ART Pro MPAII Microphone Preamplifier Review

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(More customer reviews)Can you find a better sounding mic pre with more functionality than the ART Pro MPAII? Absolutely. Can you find a better mic pre anywhere near this price range? Not in my experience.
The controls are intuitive and the sound is excellent. My only two complaints are:
1.) The stock tubes that come with this unit are CHEAP. If you get this, I would recommend ordering a pair of high quality tubes as well. I went with TungSol 12AX7 Gold Pin tubes, and the difference in sound was substantial. l'd probably have bumped my rating up to 5 stars if the stock tubes had been better.
2.) It would have been nice if ART had put the XLR inputs on the front of the unit next to the 1/4 inch inputs. As it stands, the XLR inputs are on the rear. I have my components mounted in a stationary rack integrated into a desk, and hooking up mics can be a bit of a chore. This is a small complaint, but it's something to be considered.
Beyond that, this is a great buy for someone looking to see big improvements in their sound without spending vast sums of money.

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Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 Firewire Audio Interface, (SAFFIRE PRO 24) Review

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(More customer reviews)After 6 years with a Presonus Firebox, I decided to change. Before the firebox I used the original MBox from digidesign. The pres in that unit sounded great. I did not realize that until I switched to the Presonus. Although the preamps were acceptable, it didn't have that extra something the Focusrite pres delivered. The Saffire 24 brings back that fantastic sound I was missing. Great input options and software that is easy to grasp. I will probably stick with Focusrite for a long time. This unit is quiet and rock solid.

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The Focusrite Saffire PRO 24 is the latest in Focusrite's new generation of FireWire audio interfaces.As with all Focusrite interfaces, Saffire PRO 24 is the best sounding interface in its class, attentively designed with recording musicians and the modern home studio in mind. With Saffire PRO 24, sonic integrity reigns supreme. The two Focusrite pre-amps ensure low noise and distortion, while quality digital conversion and JetPLL jitter elimination technology ensure pristine audio quality as your audio flows between analog and digital domains. Alongside the two Focusrite pre-amps are a host of I/O options; two additional analog inputs, six analog outputs, ADAT inputs, stereo SPDIF I/O and 2 virtual ‘loopback' inputs for routing digital audio between software applications - ideal for capturing online audio. Front panel 5-LED metering for each analog input offers detailed viewing of levels. Saffire Mix Control, the zero-latency 18 x 8 DSP Mixer/Router software provided with Saffire PRO 24, sets a new standard at this price point for audio interface control. It features flexible output routing and monitoring, as well as intuitive one-click set-up solutions designed to help you track, monitor and mix as quickly as possible. Saffire PRO 24 also comes with all the additional tools needed to start making music straight away. These include the latest version of the Focusrite Plug-in Suite, providing a significant upgrade from your standard sequencer effects. The suite includes Compression, Reverb, Gating and EQ VST/AU plug-ins.Focusrite's established Xcite+ bundle is also included. Focusrite's Saffire PRO 24 is designed to capture every subtle nuance of your recordings, dropped seamlessly and effortlessly into the digital domain, leaving you free to enjoy the freedom of a creative modern music making experience.

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