UPDATED: Could this OWC chassis work with MOTU PCIe-424?

[James Steele]

This interesting. I recall UA saying that only the UAD-2 PCIe OCTO would be compatible with a an external TB to PCIe chassis, yet OWC claims that theirs is compatible across the whole range. Here's a link to their compatibility chart that shows a variety of pro audio cards. Notably absent is the MOTU PCIe-424, but I suspect it just hasn't been tested.

http://eshop.macsales.com/tech_center/T ... atibility/

Seriously, I'm not thinking about a nMP anytime soon, but it would be nice to know that if this worked, I could just continue to use my current audio interfaces and studio setup. They have a single card chassis for $249. That's not much different that what MOTU would charge to upgrade from the PCI to PCIe version of the 424.

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/Thunderb ... ry_Helios/

[James Steele]

Forget it! My bad... there was a tiny annotation next to the listing for the UAD-2 Solo, and the corresponding footnote reads thusly:

5. Due to an incompatibility in PCIe addressing schemes, the SOLO, DUO, and QUAD versions of this card are incompatible when hosted by the new Mac Pro (2013). Aside from the new Mac Pro, they are compatible with the rest of the currently shipping Macs and most PCs.

So it's just as I thought, thus my UA plug-in purchase embargo stays in effect.

Still... it would be awesome if the PCIe-424 worked in the 1 slot chassis. Many Avid cards apparently will.

[mikehalloran]

It's a firmware issue, same as with UAD. MOTU would have to develop and release a new firmware chip to make it work. Since that hasn't happened by now, no reason to hope it ever will.

UAD said they would be able to make the Octo work but I don't know that they ever did. I presume that it has an updatable firmware controller chip set.

[James Steele]

It's a firmware issue, same as with UAD. MOTU would have to develop and release a new firmware chip to make it work. Since that hasn't happened by now, no reason to hope it ever will.

UAD said they would be able to make the Octo work but I don't know that they ever did. I presume that it has an updatable firmware controller chip set.

Thanks, Mike. Thought it might be too good to be true. I remember at NAMM suggesting to MOTU either they make a TB breakout box that would support AudioWire, or if that was going to eat into sales of new MOTU TB interfaces, than why not hang a couple legacy AudioWire connectors on the back of the interface... similar to how you can hang an older serial MOTU MTP off the back of a newer MTP AV. That way, they still sell at least one interface, but users don't have to junk their PCIe/AudioWire interfaces. My HD192 is still going strong.