Thread [POLL] Fully expand a 8ch USB audio interface to 18ch inputs (8USB+8Adat+2SPDIF)
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noizemm
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First post
Usually, an 8ch USB Audio Interface can reach 18 inputs adding a 8ch preamp with ADAT OUT and a 2ch preamp with SPDIF OUT... but..
I've spent hours searching for a 2ch Preamp with digital output to expand my audio interface to the inputs I need (Live drumset, bass, 2 guitars, voice mics, etc)... but I just found devices out of my budged(as low as possible).
As for 8ch Preamps with ADAT output there are many choices:
Behringer ADA8200 (300$)
Focusrite Scarlett OctoPre (400$)
ART TubeOpto 8 (490$)
...and many many others
so... 8ch of decent mic preamps with digital conversion starting at 300$, perfect!
...now the problem... finding a 2ch preamp with an SPDIF out (better with wordclock sync, but not a must because you can enable spdif sync... and 48KHz Sampling rate is enough because the 8ch pres, using ADAT format, are limited to 48KHz anyway)..
so... the cheapest 2ch mic preamp with SPDIF out I found is this:
ART Digital MPA II (510$) ...Probably it's good but I don't.. NEED that level of quality, the tubes, etc..
from this to the next one there is a big price jump... and 510$ for this for me is already too expensive.
The main point is that every 8ch audio interface (and many other with less channels too) have an SPDIF input, so to me it looks natural for any audio device brand to stick a converter to an already available 2ch preamp and sell it as another product for anyone willing to use a 2ch preamp with a USB audio interface with SPDIF IN.
why selling those...
Behringer Ultragain Pro MIC2200 (125$)
ART TPS II (215$) ...there was the ART DPS II with digital out but it's discontinued
PreSonus BlueTube DP V2 (240$)
...without the possibility to connect them to an SPDIF IN?
All those brands already have other devices with SPDIF OUT, so they don't have to spend money for the engineering... it's a copy and paste from one schematic to the other... apart of the building process, of course.
Won't be ideal a device like those (name invented... stick a D to the end and add 40$.. more than enough to add a basic AD section)?
Behringer Ultragain Pro MIC2200D (165$)
PreSonus BlueTubeD DP V2 (280$)
... or better a Behringer AD2200 for 100$?
..end of the fantasy section..
..so I'll try to go another way.. get one of those analog preamps and use an external 2ch converter..
RME ADI-2 FS (950$)
RME ADI-2 (1700$)
...crazy expensive and no cheap options..
I don't understand why I can get a per ch price of around 40$ (300$/8) with an ADA8200 but I have to spend at least 255$ per channel with a 2ch Mic Preamp.
..where are the ADA8200 2ch equivalent choices? I'll buy instantly a Behringer AD2200 (back to the fantasy section).
...so... what am I using now?
a symetrix analog pre I already had around (not in perfect shape and has too high output level, had to modify to step it down a bit)..
...and this line AD converter..
https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B018Y28LSI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (around 25$)
FYI - There are similar converters like the one I'm using... if someone wants to try that solution just check if the sampling frequency it's the one you want to use on your whole setup because it's fixed (in my case 48Khz).
..it works...? Yes...
I reached my 18ch input setup? Yes.. so... cheap solution found!
Am I happy? ...Yes and no... It works and I successfully recorded many tracks, but to me this isn't a solution... it's a workaround because I cannot find what should be everywhere from my point of view... I really don't get this big hole in the market.
Because I'm still searching for the real solution (cheap 2ch pre with digital out) I wrote here with the hope someone will tell me that I'm not the only one searching for this and that I'm just stupid because there are a lot of them that I missed.
...by the way... I considered a 32ch digital mixer with USB interface(like the X32)... but I should sell and replace my focusrite clarett 8pre and the ADA8200 and loose more money in the process... and it will cost more anyway... so.. no thanks for now)..
Thanks for any support on this.
PS. All prices got from Sweetwater.com (June 11 2020)
-English is not my first language, so please excuse any mistake-
I've spent hours searching for a 2ch Preamp with digital output to expand my audio interface to the inputs I need (Live drumset, bass, 2 guitars, voice mics, etc)... but I just found devices out of my budged(as low as possible).
As for 8ch Preamps with ADAT output there are many choices:
Behringer ADA8200 (300$)
Focusrite Scarlett OctoPre (400$)
ART TubeOpto 8 (490$)
...and many many others
so... 8ch of decent mic preamps with digital conversion starting at 300$, perfect!
...now the problem... finding a 2ch preamp with an SPDIF out (better with wordclock sync, but not a must because you can enable spdif sync... and 48KHz Sampling rate is enough because the 8ch pres, using ADAT format, are limited to 48KHz anyway)..
so... the cheapest 2ch mic preamp with SPDIF out I found is this:
ART Digital MPA II (510$) ...Probably it's good but I don't.. NEED that level of quality, the tubes, etc..
from this to the next one there is a big price jump... and 510$ for this for me is already too expensive.
