Is MAC/Apple the only way?

[JamesPeters]

The cost of 2 standalone units is fair (since you don't have to get a rack to house them) and the size of both together is reasonably compact, all things considered. They do use inline power supplies though from what I recall (no built-in power supply) so there'll be a plastic-encased transformer sitting on the floor.

 

[rsm]

Windows PCs are still worth a look IMO. You'll likely save $ too.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

The cost of 2 standalone units is fair (since you don't have to get a rack to house them) and the size of both together is reasonably compact, all things considered. They do use inline power supplies though from what I recall (no built-in power supply) so there'll be a plastic-encased transformer sitting on the floor.

Ended up just picking up a 3 spot workhorse and one GAP to start. I can use it on guitar/bass/vocals and will later pick up another so I can have stereo overheads. I like how compact the unit is and only one power supply that can feed up to 3 500 series modules. Only got a bit of time with it yesterday but I like the MKII 500 series so far, lots of sound sculpting options on it and mine seems really quiet. There is always the option to add something like a compressor or EQ but I think I will just roll with a preamp or two for now and do the rest in the box. Unless I have 8 dedicated channels of EQ or ompression, why bother. I also like the ability to change the EQ as the mix grows. Take a little off the top, add a little etc etc

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

Windows PCs are still worth a look IMO. You'll likely save $ too.

Yep. I'm sticking with what I have for right now. Everything is running great so why upgrade. I'd rather focus on making music.

 

[JamesPeters]

Ended up just picking up a 3 spot workhorse and one GAP to start. I can use it on guitar/bass/vocals and will later pick up another so I can have stereo overheads. I like how compact the unit is and only one power supply that can feed up to 3 500 series modules. Only got a bit of time with it yesterday but I like the MKII 500 series so far, lots of sound sculpting options on it and mine seems really quiet. There is always the option to add something like a compressor or EQ but I think I will just roll with a preamp or two for now and do the rest in the box. Unless I have 8 dedicated channels of EQ or ompression, why bother. I also like the ability to change the EQ as the mix grows. Take a little off the top, add a little etc etc

Right on! I'm curious what your thoughts are after doing your first comparisons. I remember what it was like for me going from "a nice clean preamp" without transformers, to the FiveFish preamps even set in the more linear range. It's like looking at pictures taken with a nice point-and-shoot camera (or really good phone camera) even taken in good sunlight conditions, to pictures taken with a DSLR; there's nothing "wrong" with the pictures from the good point-and-shoot cameras but there's something extra with the DSLR that's more representative of how I see things.

EQ and compression for me are better suited to "in the box", using plugins in the PC. I rarely want to EQ things drastically as I'm recording them (in that case I'd choose a different mic, or move the mic a bit), and compression is a bit touch-and-go for me so I really prefer the ability to do that later. I'm like you in that how I EQ things changes as the mix progresses (and usually not by much anyway), and I don't want to fly audio out to the hardware EQs then back in again. I'm not even using "character EQs" for plugins anymore. The sound being captured well is my first priority, everything else is a reasonably distant second.

What you might find interesting with the new preamps...other than smashing the preamp signal hard for distortion (which initially I thought was great but now I generally don't do trying different mics. They're all going to sound different now.