Topic: RME Quadmic or mixer?

[fotoralf.be]

Hello all,

I need something with 4 decent mic inputs and preferably a footprint no bigger than my notebook computer. About 400 Euros max. I've been looking at the RME Quadmic. Then again, there's a good choice of compact mixers for the same price, e.g. Alesis' Multimix 16, the Mackie Onyx 1220 etc.

Application: recording audioscapes, mostly in industrial environments.

What to do? Anything someone would like to recommend from his own experience?

Ralf

[Matt Quinn]

I just bought an Alesis MultiMix 8, and so far I *love* it. Haven't used the mic pres too much, but they sound decent to me.

[DSatz]

Ralf, I use a QuadMic whenever I record three or four channels, and I like it very much. The knobs and switches are a little delicate, but with normal care it's OK even in a backpack.

I've bench-tested the preamp and verified that its phantom powering circuit is more than adequate for four Schoeps transformerless microphones at ~4.5 mA apiece. The input headroom is also quite good, even with high-output condenser microphones and loud music--I can probably find the numbers if you want them.

--best regards

[fotoralf.be]

Thanks for your answers so far. The question remains: are the amps in the quadmic substantially better than those in, say, the Alesis Multimix 16?

My concerns are usually less with problems at maximum levels than with noise at low levels requiring high gain settings.

Ralf

[DSatz]

Ralf, as you indicate, your type of question can only be answered with respect to a specific range of gain values and signal levels. Noise specifications are often no real indication as to which preamp is quieter than which other "in real life." They can vary unpredictably at different gains and operating levels, and they can also depend significantly on the output (source) impedance of your microphones.

I have two pieces of recent Alesis equipment with mike preamps built in: the io|2 and io|14 recording interfaces. If they have the same mike preamps as your Multimix 16, I could try measuring their noise level with reference to some specific input voltages that are typical for the kind of recording you do.

(By the way, with either of my laptop computers, both units that I just mentioned are completely unusable for live recording. Their analog electronics seem rather good, but the interface to the computer simply does not work at all well. After a short while of recording they begin to drop more and more samples, and eventually freeze up completely.)

--best regards

[fotoralf.be]

Update:

Thanks for your input. A test report on the mixer in a German magazine (mentioning noticeable noise from the mic inputs) has at last led to a decision and I've had my Quadmic delivered today.

I'm just building some kind of a wooden mini-rack to contain the Quadmic, my E-MU 1616, a 4-channel headphone amp, and the associated power supplies, so I'll have a compact unit that can be put into the car in one single piece without having to connect and undo all the cabling between the individual units each time I leave or return.

In a week, I'll be leaving for a few days at the French coast of the English Channel with lots of maritime and industrial audioscapes and I'll keep you posted on how the Quadmic will be doing.

Standby to find out what these places sound like:

http://www.fotocommunity.de/pc/pc/mypics/770012/display/7977355
http://www.fotocommunity.de/pc/pc/mypics/770012/display/7606547
http://www.fotocommunity.de/pc/pc/mypics/770012/display/7661941

Cheers,
Ralf

[fotoralf.be]

I'm just building some kind of a wooden mini-rack to contain the Quadmic, my E-MU 1616, a 4-channel headphone amp, and the associated power supplies, so I'll have a compact unit that can be put into the car in one single piece without having to connect and undo all the cabling between the individual units each time I leave or return.

And I thought the woodwork would be the hard part...

Just spent a sleepless night trying to get everything to work. The computer wouldn't recognize the E-MU 1616 anymore or at best very unreliably. Tried everything, swapped cables, the lot. Testing the whole thing with my 12-to-230 volt converter (the whole set-up will be operated in my car), everything locked up completely. Trying all components individually, it soon became clear that the E-MU locked up as soon as the Quadmic's power supply was plugged in...

Long story short: the E-MU doesn't like to be on the same AC circuit as the RME Quadmic. Both have switched-mode "universal" power supplys and apparently the Quadmic's power supply generates noise that upsets the E-MU's power supply. Having three switched-mode supplies (12-230 v, RME PS, and the switched-mode stabilizer inside the Quadmic) connected in series obviously doesn't help either.

Eventually replaced the Quadmic's PS by a simple transformer with an output voltage of 8 volts AC. Things are working now.

PHEEEWWWW!!!!

Ralf

[stirinthesauce]

E-mu products are a royal PITA to work with for laptop multitracking.  Or even desktop multitracking. 

/from experience

[mmedley.]

E-mu products are a royal PITA to work with for laptop multitracking.  Or even desktop multitracking. 

/from experience

QFT. Junk IMO.