Hi, I've recently been having a studio re-jig & want to buy something I assumed would be simple - but I can't find what I need!

I'm Looking for a mixer or di box which has 4 x balanced XLR inputs, & 4 balanced outputs. I do not want any DSP or to use it as a computer audio
interface. I don't want lots of extra channels I won't use.

Simple right? Seems not.

There are many 2 channel mic pre options, but to be honest they are all a bit too high-end/priced or come with lacklustre EQ & compression, and I'd
rather just get 1 box that does what I want.

This is for recording direct through my lovely IGS Tubecore 3U Mastering Edition compressor & my SPL Passeq & /Or my Pultec clones - this is why I don't want crap EQ or compression on the unit.

I already have a decent 16 channel mixing desk that I'm selling as I don't need that many channels any more and it's too big!!

Literally all I want this for is occasionally recording a drum kit with 4 mics, with kick + hat/snare doing direct through the IGS, & the overheads going through the Pultecs.

I assumed there would be lots of options, but I can't find one that's a decent price, has 4 balanced outs or hasn't got loads of awful cheap DSP rubbish built in. Feel like I'm going mad
haha.

Since recording is not really the main thing I do (mixing & mastering) I don't want to spend much. Ideally less than or around £150 second hand since my mics, guitar & drumkit are all quite cheap anyway - I'm relying on my quality outboard to do a lot of heavy lifting on the input quality.

Any ideas? Or am I just going to have to bite the bullet & get 2 x 2-channel
pres, which is a less-elegant solution.

I just want to get something simple.

Update: after several days of looking and, sods-law, less than an hour after posting this, I've finally found what I need! Thought I'd post the link here in case anyone else has this specific set of needs & is also having trouble finding a solution. It has a USB interface that I won't use, but 4 balanced xlr & jack in + 4 balanced out for under £200 ticks the boxes for me.

https://www.thomann.de/gb/tascam_us_4x4hr.htm

UPDATE:

Actually, nope, this did NOT work. Massive PITA. Sending the Tascam back & just going to have to buy 2 x 2-channel preamps instead by the looks of it.

Sorry in advance for a small rant... I do not understand the thinking of Tascam in how they have designed this.

The Tascam "works" but for some reason best known to itself seems to have no channel separation at all when run as a standalone preamp.

Testing it now - I plug a mono synth into the channel 1 input, & it comes out lovely & clear on channel 1 output as expected = yay.

BUT it also comes out on channels 2, 3 & 4.... WTF.

Testing it with 1 mono input I'm swapping in turn between chs 1-4. Testing using 1 balanced output (mono) which I'm outputting in turn from chs 1-4.

I would assume, for example, inputting on ch1 with my output lead on ch 3 would result in silence - Nope. Same for all in/out combinations. Bizarre. It's like the device is mixing the signals internally automatically. Why on earth would they do this?

(I've been recording since 1995 & mixing & mastering has been my main job for over 18 years by the way, so I do have a small clue about this stuff).

I just wanted a simple 4 channel balanced in/out preamp unit I could plug something in to ch1 & have it come out of ch1 only... Same for ch2, 3 & 4. Simple.

Why Tascam have used this bizarre architecture is beyond me. Perhaps they see it as a "feature". God only knows.

I have no intention of using it as a computer interface, but loaded up the software to see if the internal routing was adjustable via software. Tried every option combination available in the software - nope.

Also tried plugging a silent jack into ch2 in case it was automatically putting a single jack-in to stereo (I suppose that could be a useful feature for some people) - no. Tried the same on the equivalent output with a silent jack inserted. Still no.

I'm sure it works great as a computer interface, but anyone looking to buy this as a simple standalone 4-in, 4-out all-balanced preamp don't bother.

Seems an utterly bizarre design. Unless my unit is faulty. Either way it's going back.

Oh well, back to the drawing board, & shopping for 2 x 2-channel pres instead.

Because this is basically direct monitoring for the interface and not 4 discrete preamp and when people direct monitor they expect to hear all 4 preamps on their stereo out in the middle of the stereo field.

But yeah.....would be usually the case you could override that routing in the software.
Panning full left/right would route 1 and 2 but if no way to route 3/4 to outs 3/4 you're stuck.

Yep. That's what I found, and exactly as you said, I'm stuck without being able to hard pan L/R on the appropriate channels.

Ah well, browsing mic preamps again lol

Checking the manual I think you can do the equivalent of pan.....you just need to set monitoring to stereo not mono.

Setting 3/4 to route to 3/4 is the bit I'm not sure on.

So, you don't actually want a mixer at all, you want four mike preamps.

