MOTU 2408 / 24 ch. Lightpipe - Question

[Scinx]

I am thinking about getting an HD24 and having the signal lightpiped to Cubase.

1) Does anyone know the main differences between the MOTU 2408 MK2 and Mk3?
2) Does anyone know of any other options for an interface besides the Motu 2408 that has 24 channels of ADAT/Lightpipe?

[Hiwatt]

I think the 2408mk3 bumped the maximum sample rate up from 48 to 96 compared to the mk2. I could be wrong so don't quote me...

Also check out some of the RME stuff as well as Lynx

[Scinx]

I wasnt having much luck finding any other interfaces with 24 channels of lightpipe

[De chromium cob]

The RME 2496 has 24 channels of lightpipe...or 12 @ 96Khz just like the 2408Mk3...Either one would work well with the HD24.

[Duardo]

The mkIII also has some extra input monitoring capability, which probably wouldn't be an issue for you if you're just dumping in tracks from your HD24. If you don't need 96kHz capability and you're not going to be tracking into the computer live, there will probably be no practical difference for you.

-Duardo

[David R.]

I'm using that setup with a 2408 II and Digital Performer. Works great. Advantage of the MOTU boxes are the expandability. I have a 1224 connected as well (I still think the converters sound good) giving me 32 good quality i/o.

I barely use the drives on the HD24XR now.

Personally, I would not get the 2408 mk I, no rational reason except for it's age.

Good luck.

[Scinx]

Thanks for the help!

What would occur if I tracked at 96khz but was lightpiping live using a card that maxed out at 48khz?

Also - wouldnt the converters in the actual MOTU/RME interface be a moot point since Id be doing the A/D with the HD24XR (Mic to pre to HD24, lightpiped to MOTU to DAW)...and on the flip side doing D/A using the 24XR?

[Duardo]

What would occur if I tracked at 96khz but was lightpiping live using a card that maxed out at 48khz?

It wouldn't work...the card would have to support S/MUX, which multiplexes four channels of 96kHz audio into an 8-channel Lightpipe stream. The RME card and the 2408mkIII support this. The 2408mkII does not.

You may be able to trick the computer into doing it, assuming that you didn't do anything to the audio once it was in the computer...no edits, no effects, no changes whatsoever...but that would kind of defeat the purpose of using the computer in the first place, and it may not work anyhow.

Also - wouldnt the converters in the actual MOTU/RME interface be a moot point since Id be doing the A/D with the HD24XR (Mic to pre to HD24, lightpiped to MOTU to DAW)...and on the flip side doing D/A using the 24XR?

Yes, they would, which is why I recommended the MkII if you weren't going above 96 kHz...quality-wise there will be no different since the card's not doing the converting (and the RME cards don't do any conversion anyhow).

-Duardo