Can you recommend a pre with digital out?

[jaypeg]

I've got a Steinberg MR816X that I dig but sometimes need to record more than 8 tracks at once. Looking for a 1 or 2 channel preamp that can go to the MR816 via ADAT or SPDIF and struggling to find many options. Would spend $500-1k. Anything out there I should know about?

Thanks in advance!

[kslight]

I'm going to give you an out there reco?but well under your budget the Roland MMP2 is an interesting option?if all you care about is adding a couple pres via SPDIF. Seem to average under $100 on eBay?I found mine locally for like $60 or something. I bought mine exclusively to have cheap phantom-powered pres and compressor for going into my (phantom-power less) Tascam 388, but actually I don't think it sounds real bad? I can't say whether or not any of the modeling comes remotely close to what it claims to?but the choices are different and it is a useful device if just for utility at its fair price rather than novelty.

[JWL]

Maybe the ART Digital MPA, possibly with their compressor? Both together would be in your budget range with stereo spdif out.

Or maybe a Focusrite Octopre Dynamic, which is in your budget range and gives you 8 channels with compression on an adat out....?

[winky dinglehoffer]

Aphex 207D is a decent 2 channel option. On the cheap yet not too bad at all is the Behringer ADA8000 (or the newer ADA8200--I have no direct experience of the 8200, but it ought to be at least as good as the 8000.)

[jaypeg]

Thanks for the recommendations, all solid. I'm probably going to be partial to a unit that can provide something the Steinberg's Yamaha "d-pre's" cannot. So the ART digital, Aphex 270 and the Focusrite Octo Pre Dynamic all sound like contenders. The other one I found while searching is Audient Mico.

Maybe someone will chime in with a pre I hadn't thought of but I think I'll be fine picking from these 4.

[Nick Sevilla]

Focusrite makes some platinum thingies with the digital output option.

[vvv]

While I never use the digi-outs, I can vouch for the ISA1 and the Eureka as nice pre's with that option, (the latter actually being a channel-strip with EQ and compression).

[digitaldrummer]

some like the DBX 376/386 as well.

I've owned the ART Digital MPA and the Art DI/O and both are usable utility preamps. nothing special but they work.

[casey campbell]

some like the DBX 376/386 as well.

I've owned the ART Digital MPA and the Art DI/O and both are usable utility preamps. nothing special but they work.

he beat me to it. the dbx 386 is killer.

[krizrox]

I have a dbx 386 here in my studio. It's nice. Typical 12AX7 starved-plate design. Mine is over 10 years old and still working great. I don't use the digital out option anymore (just use the analog outs). My only complaint about the digital output feature is that when you shut off the unit, it doesn't remember the last settings. You have to reset it every time you turn it on. I don't know if newer models fixed that "problem" or not. Otherwise it's a fine sturdy good-sounding stereo preamp. Worth considering if you need the digital output. It runs a little warm - you will want to keep an empty space above the unit for air-flow.

[jaypeg]

just thought I'd post an update ....I ended up getting a UA 4-710d (4 pres). Love it so far though I had to fork out a little over $1600 on ebay

[vvv]

Does that have digi-outs? My Twinfinity doesn't ...

EDIT: OK, googled it, huh, I never knew ...