Anyone using the ISA 428?

[echo]

I'm looking to do some mic preamp upgrades and I'm wondering if anyone could provide some feedback on the 428...

I'm really torn between a couple. I'm looking at the UA LA610(2), ISA428, and a couple API's. I keep coming back to the 428 because of the 4 preamps and the A/D option. Which would be great for adding another 8 inputs to the 2408. I'm just wondering if they sound high class and are worth the money. I've used the focusrite red series and they sounded amazing at the time. I've also tried out the focusrite platinum mic pre's and found them to be... well, very small and very blah.

I relize the big differance with the LA610 will be the color it provides and I might get one of those as well as the 428 or API's. I just wonder if the focusrite's will be more like the red range or the platinum range as far as sound and professional quality goes.

Any advice would be welcomed.

Thanks,
Chris

[bassie12]

I have a couple ISA 428s. They're excellent. Clean, clear, accurate, and dependable. Not as sweet as my custom tube pres, or as "Zang" & "Wow" as the Neves, but definitely warmer and more character than the hardy M1s, or say the TC Gold Channel(nice box, but what a hassle during sessions). I find the 428 sounds pretty unremarkable at first listen, but tracks cut with it hold up very well in mixes. I frequently track instruments & vocals with two matched mics through two different pres to afford myself tonal options in mixing without resorting to EQ, and find the 428 tracks to be as good as anything else I have at my disposal. What gets used is ultimately decided by what it sounds like mixed with everything else. And that ,is at best, a crap shoot until we get to the final mix.

Cheers from a former Chicago resident! Gotta get back for some REAL pizza soon!!

<small>[ April 06, 2005, 12:11 PM: Message edited by: bassie12 ]</small>