I have the MOTU Ultralite AVB. It’s abstafuckingfantastic.
I have no problems with the drivers whatsoever.
As for controlling it w/o ipad or iphone, why not just use the webapp? Or, are you using it ENTIRELY off the computer?
If so, then maybe make presets or something and load those?
For those who would read that while searching some information before buying : since a firmware update, a bit later than this thread, they made possible to plug it directly to an iPad using an ethernet adapter. I just get mine and tried it : it works quite well ! So that’s really awesome for a real DAWless setup. 
Hey, can you tell me a little bit more about how this works? Btw, are you still using it? I’ve gone as far as reading the firmware change log and have learned nothing 
Do you mean you can control the ultralite avb mixer from the iPad by a direct wired Ethernet connection between the iPad and AVB?
If yes, would you need to (or can you) combine that with the usb connection to use the Ultralite as the audio interface to the iPad into AUM or Auria?
From what I’ve read when connected to pc/Mac you can access the mixer via the web host and use the audio interface at the same time on a single usb or Ethernet cable, but from an ipad it would be usb for audio only, and the AVB would need to be wired to a wifi router for the iPad to find it via the discovery app.
I’ve been searching for audio interface options for the iPad /PC that are truly standalone, and have midi i/o, have enough ins and outs, and are reasonably compact. The options are few. (Currently thinking a separate midi interface plus a tc helicon blender might work best for this as a cheap and cheerful solution at half the ultralite avb price).
Can you do basic mixer stuff on this from the front panel, like setting up fx sends and stuff?
Thanks.
Hello ! Indeed I was talking about controlling the internal mixer from the Motu Touch Control App on the iPad. That’s useful, especially because mixer params are not accessible from the front panel.
At first I used an ethernet adapter and plugged it physically, but turns out, it’s easier and more reliable by WiFi, so I plugged a small Wifi router on the back of the Motu. I already though that it was great… But your message make me realise that it’s compatible with iOS… I never payed too much attention to that, but it opens a lot of new possibilities. Thanx !
I’m not home right now and can’t test it, but I will and tell you asap. I was looking for an audio recorder, to record my live session, I think it should work, also using the Korg Monopoly iOS app without connecting it to an audio input and using a bus should work as well ! Enven multi track recording should work… Sounds really really good ! Hope it will works as expected… It seems that Audiobus app can allow me to route the input / output to the right app, do you have any information about the way it works on iPad, can you confirm ? Anyway if this works, it should be totally possible to use the the different App to control the mixer and record at the same time as they don’t use the same way. Mixer control is just web APIs accessible by the network… Looking forward to try it
I always felt like MOTU missed a trick with the last generation of Ultralites. If would have been amazing if they had implemented MIDI control of the mixer for standalone use.
Even just of levels and sends. If would have been great to be able to just plug in a little faderfox or similar for a nice wee configurable live mixer!
Thanks, will be very interested to learn if you can have it as a usb interface on ipad and access the onboard mixer from the same iPad. I think I’ve read comments that have said that doesn’t work, but maybe they had it set up wrong.
Basically all I want to be able to do is sometimes just have the iPad as a midi sound module attached to a mixer, and at other times have all hardware routed into the iPad as an audio interface, without having to muck around with repatching cables etc.
Shame the ultralite avb has no front panel mixer controls, I think that only applies to the older models.
Has the Utralite line been discontinued? I can’t find the mk4 in stock anywhere. Are there any other roughly equivalent products(8 in audio interface/standalone mixer)?
I’m looking at the k-mix but I’m not sure I’m ready to pay the $700 it costs here in japan, and I’ve also heard the windows drivers aren’t the best.
Depends on your region but not in the US:
Perhaps they’re having some delays in shipments due to covid
Shops like B&H, GC, ProAudioStar, Perfect Circuit all have it listed but have it back ordered.
I’m in japan. Some stores even say the product has been discontinued on the product page. Hopefully just the delays. Oddly enough many stores still have the mk3 and are selling it for basically the same price.
Is the mk4 a significant upgrade over mk3 hybrid?
Mk4 is class compliant. Mk3 is not.
Mk3 works with a mixer (CueMix) whereas Mk4 is based on a web based app.
I believe there is a quality difference. Not tested though.
I have had Mk3 for the last 4 years and it is rock solid with my Mac. Reknown drivers under Mac.
Got it. I’ve got a lot to think about. I’m not liking this business of choosing a mixer and audio interface at all.
The local MOTU retailer here is saying Ultralite mk4 is out of stock due to parts availability, and they’re advising the Ultralite AVB instead. They’ve “been allowed to sell the AVB at the same price as the mk4” due to this situation, they say.
It’s so painful isn’t it. I think the ultralite avb would be my choice if the pres were on combi jacks and it had the front panel mix controls of the mk3. Gotta be class compliant though. 828es is tempting for not much more money, but ultralite form factor is nicer.
90% sure I’m going to grab a TC Helicon Blender for my small iPad setup, it’s essentially a 6 Stereo in 4 stereo out monitor mixer, that’s also 12x2 ish interface.
One of these
Indeed, I finally caved yesterday and ordered the 828es as a replacement for my non-Catalina-compatible TC Konnekt 24D with a noisy headphone pot. Initially wanted one of the Ultralites because of the smaller form factor. But extra inputs, dedicated monitor and headphone controls, and the fact that the interface it replaces hasn’t actually been out of the house much were deciding factors.
I’m enjoying my 828es.
I had planned my routing for each input and output before I got it - default routing has outputs 1and2 automatically configured for your B pair of speakers. (The A pair is to the main out iirc)
Took me a while to figure out why the routing matrix didn’t seem to be responding as I wanted…worked fine once I switched off the B pair.
It’s still very much listed as an active product on Motu’s site.
https://motu.com/en-us/products/audio-products/compact-mobile/
The DAC is significantly upgraded. In fact there was an earlier version of the MK4 that was upgraded but didn’t have the Sabre32 DAC that is featured on the other high end MOTU products. It was available for about a year and then they added the Sabre32 DAC to the MK4 around 2018, I believe.
I use it daily, it replaced my Duet 2 and there was no loss of quality. I lost nothing with the switch, only gained more inputs and a much better Mac driver with lower latency.
And on that note, the drivers are upgraded as well, as it utilizes the newer AVB driver. If it’s stability and low latency you desire, MK4 > MK3
Found a mint mk4 on one of the 2nd hand sites here in japan. I was just about to get something else when the item got listed. Happy I won’t have to compromise and I’m looking forward to the box arriving
Anything I should know as a new mk4 owner?
Sounds strange I know, but I think these interfaces are great for Dawless setups.
I’ve just got the AVB UltraLite as master and also a pair of 24 channel Ai / Ao rack boxes. They can all be networked together to essentially give you an extendable dynamic digital patch bay, where you can record any of the patch points.
All of the mixer and routing logic is stored on the MOTU units rather than a computer, so you can use them entirely without being connected to any DAW. I can patch the synths and FX I want to use into an analog mixer - although using the onboard mixer could be interesting.
Good to hear you can address mixer controls via OSC. I’ve only just got the kit, so not had a chance to play yet, but would be great if you could create some kind of MIDI / OSC hookup to be able to change mixer params, but also to switch between routing presets. Then when you do want to use Ableton or whatever you could have a MIDI clip to jump you to the right routing settings for that specific project.
The units are a few years old now, but seem really solid - would recommend.
Anyone have experience with the mk4 and/or AVB on Windows?
