MOTUNATION (formerly UnicorNation) is an independent community for discussing Digital Performer and other MOTU audio software and hardware. It is not affiliated with MOTU.
mikehalloran wrote:Time for them to come up with a TB-PCI rack for their cards, I would think. They have had three years to work on this.
I wish. I saw this email in my inbox too and they seem to be saying it just IS NOT going to happen, although I recall the Octo card may be compatible with a chassis. They put the blame on changes Apple made. All in all though, it was a real "lump of coal" at Christmas time to read that my UAD-2 Duo is gonna be dead.
Frankly, my whole rig works great, but I'm driving a ghost ship of dead-end technology now apparently. MOTU PCI-based interfaces and a UAD-2 Duo card as well. UGH.
I think we have a confluence of unhelpful influences at play here. Apple's new spec and abandonment of PCie in their workstations is certainly the biggest factor for Mac-based music makers, as it's suddenly excluded practically the only professionally supported interface for music hardware from the equation. Either bold or stupid, I'm not sure which.
Lack of Thunderbolt take-up by the audio industry has exacerbated the situation no doubt, but I can't help feeling that's less of an issue than Apple not really offering a solution that works for composers. MOTU, UAD etc. are all left holding the baby, with hardware that either can't be run in a chassis, or requires urgent tweaks, driver enhancements and conceivably hardware modifications in order to do so.
Personally, I've given up on the new Mac Pro. I wanted to love it, and tried to make it make sense for me, but ultimately ditching Logic (which has been on the cards for a while) and going for a new 16 core high-end PC just makes a stack more sense. And I get to keep using my MOTU hardware, fill it with SSD drives, stick two CPU's and 128GB of RAM in there. All of which Apple won't let me do.
Horses for courses I guess, but this is the only sensible way forward for me.
Sorry to go back on my word and spend more time on this topic.
I want to bitch at MOTU. All this time waiting with NOT ONE WORD about future compatibility of the 424 card. This isn't the way to treat a loyal user base of MOTU equipment.
What is most annoying is that MOTU have a thunderbolt product in the video market! - looks like the audio brigade get back-seated again!!
There is NO EXCUSE that MOTU can now give us as to why we haven't heard a thing!! - their engineering team have how much knowledge of thunderbolt - how long has the HDX SDI interface been out!
Come on MOTU - do you actually give a •••• about your audio users?
mikerbaker wrote:Sorry to go back on my word and spend more time on this topic.
I want to bitch at MOTU. All this time waiting with NOT ONE WORD about future compatibility of the 424 card. This isn't the way to treat a loyal user base of MOTU equipment.
What is most annoying is that MOTU have a thunderbolt product in the video market! - looks like the audio brigade get back-seated again!!
There is NO EXCUSE that MOTU can now give us as to why we haven't heard a thing!! - their engineering team have how much knowledge of thunderbolt - how long has the HDX SDI interface been out!
Come on MOTU - do you actually give a •••• about your audio users?
You may be being a bit harsh though here with MOTU. If you check another thread, part of the problem is Apple changed something to allow the new MacPros to address a greater number of PCIe peripherals. UA claims that their OCTO card has to have firmware upgrade in order to work with the new MacPro via a TB-to-PCIe expansion chassis. So it just may be that there's no solution for the MOTU card without upgrading firmware on the card, which may not be possible.
If that's the case, the only thing we could hope for maybe is that perhaps MOTU could release a revised PCIe-424 that might include a new chip or firmware to make it compatible. If it was sold at the right price point, it might make sense for some people.
Where MOTU completely falls down is in communication. I've asked them repeatedly for a simple statement about whether there was going to be any solution for the PCI audio world. A simple "No" would have been fine. Their silence on the subject means that I'm going to bail on MOTU. If they had been more forthcoming, I might have considered picking up a different MOTU interface for Firewire or USB, but now I'm leaning towards RME, who puts effort into good communication with their users.
cbm wrote:Where MOTU completely falls down is in communication. I've asked them repeatedly for a simple statement about whether there was going to be any solution for the PCI audio world. A simple "No" would have been fine. Their silence on the subject means that I'm going to bail on MOTU. If they had been more forthcoming, I might have considered picking up a different MOTU interface for Firewire or USB, but now I'm leaning towards RME, who puts effort into good communication with their users.
So, how many PCI audio card makers - including effects - are there currently?
Is it just MOTU, UAD and Avid? Am I missing anybody? I really don't know.
Has anyone announced a TB to PCI solution other than UAD's suggestion that they may be able to make the Octo card work in a PCI chassis with a firmware upgrade?
I am among those who believe its time to announce something - by NAMM at least. My money has always been that such an announcement will be for new hardware that is either TB or USB 3 capable and has features that take advantage of the increased bandwidth.
What are you going to do if there's no announcement or that PCIe cards, like the old tower are now obsolete and that no upgrade path is forthcoming?
