Log in
Log in

or
Create an account

or
< All MOTU MicroBook II reviews
Add this product to
  • My former gear
  • My current gear
  • My wishlist
MOTU MicroBook II
Images
1/122
MOTU MicroBook II

USB audio interface from MOTU belonging to the MicroBook series

Public price: $269 incl. VAT
dj_le_fuck dj_le_fuck

«  Very good sound and very flexible. »

Published on 10/11/12 at 12:41
Value For Money : Excellent
I was taken to a crisis idiophilie paranoid and I started Lexicon Ionix U42S accuse my ring hollow and dull.
Then I read a review in Sound on Sound on the Motu, and considering the price, I thought that I might as well try it.
Size also played a role in my choice: it has the same length as a CD case for 75% of the width. Height: 3.5 cm. All metal housing.
Compared to my Lexicon, it's a big change.
In contrast, the internal DSP side, internal mixer cooled me: I do not want to add a layer of whatever between the converters and the file. In fact, it is not so: the DSP is only used for monitoring, the sound returned once scanned indeed directly in the file.
On the other hand, I had used my Lexicon is to digitize my vinyl or taken for micro, never more. I never really needed four XLR / 48V Lexicon. The Motu could perfectly fit in my needs.
The gain is analog, but digitally controlled. That's good: gain levels can be stored in the software configuration control CueMix. On my Lexicon gain knobs cracked, and there was a lot of noise on the remaining 10%, there much much less with Motu.
I therefore used for recording microphone (Rode NT-1) and digitizing vinyl.
My config: Tower PC / Motherboard Asus / proc i7 2600 / 16GB Ram

UTILIZATION

Stable drivers yes.
However, it "jumps" systematically at every boot. So I have to disconnect and then reconnect to the end of each boot. So I placed a small USB extension cable that I unplugged / branch, rather than damaging force the USB card.
It just may be that I go through a hub (see below why). But I'm too lazy to solve this problem which is not really for me. It's just a bit boring.
I actually use modest two tracks to both input, four output if I make Traktor. No problems. Latency of 6-8 ms is enough for me, I did not really try to do less, lazy again, and to avoid picking up the emm * HERD.

GETTING STARTED

Very very bad impression at first use: constant digital noise in my speakers (Yamaha HS-80M-connected symmetric) regardless of the level. Mass problem I suppose, information travels constantly between the card and control software CueMix.
I said that this self-powered by USB card not getting enough juice from the bus my motherboard: so I plugged into a powered hub, and then the noise has disappeared forever, forever, forever ...
Otherwise installation without problems. The serial number is in Flash, so you have to have done the installation process to end before registering at Motu.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for two months and it's going very well.
Most: 3 analog stereo outputs, two mini-jack, each of which receive a different mix back via the control software CueMix. That is downright practical, especially since we can EQer and compress each output.
1 SPDIF output suplémentaire mirroring Main I think.
Balanced analogue output of 1-2, thank you guys, it's clean.
Another plus: it may be a psychological effect, but I think it sounds very good output, very clear, very powerful. But I repeat: I am paranoid idiophile limit, so psychology plays a huge role in my feelings.
However, I felt no difference in my entry into digitizing vinyl over my Lexicon. Still feeling a little lack of air and space relative to the direct signal. Again, the psychological effect of idiophile?

To summarize:
Quality / Price ratio: excellent, a killer for the price.
Features: Excellent for my use:
One XLR microphone input / 48V
1 high impedance instrument input
1 stereo input jacks big or small jack
Gain entries: very very clean for my taste.
3 analog stereo outputs
Control software CueMix rather well done, which can save the complete configuration of the beast.