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I’ve been a HUGE fan of Focusrite products since the mid 1990’s dating back to the original RED series of compressors and microphone pre-amplifiers.  I continue to be a big fan of Focusrite and use their products faithfully.  Over the years I’ve owned a great deal of their products ranging from a half-dozen of their Liquid Channels to their current ISA828, which just so happens to be the topic here---imagaine that, huh?  Would you be surprised if I told you that Focusrite was originally founded by Rupert Neve?  A lot of those I tell this to not only had no idea but were completely surprised. In fact the console to your right is the original FORTE recording console that started the company.  I believe this console dates back to the 1980’s and was in the neighborhood of $1.7 million dollars.  While that certainly is an insane amount of money, in those days it was completely unheard of.  Needless to say that although this was arguably the best sounding console ever built, it was just far too expensive to sell a great deal of them forcing Rupert to sell the company.  Banks of the channels were then sold as smaller sections (known as sidecars) providing 8-channels of pre-amps with EQ and dynamics, but even then that was quite expensive.

Today, Focusrite is an incredible innovator in computer audio recording and technology in outboard gear, but their roots still date back to the original Forte console.  Their ISA range of mic-pres are some of the best on the market for the least amount of money.  While it’s NOT the same design as the original Forte console, the ISA sound and character is based heavily on the original and is quite close.  Speaking about the ISA828 specifically, you just won’t find a better 8-channel microphone preamplifier with such an incredible character of sound and tone for this kind of price.  Let’s take a deeper look......

The layout of the ISA828 is quite simple.  Aside from the first (4) channels having instrument inputs (for keyboards, acoustic and electric guitars, bass guitars, etc) all (8) channels are the exact same in design and sound quality.  And speaking of sound quality, that really is the most important feature of this pre-amp.  Many ask why I’m such a big fan of the ISA828 and what it is that made me personally purchase one of these boxes for my own recording studio.  The answer is simple---SOUND!  What I love about the ISA range of microphone pre-amplifiers is that there is an added warmth on the bottom-end that is just enough to provide a smooth, round bottom-end to thicken up my tracks.....however it’s not so much that it completely changes the sound of the instrument or voice that I’m recording.  It’s that classic “British sound” that many engineers have grown accustomed to over the years.  At the same time the ISA has incredible clarity in the higher frequencies, yet it’s not sterile by any means.  This combination of clarity and warmth without over-doing it allows me to use my choice of microphones and listen to the microphones, but again to add just a smudge of “magic” to the tracks that only these kinds of internal transformers can provide.  In other words my Earthworks TC30’s for drum overheads are allowed to present every bit of detail through this pre, just like the microphones were designed to do---but at the same time I can connect my BLUE MOUSE through the ISA for kick drum and get a slamming, punchy track that I couldn’t achieve on most other pre-amps.

The INSTRUMENT INPUTS provide an easy way to patch in any instrument with a pickup or an electronic instrument.  Personally I NEVER mike a bass cabinet, I ALWAYS record the bass direct to get the tone of that bass guitar and not of the amp.  The ISA828 provides an incredible tone warming up the bottom-end while allowing the mid-range string resonance to cut through the mix.  Patch in a Compressor through the Inserts and you have an instant, classic bass sound available.

I always record the top AND bottom of the snare drum because there is so much “magic” under the bottom of the snare drum that you just can’t capture any other way.  By itself a bottom snare mic is worthless, but mixed in with the top---it sounds great!  Having a PHASE SWITCH is key for this kind of microphone placement, so it’s no surprise to find a Phase Reverse switch on each channel of the ISA828.  Phase reverse essentially changes the placement of the waveform on the 360-degree plane so that you do not have that annoying “phasing” sound.  Makese sense, huh?  Yeah, pretty simple but highly effective in the real world.  The HIGH PASS FILTER (HPF) is also a simple but incredible useful feature.  A snare drum doesn’t need everything in 80Hz, the same for Toms, Trumpet Tracks, Vocals, Acoustic and Electric Guitars, etc....so why record it only to EQ it later?  The best sounding mixes come from the best sounding tracks...the best sounding tracks come from knowing how to record in the first place.  Using HPF’s is a key part of that.

GAIN is as important to professional recording as peanut butter is to a peanut butter sandwich!  Too much gain and you can record more than you want--including the noise floor.  But too little and you might have to crank that track up later therefore increasing the noise floor.  The “30-60” knob drives the gainstage up another 30dB without having to provide a continuously variable pot from 0dB to 60dB, but also to prevent someone from accidentally turning up your preamplifier level (mistakenly) up so loud that it rips your ears out! A total of 80dB of gain exists.  The Gain Knob works in 10dB increments providing an ultra-clean path because of fixed position switches rather than an open, variable pot.  If 30dB isn’t enough, simply engage the “30-60” knob to go from 30dB to 60dB, again in 10dB steps.  The Trim Know IS a variable gain pot allowing up to 20dB of change in gain that is, well, continuously variable allowing you to dial in the EXACT gain that is needed.

IMPEDANCE SWITCHING is another one of those “magic” tools that the engineer can use to make an exceptional recording that can only be achieved in the recording process itself.  The ISA828 provides (4) different impedance options including that of the original ISA110 pre-amp that started the rackmount rage of the ISA range of microphone-preamplifiers.  It’s amazing what something so simple can do with different microphones, yet it’s all part of the design of the ISA828 on every one of the eight channels built right in.

The optional A/D converter card turns the ISA828 into a world-class 8-channel analog to digital converter.  Loaded with (2) ADAT Optical Outputs (for S/MUX bit-splitting when doing 96kHz), an AES/EBU 8-channel output as well as Word Clock I/O---the ISA828 can connect into any professional or home studio.  Easily user-installable (and quite affordable), adding the A/D option for the ISA828 makes even a better value.

When the A/D option is installed the DB25 ADC INPUT becomes active.  While the MicPre’s, Line Inputs, and DI’s (on the front) automatically route through the digital output card--the ADC input essentially acts as an INSERT POINT to patch in an outboard compressor, equalizer, etc.  The DB25 output makes for an easy way to connect all 8-channels out of the ISA828 without taking up all of the extra space and frustration of individual XLR connections.  The 1/4” Line Inputs are perfect for connection of something like an Akai MPC2500 or your outboard keyboards into the DAW that you’ll be recording to.  The advantage of this is to warm the tracks up a little bit and provide additional gane where needed.  And of course what micpre wouldn’t be complete without the actual XLR inputs for your microphones.