The main point is that every 8ch audio interface (and many other with less channels too) have an SPDIF input, so to me it looks natural for any audio device brand to stick a converter to an already available 2ch preamp and sell it as another product for anyone willing to use a 2ch preamp with a USB audio interface with SPDIF IN.
why selling those...
Behringer Ultragain Pro MIC2200 (125$)
ART TPS II (215$) ...there was the ART DPS II with digital out but it's discontinued
PreSonus BlueTube DP V2 (240$)
...without the possibility to connect them to an SPDIF IN?
All those brands already have other devices with SPDIF OUT, so they don't have to spend money for the engineering... it's a copy and paste from one schematic to the other... apart of the building process, of course.
Won't be ideal a device like those (name invented... stick a D to the end and add 40$.. more than enough to add a basic AD section)?
Behringer Ultragain Pro MIC2200D (165$)
PreSonus BlueTubeD DP V2 (280$)
... or better a Behringer AD2200 for 100$?
..end of the fantasy section..
..so I'll try to go another way.. get one of those analog preamps and use an external 2ch converter..
RME ADI-2 FS (950$)
RME ADI-2 (1700$)
...crazy expensive and no cheap options..
I don't understand why I can get a per ch price of around 40$ (300$/8) with an ADA8200 but I have to spend at least 255$ per channel with a 2ch Mic Preamp.
..where are the ADA8200 2ch equivalent choices? I'll buy instantly a Behringer AD2200 (back to the fantasy section).
...so... what am I using now?
a symetrix analog pre I already had around (not in perfect shape and has too high output level, had to modify to step it down a bit)..
...and this line AD converter..
https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B018Y28LSI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (around 25$)
FYI - There are similar converters like the one I'm using... if someone wants to try that solution just check if the sampling frequency it's the one you want to use on your whole setup because it's fixed (in my case 48Khz).
..it works...? Yes...
I reached my 18ch input setup? Yes.. so... cheap solution found!
Am I happy? ...Yes and no... It works and I successfully recorded many tracks, but to me this isn't a solution... it's a workaround because I cannot find what should be everywhere from my point of view... I really don't get this big hole in the market.
Because I'm still searching for the real solution (cheap 2ch pre with digital out) I wrote here with the hope someone will tell me that I'm not the only one searching for this and that I'm just stupid because there are a lot of them that I missed.
...by the way... I considered a 32ch digital mixer with USB interface(like the X32)... but I should sell and replace my focusrite clarett 8pre and the ADA8200 and loose more money in the process... and it will cost more anyway... so.. no thanks for now)..
Thanks for any support on this.
PS. All prices got from Sweetwater.com (June 11 2020)
-English is not my first language, so please excuse any mistake-
angelie
AFfluent Poster
noizemm
New AFfiliate
Hello Angelie,
looks like you haven't read my post.... never talked about buying a 2ch interface..
"Why start with a 2 channel if you like to go to 8?".... I'm talking about going to 18 channels from 16.. not 2...: 1x 8ch usb interface + 1x 8ch adat converter + 1x SPDIF preamp into the 8ch USB audio interface (and the last is the missing device, nothing else).
"I work with focusrite equipment and have 16 analog inputs and it works for me."... exacly... but if you need 2 more channels(like me), you can use the SPDIF input... but.. with which SPDIF preamp (again... this is the missing device)...
"The thing is that many many 8 input interfaces have very very good preamps. ( focusrite/midas) and the are often only 150 till 200 extra on top of the some way to expensive 2 channel interfaces." exactly.. I'm asking why this happens...?!?
looks like you haven't read my post.... never talked about buying a 2ch interface..
"Why start with a 2 channel if you like to go to 8?".... I'm talking about going to 18 channels from 16.. not 2...: 1x 8ch usb interface + 1x 8ch adat converter + 1x SPDIF preamp into the 8ch USB audio interface (and the last is the missing device, nothing else).
"I work with focusrite equipment and have 16 analog inputs and it works for me."... exacly... but if you need 2 more channels(like me), you can use the SPDIF input... but.. with which SPDIF preamp (again... this is the missing device)...
"The thing is that many many 8 input interfaces have very very good preamps. ( focusrite/midas) and the are often only 150 till 200 extra on top of the some way to expensive 2 channel interfaces." exactly.. I'm asking why this happens...?!?
angelie
AFfluent Poster
angelie
AFfluent Poster
It's not about what you got to use .... but how you use what you got...
[ Post last edited on 07/23/2020 at 05:46:45 ]
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