kbrodog
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Any use MOTU pre8 firewire intf?
Just curious if anyone has any experience using MOTU pre8 firewire interface with Sonar. Looks like a sweet pice of HW, actually has a line cord instead of a wall wort. Anyone??
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pdlstl
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RE: Any use MOTU pre8 firewire intf?
2007/01/09 17:41:56
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Just curious...have you used any MOTU products with XP? I had an 828MKII which worked flawlessy for about a year. Then I bought an 896HD. Nightmare city!!!! When I tries to install it not only did XP not "see" it, I could no longer get XP to "see" the 828! The 896HD now works (after a week of hair pulling) but I was ready to sell both of them. Go here for an eye opening read.
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kbrodog
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RE: Any use MOTU pre8 firewire intf?
2007/01/09 17:50:24
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No. I'm trying out a Firepod on a laptop, which actually has been realtivly painless. I also tried the Firebox and that worked on the laptop as well. I just happened to see the Motu pre8 online and it looked like it had some nice features (like no wall wort, SW mixer, individual channel Phantom power).
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Razorwit
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RE: Any use MOTU pre8 firewire intf?
2007/01/09 18:03:58
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I use both the 896HD and now an 8Pre going into the 896 via TOSLink. Works fine here. The 8Pre sounds OK...the pre's are usable but nothing to write home about. Only complaint I have with MOTU is that their support kinda blows. If you have something break (and my 896 has broken twice now) and it's out of warranty (90 days IIRC) you have to send it to them, pay them 80 bucks and then wait for weeks and weeks while they repair/replace it.
Oh, and my 8Pre makes a high pitched soft whine when turned on....nothing loud or particularly annoying, but you can hear it if you're sitting close....
The up side of my 896/8pre is that on my system I can record 16 simultaneous tracks with input monitoring and comp/EQ/reverb at 1.3 ms of latency.
Good luck
Dean
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kbrodog
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RE: Any use MOTU pre8 firewire intf?
2007/01/09 18:06:12
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Wow ... I read your link - I don't know that I want to be going down that path. Sounds like a good choice if you're a Mac user.
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pdlstl
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RE: Any use MOTU pre8 firewire intf?
2007/01/09 20:02:00
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ORIGINAL: kbrodog
Wow ... I read your link - I don't know that I want to be going down that path. Sounds like a good choice if you're a Mac user.
 And if you go a few pages back or search for my username (pdlstl), you'll see the issues I had.
post edited by pdlstl - 2007/01/09 20:23:01
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OffAnAirplane
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RE: Any use MOTU pre8 firewire intf?
2007/01/10 08:15:47
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ORIGINAL: pdlstl
Just curious...have you used any MOTU products with XP?
I had an 828MKII which worked flawlessy for about a year. Then I bought an 896HD. Nightmare city!!!!
When I tries to install it not only did XP not "see" it, I could no longer get XP to "see" the 828!
The 896HD now works (after a week of hair pulling) but I was ready to sell both of them.
Go here for an eye opening read.
I've used an 828MkII, a 2408MkIII, and an 896HD with windows XP and Sonar 5PE, and I've had no problems. They work flawlessly. And the pres in the 896HD, I really do think are better than just average. They sound better than the pres in my Mackie mixer for certain, and even better than the pres in my Presonus Digimax. And the DSP Cuemix monitor mixer is awesome. As far as customer service is concerned. The only problem I've had is with my 896HD. I bought it used on eBay and when I got it, analog out #1 did not work. I couldn't get any sound out of that output. Also, one of the preamp gain knobs was kind of tight. I called Motu. I did have to pay $80, but I ended up with a brand new 896HD. The price I paid on eBay plus the $80 was still a really good deal, as opposed to buying new. But it's been flawless since then. I'll admit though, it took longer than I expected to get my 896HD back after I sent it to MOTU. I think it was about three or four weeks. The only thing that came close to the 896HD that I almost bought instead was the Presonus Firestudio. But it's DSP mixer could only mix down to one stereo output, whereas the MOTU could mix down to all of it's outputs. And also the ability to easily add another 8 channels with the 8-pre was another selling point.
Rom 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
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pdlstl
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RE: Any use MOTU pre8 firewire intf?
2007/01/10 20:12:39
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ORIGINAL: OffAnAirplane
I've used an 828MkII, a 2408MkIII, and an 896HD with windows XP and Sonar 5PE, and I've had no problems. They work flawlessly. And the pres in the 896HD, I really do think are better than just average. They sound better than the pres in my Mackie mixer for certain, and even better than the pres in my Presonus Digimax. And the DSP Cuemix monitor mixer is awesome.
