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Gear / Technical Help => Battery Boxes, Preamps, Mixers, ADCs, and Processors => Topic started by: greenmtnsrider on August 26, 2016, 11:25:45 PM
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Looking around at these USB pres for a little bit. I've seen people have run these in the field, which version I'm not sure of. I notice there are v1, 1.5 and maybe v2. Do these have to be modded for field use and what would I use to power one? I'm already using a ravpower battery for my 680 along with an fp24 or sometimes a ua-5. Any help is much appreciated as always. I'm basically looking for something that can last a full day in the field festival style as my tinybox won't cut it as I found out the hard way about a month ago. Thanks!
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USBPre2
Any 5v usb battery will power it with USB A>B cable.
Great device!!!... very flexible.. great ADC/DAC.. great headphone amp.. if you are on the fence, go for it. No regrets.
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USBPre2
Any 5v usb battery will power it with USB A>B cable.
Great device!!!... very flexible.. great ADC/DAC.. great headphone amp.. if you are on the fence, go for it. No regrets.
I like it as well... lighter and smaller than my old V3s, and the sound is similar
it doesn't have the transformer sound of your FP24, and the high end is a touch smoother
plus they run on smaller USB batteries as Snowman pointed out, and they power the Pre2 forever it seems
also they have just about every input and output covered
EDIT: they can run in standalone mode which means they can run in the field without the need of a computer
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So it needs to be a version 2 for field use?
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So it needs to be a version 2 for field use?
USBPre 2
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For $50 more you can get the MixPre-D.
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Or...just sack up and buy an F8
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^^^^^^^
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For $50 more you can get the MixPre-D.
Much as I love the MixPre-D, the USBPre2 might have more flexibility dependent on what you want to do. While I believe both boxes can be used as a digital interface for a computer, the USBPre2 has both SPDIF and optical outs (and a few other I/Os), whereas the MixPre-D's out is AES and can be finicky with some SPDIF inputs (I've read it won't work at all with some recorders and, case in point, using DigiGal's excellent AES>SPDIF cable, my R-44 will only take a 24/96 signal from the MixPre). The USBPre2 has slightly better specs but the MixPre is a little more compact and purpose-made for field use, can be run off internal AA batteries, and has input transformers to help noise rejection on long cable runs.
Or...just sack up and buy an F8
Very different beast.
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I just used my USBPre2 to feed my F8. Love the SD metering. MK21 > USBPre2 > F8. Run them both off a RAVPower 23000 mAh power bank. Just need the XLR to TRS cables. Sounds great!
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I just used my USBPre2 to feed my F8. Love the SD metering. MK21 > USBPre2 > F8. Run them both off a RAVPower 23000 mAh power bank. Just need the XLR to TRS cables. Sounds great!
Did you run digital or analog > F8??
When running USBPre2, can you tell much difference between running digital or analog > F8??
I guess I'm asking, except for the metering on Pre2... is it worth it to you to run the USBPre2 based solely on sound??
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Analog. There are no digital inputs. Haven't done a side by side with the same mics. Maybe this weekend.
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^gotchya.. i just assumed that the F8 had a digi in.
thanks.
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Yeah, I was a little surprised that there were no digi inputs, since the DR680 had one, but I don't think that feature was important to Zoom's primary market for this unit (which wasn't us).
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I just used my USBPre2 to feed my F8. Love the SD metering. MK21 > USBPre2 > F8. Run them both off a RAVPower 23000 mAh power bank. Just need the XLR to TRS cables. Sounds great!
Nice Id really like to hear that ;)
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Let me see if I can get permission to post the file. It was a stage lip recording in a private room at a restaurant with maybe 80 people. French musette style compositions for piano, bass, cello and harp. Done by a local rock and roll guy. A great show.
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Nice! Thanks Pohaku 8) Glad to see my old mk21's getting some use too ;D
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I just used my USBPre2 to feed my F8. Love the SD metering. MK21 > USBPre2 > F8. Run them both off a RAVPower 23000 mAh power bank. Just need the XLR to TRS cables. Sounds great!
This is great to hear. I have a 744 and a 23000 and have been considering adding the USBPre2 to my bag to make use of of channels 3/4. :coolguy:
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I just used my USBPre2 to feed my F8. Love the SD metering. MK21 > USBPre2 > F8. Run them both off a RAVPower 23000 mAh power bank. Just need the XLR to TRS cables. Sounds great!
Nice Id really like to hear that ;)
Here is a track clipped from the show in my dropbox:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/jaa48fl86mtu19c/Chris%20Lynch%20Quartet%20at%20the%20Aster%20First%20Track%208-28-2016.wav?dl=0
Mk21>KCY>PFA>USBPre2>F8 Mics positioned stage lip DFC.
No tweaking aside from normalizing.