MOTU UltraLite Mk5 Mute and Volume

[WaterBoyEternal]

Does anyone else really want the option to mute the speakers via a button on the interface / have a velocity sensitive volume knob?

This feels like a massive oversight for this interface. What if you suddenly get feedback or have a glitch where loud sound is coming out your speakers?

It seems like it would be possible via a firmware update?

[steffanp]

I definitely second this! I just got the interface and am otherwise blown away by it so far. Adding these features would make the Ultralite mk5 (and any other MOTU interfaces lacking this) be WAY more convenient to use for someone switching between monitors and headphones frequently.

[WaterBoyEternal]

Bumping this post because its still important to me!

Here's the behavior I'd like specifically:

Velocity sensitive volume control - turning the Main Vol Knob Faster = exponentially more volume change

Mutes - Pressing the preamp 1 knob mutes the currently selected output

Please grant my wish!!!

[mikehalloran]

A desirable feature perhaps but I wouldn't hold my breath since another solution already exists.

This function is built in to many (most) monitor controllers. Rather than a single Mute button, those that handle multiple speaker pairs use an In/Out button for each pair. In the shot below, these are the A & B switches.

Other standard controls on many include Sum to Mono, Dim (-20dB reduction) and Sub(woofer) In/Out.

Screen Shot 2023-01-23 at 10.36.09 AM.png (1.44 MiB) Viewed 1252 times

The price on this one has jumped way up in recent years. The top mounted trim pots and Sub phase switch keep me from having to access my speakers directly, extremely difficult with my handicap. There are plenty of others with similar functionality that cost less. The Mackie Big Knob was the industry standard for decades and the Presonus gets a lot of love around here, too.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/search ... rch-header

[mikehalloran]

…
Please grant my wish!!!

This board has no affiliation with MOTU so you'll have to send that request into them.

OTOH, being independent means we know things that they don't really want customers to know. This includes drivers that allow long discontinued gear to still function on modern Macs and PCs..

[WaterBoyEternal]

Ah I didn't realize this wasn't run directly by motu!

Well my issue is that I'd need a surround controller. I don't like any of the options on the market for features or price.

I think I'm going to sell this thing and buy something from antelope! Too bad because I really liked my MOTU m4, the ultralite mk5 not as much.

[James Steele]

Ah I didn't realize this wasn't run directly by motu!

It might be that you're accessing the board via Tapatalk? Otherwise, if you use a web browser, at the top of every page just under the banner in rather large type it says this:

MOTUNATION (formerly UnicorNation) is an independent community for discussing Digital Performer and other MOTU audio software and hardware. It is not affiliated with MOTU.

We try to make that as clear as possible so there's no confusion as we are free to say most anything we want here, but don't want there to be cases where anyone assumes we speak for MOTU. Like Mike alluded to, users can share *unofficial* solutions to driver problems, etc, that MOTU employees may not be able to... and often for good reasons having to do with product liability perhaps, etc.

[adamcycle]

I have an Audio Express and encountered the same thing. I'm not sure if this is a "me" thing, and OS thing or what, but I can't use the Mac's mute key to mute the interface's output.

I ended up paying for the full version of Rogue Amoeba's SoundSource utility so I can click an icon in the menu bar to mute. I also used the Mac's Shorcuts utility to create a hotkey combo to toggle the mute.