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Audiofanzine FR
Published on 11/30/08 at 07:50
Value For Money :
Excellent
(Originally written by Guiloux666/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
- Which technical specifications motivated your choice?
Pros:
* input + parametric EQ + compressor concept.
* Compact size (1U)
* Expansion possibilities (two ADAT ports), two FW ports that allow you to cascade several cards via FW with Mac OS X.
* Multiple input formats (line, mic, toslink, ADAT)
* Standalone capability for live recording.
- What do you use it for?
* Live applications mainly.
* To replace an analog mixer, which would be much more comprehensive but also heavier. Now I want to buy a Motu 8Pre or a Presonus Digimax FS to add eight mic preamps.
What's your setup (motherboard, CPU, RAM, hard drive,...)?
* MacBook Pro with 10.4.11, 1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo, 2 GB Ram, 200 GB Sata HDD (7200 RPM)
- Do you use it with other instruments or systems (mixing console, preamp, DtD, ...) and what's your setup?
* For small setups: my Tonelab via SPDIF TosLink, bass footboard via SPDIF RCA, keyboard via stereo line input, second guitar via line input, two vocals mics via the preamps and two additional mics with T1953 preamp via two line inputs.
* If I want to add a drum kit I will need to connect the Digimax FS preamps via ADAT and I insert noise gates on the bass drum, snare drum and toms.
UTILIZATION
- Did you have any problems during the installation?
No installation problems with my Mac. Th computer had already an old Motu UltraLite driver. Once I removed everything (all files and their locations are listed in the documentation), I downloaded the latest driver release (1.4.8) from the Motu website, I updated the firmware (1.0.6) and everything went sweet.
- Did you encounter any incompatibility problems?
No
- How complicated is the overall configuration?
It's a breeze with CueMix. It's a bit more complicated but still ok if you only use the front panel. But I also take my Mac with me so I never make the settings on the front panel.
- Is the user's manual clear and comprehensive?
Yes. Some details are still not totally clear to me.
I give it a 7.
GETTING STARTED
Is the driver stable?
Yes but when I rename the tracks in my Mac the Motu Channel Name software crashes.
- Are they up-to-date?
Last release: 2008/06/20
- Which software do you use?
Logic Audio Pro and I will buy DP5 because I heard CueMix is directly accessible from DP.
- What's the latency of your system?
I haven't measured it because I'll use it mainly for live applications.
- How many tracks can you record/playback simultaneously?
Input channels:
Stereo SPDIF Toslink
Stereo SPDIF RCA
Five line
Two mic
Outputs:
Two main
Three monitoring mixes with AN1/2, AN3/4 and AN 5/6
One echo with AN 7/8 (send) and line input (return)
OVERALL OPINION
- How long have you been using it?
A few months.
- Which feature do you like the most / the least?
* Most: integrated compressors (forget about all those heavy racks), EQs like on a real mixing desk, reverb (but not really necessary for me).
* Least:
* Click noises in both mic preamps (digital adjustment of the analog preamp's gain with an endless knob). It's a bad joke, considering the price!!
* I miss a noise gate with a parametric side chain on each channel instead of the three compressor types (very useful for drums).
* CueMix can't manage mono outputs so you have to create several mixes and manage the pan for mono monitoring mixes. A future CueMix update could solve the problem.
- Did you try any other models before buying it?
I've had an Hercules 16/12 FW and I was very satisfied with it but I couldn't use it as a mixing desk, a Motu UltraLite, which is very good (however the 828mk3 has a compressor and an EQ per channel) but it is not rack mountable and thus seemed less reliable to me.
- How would you rate its value for money?
Great: I use it as a digital mixer for a small band and the price is reasonable. I bought it on sale (new with a two year warranty).
- Based on your experience, would you buy this product again?
Yes considering the sound cards in this price range. But it would be great if Motu added noise gates and created a rack mic preamp with outputs (like the Presonus Digimax FS) because the Motu 8pre has only mic inputs.
Update four months latter:
------------------------------
I've been using it regularly for four months (including two live gigs). With a Presonus Digimax FS I get 10 mic and 8 line inputs, a group for drums via SPDIF toslink (more convenient to control the full drum kit and to sum it to the main and monitor mixes). I also add an UltraLite (for its two mic inputs) via SPDIF RCA. I have an EQ in almost all inputs and a compressor on the bass drum, snare, toms and vocals channels.
It's great for live gigs: just make the monitor mixes and don't mess with anything else. It's ultra convenient and it works great (no crashes working 18 hours straight).
No DSP overload (CueMix prevents overloads during setup and disables the effect).
