M-Audio 192/14 — If MOTU ever makes an M8…

[mikehalloran]

One of the features of this new crop of Fast USB 2 small interfaces is the InputOutput Monitor Mix control as on the M4. Mackie calls it the Blend and other makers have their own names but they all do the same thing: Control the balance between the audio out and the
USBB audio in. Latency is so low that this allows near-zero monitoring without setting anything up in your DAW or using an additional app such as CueMix. If the balance isn't right, twist a knob till it is.

It is now an essential part of my workflow. Problem is that very few interfaces have enough Ins/Outs and the Blend control—almost none of those send more than 2 channels over USB. For example, the Scarlett 3rd Gen has the blend control on the small units only.

The MOTU M4 is one of very few with 4 out over USB but a max of 4 simultaneous in while the Line Ins aren't hot enough to handle any of my keyboards without a DI — and then I have to unplug to use my iPad… Ok, I can make it work but if I need 4 identical Ins, I'm out of luck and that's a lot of cable swapping for the one-armed guy. Otherwise, it's very good with a Morely/Ebtech LLS-2 to bring the level of my keyboard or iPad to barely acceptable.

The Mackie ProFxv3 is available from 6–30+ inputs but only 2 out over USB. Ok… 2 is not enough for me at times but the 10 channel version lets me plug everything in and I like the Pan and Mute controls. I never use the built-in effects, footswitch, EQs or Inserts — but I could. Only 2 Combi-Jacks—even the 30 channel. Like the rest, the Line Ins have no gain pot and aren't hot enough for any keyboard I own including the new Yamaha. I use a pair of LLS-2s for my keyboard and iPad to get the necessary gain. No MIDI.

Which brings me to the $299 M-Audio 192/14. https://m-audio.com/air-192-14The descriptors say 8 in / 4 out but don't ever state anything else. The manual goes on and on about its analog functionality (actually 8 in x 6 out) and don't mention what happens over USB — not once. I couldn't tell that it was actually 4 out. I emailed M-Audio pre-sales support and spoke with my Sweetwater rep. Both referred me to the software packages but I'm using it with DP. Finally, I told Sweetwater to send one and, if it was only 2 out, I'd be calling for an RMA. Here's what I found:

The Good

It is not 8x4 over USB. It’s 8 x 8!

Each input has its own out in 4 pairs. Outs 1,3,5,7 are hard panned L while 2,4,6,8 are found R. DP handles this easily, of course and on a Mono track, it’s not an issue as long as you select the correct input. A stereo source will come in as in the source. Monitoring is done either Mono or Stereo by pushing a button.

2 headphone amps. Either can be switched to monitor 1/2 or 3/4.

Inputs 5 & 6 are high quality DIs with gain pots that can handle any of my keyboards or iPad — at last!

The Line ins in the 4 Combi-Jacks are controlled by the input gain knobs. At max, they’re about as hot as the M4 or Mackie inputs after the signal is posted by the Ebtech. Good enough. Add an LLS-2 and the signal is about s hot as 5&6.

MIDI

Direct Monitor Mono/Stereo switch feeds the Monitor Mix (Blend) control. Has a nice LED bar to tell you which mode. (Uh… Mackie?)

All controls on top of unit for easy access. Designed for the desktop and can’t be rack mounted.

M-Audio has phone support.

Less than half the desk space of my Mackie ProFx10v3


The Neutral:


MIDI is a pair of 5-pin to TRS dongles. Keeps the unit small. I have yet to test it and whatever drivers may be required.

Inputs 5 & 6 plus the headphone jacks and controls are awkwardly placed below a lip on the front of the unit. If I had to unplug and plug often, this would be annoying.

Big knob for control room does not feel as solid as you’d want.

Tiny finish flaws in both units I received (I’ll get to that)



The Not So Good:

They advertise effects but they’re not built-in like the Mackie. That’s a separate Air package that you install. No thanks, these low-latency interfaces let you enable many effects in DP while tracking.

The owners manual is pretty much useless, making no mention of useful specs and digital routing.

When I talked to M-Audio Support, I already knew more about these in 15 minutes than they did. Same with Sweetwater.

The headphone amps need to cranked to be useful. Not used to this with Sony 7506s. A less sensitive set of cans may find this inadequate. I use this $40 Mackie so it’s not an issue for me.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... -amplifier


The Unpleasant—might be a deal breaker:


These 4 Mic Preamps have an unusual input gain structure. My Neumann and clone mics don’t seem to wake up before you turn the gain to 8 or so (3 or so on the Mackie or M4). My AKG C 535 EBs don’t really register till cranked closer to 9. Turning to 10 overloads the gain as it should, however. Huh?!?!

Can’t crank to 11 on these, James.

I was on the horn to Avid Support. We went through some of my mics and he said my dynamics would probably need a Cloudlifter or hi-gain preamp but the response to my condensers was not right and issued me a prepaid RMA label. The “expedited” return took two weeks to get here. Not so good.

I plugged the new unit in and the input gain taper was the same — so I played with it.

It’s as if the entire gain stage is between 8 and 10. As I was at oh, 9.5, my SM57 & 58 became useable, even with a gizmo (resister wired in parallel to drop the input impedance drops the level around 2dB) ???? Supposedly, a 57 is unusable— ok, moving on…

Older M-Audio interfaces had a reputation for being able to handle a Shure SM7B without a Cloutlifter or additional mic pre. Per both support techs, don’t even try it… You know what I did next, right? The input knob was at 9.5 and my SM7B was dull and lifeless but at 9.6, it woke right up. Ok, that’s weird— I gotta take this all the way.

Out come 3 of my ribbon mics. My sE Voodoo 1 (passive) came alive around 9.7 and sounded pretty good up close. My Beyer M500 had acceptable level with a little more gain. Even my Shure 315 was acceptable when the input was cracked to 10. Ok, all 3 were on my voice up close. I’d never use them without a Cloudlifter VLZ to shape the low end by playing with the impedance and gain but that they worked at all was totally unexpected.

If you owned certain amps in the ’70s–’80s, you’d try them out in the store and, at 1.5 or so on the input knob, it would be quite loud. Then you’re in band rehearsal and discover that, between 4–10, the amp didn’t have much more to give. The input knob taper was meant to fool you into thinking these were more powerful than they were. The object being to get you to take them home. Well, these are the opposite and it doesn’t really make sense.

Bottom line: I’m keeping it but I really hope that MOTU makes an 8 channel version of the M4 with the same strengths and a more even input gain structure.



My 828mkII may still be useful for this and that but I don’t know that I’ll use it again.