New Product: MOTU Track 16

[MIDI Life Crisis]

And damn it Chevy made the Volt but didn't put out a new fire truck. For those of you who need cars, that's great but I have fires to put out. How does that help me?

[toodamnhip]

And damn it Chevy made the Volt but didn't put out a new fire truck. For those of you who need cars, that's great but I have fires to put out. How does that help me?

It must help due to it being FIRE wire

[bayswater]

It is cool, but for those of us who have a MOTU audio interface we are happy with, does this product add anything?
What am I missing?

It doesn't seem to do anything unique or new. Maybe aimed at new users that might like the way it compares to a Duo.

[FutureLegends]

Nice video from B&H:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuaBLtKFPv8

[wvandyck]

Now shipping!!!
http://www.motu.com/newsitems/newslette ... w-shipping

[Prime Mover]

Oh wow, another cool thing that I can't afford!

[martian]

i think they missed a trick not giving it 6 outputs for standard surround..

presume that big knob on it can act like a big knob? I'm talking Mackie big knob volume control incase some knob gets confused!


that would have perhaps convinced me it was what I needed...

like the glow in the dark LED.. thats useful as is the oscilloscope

[wvandyck]

Expect a review within the next week or so after I've

[Shooshie]

Nice video from B&H:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuaBLtKFPv8

Excellent video. Answers pretty much every question I've considered asking about the Track 16. And the unit is quite an amazing device. I can't tell you how many times I have wished that MOTU would provide a big knob on their interfaces, such that you select the track/parameter you want and start adjusting. On their legacy boxes you can't do more than one thing at a time, anyway, so a single big knob is all we have every really needed. Of course there is CueMix (and it still is the fundamental interface of this unit), but CueMix has never felt "immediate." When you're working with audio, you need a big knob. (… and forget the Freudian overtones of that statement; sometimes a knob is just a knob) It just feels better when you're directly connected to inputs or outputs with a sensitive hardware device, and this is that.

Definitely on my watch list. I don't need it right now, but I can see myself having that if any of a number of possible changes in my work occur in the next few years. I'll bet we'll be seeing a Thunderbolt version of it. (darn! I had to buy a new Mac Pro, and couldn't wait until 2013 for Thunderbolt) This is one of the most exciting devices I've seen out there. If they have kept their A/D and D/A quality high, this should soon become a ubiquitous sight in studios, just as the MIDI Time Piece and 2408 have been.



Shooshie

[wvandyck]

I had been eying the UltraLite-mk3 Hybrid for quite a while for more I/O with my MBP. But the smaller foot print of the Track 16 really grabbed my attention as soon as it's impending release was announced.

Here are a couple of images taken soon after removal from the box.







The sleek design of the unit sparked immediate visual appeal while I found the clear layout of the knob, buttons, and connectors easy to operate. Labeling on the unit is easy to read.

The initial test was via hook up with the supplied beefy FW cable. The manual is well written with frequent mention of important aspects of set up and operation, which I found helpful. Viewing the excellent B&H video that FL posted above was also a quick jump starter.

The breakout cable and USB connections also worked flawlessly!

The big Knob does not control DAW functions but adjusts on-screen Cue Mix FX parameters as labeled on the unit itself:
- Input Trim for mic, guitar, analog and digital inputs inputs
- Outputs: main, phone, and line.

The glide of the knob is very smooth while the responsive push buttons provide a comfortable tactile contact.

A MIDI guitar controller was connected to the MIDI In cable, with the Out connected to a hardware sound module. No surprise, it worked perfectly.

All mic, guitar, and line inputs were transparent and quiet.
Main and phone outputs were also robust and quiet.

Heat was initially much less than what's generated by my MBP, but it increases the longer the unit is on.

So how does it sound?
I recorded 3 (out of 5) pick up positions on the fabulous Godin LGX-SA: pos. 1 Neck p.u. (SD SH II jazz humbucker), pos. 3 Combined humbucker and single coils, and pos. 5 Bridge p.u. (SD Custom lll humbucker).

A slow strum on an open E was a quick way to hear low to high notes while the resonant notes sustained to fade.
For comparison, this minimalist piece was DI recorded via Hi Z inputs into the Track 16, an 828 mill with Black Lion modification, Apogee One and Ensemble.

Next up, an unmodified Octava MC 012 recorded the same open E chord played on a hand-built Yari-Alvarez into the mic inputs of the above interfaces. Mic was pointed at the top of the body around the 17th fret (midway between the sound hole and where the neck begins to cross over the body).

Slight fader adjustments were made for a more even playback listening level. I don't have golden ears, but, listening through the Blue Sky MediaDesk MKll 2.1 monitors and AKG 701 headphones, I found the differences to be very subtle between the interfaces for both direct input and miked sounds.

If there's interest, I can load the labeled .aiff files to Drop Box so that you can decide for yourself. (Folder size is just over 28 MB).

Gripes: The stick-on rubber feet were easy enough to applied by the user. They also keep the unit steady on the surface to counteract the heft of the breakout cable. However. when I would push the unit aside, the sticky feet would slide out of place. This means I have to remember to pick it up to move. The other issue is the labeling on the cables. I'm a few months shy of the the big six O and have the vision to prove it!!! In my case, I need good illumination and my glasses in order to read the labels. Color-coding with various hues of electrical tape is gonna be a necessity. Hopefully MOTU will have the breakout box ready sooner than later.

Based on my short time with the Track 16, my impression is that it's a winner in both form and function. Miked and DI recorded guitars have depth and clarity. while the output for monitors and headphones is transparent and robust.

At this price point, the UltraLite-mk3 is a viable option. But in my case I wanted the smaller foot print while still having access to a wide range of I/O options.

Bottom Line:

Audio files as referenced above: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20203707/Audio/ ... Bounce.zip

Magic Dave said he was gonna use one of these open E chords in his next CD. Seriously That's what he said.

[FutureLegends]

Thanks for the review!

Looks like MOTU has a winner on their hands. Even people on Gear Sl*tz seem to be positive towards it, and they usually bash everything motu over there.

Although retailers it's positive that B&H and also Sweetwater have released videos about it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2dYV4l3PPU

[Shooshie]

I have to say, that's a beautiful unit. I'm so glad to hear that its performance matches its design.

BTW, is that a Firewire 800 cable?

Thanks for the review. That helps a lot!

Shooshie

[wvandyck]

I have to say, that's a beautiful unit. I'm so glad to hear that its performance matches its design.

BTW, is that a Firewire 800 cable?

Thanks for the review. That helps a lot!

Shooshie

Good to hear that the review was helpful.

Paraphrasing the manual:
The Track 16 comes with a FW 9-pin Type B port that operates at 400 Mbit/s.
The provided cable is a 9-pin to 9-pin FW 400 B cable that looks like an 800.

The Trk16 can be connected to any FW port: Type A (6-pin), Type "mini" (4-pin), or Type B (9-pin).

Bus-powered operation is via FW 9-pin to 9-pin or 6-pin to 9-pin.

Use of the USB connection, breakout cables, FW 4-pin, or daisy-chaining FW requires use of the supplied DC power supply.
___

It is a beautiful unit!

[rolandvg99]

Drivers and manual are now available for download at motu.com

[mattleaf]

hello

i'm n the market for a new soundcard...

wondering about the draw of the firewire bus

can anyone confirm if this unit can be powered via the new firewire thunderbolt adapter in the retina macbook pro?

regards

matt