Here are a couple suggestions from Crest Audio:
[="http://www.crestaudio.com/html/xfour.html"]X4[/]="http://www.crestaud…"]X4[/]
[[url=http://="http://www.crestaud…"]XR-20/24[/]="http://www.crestaud…"]XR-20/24[/]
[[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.crestaud…"]Century[/]="http://www.crestaud…"]Century[/]

I haven't heard the rack series, but the century and x series sound great IMO. If the rack series sounds
7/10 as good, it might be the portable solution you're looking for.

Do you find the century to sound noticeably better than the X20? They really seem to be boasting on the audio quality of the century. How do you find the mic pres to sound, in comparison with great outboard pres?
How rugged is the century for dragging around? I'm looking at the small one.
Ted

Originally posted by Ted Nightshade:
Do you find the century to sound noticeably better than the X20?
As I said in the previous post, I haven't heard the rack series. Do you mean X4/X8? The X8 I tried had an interesting flavor to it. It wasn't bad, just a different flavor from the Century. The quality is still very apparent, but it's a different animal and hard to compare. I can't tell you which way to go on this one, your ears have to decide that. I'd be happy to use either one.

They really seem to be boasting on the audio quality of the century. How do you find the mic pres to sound, in comparison with great outboard pres?
I would compare them to API's, but with a layer of "butter". Hope that makes sense to you, cuz I probably seem like a friggin idiot to a lot of people right about now. hehe.

How rugged is the century for dragging around? I'm looking at the small one.
Ted
It was designed as a live touring board, so it'll hold up to whatever you might normally throw at a console during a show. Fully modular = easy swapping if a channel burns out (from the beer spill). As far as transportation it's only as rugged as whatever flight case you put it in.