828 MK2 standalone: routing incoming ADAT to analog outs

[tomatoKetchup]

Hello,

I am using my 828 Mk2 as a standalone AD/DA converter (no Firewire), using ADAT IN and OUT from my main Audio Interface (an RME RAYDAT). I am sending my Main output from the RAYDAT to the 828 via an ADAT cable, then want to connect the Analog Out 1 and 2 of the 828 to my speakers.

Unfortunately, I get no sound out of any of the Analog outs, even though the signal is properly being sent through the lightpipe cable to the 828 (the ADAT IN led on the 828 panel lights up).

I am thinking that maybe incoming ADAT signal are not being automatically assigned to the Analog Outputs of the 828 by default. Is there any way to configure this in CueMix without the software (like I said, I am not using any Firewire cable)?

Thanks,
Thomas

[mikehalloran]

If using only in stand alone mode, best to reset to factory defaults. Here is the manual.

https://cdn-data.motu.com/manuals/fire ... al_Mac.pdf

You have limited access trough the front controls—anything more needs to be programmed from a Mac or PC

[tomatoKetchup]

Thanks for your reply. I did reset to factory default when I bought it (second hand). So it seems this is not the way it is routed by default. Sadly I have to firewire port on my machine.

[mikehalloran]

Thanks for your reply. I did reset to factory default when I bought it (second hand). So it seems this is not the way it is routed by default. Sadly I have to firewire port on my machine.

So you haven't read the manual. Ok…

It's a searchable pdf. Look for stand-alone which shows up 11 times. The section on stand-alone operation begins on pg. 57 but there are earlier references which is why you want to do the search.

[CharlzS]

Thanks for your reply. I did reset to factory default when I bought it (second hand). So it seems this is not the way it is routed by default. Sadly I have to firewire port on my machine.

You can dial in the configuration that you need using the front controls. It just takes a bit of reading the manual and a lot of patience.

[tomatoKetchup]

Thanks for your reply. I did reset to factory default when I bought it (second hand). So it seems this is not the way it is routed by default. Sadly I have to firewire port on my machine.

So you haven't read the manual. Ok…

It's a searchable pdf. Look for stand-alone which shows up 11 times. The section on stand-alone operation begins on pg. 57 but there are earlier references which is why you want to do the search.

Oh I did, searched throughout the manual but although you can configure routing of analog inputs to different outputs (ADAT, Firewire, etc), it seems you can't route incoming signals (from an ADAT lightpipe cable for instance) to various analog outputs from the front panel. I could not find any mention of it anyway.

[tomatoKetchup]

Ok, I have been confirmed by MOTU's tech support that such routing configuration cannot be done standalone from the unit's control panel, only using the software. Real pity...

[CharlzS]

Ok, I have been confirmed by MOTU's tech support that such routing configuration cannot be done standalone from the unit's control panel, only using the software. Real pity...

That surprises me because you can set the output pair of any mix bus from the front panel and then you can set the levels on each input on the mix bus. Also any reason you're not using the main outs? If you set the optical on both units to S/PDIF, would that approach help? Not willing to reconfigure mine to test - things are stable now.

[tomatoKetchup]

Ok, I have been confirmed by MOTU's tech support that such routing configuration cannot be done standalone from the unit's control panel, only using the software. Real pity...

That surprises me because you can set the output pair of any mix bus from the front panel and then you can set the levels on each input on the mix bus. Also any reason you're not using the main outs? If you set the optical on both units to S/PDIF, would that approach help? Not willing to reconfigure mine to test - things are stable now.

Yes unfortunately those mixbuses are only for routing physical inputs of the unit to various physical/digital outputs, and not the other way around. I think the design idea behind this was that the 828 could be used as a standalone mixer but that the developers assumed that if you were to use the 828 as an audio interface (as in, a device that interfaces between the computer and the outside world, e.g speaker system), you'd necessarily be using the Firewire connection for this.
Sadly, neither the Main Outs or Analog Outs are configured to output any of the physical/digital inputs by default. I would need to find a way to connect my 828 to a computer via Firewire at least once to run the CueMix software and make the connections then save them internally to the unit, then it would be fine. That's what I was told by MOTU's tech support anyway.

[CharlzS]

Sadly, neither the Main Outs or Analog Outs are configured to output any of the physical/digital inputs by default. I would need to find a way to connect my 828 to a computer via Firewire at least once to run the CueMix software and make the connections then save them internally to the unit, then it would be fine. That's what I was told by MOTU's tech support anyway.

On a factory reset, mix bus 1 is setup with the output as the mains, but all the faders are down. If you have the 828 small mix screen up (Gain Mix1), you cursor to the inputs coming in from the RME and raise the levels - that doesn't work sending the signal to the main outs?

[tomatoKetchup]

Sadly, neither the Main Outs or Analog Outs are configured to output any of the physical/digital inputs by default. I would need to find a way to connect my 828 to a computer via Firewire at least once to run the CueMix software and make the connections then save them internally to the unit, then it would be fine. That's what I was told by MOTU's tech support anyway.

On a factory reset, mix bus 1 is setup with the output as the mains, but all the faders are down. If you have the 828 small mix screen up (Gain Mix1), you cursor to the inputs coming in from the RME and raise the levels - that doesn't work sending the signal to the main outs?

Yes you're right indeed! It works this way, however, and this is what I had feared at the start, this means sacrificing one of the Mix buses. The way I had the 828 configured was that each analog input pair (1 to 8 ) is routed to the corresponding ADAT output pair (1-8) out to my RME sound card, via the 4 stereo mix buses. It's a real shame there are only 4 of these in total because I'm now forced to lose 2 inputs this way then.

I was under the impression that direct routing of inputs to outputs could be done separate to those 4 Mix buses but re-reading the manual, it seems the CueMix software won't allow this either.

[CharlzS]

I've noticed a few folks have been bitten by the four bus limitation over the years. With the mk3 they upped it to eight mix buses. You can get creative and route more than one pair of analog inputs to an ADAT bus, but then it gets confusing and you can't use everything together if you want discreet inputs.

[tomatoKetchup]

I've noticed a few folks have been bitten by the four bus limitation over the years.

Quite understandably given the present example.