you would actually need a fireface for each peice of the drum kit including each cymbal... I would probaly recommend doing a little research into how the equipment your about to purchase works. Even though the fireface has only 4 preamps it has a total of 28 inputs which should be more than adequate to mic a drum kit. As a matter of fact it has 10 that are analog so you could mic a huge kit with the addition of some outboard preamps. bottom line is you can only connect 3 fireface units at the same time which would give you the ability to record 84 tracks at once. I don't know of any situation on the planet that would require this. By the way I have a fireface and it is awesome.

mud5150 wrote: you would actually need a fireface for each peice of the drum kit including each cymbal... I would probaly recommend doing a little research into how the equipment your about to purchase works. Even though the fireface has only 4 preamps it has a total of 28 inputs which should be more than adequate to mic a drum kit. As a matter of fact it has 10 that are analog so you could mic a huge kit with the addition of some outboard preamps. bottom line is you can only connect 3 fireface units at the same time which would give you the ability to record 84 tracks at once. I don't know of any situation on the planet that would require this. By the way I have a fireface and it is awesome.

HA! Yes, there's no need for 4 Firefaces, you probably only really need one. Get yourself a digital mixer with ADAT or SPIDIF outs. That will give you 16 channels right off the bat with one Fireface. Then you still have the 10 analog ins. Check out the Yamaha 02V or the Tascam DM24. I have Soundcraft's 328XD which is incredible but I don't know how easily they can be obtained.

Another option is to get a pre (or two) with digital outs lke the Focusrite ISA428 (need the optional A/D) card. Get another 4-channel pre and route it through the ISA428, then into the Fireface.

The Fireface is a mammoth interface, I'd be very surprised if you needed more than one. Especially if you're just getting starting, one of these has more than enough I/O.

Dan, now that I'm thinking, here's how I have everything routed. If you can afford four Firefaces (about $5 1/2 g's) then you can afford some good multi-channel pres.

Since I run live sound with my Soundcraft 328XD, I have things set up a bit different right now, but a digital board woud be the easiest way to do things...

I use a Focusrite ISA428 with the A/D option. Plugged into the 428 is my Sebatron VMP-4000e. All eight channels from the 428 are lightpiped into the ADAT1 in of my Fireface. From there, all 10 inputs on the rear of the Fireface are routed to a patchbay (get one!), and then I have seven more channels of outboard pre's that I can patch into (UA 4110, UA 6176, (2) Chandler Germaniums). I use a control surface and mix everything in the box. There are many options, this is just one of them, but it works great for me!

Hope this helps..

Why not just make it simple and smart and purchase something like the Mackie Onyx multiple microphone preamplifier with integrated FireWire output? A great front end to your Macintosh. Its compact and keeps everything quite simple.

Simple simple
Ms. Remy Ann David

RemyRAD wrote: Why not just make it simple and smart and purchase something like the Mackie Onyx multiple microphone preamplifier with integrated FireWire output? A great front end to your Macintosh. Its compact and keeps everything quite simple.

Simple simple
Ms. Remy Ann David

!!!! Are you implying I'm simple,Ms.Remy !!!! LMAO !
( I thought ' mud5150's ' idea of a Fireface on every drum and cymbal an excellent proposition ).

Seriously though, I've gone off the Mackie Onyx idea since I discovered most of their stuff is made in China, and I'm not a great fan of China with regards to their economy and ,to put it euphemistically, their international politics .

Back on thread, I'd still like to go for the Fireface due to it being supa - dupa on every front,.. I like the idea of buying the best I can get for the cash I have available and then hopefully, the equipment will be relevant for some years to come .
My main problem at the 'mo is trying to wade throught the quick-sand of all the myriad equipment, combinations of equipment, ways of all linking it -up, and terminology that exists within the current recording scene !

The only thing I'm certain about are the mics I've bought so far !

Hi CaptainBeardy, in the moment I use the Fireface with it's ten analog inputs. I use the 4 built in pres and 6 outboard pres. For my application (mainly classical and jazz) this is enough. For future projects I plan to purchase some 8-channel pre/converter like the RME Octamic with its digital otion. That would give me a total of 18 pre inputs at 96kHz via ADAT, or with another Octamic digital 26 pre inputs at 44,1kHz. That's more than I'll ever need I think :wink:
Best regards
Hermann Platzer

liuto wrote: Hi CaptainBeardy, in the moment I use the Fireface with it's ten analog inputs. I use the 4 built in pres and 6 outboard pres. For my application (mainly classical and jazz) this is enough. For future projects I plan to purchase some 8-channel pre/converter like the RME Octamic with its digital otion. That would give me a total of 18 pre inputs at 96kHz via ADAT, or with another Octamic digital 26 pre inputs at 44,1kHz. That's more than I'll ever need I think :wink:
Best regards
Hermann Platzer

Hi , Hermann,...

Thanks for the advice,...

I'm now thinking about using two six-way API Lunchbox's packed with the 512c preamps, going into the Fireface, then onto the Mac G5 !
This 'll give me the 16 channels !

It's going to go over my initial budget, but,life is often like that ,isn't it,...!!!

You only live once as the saying goes, so I might as well go for it !

Cheers,..... Dan.