Dave,
That sounds like a sweet setup. I actually had an OctoPre MkII as well, and it was great, but it was overkill for me at the time. As far as the gain issue, yes, I have noticed I have to crank the Pro 40 pretty high to receive appropriate recording levels. Maybe my only other gripe is that the Monitor volume control also affects the Headphone outs levels. I really wish these weren’t tied together, and that the Headphone outs had a bit more power to them, but I’ll gladly deal those minor issues for the build quality, driver stability, and comprehensive routing capabilities of the unit. I nearly went with a Presonus Firestudio 26×26 or Project, and they’re great, but I read they have some static issues. I just have been really pleased with the quality of this unit.
Let me know if you find out anything from Focusrite about the gain issue, though.
Josh Sauder
Pinnacle Productions
http://www.pinnacleproductions.us