Motu UltraLite MK3 Help

wiresandstraps · 2014-05-23T01:39:00.000Z

Not sure about that particular interface, but I just picked up the new Thunderbolt 828x for my early 2013 Macbook pro. Running Mavericks fine.

Everything seems to work perfectly, except that you can’t use the built in DSP when running at 192.

No pops or clicks, and I haven’t noticed any particular issues with the unit getting hot… even at 192 and chained to a hard drive.

The DSP is worth it tho. there is an excellent Oscilloscope in the 828x. Great for sound design with the Analog keys.

The hardware mixer interface is kind of annoying, but works great once you wrap your head around it. I usually just use the software to rout my sends/busses/name channels/etc…

strawberry · 2014-05-23T06:39:26.000Z

""krusty"":

As a hybrid mk3 iwner, i could maybe advice you, but what is your problem exactly ?

Is it possible to switch between 2 sets of monitors?
I have A4, TB3 and DAW outputs going to the main output pair with no problem, but I cant work out how to duplicate this buss for, say, analog outputs 1&2 (which I have my second set of monitors connected).
I’m a total noob at this mixer routing stuff, so please aim any replies as if talking to a nine year old!
Thanks
P.S. I’m using Live9 on a PC

strawberry · 2014-05-23T16:34:26.000Z

Anyone???

twardowski · 2014-05-23T17:10:00.000Z

Is it possible to switch between 2 sets of monitors?

yup.

As far as i remember you do the routing in your DAW, not in cuemix.

I did this a while ago to have one output pair to the speakers and a cloned output pair to an external recorder. didn’t even open the cuemix software - all it took was dragging some virtual cables (I’m using reason) but I vaguely remember Live also having ctrl room and main out…

First strange thing is the two are not recording at the same volume, OK figure gain on those outs, I assume.

What is killing me is the Headphones. They only play when I am in playback. do i have to boot the other software?

i’ve been using the ultralite mk3 for a few years now - with a macbook running live 8 and reason 7 and never experienced any of the symptoms you have mentioned - all it took was to install the software and plug it in and it worked perfectly ever since.
mind you - i tried every configuration: USB, FW with external power, FW with power thru FW - always good results.

ad different volumes:
maybe you accidentaly messed with trimming? it’s possible to change channel settings from the front panel as well as from the cue mix app so maybe you accidentally changed volumes

ad headphones:
you can select what goes out to the headphones - it can be either the mains or the ctrl room or a submix of your preference. maybe your issue is there?

strawberry · 2014-05-23T18:29:07.000Z

Thanks for the tips, will try again tomorrow.

twardowski · 2014-05-23T19:23:44.000Z

""strawberry"":

Is it possible to switch between 2 sets of monitors?

I just remembered - the kind people at motunation.com helped me with a similar issue:

http://www.motunation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=55945

with this you should be able to mirror the main outs to another output pair. managing two pairs of monitors without blowing your ears is another matter though

strawberry · 2014-05-23T20:34:21.000Z

Thanks for that, I think I'm getting there now, will take a fresh look tomorrow. And thanks again for the  help, much appreciated.

Mystic38 · 2014-05-24T12:14:40.000Z

one truly irritating thing about the motu interfaces is that the computer mains out does not appear as an input to the mixer…Therefore its not easy to re-use this signal for other mixes/outputs…

HOWEVER, if you cable up spdif out>spdif in and set your computer audio default to spdif out, then you can assign spdif in (computer audio) to multiple buses.

of course if you have an 828mkIII you can use toslink for this instead.

regards,

strawberry · 2014-05-24T18:52:06.000Z

Thanks Mystic, now I understand why I'm having so much trouble with this. To be honest I'm not really enjoying this at all, the case gets so hot, the output levels seem dangerously loud ,and  CueMix seems pretty inflexible. I think i'll send it back on Monday.

Will try the Focusrite 18i20, don’t really want to pay out for a UCX.

Mystic38 · 2014-05-24T19:57:54.000Z

""strawberry"":

Thanks Mystic, now I understand why I'm having so much trouble with this. To be honest I'm not really enjoying this at all, the case gets so hot, the output levels seem dangerously loud ,and  CueMix seems pretty inflexible. I think i'll send it back on Monday.