Get a four-channel mixer and take the direct outputs or insert outputs, if you don't want to buy a four-channel preamp. Because you don't want the mix buss involved.
--scott

It is because it's an interface, not a set of mic preamps. It only seems 'bizarre' because you are trying to use it for something it was not designed to do. Those functions make a lot of sense if you are tracking and need to set up a cue mix that is independent of your record levels.

But it is a computer interface. That's like buying a dump truck and then saying you have no intention of hauling dirt or gravel, and complaining "my passengers are so uncomfortable sitting back there in that hard metal tub. "

It sounds to me like maybe you could use something like this. Or maybe this.

Plenty of companies make 4-channel preamp racks, some of them more affordable than others. This API does have a mixer built in, though I am unsure if you really need the mixer functions or not. The API also has inserts Though, again, inserts may be superfluous for your application.

Thanks for taking the time to check the manual, but I tried it & unfortunately not.

I'm aware the Tascam is an interface - BUT the reason I bought it is because it shouts about being able to use it as a standalone preamp. Unfortunately due to the interface direct monitoring aspect, & inability to bypass that into 2 discreet signal paths L&R, it doesn't work for what I want. I'm sure that would have been an easy feature to include, even if as a hardware switch physically breaking the L/R cross-path.

I don't want a mixer, because unless spending loads of cash there is questionable crosstalk & added noise from circuitry I don't need. Also many cheaper ones only have 2 balanced outs, or no balanced outs at all. I've actually just sold a decent 16 channel mixer because I wanted to downsize stuff cluttering up my desk & I no longer needed the extras, & there was noticeable crosstalk & extra noise.

There are indeed lots of tasty looking preamps that would achieve exactly what I'm after if I'm willing to spend 4 figures, or high 3 figs 2nd hand - not what I want to do.

My point is that it's annoying there are lots of perfectly good clean neutral basic preamps available for a few hundred quid, BUT they are only available attached to an audio interface, which then always complicates the architecture for using them as just a standalone preamp. Surely it would be easy for manufacturers to allow this, but I guess they are keeping the two markets (& price-ranges) separate.

I've come to the conclusion the solution I'm after simply doesn't exist right now.

I was pointed to a Line 8MP which is exactly the sort of thing I'm after (4 extra channels but hey-ho) - simple balanced ins & balanced outs with no bells & whistles. But hasn't been made for years, & currently unavailable anywhere on the 2nd hand market. https://www.lineaudio.se/8MP.html

Obviously the market has changed, & manufacturers have decided there is no need for this sort of thing any more, or just want to sell "fancied-up" preamps as a separate thing.

So I will simply have to compromise I suppose.

The Audient Evo is 8 channels with an individual line out for each one. $520
here is a Black Lion 4 channel unit for $599


or look harder

The Black Lion does look like the closest thing available at the moment, but that's a VERY good price. Over here in the UK they are averaging more around the £800 mark.

Hmm the one I linked seems to be a B-Stock. I guess that's why it's so cheap. Sorry about that. It comes with a full warranty, but an unblemished one is apparently $200 more.

Why not the EVO?
It's easily available....price is reasonable, mic pres definitely route to line outs. What's missing??

OK cool, I was initially put off because it's also an interface.

It's not an interface....it's got convertors but you can't connect direct to computer.

The Audient ID44 mk2 can be setup standalone as 4 mic in with 4 outputs.

Yes, its is an interface too but good value.

Yes. I have actually recently switched my ID44 to standalone mode.

I basically just wanted a portable 4 ch analog preamp without bringing 19" rack gear with me.

I am recording to a digital recorder at the moment (Tascam Studio Bridge -Dawless). So this was a neat solution for me to stay out of the box.

Many thanks to Audient's support. I didn't know how to set up the ID44 to do this. I sent them one email and they sent back pics and instructions right away! Thanks again, Tom!

From Audient:

"Hi Paul,

No problem!

In that case, first, open the iD mixer go to "view" > "show system panel" and set the 1/2, and 3/4 outputs to CUE MIX A and B respectively as seen below;


Now open close the system panel and select CUE A from the right hand side. Raise the CUE master output to 0dB, and raise the fader for mic 1 and 2, pan them hard left and right as seen below;

Now Open Cue B and repeat these steps, but swapping the mic channels for 3 and 4 as seen below;

Once this is complete TRS output 1-4 on the back of the iD44 will send out mic preamps 1-4.

Now go to "setup" > "store standalone state" to save that for using standalone!"

Find a used aphex 188. Nice, neutral preamps with some weight. I paid about $200 for mine. 8 channels with input transformers (made by cinemag).