The 4 Best ADAT Preamp expansions (2023 reviews)

Are you planning to buy adat preamp expansions, and are you confused about the options ? You have landed on the right page.

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Our Top Picks:

Focusrite ideal expansion Buy: READ REVIEW

Focusrite Scarlett Octopre Dynamic Buy: READ REVIEW

Focusrite ISA Mic Preamp Buy: READ REVIEW

ADAT Preamp expansion Buy: READ REVIEW

Focusrite ideal expansion

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Focusrite makes beautiful and great expansion with classic and smartly choosen materials. The Scarlett OctoPre is an ADAT expansion unit that is designed to utilize the ADAT input on an audio interface providing up to 8 additional channels. It features two newly designed instrument inputs with extended headroom. Eight analogue outputs can be sourced either directly from the mic preamps for live use, or via the adat inputs to give you eight more analogue output channels from your daw. The Adat outputs let you connect to any interface or digital system with adat optical inputs, and analog line outputs let you feed an analog console at the same time as recording with the digital outputs.

The Scarlett OctoPre will only work with interface's that have ADAT expansion. When an XLR connector is used, the pre-amp automatically configures gain and impedance to receive microphone level signals from your daw.

This is just an expansion of preamps to add to your interface via adat so if your interface has adat then you’re good.

• Easy to use and a great value for anyone needing some extra mic inputs
• Great product to add inputs for your recording studio & great support from focusrite
• You will be able to monitor the analog signal to the analog outputs

Focusrite Scarlett Octopre Dynamic

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Focusrite is known for creating pragmatic and minimalist expansion for people on the go. The Scarlett OctoPre Dynamic is an ADAT expansion device, which can be linked to any audio interface with corresponding ADAT ports. It lets you control the dynamics of all your input signals with an easy-to-use single-knob analog compressor on every channel. It offers eight balanced line outputs, sourced directly from their respective mic preamps for use on stage in a live environment.

This can be connected to an audio interface or recorder with ADAT inputs. The eight outputs give you the option of expanding your analog outputs over and above the scarlett octopre. It is great for controlling the dynamics of electric basses and guitars. The compressor would be great for drums, but would not save you any channel space on the board.

• Pro performance with eight of the finest mic preamps
• Simple adat connectivity via optical cables
• Flexible analogue compression on every channel
• Create powerful guitars, luscious keys and huge drums

Focusrite ISA Mic Preamp

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Next on the list, we've got yet another product that manages to win our hearts. It's the focusrite isa mic preamp and it's widely considered as one of the best convenient products you can buy. This is just 8 mic pres you will need an audio interface with at least 6 outputs to do 5.1 mixing. It offers 57db, and the Arturia has far better metering. It provides eight specially designed clarett mic pres featuring automatic mic/line switching inputs and two front-panel instrument inputs. The Air feature is nice, it’s a combo of Neve-style transformer distortion (weighted toward odd harmonic) and a tilt EQ to the bright. The Front panel-switchable insert point is nice though unbalanced.

The Operating level of the unit is only +18db rather than the +24 the Arturia uses, but after accounting for that the dynamic range is the same. It comes with hard-wired relay bypass, so you can leave outboard gear or a patch bay connected ready to access at the press of a button. The OctoPre does have outputs available but this will need to be configured from your Audio Interface/the control software for your Audio Interface and the two will need to be connected to be able to use the outputs on the device.

• Useful for feeding a live console while recording the digital outputs
• One of the new comers and featured product

ADAT Preamp expansion

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The adat preamp expansion's superior materials makes sure that it ages well with use. The Clarett+ octopre’s eight dedicated channel inserts allow you to easily add analogue equipment to the signal path. It is an 8-in / 8-out adat mic pre that delivers professional audio quality with the original focusrite studio console sound. It captures transients on drums, makes vocals shine, and recreates the sound of the classic Focusrite ISA. It comes with masses of headroom so that you can focus on the session without having to constantly adjust gain staging.

Two JFET instrument inputs allow you to track through outboard gear and capture its true character. The Exceptional D-A conversion ensures that audio quality is preserved when sending audio to analogue compressors, EQs, and effects. Eight dedicated channel inserts allow you to track through outboard gear and capture its true character.

• Capture drums, vocals, and acoustic instruments with superb clarity
• Eight pristine clarett+ preamps, featuring all-analogue air with relay-controlled circuitry
• High-quality a-d/d-a converters with high dynamic range, ultra-low noise, and low distortion