All user reviews of 4/5 for the MOTU Audio Express

I have used the MOTU Express a few times over the last few months while working a special project for a local band. It can be used as a standalone mixer as well as an interface, I feel that feature is great for a device in this price range. MOTU has made many great interfaces and I have use a lot of them but this one is suppose to be one of the lower end ones that they make but by the quality of it, you really cannot tell that it is not one of the better ones that they make.

UTILIZATION

I didn’t have to set this interface up because all of that was already taken care of but opening it up in Pro Tools and working with it was very quick and easy. All of the ins and outs are on the back of this interface which at the studio I was using it at was a hassle because I had to keep switching cables in and out. But the mixer that is built into it is very good and I feel it is the best feature that it has. Many other interfaces that are even close to this price range will not work as a standalone mixer.

GETTING STARTED

The preamps are not bad but they do add a little color to the sound. They also had a footswitch connected to it for punching in and punching out with. It was one of the first times that I have used a footswitch to control those functions and I have grown to love it. They also had another interface working with it for more ins and outs, so it is also expandable. There really isn’t anything not too like about this interface.

OVERALL OPINION

Also, like some of the other MOTU interfaces you can use this one with an iPad as well which was a pleasant surprise being that this is one of the “watered down” interfaces that they make. But really this interface feels just as good as some of the higher end ones that they make. The only main difference is that the preamps do not sound as clean as the higher end interfaces that they make.

I was using the MOTU Audio Express back in 2011; it is a 6 by 6 USB interface that can also be used via Firewire. It is compatible with both Macs and PC’s and can be used as a standalone mixer. Setting up this interface was very easy and quick. It is pretty small and not rackable so it will just had to go on my table top which I was not a fan of but it was not that bad. The preamp is pretty clean for it to be in this price range, I would have actually kept this interface for a long time but I needed to have more inputs so I upgraded but still stayed with the same MOTU line just a bigger interface.

UTILIZATION

The built in mixer was something that I did not expect to get with an interface of this price and size. Right after I purchased this interface that the controls on the front of the interface did not seemed to be built as well as I would like them to be which is pretty common in smaller interfaces because they tend to lack quality especially when they are at a low price.

GETTING STARTED

The manual do does come with this interface, and walked me through the set up process on both my PC and Macbook. I only had to refer to the manual for my MacBook though because I ran into some small driver issues. I have recorded vocals and guitar tracks with this interface and I was really impressed with the quality of it. I would have kept it but I needed more inputs and also wanted a rackable unit so basically I purchased the exact same unit but it is rackable and has more inputs.

OVERALL OPINION

MOTU has really changed the interfaces that they have come out with recently. They are much better than some of the other ones they have come out with and the preamps are probably the best thing about them. I have used many MOTU interfaces and some good and some bad, but these ones are awesome.

I wanted to spend on good converters.
I needed to noon.
I would not put too much.
We met ...

It has everything necessary for a small home studio.

UTILIZATION

Currently no problem with Mac OS X.
I use it with Reason and Wavelab, some plug-ins in standalone (B4, FM8).
For now it is running.

GETTING STARTED

Simple installation on Mac.
Simple configuration via the control parameter or the card itself.
Manuel clear.
Attention both during installation, the level is very high but can be adjusted without any problems then (see tab tips on AF).

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for 3 days at the bottom.
I had a before and an ESI Firewire 828 still ahead.
The value for money is excellent, the sound is excellent.
What I like most is the simplicity and controls in facades.
What I like least is the software that came with, impossible to run this thing.

Just one caveat, via the control panel, nothing happens when I touch the fader Main Out ...

I do it again this choice.

multiple input and output for recording studio + mix sound without connecting with PC

Laptop PC connected to 2GB RAM and tested on XP partition Seven: OK for both

- Acoustic guitar + microphone audiotechnica AE5100
- Vigier Guitars Excalibur (effects pedal line6 PODxt Live upstream)

UTILIZATION

Driver seven stable or XP
Reaper used to register. tested with 4 inputs simultaneously OK
latency of 11-20 ms

GETTING STARTED

Installation without problem on XP and Seven, no problem with reaper
English manual only, damage

OVERALL OPINION

used for 2 weeks now
recording quality than my POD XT Live

MASTER effectively the standard is very attentive, so qlqs application settings and precautions.

Too bad if that does not include standalone mode mix in a hardware compression and EQ to fine tune the sound directly to balance power in her pregnant!

At this price, lots of rival equipment do I think the same job

Ideal for rehearsal, small concert with 4 taken simultaneously (guitar vocals) for mixing and / or register