Thread 18i8 vs pro 24 dsp-both are $300 when on sale . running windows 7

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spacemesa

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1 Posted on 06/19/2014 at 10:08:15

in the process of upgrading computer and this would be a starter studio purchase. it seems the pro 24 dsp has lowered the price point to $299.00 since firewire is fading in the market.

compared to the 18i8 going down to $300 when on sale; just looking for the best purchase as pro 24 has a solid pedigree along with the dsp features however, the more recent 18i8 has the additional preamps and usb connection.

I would primarily be recording solo and would like some feedback on how often the virtual studio monitoring is used by this community or users in general.

with the 18i8, i like the capability of multiple inputs for a live recording(18i8). From what i know the preamps are identical from both units?

any other details for comparision would be appreciated. just looking in reality what features are actually used or valuable since i have no other hardware for mixing/additional inputs yet.

thanks for everyone's time,

john h.

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Simon Focusrite

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2 Posted on 06/20/2014 at 01:41:03

Hi John,

Thanks for your interest.
You may find the product comparison chart on our website helpful:

https://global.focusrite.com/audio-interface-comparison-chart

If you scroll the products to the right, you will be able to see the 18i8 & Pro24 DSP on the same page for feature comparison.
There are a number of connectivity features to consider, USB vs Firewire, remembering that Firewire can also be used over Thunderbolt. The ins & outs of each unit, both have ADAT in, allowing for channel strip extensions if needed. The Scarlett has iPad connectivity via a camera kit, but the Saffire has the Loop Back feature. The DSP effects can help free up some processing power from your computer with regards to input effects (vocal reverb etc). VRM is obviously also very helpful if you mix a lot on headphones.

Hopefully some more members will give their opinions.

Best regards
Simon // Focusrite Technical Support

spacemesa

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3 Posted on 06/22/2014 at 08:08:07

not interested in ipad feature, just looking at differences mainly ,would 2 extra preamps be more valuable than the dsp chip and 6 outputs? thanks for the reply

Simon Focusrite

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4 Posted on 06/27/2014 at 01:10:21

Hi John,

Unfortunately I can't really answer that question as its largely based on what you feel your needs are for your recording projects.
Perhaps some other members can let you know how they're using their Focusrite interfaces and it what contexts, this might help you decide if they're using for similar projects.

Best regards
Simon // Focusrite Technical Support

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