Motu 896MK3 Output level

[barjolprod]

Hello everyone,

I'm kind of new in the asking question in forum area. So don't hesitate to tell me where to go if i'm misleading.

Anyway, i'm gonna have a 896MK3 tommorow, and i wanted to know if i could change the output level reference on the eight anolog (+4 / -10) like we used to be able on a 896HD.
All of my material is based on +4dbu, and i'm affraid of this +19level would put the mess in my monitor configuration.

Thanks for taking the time to answer, i can't find anything in the manual.

A new member of the motu community

[TinenTech]

Welcome! By now you've gotten your 896 and know the answer to your first question...no, it doesn't do -10 (dBV) level outs. (I thought the -10/+4 was only on inputs in the old days?) I'm not sure if using it unbalanced would lower the level to -2 dBu, though.

But you should know that the "+19" spec you read refers to the maximum output level, not the nominal. It is +4, with 15 dB of headroom...pretty standard.

BTW, don't make the mistake of lowering the MAIN output level of the 896 to like -20 or -30 for everyday use, while leaving your monitor amps wide open. It's better to set the MAIN control (Left/Right outputs) between 0 and -6, then tweak the input sensitivity of your monitors so they give you your customary SPL (85 dB) with a typical signal. Less noisy, better resolution, less chance of blowing something up.