Hey guys so I wanted to get your opinion on this subject. And what you would do in my situation
Basically I have a rme babyface pro fs audio interface, a moog matriarch and 2 guitar effect pedals, my PC and midi keyboard and monitors .. I have just about everything connected as far as slots go but I wanna expand my I/O and wanted to see which way you would go Behringer ADA8200 8-channel Microphone Preamp or a nice mixer? I don't do much vocal recording other then me doing cookup videos and I'll mainly be using the extra I/Os for connecting synths and guitar pedals to add to my mixer channel in FL Studio.. my last thought was to sell my RME and buying the new arturia audiofuse 16 .. but im really stuck with this decision.. I like the fact with a mixer *depending on which one I can get a eq and comp.. thank you for hearing me out

 

Frank, in my B room that I use for editing, I'm running a RME HDSP9652. Occasionally I have to do a quick overdub so I got a Behringer ADA8000 just for that purpose. Sounds good enough, especially if your just going to be running synths through it. And it's cheap!!! If you don't like it you can always get your money out of it.

 

a mixer would be doing too much in this context

 

Avoid the beringa junk at all cost

 

Ya I hate to have all these nice synths and guitar pedals and it be held back.. if it works it works I've heard nothing but good things from people. But you gotta always wonder is it because that's all they can afford or it's all they have had type of thing .. I have a behringer motor 61 and the key bed is French kiss .. but that's my only experience with behringer as a company

 

I do not record bands, which means even though I need a lot of I/O so all my hardware can be connected at once, I do not need it all recording simultaneously. So the cheapest solution for me is an analog patchbay, because I do not need synths and samplers running through a preamp.

 

It depends on your flow. If you wish to record everything running into your DAW at any given time simultaneously onto individual tracks then go the ADAT route (I still use a now quite ancient 20 year old-ish Presonus Digimax XT [which can be had for like 30 bucks and sounds wonderful] for most of my peripheral hardware into an RME UCX II), but if you don't need to, a small mixer should suite you just fine.

 

I agree, it all depends on your workflow: if you are a live musician who likes to get lost in creativity, it is definitely better to have a setup where the mixer and a physical sequencer control what you play (dawless). If, however, you have a sound engineer/producer attitude, then it is better to have all your gear connected to the audio interface, bypassing the mixer.
As far as I'm concerned, I've made a drastic decision: I don't like hybrid setups, I keep computer away from the gear: this means that for my daily routines I use 100% DAW and VST plugins (easy and painless), when instead I want to fly high and travel the universe, I turn off the computer and fire my dawless setup.
So, before taking any decision, you better ask yourself: “What is the purpose of what I'm doing? What do I want to be?”
This is an existential question rather than a technical one

 

RME gives you mixer functionality, so buying some ADAT preamp like ADA8200 is alright,
maybe sell Babyface, buy Digiface USB which would give you more ADAT I/O for more channels via multiple ADA8200's or some Ferrofish Pulse line I/O

 

I believe anyone who recommends an ADA8200 on an audio forum should have the lifetime ban

 

I can't speak about the ADA8200, never used it. But like I said earlier, I own the ADA8000 in my B room. Sounds fine. Look for a shootout from a few years ago between it and some very expensive converters on GS. Very interesting thread!

 

What would you recommend that's better quality.. but won't break the bank?

 

thank you and that makes sense

 

"difference due to the low quality of the converters"
That's the problem, as I've said all along, the converters are fine on the ADA8000. The best, no but for that I would go for Apogee.
Here is a link to a shootout between the ADA8000 and the Lynx Aurora 16.
https://gearspace.com/board/gear-sh...inger-ada8000.html?highlight=ada8000+shootout

 

90% people on audio forums can't certainly tell difference between Octamic and ADA8200 in a blind test:

 

if you don't need Mic Pres, then Ferrofish Pulse 16 is decent option with 16in/16out via two pairs of ADATs, or four pairs of ADATs for 96kHz (which Digiface USB would provide)

 

No I don't need mic pre's I have one slot on my babyface pro I can use .. this is mainly just for synths and guitar pedals .. thanks I'll check it out

 

with babyface' one ADAT pair, you'd be limited to 8in/8out from that Ferrofish, I don't know if they make cheaper 8-channel model though,
another option would be used RME ADI-8 series, but they are usually way too expensive even if refurbished

 

There´s absolutely nothing wrong soundwise with ADA8200, it´s the building quality, since it´s bulk product. But always first test everything careful. I went thru RME Digiface, ADA8200 route and couldn´t be happier.
I´ve had lots of more trouble with Fok-us-Rite products then behringer gear for example..