check out the [[url=http://[/URL]="http://us.focusrite…"]Focusrite 2802[/]="http://us.focusrite…"]Focusrite 2802[/]

there is not adat light pipe

The smaller mixers of any quality do not usually have a control surface mode to control PT or other DAWs.

What's your application when using it as a mixer: live sound, analog mixdown, channel expansion...?

What's your budget?

the focurite 2802 is out of my range,
I need a mixer with 8 channels with decent mic preamp and to record small gigs via lightpipe to an alesis hd 24 and to monitor what I am recording, and to use with a daw and or as pt controller, all this for less then 1000 $, is this a realistic expectation?

Probably not if you are looking at new gear, but you might get lucky second-hand. As an example, I've seen the earlier versions of the Yamaha 01V96 mixer going for that sort of money now that the 01V96i is the current model - there are 3 on Ebay UK at the moment.

The 01V96 pre-amps are a bit better than average, it has ADAT I/O (1 lightpipe each way as standard plus 2 more each way with the MY16-AT option board) and it can act as a control surface for DAWs.

check out audiokids PreSonus for sale in the For Sale section here.

i don't get why you want to use lightpipe.to get to the recorder .... ????? the HR24 has analog inputs too.

Any decent analog board will get you in/out of the HD24 via analog as Kurt indicated. To then send the captured tracks to a computer program of some sort...ie: ProTools, Ableton,etc... you will need the Alesis Fireport 1394 to turn the Alesis 'language' into something that will recognized by the program being used. The Alesis 'language' that puts your information on the harddrives in your HD24 is completely native to the Alesis system.

thats what I already do, I am using now a mackie 1402 vlz, I import audio from alesis hd 24 via ethernet or placing the drive in any usb 5 $ caddy and using hd 24 tools, http://ringbreak.dnd.utwente.nl/~mrjb/hd24tools/ , fireport isn't worth the money it costs.
Now i want a ready setup in my case with better preamps then vlz and having the chance to have a daw interface also.

you will most likely not find anything that is a significant step up from the Mackie VLZ pres for a grand / for 8 or more.

actually the pres in almost any Mackie aren't the problem with those mixers ... it's the summing. the pres are "fine" for what they cost.

to get a significant improvement you will have to spend 400 to 500 per preamp. that's where you will see improvement. you might find a board that has a different "flavor" or "color" but it will not be "better" until you begin to pony up some real bucks. to add to the quandary , you want a DAW controller too. it's just not there. the best budget solution would be the PreSonus.

i would say take your $1000 and purchase two or three quality stand alone pres and use them for the most critical elements. as time goes by you can pick up more pres as your budget allows.

real quality front end mixers are very expensive like the Focusrite. SSL, API and others all have small footprint mixers that are priced in the same range but i think that Focusrite is the most affordable. your other option is to look for used but be sure you have a competent tech available so you can have any necessary maintenance performed. older mixers need regular lovin'.

Yeah. What he said. At that price, you cannot do better than that Presonus audiokid is selling. The pre's in those are really pretty good as far as clean and clear and able to accept loud sources without collapsing.

The pre-amps in the Presonus StudioLive series are indeed very good and undoubtedly better than those in the older Yamaha 01V96. However, a StudioLive mixer cannot be used as a DAW control surface nor does it have ADAT I/O.

True. It does have firewire. The point being, there is probably not a solution for this poster in that budget range for all the points needed. And like Kurt I was looking at the analog component and connectivity as one part of the solution...ie: better sounding pres. And to the OP. If you are actually sitting there loading tracks into a DAW from your HD24 via the ethernet connection then you have way more time and patience then I do. Its the main reason I have a Fireport. Plus I don't need to import simply to the computer with the very excellent HD24 tools installed. Any computer with a software program and a firewire port will do. Portable. So doing a live recording on my HD24, I can immediately transfer to the bands laptop with any software. Value is relative to the need.

Speaking of that...there are many folks around here recording live with the Presonus into a laptop using the firewire I/O supplied and the pretty darned good software supplied ..Studio One.