Not sure I can answer your question on this. All I can say is, this could get expensive. As soon as you mentioned MADI, [[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.sweetwat…"]SSL[/]="http://www.sweetwat…"]SSL[/] came to mind. There's also the obvious C-24, I believe they have a MADI module available.

i know it can get expensive, and it will. but i'd really like to achieve as lossless quality as i can.

the ssl is what i was looking at. would that hook up ; mixer>ssl>pci card?

At $3000 you can get the MADI card and interface. You need a Mixer that had either DB25 connectors or ADAT I/O. If you get a decent mixer, you won't need to worry about preamps. What's your budget for a mixer?

The Mackie [[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.frontend…"]Onyx 1640i[/]="http://www.frontend…"]Onyx 1640i[/] is looking pretty nice. The pres aren't amazing but amazing for the price.

i'm working without a budget really. im thinking twelve to sixteen thousand american for preamps/mixers/interface/and a new desktop and monitor. not including mics, or any other gear.

that mackie is 24 bit 96khz, im trying to get to 32 and 192. also, i want to do 24 live channels. i'm thinking going with some kind quad channel preamp for my vocal booth, and probably something for the drum room too. eventually, id like to have a whole rack of different stuff to plug and play with to find the best sound from the combination of preamps and microphones, for whatever application im doing.

so yeah how do i set up 24 channels at 32 bit, and if i was using preamps, would it go preamp into the mixer, or mixer out to the preamp?

what would you guys put together if you had twenty or thirty grand to spend on gear, to get the purest audio directly recording to a computer?

so how about preamps>mixer> soldistate madi converters>pc? seems like a mixer that can do what i want is what i'm looking for.

edit:

im pretty sure something like this is what im looking for:

http://www.proaudiosolutions.com/product-p/tascam-dm4800.htm

24 analog inputs, 8 adat outputs, plus 4 expansion slots (so two more cards would could run 24 adat out to say, a couple of solid state converters? am right about this?) and i could control all my live channels in protools, from my mixer - is that correct? can you tell i'm trying to leap right into the pro level stuff?

thanks for the help so far hueseph, so far it looks like im going in the right direction.

So, how clear are you on any of this?

32 bit can only be achieved in software thus far. There are no interfaces that can produce a 32 bit signal. 32 bit is floating point.

Working at 192kHz will take huge amounts of hard drive space. There is absolutely no reason that 44.1kHz will not be good enough for most people.

A MADI converter can only be solid state. There is no such thing as a tube MADI interface.

You go from mic to preamp to line level input.

Yes the Tascam will work for you. So will any other mixer with DB-25 or ADAT output. You will need a Power Amp if you want to use the mixer Live as well.

You sound like Jethro Bodine. Have you considered becoming a brain surgeon? It's easier than audio. You only need a drill and some knives. So you want the best sound possible and you are talking about a TASCAM DM 4800?? From SSL to TASCAM in the same sentence. There's a little difference. Now if you want some sweet sound, I'd suggest a couple of API lunchboxes with 512 series preamps into a TASCAM 48 track hard disc recorder. Then you can use that TASCAM console for mixing & PA. You don't need no stinkin' MADI. You'll love the APIs and you'll never look back. So it's microphone, API 512, recorder input, recorder output, TASCAM input, your choice for input interfaces, optical, etc.. But then again you can also purchase API 3124 Quad preamp units. I just love the warm quality of transformer input stages. Transformer less is just a cheap cop out that results in cold, crispy, wispy sound. Cleaner doesn't mean better it just means more sterile. And somehow, I don't think sterile is a quality sound. It's lifeless, it's sterile. Transformers have a lot of iron and/or nickel in them and give you balls in your sound. And quality output transformers contribute to that as well. So good in and good out. Not sterile. Are you sterile?

I'm sterilized but my recordings aren't
Mx. Remy Ann David

Oh Lordy, Remy, you are too funny and always interesting with that touch of " is she joking and who is this person. I wish I was your manager, well definitely in the audience at a top comic venue hearing you tear apart topics and add the twist of intelligence in a comical manner .. You made my day.

hueseph, post: 351882 wrote:
32 bit can only be achieved in software thus far. There are no interfaces that can produce a 32 bit signal. 32 bit is floating point.

Working at 192kHz will take huge amounts of hard drive space. There is absolutely no reason that 44.1kHz will not be good enough for most people.

44.1 kHz can still sound great if good A/D converters are used. Although my DAW supports sampling rates up to 352.8 kHz, I see absolutely no benefit to capturing audio at anything greater than 24 bit/96 kHz. If you want to learn why, check out the following white paper by Dan Lavry:

PAR Session Trial: Premium Studio Headphones

Chris Adler
Mindtree Studios

If I had the money and needed 24 channels of ultra high quality preamps and A/D converters, I would probably go with three Crane Song Spiders. That'll only run you $24000 and you still have nothing to record to.

[url=(dead link removed) Audio - Crane Song SPIDER 8 Channel Mic Pre, Mixer and AD Converter[/url]

Chris Adler
Mindtree Studios