To wrap it up, it's a very expandable mixing desk.
- Which technical specifications motivated your choice?
Pros:
* input + parametric EQ + compressor concept.
* Compact size (1U)
* Expansion possibilities (two ADAT ports), two FW ports that allow you to cascade several cards via FW with Mac OS X.
* Multiple input formats (line, mic, toslink, ADAT)
* Standalone capability for live recording.
- What do you use it for?
* Live applications mainly.
* To replace an analog mixer, which would be much more comprehensive but also heavier. Now I want to buy a Motu 8Pre or a Presonus Digimax FS to add eight mic preamps.
What's your setup (motherboard, CPU, RAM, hard drive,...)?
* MacBook Pro with 10.4.11, 1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo, 2 GB Ram, 200 GB Sata HDD (7200 RPM)
- Do you use it with other instruments or systems (mixing console, preamp, DtD, ...) and what's your setup?
* For small setups: my Tonelab via SPDIF TosLink, bass footboard via SPDIF RCA, keyboard via stereo line input, second guitar via line input, two vocals mics via the preamps and two additional mics with T1953 preamp via two line inputs.
* If I want to add a drum kit I will need to connect the Digimax FS preamps via ADAT and I insert noise gates on the bass drum, snare drum and toms.
UTILIZATION
- Did you have any problems during the installation?
No installation problems with my Mac. Th computer had already an old Motu UltraLite driver. Once I removed everything (all files and their locations are listed in the documentation), I downloaded the latest driver release (1.4.8) from the Motu website, I updated the firmware (1.0.6) and everything went sweet.
- Did you encounter any incompatibility problems?
No
- How complicated is the overall configuration?
It's a breeze with CueMix. It's a bit more complicated but still ok if you only use the front panel. But I also take my Mac with me so I never make the settings on the front panel.
- Is the user's manual clear and comprehensive?
Yes. Some details are still not totally clear to me.
I give it a 7.
GETTING STARTED
Is the driver stable?
Yes but when I rename the tracks in my Mac the Motu Channel Name software crashes.
- Are they up-to-date?
Last release: 2008/06/20
- Which software do you use?
Logic Audio Pro and I will buy DP5 because I heard CueMix is directly accessible from DP.
- What's the latency of your system?
I haven't measured it because I'll use it mainly for live applications.
- How many tracks can you record/playback simultaneously?
Input channels:
Stereo SPDIF Toslink
Stereo SPDIF RCA
Five line
Two mic
Outputs:
Two main
Three monitoring mixes with AN1/2, AN3/4 and AN 5/6
One echo with AN 7/8 (send) and line input (return)
OVERALL OPINION
- How long have you been using it?
A few months.
- Which feature do you like the most / the least?
* Most: integrated compressors (forget about all those heavy racks), EQs like on a real mixing desk, reverb (but not really necessary for me).
* Least:
* Click noises in both mic preamps (digital adjustment of the analog preamp's gain with an endless knob). It's a bad joke, considering the price!!
* I miss a noise gate with a parametric side chain on each channel instead of the three compressor types (very useful for drums).
* CueMix can't manage mono outputs so you have to create several mixes and manage the pan for mono monitoring mixes. A future CueMix update could solve the problem.
- Did you try any other models before buying it?
I've had an Hercules 16/12 FW and I was very satisfied with it but I couldn't use it as a mixing desk, a Motu UltraLite, which is very good (however the 828mk3 has a compressor and an EQ per channel) but it is not rack mountable and thus seemed less reliable to me.
- How would you rate its value for money?
Great: I use it as a digital mixer for a small band and the price is reasonable. I bought it on sale (new with a two year warranty).
- Based on your experience, would you buy this product again?
Yes considering the sound cards in this price range. But it would be great if Motu added noise gates and created a rack mic preamp with outputs (like the Presonus Digimax FS) because the Motu 8pre has only mic inputs.
Update four months latter:
------------------------------
I've been using it regularly for four months (including two live gigs). With a Presonus Digimax FS I get 10 mic and 8 line inputs, a group for drums via SPDIF toslink (more convenient to control the full drum kit and to sum it to the main and monitor mixes). I also add an UltraLite (for its two mic inputs) via SPDIF RCA. I have an EQ in almost all inputs and a compressor on the bass drum, snare, toms and vocals channels.
It's great for live gigs: just make the monitor mixes and don't mess with anything else. It's ultra convenient and it works great (no crashes working 18 hours straight).
No DSP overload (CueMix prevents overloads during setup and disables the effect).
To wrap it up, it's a very expandable mixing desk.