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#966177 - 07/06/01 07:49 AM MOTU 2408 mkII -- Am I kidding myself?
wantazi
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Registered: 07/06/01
Posts: 1
Loc: ,,UNITED STATES

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Hi all! I'd like to know if I can realistically use a 2408 mkII in place of a digital mixer. The unit has all the I/O that I need, but I'm concerned that the inherent latency be a showstopper. I want to hook up my active monitors directly to the MOTU so that I play and monitor everything through the MOTU without any outboard mixer.

I would consider buying a digital mixer, but there are very few under $3k with enough digital inputs for my needs, and the price of the MOTU can't be beat for all the connectivity it offers. The upcoming Tascam D24 looks promising, but I'd rather do without a bulky mixer if I can help it. I also figure that all digital mixers exhibit at least some latency of 2-3 ms for the A/D D/A conversions, processing, and the like. I would like to know what kind of latency and monitoring performance I can realistically expect with the MOTU.

My studio is modest with a number of hardware synths (no softsynths or plug-ins) with various forms of analog and digital outputs to be run directly into the MOTU. I will be using Logic Audio Platinum running on a 1GHz PIII PC dedicated to audio applications only.

Any comments/feedback would be much appreciated.
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#966178 - 07/06/01 08:03 AM Re: MOTU 2408 mkII -- Am I kidding myself?
mattzen
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Registered: 03/27/00
Posts: 206
Loc: Los Angeles, CA, USA

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I've actually done this for a couple of months in one of my smaller rigs. I used a separate G4 to run two 2408s and a copy of DP2.7 as my soft mixer. Long story short....I'm replacing my 2408/DP mixer with an O2R. It kinda works but the sample buffer has to be set at 128 for it to be useful. Takes a lot of DSP to run a bunch of ins and outs at that low buffer setting. This results in random digital spikes that can only be alleviated by raising the buffer setting or slimming down on active ins/outs. Cue Mix software doesn't help because it still takes a bunch of DSP to run. Routing gets very confusing if you have to make changes in your bussing often (as I do).

This idea works but I wouldn't recommend it. Plus I feel it's essential to have a control surface. Save your money for a real digital board.
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#966179 - 07/06/01 10:50 AM Re: MOTU 2408 mkII -- Am I kidding myself?
Sergievsky
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Registered: 03/26/00
Posts: 961
Loc: Manila, Philippines

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But what will happen when you stick a couple of Powercores or probably even better the upcoming Universal Audio card in that 2408/DP setup, and with 3.0 being multi-processor savvy...anybody have an answer? I'm waiting for the UA card, but that won't come out for MAS until Sept I think. I really would like a small rig also, and would like to avoid the O2R's eq.

Hold off as long as you can! I myself am barely grabbing on with my fingertips, waiting, saving, hoping, and wishing.

Raul
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Raul

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#966180 - 07/06/01 05:30 PM Re: MOTU 2408 mkII -- Am I kidding myself?
Ralf
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Registered: 10/06/00
Posts: 333
Loc: Paraguay

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The new RME Hammerfall DSP series cards have internal mixer functions that I have not seen before. Something about a 1456 channel no latency internal mixer working with the ASIO no latency standard and what have you. I donīt own the card but it looks very interesting. Hereīs two links explaining the whole concept of their internal mixers
part 1: http://www.rme-audio.com/english/techinfo/hdsp/tmhard.htm
part 2: http://www.rme-audio.com/english/techinfo/hdsp/tmsoft.htm
I donīt exactly get the whole concept (I havenīt read the articles above too thoroughly) but I thought Iīd post the links and see what you fine forum memebers think of it.

Ralf
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Rock and Roll Aint Noise Pollution

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#966181 - 07/08/01 01:45 PM Re: MOTU 2408 mkII -- Am I kidding myself?
humannoyed
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Registered: 12/28/00
Posts: 250
Loc: Deep South ,UNITED STATES

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I'm just before buying the Motu setup myself. Just found a great deal on a b&w g3 400 to get into it. I know this computer doesn't have the hp to run many plug-ins, so I'm hoping I can patch a rackmount effects unit digitally through the 2408 mk II to take the load of the cpu. Is anyone doing this successfully?
hum
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You can't hurt me, you can only make me a better blues player...
- bluesman's motto

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#966182 - 07/09/01 03:29 PM Re: MOTU 2408 mkII -- Am I kidding myself?
Roland Genske
Senior Member


Registered: 12/02/00
Posts: 227
Loc: Wuppertal, Germany

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You can have latency-free monitoring with the 'ASIO direct monitoring'. This is a special mode which causes the input signals to be monitored to be sent to the appropriate outputs directly. The signal however does not pass the computer's cpu and thus you don't have any plug-ins or eqs enabled. It is just for monitoring but really works fine.

If you however need to monitor through your DAW's full-featured mixer, you'll have latency caused by the card drivers as well as by any plug-in in the signal path. It might work for you but I doubt you'll be finally happy with it. Just my 2c.

Roland
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#966183 - 07/10/01 01:12 AM Re: MOTU 2408 mkII -- Am I kidding myself?
Anonymous Unregistered



Hi wantazi :
Ever mixed with a mouse ? I do it every day. Do yourself a favour.
Save up for that digital mixer !
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