Midas XL48 8-Channel Mic Pre price drop

[PhaseShifter]

Okay, I'll bite - why is it a bad fit?

Unless you've got a large rig with lots of AD/DA to begin with, this is an analog to digital only device so you get inputs but not outputs. It also only allows for coax wordclock, not adat sync.

[airickess]

Unless you've got a large rig with lots of AD/DA to begin with, this is an analog to digital only device so you get inputs but not outputs. It also only allows for coax wordclock, not adat sync.

I don't see those as reasons for this being a bad fit for a SAC rig in general. It really depends on how one uses their rig.

[PhaseShifter]

For $200 less you can get the Focusrite OctoPre MkII Dynamic that is 8+8 AD/DA

Hard to justify $900 for the XL48

[cgrafx]

For $200 less you can get the Focusrite OctoPre MkII Dynamic that is 8+8 AD/DA

Hard to justify $900 for the XL48

Depends on what your needs are and what your trying to accomplish.

The OctoPre doesn't have the same level of control that the XL48 does.

Independent +48v, pad, phase, and high/low pass filters can be very beneficial.

personally I hate having to turn phantom power on/off in banks, and it would definitely be useful to have a pad on each input.

Each person has to make the cost/benefit decision themselves to decide if those attributes are worth paying for, but $900 is not break-the-bank pricing.

If I were building a system as a pro-sound rig that needed to be rider friendly... this would definitely be on my list.

[PhaseShifter]

Because SAC + an XL48 is going to be far more rider friendly than anything else? I think you forgot about the part where it's a SAC system.

In a digital system, why would anyone care that the analog preamp has individual polarity (phase is not the correct term) and high/low pass when that can be accomplished at the mixer level?

[RandyHyde]

For $200 less you can get the Focusrite OctoPre MkII Dynamic that is 8+8 AD/DA

Hard to justify $900 for the XL48

For $200 more you can get an Aphex unit and have remoteable preamps.
Cheers,
Randy Hyde

[RandyHyde]

[QUOTE=PhaseShifter;200721]Because SAC + an XL48 is going to be far more rider friendly than anything else? I think you forgot about the part where it's a SAC system.
[\quote]

In a digital system, why would anyone care that the analog preamp has individual polarity (phase is not the correct term) and high/low pass when that can be accomplished at the mixer level?

I do care. They shouldn't be there. That's more buttons to accidentally press and create problems. Case in point, the A/D-D/A button on the Focusrite; my life would have been a lot easier had that button not been present on the unit (or, at least, less easily accessible).
Cheers,
Randy Hyde

[PhaseShifter]

For $200 more you can get an Aphex unit and have remoteable preamps.
Cheers,
Randy Hyde

See, now that is worth it!

[RBIngraham]

Unless you've got a large rig with lots of AD/DA to begin with, this is an analog to digital only device so you get inputs but not outputs. It also only allows for coax wordclock, not adat sync.

Setting price asside, neither of these are really much of an issue, depending on your needs. I use preamps with no ADAT input sync all the time and I still have plenty of analog line outs to feed my system. If you're using MOTU gear, and not the old 2408 MK1 units, you typically have at least 8 analog outputs per 24 inputs and I also have 1224 units and a 24IO unit. So I have plenty of analog line level I/O. I only bother with the preamps for things that I really need a mic preamp for, typically orchestral mics, area mics, VOG mics, backstage mics, etc..

As for sync you just run word clock out of your sound card or do it the easy way and just sync everything to a single external clock.

I'm not saying I would run out and buy these preamps up or that I think they would be better than using a Focusright, but neither of these two point should really be seen as a reason to write them off.

[RBIngraham]

Because SAC + an XL48 is going to be far more rider friendly than anything else? I think you forgot about the part where it's a SAC system.

In a digital system, why would anyone care that the analog preamp has individual polarity (phase is not the correct term) and high/low pass when that can be accomplished at the mixer level?

Ummm... because maybe someone might be hooking them up for use with something other than live sound, digital mixing.

I could see all those being useful for recording. I can see them also being useful on many smaller digital consoles that might not have that much processing available. Although that is getting more rare these days.