Focusrite TrakMaster Pro Channel Strip

High-quality mic preamp, compression and EQ. Optional digital output.

Overall User Ratings

Overall:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * . . . . . 5 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10

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"Best channel strip under $800."

Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
 
 
 
Feature:
I wish it had more controls and the eq section sounds good but is almost useless to me. Joe meek 3q has better features, but it's compressor is just too colored for my needs, and I wanted focusrite quality. The power supply connector alone is incredible in this unit, far better than any competition (screws onto the back of the trakmaster!).

Quality:
unbelievable build quality. but I don't like the easy to turn knobs, too easy in my opinion, and the switches don't excite me either, I actually prefer alesis controls to these, but the unit itself is built like a tank otherwise.

Value:
best value for your money that's out there these days, even better than meek, m-audio, ART and studio projects products that I have all used professionally before this in my search for the ultimate inexpensive channel strip.

Desirability:
great looking, focusrite name, nuff said.

Sound:
The Trakmaster sounds very very good, easily the quietness and sound quality of a professional set of tools, definitely stands up to the focusrite name and heritage. While this unit doesn't have an input transformer so it's mic pre is very clean and sterile, that is a good thing for this type of unit. IT actually imparts a bit of warmth on the tone that something like my grace 101 doesn't have, and I tried a m-audio dmp-3 as well and prefer to tone of this pre to the dmp-3, although that's purely a matter of taste, they're both very good but a little different is all. Hard to explain, but it seems to be in the way that the trakmaster accentuates the best sound of even the least expensive microphones, dynamic condensor and even ribbon (it has a special ribbon low impedence mode!). It just works better and sounds more like the tone I wanted (uncolored but musical).

Ease of Use:
easiest to use channel strip I've used out of 6 or 7 other models over the years.

Support:
don't know yet, haven't needed it.

Overall:
just get one, don't even think about it.

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"Good pre, but not good for much else."

Overall:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * . . . . . 5 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
 
 
 
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Feature:
The preamp is great. I wish that it had an EQ section, and the compression has got to go.

Quality:
It's pretty solid. It's focusrite, so it should last me a while.

Value:
It's a good preamp, but they just made the mistake of trying to wow the consumer with a number of features instead of making sure that the features were solid. If you're looking for a good inexpensive preamp, this one is good, but don't count on it for compression.

Desirability:
It looks very nice.

Sound:
The preamp is clean, but I wish that they focused a bit more on the pre and added an EQ section rather than the compression, which is some of the worst I've heard. There is no control for attack and release times, ratio, and the threshold is a simple 1-10 instead of based on db. The make up gain on the compression is noisy. The bass cut makes everything sound very thin, and is impossible to guage. The preamp itsself is great though.

Ease of Use:
The compression and low cut are nearly impossible to use, but other than that is very straightforward.

Support:
I haven't had to use the support yet.

Overall:
It's a good unit. The preamp is solid, but the features kind of suck. I would rather have to of these preamps in the strip with EQ than the compression and bass cut. It would also be nice if the XLR and TRS inputs were on the back instead of on the front.

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Focusrite TrakMaster Customer Review

Overall:
* * * * * * . . . . 6 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Value:
* * * * . . . . . . 4 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * . . . . . 5 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * . . . . 6 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
 
 
 
Feature:
Body and adapter

Quality:
Great build.

Value:
This should sell for no more than $200 nowadays.

Desirability:
Ehh. Good but there's better for less for my style.

Sound:
Sound is O.K. nothing to get excited about. Not perfectly smooth enough for me. (Hip Hop)

Ease of Use:
Very easy to use sturdy knobs let you get a precise setting.

Support:
Never dealt

Overall:
No thanks.

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"Nice Pe-amp but not Supurb."

Overall:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Features:
* . . . . . . . . . 1 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
 
 
 
Feature:
Very dissipointed in the fact there is no digital card included, bastards !

Quality:
The quality is ok, nice and strong

Value:
Overall it;s a nice amp, especially with the hedphone/monitor mix, very usefull.

Sound:
The sound is not wonderfull, it's kinda flatt and give's your microphone no extra sound.

Ease of Use:
I hate the fact that it is mono, with only the compressor on with treshold set to max. you will get some nice vocals but not more.

Support:
Haven't needed so far

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