Some choices from cheap to not so cheap: Behringer ADA8000, M-Audio Octane, Focusrite Octopre LE and 'not LE' models, Digimax LT and 96k models, Mackie Onyx 800r, Focusrite isa220 and isa428, the list goes on ...

I think "good" would start at the ISA 428 with the ADAT card. 4 channel mic pre with an 8 channel digital a/d interface.

The Behringer ADA8000, M-Audio Octane, Focusrite Octopre LE, Digimax LT and 96k models, Mackie Onyx 800r, are useable but the pres do leave room for a lot of improvment. I imagine the converters aren't much better ... crap into crap .. not very inspiring to me, I personally I wouldn't waste my time or money on them, so therefore I won't recommend them

I can understand the desire for an all in one solution ... it's a space saver, it's handy, requires less interfacing and is easier to get up and running but that convinence comes with a price .... loss of flexibility, the danger if the converter or the pres need service everything is down while this is being done and last, that if the converters ever become obsolete ( not as much an issue as a few years ago) your pres are married to them.

One nice thing about the ISA range is the digital interface is on an optional card ... so I suppose you could just pull it out or maby even replace it if the converters become outdated.

I would agree with Kurt that in the long run, seperate pre's and converters are best if you can afford it. In the optical converter catagory there is the Apogee Rosetta 800, which is a great front end upgrade for the 002R, giving you better clock, better monitoring and better inputs. Also the Alesis AI3 can be had reasonably cheap ($300.00 used) and then you can upgrade pre's as you can afford it. Both of these have 8 ins and 8 outs at +4 or -10 line level. I just replaced my AI3 (for sale) with the Rosetta and it is awesome.

The one drag with the Presonus Digimax and the Octapre is that they have to be the clock master with the 002 as there is no bnc clock out of the 002. This can cause "pilot error" problems with sample rates, i.e creating a 44.1 session and then accidently feeding it 48k clock.

I can say, the 002 HATES HATES HATES being a slave to the LT.

then again, who WOULD like being a slave?

hey Ken,

does the ISA 428 really have "Neve-like" pres in it? also, if it only has 4 in, why does it have 8 out with the digital ADAT? i might be having a brain fart here, but this throws me off a bit...

Hi

I have a 002 and am thinking of increasing the A/D conversion quality.....What about the Apogee Mini-Me...get two reasonable pres with it also, with the soft knee compression in addition.