Hey..! How ya' doin'?

I don't know?

First, let me say that if I was wanting to do location recording of excellent(Not superb) quality, and someone offered me 600 smackers toward the process, without even thinking more about it, I'd get one of the new Marantz "solid state"(Flashcard, etc.) recorders(Even if I had to fork out a hundred or two of my own to seal the deal) and an SM57 or AT HE29, plus a nice pair of closed phones and be "done with it"(Leaving the laptop and equipment rack at home.). Perfection? No. Simple to operate(Won't get in the way of the process) and professional quality? You betcha'. No EQ/compression, etc. would be "worried about"(Or messed up!) "on location". I'd add anything needed later via software - "in the mix" as it were...

BTW: Now having my base "location recording outfit", my next 500 would be spent on one of the Rode two-headed stereo mics(NT-4???). Perfection? No. Perfect for almost any no-hassle yet quite professional on-location stereo recording? Yes.

That said, what about 500 dollar(Or less) channel strips?

Some years ago I had a similar problem. I wanted to be able to "do things" going into the computer, so, as my bank(The First National Bank of Karen) said my budget was $500 or less, the channel strip seemed like a good way to go. At that time the ONLY strip that had everything I thought I needed was the DBX 376 - there were no other options. That it had a tube was, for me, a detriment, NOT something I craved... However, as DBX was a trusted name that I had used for years (And yes, of course I wanted to have a tube something, too - I'm not immune to advertising!), I bought one. Works fine? Sure, I guess, none of my clients complain. Upon reading your post I looked(Admittedly just at a few sites) and found only one other "possible", the Presonus strip for 500... Here's where I become "unsure". The 376 is a "tube" pre - I'm assuming(I forgot to look close) the Presonus is a solid-state pre? Therefore, just and only because I really don't believe one can make a really fine tube pre for 500 bucks(Or maybe a pre period? Though I like my Mackie 1202 pre's just fine and what could they have cost, 3 dollars? Who can say..?), let alone adding quality EQ, compression, etc., to a strip, I might go with the more likely(In my opinion) quality of the Presonus, if making the same decision today. Not saying it should actually BE better!? Just that spending the same money on design/construction the solid state pre/strip "should be" - better..? If nothing else should be more consistent and reliable, which for portable is an important question. Then again, of the two of them, how do you really know without buying/trying both? You don't.

Another option would be a "straight" pre runing into your laptop interface. For 600 dollars you should be able to find one, maybe even with, say, compression alone or a pre with outboard comp? But a 600 dollar pre/combo? For "story-telling"? NOT for a major motion picture(For which they'd shoot 35mm film while recording audio on the first-type system mentioned(Though maybe a Nagra and a Neuman?) while on location, then re-record -overdub- the audio later in a "real" studio anyway...)?

Uuuuggghhh. I don't know..?

Marantz, Shure, Beyers(My choice of phones) - aloha......

TG

Phones, mic and all I've got covered. It's going into the mbox and iBook one way or another, I just really want a compressor, and figured maybe a better pre while I'm at it. I'm leaning towards the RNC on an insert now.

And no, this isn't major motion picture, no timecode or anything like that to worry about. In fact the video is done around the audio. They hired me on because their previous setup was a be**inger micro-crap mixer and some unidentifiable high-z dynamic mic. "It only cost us $100 total!".

They were blown away by an NT2a directly into an MBox.

[quote=McCheese] So far I've found the [[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.dbxpro.c…"]DBX 376[/]="http://www.dbxpro.c…"]DBX 376[/], and some of the focusrite platinum crap. Anyone use the 376? quote]

I have a 376 in my rack and I must say it is has many pretty lights and does a good job of bracing an otherwise wiggly rack...as for sound...well...I think it sounds best when it is not plugged in. I am guessing that you are seeking a compressor in the capture chain since the subjects levels are unpredictable and prone to making little red lights come on. The 376 would be the worst choice here since it seems to add tube "saturation" to the peaks and is not very forgiving. The EQ distorts easily and if memory serves is before the compressor in the chain.

I would lean toward location sound gear in this case, and specifically try the Sound Devices field mixers as a front end for your Mbox. http:// They have wonderful limiters on the inputs and master and the pre's are very clean.

Noizemaker wrote:
I have a 376 in my rack and I must say it is has many pretty lights and does a good job of bracing an otherwise wiggly rack...as for sound...well...I think it sounds best when it is not plugged in.

Now that's funny. Thanks for the link, I'll check them out..