MK3 Ultra USB Win 10 audio routing questions

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Discussion related to installation, configuration and use of MOTU hardware such as MIDI interfaces, audio interfaces, etc. with Windows
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Soulsurfer44
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Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2016 6:12 pm
Primary DAW OS: Windows

MK3 Ultra USB Win 10 audio routing questions

Post by Soulsurfer44 »

Hello people, I need some advice here on 2 issues:

1). Currently I am routing all audio from my pc through main 1-2 output. I have some instruments connected on inputs 3,4,5. My ableton 9.6 is routed like all the pc audio to the main 1-2 output. My question: is there a way to send all internal ableton and pc audio through a separate (mono/stereo) (perhaps virtual) input into the mix (aka not straight through main 1-2 output)? I mean that I want to control the ableton/pc audio through a separate channel in cuemix fx.

2). How do I solve the occasional cracking sounds which starts sporadically after some time? In MK3 control panel “Use wave RT for Windows audio” is unchecked

Thanks!
pepe44
Posts: 12
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2015 2:41 pm
Primary DAW OS: Windows

Re: MK3 Ultra USB Win 10 audio routing questions

Post by pepe44 »

Hi, i am having issues using ultralite MK3 hybrid on windows 10 with USB ( crackles and pro tools doesn't open some sessions i bring from studios).
I use to have my motu running on firewire on my macbook pro no problems AT ALL. I think is a driver related problem, not very stable on USB and windows.
The solution i found on MOTU website is trying to use a PCIe Firewire card with texas instruments chipset.
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terrybritton
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Re: MK3 Ultra USB Win 10 audio routing questions

Post by terrybritton »

For the first question, you can set up a loop-back with a good COAX cable running from the S/PDIF output to the S/PDIF input and then direct your PC audio, etc. to that output. It will then be available in Cuemix for controlling the volumes in mixes to other devices. Just be careful not to send the S/PDIF back to itself in Cuemix, causing a feedback loop.

You can similarly do this loop-back trick with analog inputs/outputs, but most people use those up, whereas the S/PDIF is often sitting unused.

As to the second question regarding the crackling, assuming you are not setting your buffers extremely low and thus that being the cause, then this is due to (I am finally convinced) to the WASAPI/WDM drivers that MOTU provides being flaky and prone to the WASAPI bug in Windows that rears its head in about an hour after rebooting, and is also very bad at switching between sample rate changes as your playback from YouTube or other browser audio and from media players change.

I have bypassed those WDM drivers and use Voicemeeter instead. The Pro "Banana" version is extremely versatile, yet both versions (standard and pro) allow one to switch sample rates entirely smoothly with no problems. After installing Voicemeeter, rebooting, and setting it as your default playback and recording device in the Windows audio control panel, set the "A1" selector to your MOTU ASIO device and it will adopt the same buffer settings and low latency as the ASIO provides, but will give you a much better interface to the other audio systems in your Windows environment as well, sending any audio directed to the A1 out of the Main Output jacks. No matter what the sample rate or bit-depth of the material I play, it transitions smoothly now, and all my crackles have disappeared.

http://vb-audio.pagesperso-orange.fr/Vo ... banana.htm

The Pro "Banana" version also installs the regular version at the same time (which may suite your needs by itself). Make sure you open the correct one.

I have several videos on using Voicemeeter at my YouTube channel here.

As relates to your first question, if you use the S/PDIF loop-back trick, you can send your PC audio out to the S/PDIF via the A2 or A3 by assigning its output in the System Settings/Options section of Voicemeeter, under "Patch BUS to A1 ASIO Outputs" for each. I may edit this later with which port number that is (EDIT...just checked - it is 11+12), but you can tell watching the Cuemix meters to see when you've arrived at it.

Terry
Computer: Sweetwater CS400v7 Intel Core i7-10700K CPU @ 3.80GHz | 64Gigs RAM | Windows 11 Pro x64 |
MOTU 828 mk3 hybrid

DAWs & Live: MOTU Digital Performer 11.31 | Cantabile Performer 4
Keyboard Synths: Kawai K5000s, Korg Wavestation
Controllers: NI Komplete Kontrol S-88 Mk3 & S-49 Mk2; Maschine Mk3 & JAM;
Akai MPK249 & 225, Alesis QX49, Behringer BCF2000 & FCB1010
Rack Modules: Ensoniq ESQm, Yamaha TX81Z, Wavestation SR

Tutorials: https://youtube.com/@CreatorsMediaTools
pepe44
Posts: 12
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2015 2:41 pm
Primary DAW OS: Windows

Re: MK3 Ultra USB Win 10 audio routing questions

Post by pepe44 »

I´ve downgrade to previous drivers and its stable now. I cant open audio console while audio running but i assume that is a windows issue. Coreaudio stills more stable when communicating with hardware than windows default system I guess.
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