When I bought my 2408 and DP 2.61, at Sweetwater's suggestion, I went with a Beige G3 over the new B&W for the serial port and floppy drive (later added USB and FW PCI cards). Glad I did, too. But that was then... Oh my, over 20 years ago.
DP 11.31; 828mkII FW, micro lite, M4, MTP/AV USB Firmware 2.0.1 2023 Mac Studio M2 8TB, 192GB RAM, OS Sonoma 14.4.1, USB4 8TB external, M-Audio AIR 192|14, Mackie ProFxv3 6/10/12; 2012 MBPs Catalina, Mojave IK-NI-Izotope-PSP-Garritan-Antares, LogicPro X, Finale 27.4, Dorico 5.2, Notion 6, Overture 5, TwistedWave, DSP-Q 5, SmartScore64 Pro, Toast 20 Pro
mikehalloran wrote:What are you going to do if there's no announcement or that PCIe cards, like the old tower are now obsolete and that no upgrade path is forthcoming?
Well I guess I just suck it up and use the MacPro 4,1 and what I have for as long as I can. I'm getting off the merry-go-round—especially if I have no actual need for newer hardware except staving off my inferiority complex re: all the early adopters using the cylindrical MacPros and TB interfaces.
Yea... Me too. My only reason to upgrade my Mac is my day gig and other projects.
My 2010 iMac and 828mkII really do meet my current needs for audio. DP 8, OS 10.9 Mavericks and Izotope RX 3 actually make my system run much better than than it did last year - who'd a thunk?
If I needed to run a dog and pony show as to why I need faster hardware, I'd have to fire up DP 7.24 & RX 2 over 10.6.8.
Needing to run such nonsense is not an issue at my house. When we were first married, I convinced my bride that, if she wanted to play a Bosendorfer piano, the extra money spent would not be missed later. She still thanks me for talking her into it, 34 years later.
DP 11.31; 828mkII FW, micro lite, M4, MTP/AV USB Firmware 2.0.1 2023 Mac Studio M2 8TB, 192GB RAM, OS Sonoma 14.4.1, USB4 8TB external, M-Audio AIR 192|14, Mackie ProFxv3 6/10/12; 2012 MBPs Catalina, Mojave IK-NI-Izotope-PSP-Garritan-Antares, LogicPro X, Finale 27.4, Dorico 5.2, Notion 6, Overture 5, TwistedWave, DSP-Q 5, SmartScore64 Pro, Toast 20 Pro
oh dear! - i don't like to put the cat amongst the pigeons but a couple of the big european dealers have no stock of the pcie range of motu products!!
Nothing from MOTU as usual - is this the end?!?
eri wrote:MOTU must sell audio wires - thunderbolt box for their pci audio interfaces to survive. MOTU, please care your customer.
I don't agree that their survival depends on it, but if it's technically possible, a Thunderbolt to Audiowire breakout box would be a big deal. On top of it, they could easily sell them for $299 a pop, and people would gladly pay it. I know I sure would!
eri wrote:MOTU must sell audio wires - thunderbolt box for their pci audio interfaces to survive. MOTU, please care your customer.
Must? Really? Do you have access to their marketing and financials? Do you know the potential if they do?
While I agree that it would be nice, I don't have the answers to any of those questions. With the low bandwidth requirements of audio, I have a funny feeling that "must" isn't the operating word here. As has been pointed out in other threads, four devices attached to a 424 could easily be handled via USB 2.
None of their competitors have anything either. With NAMM next week, the big announcements should be happening now or within the next seven days. So far, except for a few interfaces with TB interfaces grafted onto old product including the 828x, I'm hearing crickets.
DP 11.31; 828mkII FW, micro lite, M4, MTP/AV USB Firmware 2.0.1 2023 Mac Studio M2 8TB, 192GB RAM, OS Sonoma 14.4.1, USB4 8TB external, M-Audio AIR 192|14, Mackie ProFxv3 6/10/12; 2012 MBPs Catalina, Mojave IK-NI-Izotope-PSP-Garritan-Antares, LogicPro X, Finale 27.4, Dorico 5.2, Notion 6, Overture 5, TwistedWave, DSP-Q 5, SmartScore64 Pro, Toast 20 Pro
Hello, recently had a change to get MOTU 2408mk3 for a VERY good price, but it came with no PCI card. I have a late 2013 iMac, and i wonder if there is any chance to use MOTU without the card? And what advice/solution would you give me? Thanks!
griffin wrote:Hello, recently had a change to get MOTU 2408mk3 for a VERY good price, but it came with no PCI card. I have a late 2013 iMac, and i wonder if there is any chance to use MOTU without the card? And what advice/solution would you give me? Thanks!
The 2408 can't be used without a PCI card. I had hoped that MOTU would come out with a Thunderbolt adaptor to drive the Audiowire interface to the 2048, but it does not look like that is forthcoming. I'm afraid my only advice is to sell the 2408 and get something else.
