Hi,

I record classical music with Schoeps + RME and am looking for advice on a more portable setup.

For CD recordings, I record into RME UFX III + 12Mic, but this is too big/heavy and slow to setup for my video needs, where I have to leave lots of time for camera/light positioning. For really portable quick setup I use MixPre 6 or 10 II, but the quality is slightly worse than RME, I wish I had more channels, and MixPre 10 II can't be USB bus powered (so it requires more equipment+setup).

I'm considering upgrading from UFX III to Anubis. Can someone recommend the best, smallest, lightest way to get more 6-8 more mics into Anubis? Seems like Sonosax is the best but THD+N is -100dB - would love to get closer to -110dB if I'm going to spend that much.

Thank you!

Ben

You are already at size limits.

The RME UFX + Mic pre with ADAT is about as good as it gets. 2u for 12 channels with DUREC is cool.

I have Mix pres (6 and 10) and use those often on location. Quality worse? Hmmm not so sure, but kind of see your point. I really like the Mix pres being un-clippable.

Really not sure whether Annubis has the 8 analogue holes a la RME. This is where I use DAV, Grace and Millenia pres with UFX (getting me up to 22 channel total on DUREC).

Occasionally I use a Prism via the ADAT too.

Yes, I always want smaller and quicker but I think this is the most compact full channel count spec stuff.

Let us know how you go.

Thanks for lending your time and wisdom.

I connect UFX III to 12Mic with MADI, since the ADAT would require 2 cables for 96kHz/channel. But I find the small MADI connector very fragile and fiddly - hard to describe, but there's a plastic piece at the end that sometimes slides off, plus the cables are super thin, if anything happens to that cable while I'm on location, it will be very hard to replace.

That's one reason I was tempted by Anubis - Ethernet cables seem commonplace. But if I understand it would require setting up a little IP network every time…more stuff to connect with very limited setup time... I understand that 12Mic can feed AVB directly into a Mac but I wasn't able to figure this out after a couple hours - if anyone else has had success, I'd be tempted. Would be incredible to have a single 1U box with 12 channels.

I also own Babyface Pro, which frequently gets dropouts when connected to M4 Max macbook pro. I bought this super tricked-out Mac due to dropout issues with RME UFX III - at their suggestion! - and finally what actually fixed it was driver updates from them. So I'm kind of annoyed by RME and definitely up for changing it up...hence the Anubis thought.

I have always heard good things about DAV, Grace, and Millennia. Do any of them make even a 4-channel 0.5u box with THD+N < -10db?

Sonosax has always been the go-to for people who need portability and want something slightly better than MixPre-6 II, and SX-R4+ would get me to 4 channels in a small box, but it costs $6,487 and the THD+N is only -99. (RME and Merging are -110 - one can see why they're used in top halls like Berlin Phil.)

i can strongly recommend this little box here:

https://www.stagetec.com/en/nexus-compact.html

it doesn't come cheap though and depending on your existing gear, integration may no be ideal...

...so maybe this would suit your needs better:

https://www.mil-media.com/product/hv-316/