Are MOTU Interfaces Overrated?

[mgilboe]

I have used a few interfaces over the years, and thought I'd share my findings and see what others think...

I used a MOTU 828mk2 for years happily.

Whan I needed more pre-amps, I switched to the PreSonus Firepod. Don't let the price fool you. It is a GREAT interface with GOOD sounding pre-amps.

A few months ago, the power blew out on me. The FP-10 was out of stock... I had clients to work with...

So, tried the new FireStudio. Drivers were a NIGHTMARE with Sonar. It still sounded great, but just caused too many problem.

So I decided to try the MOTU 8pre.

Before I did, I bounced a lot of mixes in Progress...

Then as soon as I hooked up the MOTU... and bounced again to A/B

Same mix, no changes, low frequencies were about 8db lower on bounce! And there was a noticeable bump in the upper mids that caused a "brittle" type sound...

I wasn't pleased, but I thought, okay... I just need to mix from scratch and keep this in mind.

Never was able to get a great sounding low end, and the mixes still felt brittle.

I remembered this sound... this is what I was getting before years ago. My mixing skills weren't quite as good back then, so I didn't notice such a drastic difference in the audio engine...

So I hunt down someone who actually has an older PreSonus FP10 in stock (Same thing and essentially same drivers as firepod.) Everything worked, no driver issues, and my mixes sounded great again...

Except... the guitar and vocal parts I had recorded on new things with the 8PRE pre-amps and converters (I also have a high-end botique channel strip, The TL Audio VP-1) just wouldn't sit into the mix right... again.. a bit "brittle".

So not only is the sound engine odd, but so are the converters, because the stuff fed through the VP-1 was also poor.

Okay, so I had only major experience with two brands, I thought maybe they ALL have a bit different audio engine... But I recently got a M-Box Micro and Digitranslator (for $500 extra AND another $40 iLok key... the ROBBERS!) to be able to transfer for clients who need it.

Just for fun, I did the same thing and bounced a couple mixes (no setting changes) through the Micro... and guess what... It was the exact same frequency response! The mixes sounded the same. (Actually the micro might be a *hair* better, but the difference is SOOOO small that it REALLY takes some educated ears to start telling the differences...

Then I tested a M-Audio Fasttrack that I had lying around for a second computer. (Podcast editiing for my intern). Over two different songs on one it had muted the highs just slightly, and the other... it hyped them a lot... so inconsistant, but overall the same sound. Not as subtle as the difference between the micro and the Firepod while in the same overall sonic characteristics, but much less drastic than the MOTU...

So three brands that sounded much the same, and then another, MOTU was the odd duck out... with pre-amps that were DEFINATELY not as good as the PreSonus...

I'm curious if anyone else has ever worked quite a bit with multiple interfaces, A/B'd mixes and discovered as drastic differences as I did?

[chris carter]

Originally Posted by mgilboe

Same mix, no changes, low frequencies were about 8db lower on bounce!

That right there tells me you were doing something wrong. There is no way on earth you are going to get that much of a change just from switching a converter. Check your cables, check your settings, etc.

[staudio]

Originally Posted by chris carter

That right there tells me you were doing something wrong. There is no way on earth you are going to get that much of a change just from switching a converter. Check your cables, check your settings, etc.

I have to agree. I have used several MOTU products and they never were 8dB different in frequency response than the other converters I have used. MOTU isn't great by any means, but it is flat.

[Obitheincredible]

That is quite a big difference. i agree it has to be a cable issue.

[mgilboe]

I got rid of the MOTU...

That wasn't the point...

I was more suprised at the fact that there was such a difference between MOTU and the others.

Has anyone noticed big differences in the sound of a mix between other audio interfaces?

[mgilboe]

I mainly posted this here, because I posted in before in a forum for my DAW, and everyone insisted that WHATEVER the audio interface was, the mixdown sound should be the same... which struck me as just nuts!!!

[staudio]

I can understand that a mix that was done on one converter will sound slightly different when played back on another converter, but if the room and monitoring system are the same the difference should not be that significant. Tell us more about your setup and working style so we can understand your experience better. Are you bouncing down entirely within software, or do you send the mix to an external recorder?

[Sid Viscous]

You were mixing ITB or to an external device?

[wildpark]

ged rid of motu and buy a older mytek

[taturana]

tuttnah... motu interfaces are just fine... you must be doing something wrong...

[JPeters86]

MOTU's are OK in my book. I've been using the 8pre for quite some time. Have a Vintagedesign 73 pre hooked to it, sounds really good actually. And it works flawlessly with my Mac. The converters are OK.

[donsolo]

there's nothing wrong with Motu if you skip their pres.

And if you clock externally, it makes a difference (but not 8db)

I dig Motu, I get good results out of my 828mkII

[6strings]

Originally Posted by donsolo

And if you clock externally, it makes a difference (but not 8db)I

The whole external clock thing (when used on a single interface) is a myth.

MOTU pres are pretty low end, but most people would have a hard time telling the converters apart from anything else.

[Mr.HOLMES]

Are MOTU Interfaces Overrated?

IMO YES only bad experience.... main board flamed after 3 years using never again MOTU!!!

harsh highs always never loved went to RME all my Problems are solved.

