ISA 828 MkII
intermediate
$3,499
Used market: $2,870*
Specifications
3 of 8 values have a recorded source- Type
- outboard_preamp·
- Added Gain dB
- 60✓
- Input Connector
- 8x 3-Pin XLR Mic + 8x Line + 4x 1/4" TS Instrument (front, 2.4 MΩ High / 470 kΩ Low)·
- Output Connector
- 1x DB-25 (AES59) Line + optional 8-channel digital output card·
- Expert Description
- En: Eight ISA transformer front ends in one rack unit: mic gain 0-30 or 30-60 dB in 10 dB steps plus 0-20 dB of continuous trim, four selectable input impedances including the classic ISA 110 setting, an 18 dB/octave high-pass at 75 Hz per channel, EIN of -123 dBu A-weighted and +48 V switchable per channel. Instrument inputs on the first four channels offer 2.4 MΩ or 470 kΩ. · Uk: Вісім трансформаторних входів ISA в одному рековому юніті: мікрофонне підсилення 0–30 або 30–60 дБ кроками по 10 дБ плюс плавний trim 0–20 дБ, чотири варіанти вхідного опору, включно з класичним ISA 110, фільтр 18 дБ/октаву на 75 Гц на кожен канал, власний шум -123 dBu за A-зваженням і +48 В окремо на кожен канал. Інструментальні входи перших чотирьох каналів дають 2,4 МΩ або 470 кΩ.·
- Provides Phantom Power
- yes✓
- Requires Phantom Power
- no✓
- Updated At
- 2026-08-05T22:03:05.206Z·
Expert Audio Engineering Commentary
Gain Staging Advice
The stepped switch and the trim are two separate ranges, and the 30-60 button is a 30 dB jump. Set the stepped gain to minimum before pressing it, or the monitor path takes the whole step at once.
Production Warning
The digital output is an option card, not a fitted part: an ISA 828 MkII bought without it has analogue outputs on a single DB-25 only, and needs an eight-channel line input downstream.
What the datasheet actually says
Quoted verbatim from the manufacturer’s own page, with the date we checked it. We state what is printed, not what anyone intended by it.
«Gain Range: 0dB to +30dB (30-60 switch disabled) and +30dB to +60dB (30-60 switch enabled) in 10dB steps, with an additional +20dB of continuous trim»
Focusrite state the stepped range and the trim as two separate figures and print no single total, so there is no number here directly comparable with a competitor's "80 dB of gain". The catalogue records the stepped maximum of 60 dB; in use the trim adds on top of it, and the same specification block gives the instrument input its own separate range of +10 dB to +40 dB.
checked 8/5/2026* Estimated with the depreciation fallback (~82% retained value). · checked on 8/5/2026