UA Apollo x8 Monitoring

[mustech]

Pulling my hair out trying to help a bud: He's got a UA Apollo x8 and DP 9. When he goes to Setup>Configure Audio System>Input Monitoring, the option for Direct Hardware Playthrough does not appear. Any thoughts?

[HCMarkus]

Pulling my hair out trying to help a bud: He's got a UA Apollo x8 and DP 9. When he goes to Setup>Configure Audio System>Input Monitoring, the option for Direct Hardware Playthrough does not appear. Any thoughts?

Pretty sure DHP only works with certain MOTU interfaces.

He may want to use the Apollo's internal mixer for near-zero latency monitoring.

http://media.uaudio.com/support/manuals ... erbolt.pdf

[mustech]

This board is awesome. I found the answer in an earlier thread (should always search first). The trick was to turn off Audio Patch Thru first. Thanks HC Markus, monitoring through the Apollo is exactly what I wanted to do, but you get a doubled signal when "Monitor record-enabled tracks through effects" is chosen. Turning of Audio Patch Thru allowed me to switch to "Direct hardware playthrough." Doesn't seem to matter who makes the hardware.

MG

[HCMarkus]

Just to be clear, Direct Hardware Playthrough is only supported with MOTU's older "CueMix" hardware, is not supported with MOTU AVB interfaces, and was never supported with other manufacturers' hardware.

From an old SOS article:

If you use a compatible MOTU interface, you might find you've an extra option...: Direct Hardware Playthrough. It's a nifty feature too. When you select it (and Audio Patch Thru is turned on) DP makes temporary CueMix routings on your interface to route track inputs to their outputs, with zero latency, using the fader and pan settings you make in the Mixing Board. This means that for many recording tasks you can take advantage of CueMix without ever booting up CueMix Console. Direct Hardware Playthrough routings are made in addition to anything you might have already set up in CueMix Console or on the interface itself, so 'zero' those first to avoid confusion.

You are simply monitoring your inputs thru the Apollo's hardware mixer, which is perfect!

[mustech]

Thanks HC. Not looking to argue, but you noted that your quote is from an SOS article that is 10 years old. For every DAW and every interface out there, there needs to be a way to make the binary choice of 1) monitoring through the software or 2) monitoring through the hardware. Unless I am missing something, "Input Monitoring Mode" is where this choice is made in DP. As you correctly state, I am simply monitoring through the Apollo. This isn't practical without "Direct hardware playthrough" selected because I would get two signals, the DP signal being delayed a bit from the Apollo signal.

Thanks for helping me out,
Michael

[HCMarkus]

Thanks HC. Not looking to argue, but you noted that your quote is from an SOS article that is 10 years old. For every DAW and every interface out there, there needs to be a way to make the binary choice of 1) monitoring through the software or 2) monitoring through the hardware. Unless I am missing something, "Input Monitoring Mode" is where this choice is made in DP. As you correctly state, I am simply monitoring through the Apollo. This isn't practical without "Direct hardware playthrough" selected because I would get two signals, the DP signal being delayed a bit from the Apollo signal.

Thanks for helping me out,
Michael

Not looking to argue either... really and truly, only looking to make sure accurate info is presented here With that said, turning OFF Input Monitoring in DP (Studio Menu > Audio Patch Thru > Off) is what I believe actually accomplished your desired result. See page 219 "Input Monitoring Modes Audio Patch Thru Settings" table in the DP9 Manual.

Also, on Page 220 of the DP9 Manual, MOTU notes:

If you are using DP with an external mixer... you might choose to monitor in the external hardware instead of thru DP. In this scenario... disable Audio Patch Thru.

Also, in fairness, the DP9 Manual is less than clear on page 221, which references the Direct Hardware Playthrough option under the Setup> Configure Audio System > Input Monitoring Mode. The manual could be read as suggesting this option is available for all interfaces. However, experience and the words of others cause me to believe otherwise.

On my Mac system which is running DP9.52 under Sierra with a MOTU 828es, DHP is unavailable. The DHP option is greyed out, regardless of how I set Audio Patch Thru. Color me surprised if DHP is available in DP9 on any computer which does not have a MOTU CueMix-enabled interface attached.

Regardless, I am glad you got it sorted! Onward!

[badfun]

I know this is an old post, but I arrived here with the same issue as the OP and can confirm that Direct Hardware Playthrough is grayed out for me, using an Apollo X4. I got confused about what to do because previously I was using a MOTU interface, and turning on DHP was always my go-to when I had an issue with hearing both inputs. So for my Apollo setup, Audio Patch Through is off, and that solves the problem, however, I now have to use Audio Monitoring meters to make sure there is signal, as the track inputs no longer show any.

[dtobocman]

Let me just second the awesomeness of this board. Came here with the same problem. Thanks for the inside track on "Audio Patch Thru OFF." Never would have occurred to me.

[HCMarkus]

A gift that keeps on giving... Happy Holidays!