Will try the Focusrite 18i20, don’t really want to pay out for a UCX.

it really is worth persevering as Cuemix is actually very flexible, other than the one restriction I stated earlier… and fwiw, its light years ahead in capability compared to the 18i20 (which I also have).
Once you have your mixes setup (essentially one mix per set of outputs) there is little to be done in the software, and from the front panel of the motu you get access to everything, in particular I find ch mutes to be real handy when used standalone, but you can access everything… also for standalone use, the fx are very well done.
in the focusrite, you cannot control anything without mixcontrol (which makes cuemix look simple and elegant) . The only control you have from the box is the ch trim/gain knobs which are very sensitive and so you are unable to accurately reset to the right level if you use these as volume knobs. (given there is no mutes)…
just my 2c
I had bought the 18i20 to use as an ADAT mux into my 828, but I think I will sell it on and save up for another 828… they are just in a different class.

strawberry · 2014-05-24T21:27:12.000Z

If that’s the case with mix control, then maybe i’ll give it another go, thanks for the insight.
I’m trying to set things up so that I can process a vst with an external fx unit (eg KP3), and to process hardware instruments with vst effects, (which works fine now). I think I understand the theory of the mixer, but get lost in the practice.
Anyway, back to the manual…thanks again for the help.

One last thing , is it usual for the unit to get so hot?
I could probably cook on egg on it!!

Mystic38 · 2014-05-24T22:37:52.000Z

I have the 828 so cannot comment directly on the Ultralite, but it (the 828) does run warm.

Cuemix has three tabs…
use the input tab to set the trim level for your inputs, and to join/separate adjacent channels as stereo pairs.
use the mix tabs to set your mixes… I set mine up so that mix 1 is mains out, mix2 is analog 1/2, mix3 is analog 3/4 etc… in each mix you can mute/unmute each input and set relative levels using the faders.

Note that if you use a DAW, you predominantly record inputs… and this is post trim and pre-mix…ie an input could be muted in all mixes yet you can record from it… think of it like recording from the inputs tab, not the mix tab

yup…i probably confused you more

sorry!

dimi3 · 2014-05-25T03:00:37.000Z

""strawberry"":

One last thing , is it usual for the unit to get so hot?
I could probably cook on egg on it!!

As I ask previously are you running the box at 24bit 192k? how many analog ports are you using? try running a test where you set it 16bit 44.1k my guess is it will run less hot.

strawberry · 2014-05-25T08:59:49.000Z

[quote="“dimi3"”]

strawberry:

One last thing , is it usual for the unit to get so hot?
I could probably cook on egg on it!!

As I ask previously are you running the box at 24bit 192k? how many analog ports are you using? try running a test where you set it 16bit 44.1k my guess is it will run less hot.[/quote]
I’m only running @ 44.1.

I moved it away from my computer screens today, and its now running at normal temperature.
   What am I gonna cook my eggs on now I wonder?

bozobreak · 2014-05-25T14:03:11.000Z

I have a Motu Hybrid Mk3, since the day one they appeared.
In the beginning there were some issues, the PC didn’t saw the Motu, there were some scratching noises, but since a while all these issues were solved in the updates.
So you should check if you have the latest firmware on the Motu, not just the latest CueFx program.
It is a bit hot, but nowhere egg cooking hot.

strawberry · 2014-05-25T14:45:56.000Z

Since I moved it away from my monitors(screens) its running a lot cooler now.

All my problems are user error/ignorance, not the unit. I’ve spent most of today with it ,and have made good progress I think. I’ve only ever used DAW mixers before, so having another “mixer” between my DAW and interface has been confusing.

Thanks again to everyone who has helped with this, much appreciated.

I’m sure to have a few more dumb questions soon, watch this space!!

dimi3 · 2014-05-25T14:49:11.000Z

""strawberry"":

I moved it away from my computer screens today, and its now running at normal temperature.
   What am I gonna cook my eggs on now I wonder?

cool i have mine in a stack i’ll try moving iy away.

dimi3 · 2014-05-31T18:29:40.000Z

Unstacked it is cool as I would have expected!

dimi3 · 2014-05-31T18:34:06.000Z

""bozobreak"":

I have a Motu Hybrid Mk3, since the day one they appeared.
In the beginning there were some issues, the PC didn’t saw the Motu, there were some scratching noises, but since a while all these issues were solved in the updates.
So you should check if you have the latest firmware on the Motu, not just the latest CueFx program.
It is a bit hot, but nowhere egg cooking hot.

Hey bozobreak, I want to send audio input A to an output for hardware filtering and return it to an input B.

In the end I want only input B to play over the master.

What’s the best way to set it up?

bozobreak · 2014-06-10T21:32:37.000Z

Sorry for the late answer but here it comes:

I plug the OT main out to In 3-4
In CueMix I set up Bus 2 with Out Analog 1-2, mute all the ins but the Analog 3-4.
Now What comes from the OT through In 3-4 goes out on Out 1-2 to the FMR RNC.

The out of the RNC goes to In 5-6.
I set up the Bus 8 to go to the Main 1-2.
Mute all the ins but the In 5-6.
Now what comes back from the RNC goes to the Main 1-2.

If I unmute the In 3-4 on bus 8 I even can play with parallel compression. Mix the direct OT signal with the compressed one, set the mix etcetc