MOTU 828 Mk 1 FireWire talking to new MacBook Pro Retina

[sawsinepulse]

I have a MOTU 828 Mk 1 that I've been using with a series of FireWire Mac computers. I'm now switching to a new MacBook Pro which doesn't have FireWire. Is there any way to use the MOTU 828 with the new MacBook Pro Retina? I know the MBP has a Thunderbolt port, and that Apple sells a Thunderbolt to FireWire adapter, but I have read very bad reviews of the product (it works sometimes, sometimes not), and I don't know whether it would work with a MOTU 828 for music recording.

Any help on getting the two to talk to each other nicely would be much appreciated!

[mikehalloran]

The TB-FW adapter does poorly on bus powered devices because TB passes only 7V instead of the 22V of the FireWire spec. The 828 is not a bus powered unit so this isn't an issue for you.

I recommend getting a FW800 - 400 cable instead of using a second adapter. This makes your connection more secure.

The MOTU 8pre is the only device I know that won't work with the adapter. TB does not pass the entire FW spec. The 8pre requires a direct FW port.