[Musiclab]

Am I the only one who got that when you bounce to disk you're the interface shouldn't be a factor? I own 4 1296's clocked with an Aardvark time sync, nothing brittle here

[AllAboutTone]

Originally Posted by donsolo

there's nothing wrong with Motu if you skip their pres.

BS, i tired out the model w/o the pres, harsh as hell, i did not take me but 1 day to figure out how bad this stuff sounded, presonus is crap but much better than Motu.
I raed a lot of reviews before i bought Motu gear, i did not listen and bought anyway, sent back and went digi PT and could not be happier.

[drethe5th]

I think the motu stuff sounds better than the digi design stuff. Im saying this as a current protools user. My friend records on motu and when I work with him, Im a bit more impressed with the sound. Its not leaps and bounds ahead, but I notice a little difference that i like.

[staudio]

Originally Posted by drethe5th

I think the motu stuff sounds better than the digi design stuff. Im saying this as a current protools user. My friend records on motu and when I work with him, Im a bit more impressed with the sound. Its not leaps and bounds ahead, but I notice a little difference that i like.

I agree if we are talking about the LE stuff. The 002 and Mbox are veiled in the top end and mushy in the bottom compared to MOTU.

[desotoslo]

MOTU'll get the job done. (unless you have a flaming board???)

*insert remark about how sufjan stevens used 828s for one of his big-selling albums*

[donsolo]

You know, here's the thing about Motu (and why they actually rock)

I'm on my 3rd 828mkII. One time, I drunkenly (don't ask) plugged in a firewire cable upside down and fried it. Another time, it just died (probably a power spike)

Both times, for $89 they shipped me a refurb unit. That's good F-O-R-E-V-E-R. That's a warranty I can live with. If I have to spend $89 even every year but have piece of mind that I know that no matter what, I'm not SOL, I'm game. They don't break your balls on who's fault it was either, they just want to keep you happy (you do have to call cust support early in the morning though to get through pretty quickly, that's my only complaint)

Digi, from what I understand, won't send you a new Mbox if it breaks unless you buy a new one.

[desotoslo]

yea, MOTU is good. My Ultralite gave me plenty of good service.

It was actually more stable than the Duet, as far as drivers and reliability of plugging/unplugging. doesn't sound as good, of course, but it has its perks.

[Tonio Ruiz]

I own a couple of HD192's, Motu I mean, and they sound pretty cool, I use them to mix OTB on a toft and it is really doing the trick

though I'm looking forward to make the BlackLion mod on them, I've read it's a very good mod

I like motu stuff, meanwhile I save money for an Protools HD with aurora's or apogee's

[blaugruen7]

Originally Posted by desotoslo

yea, MOTU is good. My Ultralite gave me plenty of good service.

It was actually more stable than the Duet, as far as drivers and reliability of plugging/unplugging. doesn't sound as good, of course, but it has its perks.

i have heard that the ultralite mkIII is improved in the conversion and preamp department. i ask myself how this compared to an apogee duet.

and stability is on top of my priority....

i bouncing back and forth between that two units.

[JPeters86]

Originally Posted by staudio

I agree if we are talking about the LE stuff. The 002 and Mbox are veiled in the top end and mushy in the bottom compared to MOTU.

What are we talking about here? Preamps? Converters? Or in what other way might the "machine itself" affect the sound? I use external preamps that go into the MOTU because I wanted something better thatn its own preamps. Never had any problems with it so far.

[admench]

I recorded / mixed the whole first 'Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.' album 'The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager' and that has sold 95,000 sales so far! All on a MOTU 896HD using the onboard pre's and some outboard pre's.

I also use a RME octamic D, which has clearer sounding pre's with more clarity on the high end from the converters than the MOTU.
I dream of having an apogee setup or even prism, but for now the MOTU serves me well. It's stable, clean and has a pretty flat response.

[staudio]

Originally Posted by JPeters86

What are we talking about here? Preamps? Converters? Or in what other way might the "machine itself" affect the sound? I use external preamps that go into the MOTU because I wanted something better thatn its own preamps. Never had any problems with it so far.

I think that the MOTU products have superior sound quality in comparison to the Digidesign Mbox 2 and 002. The converters in the MOTU are clearer, they have a more accurate representation of high and low frequencies to me.

External preamps are a must in my opinion.

[JPeters86]

Seems like we agree

[rumleymusic]

I mainly posted this here, because I posted in before in a forum for my DAW, and everyone insisted that WHATEVER the audio interface was, the mixdown sound should be the same... which struck me as just nuts!!!

Yes I saw your post on the Cakewalk forums

It is not nuts, it is true. When you bounce, the audio does not pass through your hardware. So whether you have an Orpheus or or a Mbox, the results will be the same.

[rumleymusic]

For the record, I do think MOTU's have a more "analog" sound than some higher end interfaces (even some comperable interfaces). I replaced my Emu 1820m with an 828mk3 (so I could use it with a laptop.) The 1820m sounded much more open and cleaner in the DA stage than the MOTU.

I kind of like the sound of the MOTU preamps, though they are noisy at high gain levels and may not be appropriate for situations where transparancy is important.

[AllAboutTone]

Originally Posted by mgilboe

I got rid of the MOTU...

Same here...one day after i got it.....horrible stuff, dependable i hear but sounds horrible.