiblities that meet your price criteria. I think they are all easily found in the consumer music stores, so it shouldn't be too hard for you to check them out and do some comparisons:

•Focusrite Platinum: the Penta can be had for well under $500 and there is a SPDIF option, which hopefully won't push the price over your magic figure. It's one channel but with a lot of other processing thrown in (channel strip).

•dbx 386 - two channels for under $500

•dbx 376 - a single channel strip like the Penta, but already includes the digital I/O standard.

•Presonus digitube - one channel, REALLY cheap.

If it turns out you think all of the above sounds like crap, the other possibility is to get a cheap pre plus a cheap converter (seperate units). I'm not saying at that total price it will necessarily sound any better, but the advantage to seperates is that somewhere down the line you can upgrade one half of the combination at a time, and you will have a whole lot more choices if and when you do so.

If you scout around,eventually you'll probably finda used Mindprint Envoice with the Digital output card for c.$300 or so.It sounds good and you can plug a 2nd preamp into the Digital out card which willthen also go through the D/A conversion.

You may still be able to get NOS or a used Joe Meek VC1Q with a digital output option. I am fairly sure the new Joe Meek stuff that is just started shipping has a digital output option but don't know if the option is shipping yet. Ask Alan in the PMI forum. The Joe Meek is good stuff for the money, good enough for even me to own an VC1Qcs and be glad that I do.

Let me second the nomination for the dBx 376 (haven't tried the 386, but intending to). Very good (albeit starved-plate) tube pre, solid EQ, solid compressor, and very strong ADC's on the back end. Not bad for a $400 package.

people might puke when i say this but think about the behringer (ultra gain) ada 8000. it has 8 xlr inputs with phantom power and a s/pdif digital output. i'm thinking about getting one with a delta revolution card. that would give me an 8 input balanced system.... right? the only thing i don't like about behringer is that in the past i've had shielding issues (hum/noise) and had to keep components seperated. probably cheap transformers. they should use wall warts then :) plus i'm shure these things aren't award winning preamps but your not gonna get those unless you spend $500-$1000 every two channels.

oh yeah, and the behringer unit goes for $200 US