As far as customer service is concerned. The only problem I've had is with my 896HD. I bought it used on eBay and when I got it, analog out #1 did not work. I couldn't get any sound out of that output. Also, one of the preamp gain knobs was kind of tight. I called Motu. I did have to pay $80, but I ended up with a brand new 896HD. The price I paid on eBay plus the $80 was still a really good deal, as opposed to buying new. But it's been flawless since then. I'll admit though, it took longer than I expected to get my 896HD back after I sent it to MOTU. I think it was about three or four weeks.
The only thing that came close to the 896HD that I almost bought instead was the Presonus Firestudio. But it's DSP mixer could only mix down to one stereo output, whereas the MOTU could mix down to all of it's outputs. And also the ability to easily add another 8 channels with the 8-pre was another selling point.
As I posted previously, go to the link I posted for eye-opening information about MOTU problems. The drivers are terrible, only second to their lack of decent support. MOTU is about the Mac. PC's were an afterthought. And IMHO, the MOTU pre's are mediocre at best. It's a toss up between the MOTU and the Mackie pre's...
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Lay In Wait
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RE: Any use MOTU pre8 firewire intf?
2007/01/10 20:21:59
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The drivers are terrible, only second to their lack of decent support. I dont agree. My 2408 runs like a champ. The drivers are very stable. I havent needed support as of yet, so maybe yer right on that one.
Windows 7 Pro 64bit, Core i7 920, Asus p6td deluxe, Sonar X1c PE, Motu 2408 mk3, Apogee Mini DAC, 3x UAD-1, Digimax FS, Motu Microlite, MCU, Tranzport, Nocturn. And more...
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OffAnAirplane
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RE: Any use MOTU pre8 firewire intf?
2007/01/10 20:59:44
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ORIGINAL: pdlstl
ORIGINAL: OffAnAirplane
I've used an 828MkII, a 2408MkIII, and an 896HD with windows XP and Sonar 5PE, and I've had no problems. They work flawlessly. And the pres in the 896HD, I really do think are better than just average. They sound better than the pres in my Mackie mixer for certain, and even better than the pres in my Presonus Digimax. And the DSP Cuemix monitor mixer is awesome.
As far as customer service is concerned. The only problem I've had is with my 896HD. I bought it used on eBay and when I got it, analog out #1 did not work. I couldn't get any sound out of that output. Also, one of the preamp gain knobs was kind of tight. I called Motu. I did have to pay $80, but I ended up with a brand new 896HD. The price I paid on eBay plus the $80 was still a really good deal, as opposed to buying new. But it's been flawless since then. I'll admit though, it took longer than I expected to get my 896HD back after I sent it to MOTU. I think it was about three or four weeks.
The only thing that came close to the 896HD that I almost bought instead was the Presonus Firestudio. But it's DSP mixer could only mix down to one stereo output, whereas the MOTU could mix down to all of it's outputs. And also the ability to easily add another 8 channels with the 8-pre was another selling point.
As I posted previously, go to the link I posted for eye-opening information about MOTU problems. The drivers are terrible, only second to their lack of decent support. MOTU is about the Mac. PC's were an afterthought.
And IMHO, the MOTU pre's are mediocre at best. It's a toss up between the MOTU and the Mackie pre's...
You are one of a very few people who feel that way, but to each his own, I guess. I'm sure there is a site with gripes about Motu. If you've got a decent PC and know what you are doing, you will be very satisfied with any MOTU product, and I've used most of them. Most of the problems I've seen people have is because they didn't set it up correctly. Or they were trying to do way too much with too slow a computer, or not enough RAM. I've used just about every Prosumer preamp that is out there, and Motu is not the best, but they are certainly better than average. But that is a matter of opinion, so I don't care to argue about it. But going by popularity alone, MOTU must be doing something right. But you go ahead and buy whatever you want. I'm not trying to talk you into getting an 8-Pre. I could care less what you get. I'm just giving my opinion as someone who has tried just about every prosumer interface on the market, and finally settled on Motu. You have to spend a lot more money to get a unit that has more options and sounds better than a Motu. I tried so many, that when I walked into Guitar Center, the first think they asked me was "so, you didn't like this one either?" I pushed their return policy to the limits.
post edited by OffAnAirplane - 2007/01/10 21:22:47
Rom 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
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pdlstl
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RE: Any use MOTU pre8 firewire intf?
2007/01/12 13:02:25
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offanairplane, You wrote: Most of the problems I've seen people have is because they didn't set it up correctly. Or they were trying to do way too much with too slow a computer, or not enough RAM. I couldn't agree more with you on this. However, in my case it couldn't be further from the truth. Per your response, I'm not the one looking for a 8-Pre. Quite the opposite. As soon as I can find a buyer for my 896HD, there is a Rosetta 800 in my future. Are you in the market for another one?
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