finster1 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 07, 2024 1:42 pm
How many inputs do you need? Think of the future, too. Mic? Line?
8 and 8 have been plenty. I have a Presonus Digimax lt optical (Adat)I have some nice outboard mic pres as well
What MIDI box(es) are you currently using? Do you have a need for SMPTE?
MOTU MIDI Express XT. Don’t need smpte
…
For the moment, you appear to be in pretty good shape. Your MOTU MIDI Express XT will work as long as it is the USB version. Driver installation is tricky but we've sussed that out.
Although your monitor supports HDMI and Display Port, you will use the Studio's HDMI port. If you add more monitors, connect those via HDMI to USB-C cables. There's an issue with Display Port connections that I don't believe has been fixed (I had to demonstrate it to Cupertino).
Your monitor doesn't have a camera, microphone or speakers but I'll assume that you have that covered for now. If not, easy to address.
Besides the HDMI port, the M2 Ultra has 6 TB4/USB4 ports plus 2 more USB-A ports that USB 3.1 gen2 (old name USB 3.0). All are backward compatible to USB 1.1. Not all USB-C to USB-A adapters support 1.1 so plan on plugging your MIDI box into one of the USB-A ports. Otherwise, make sure that your other cables support USB 2 (420 kB/s) and you'll be fine. If in doubt, USB Printer Cables only support USB 2/1.1 and come in all configurations—normally, USB-B to USB-C for most peripherals. If you still need a hub, plenty of solutions available depending on your needs.
Apple changed the rules for Cloud connections and storage with macOS Monterey and later. Cloud files are accessed through the CloudStorage folder (users/(user name/Library/CloudStorage) including Dropbox, GoogleDrive etc. There is no more sync'ing files on your Mac to the cloud; it now works in reverse. If you have enough storage space on your System drive, you may share copies of these files to your Mac—not enough storage means the files stay in the cloud and no copies are stored locally. The advantages are a) that you can work on the copies and they update the cloud files as your internet speed allows b) these local copies will back up to Time Machine (and Backblaze if you use it). The downside is that you cannot share these to external drives. Depending on how much data is involved, this may affect how much onboard storage you need.
Plan on using Time Machine. Get a mechanical hard drive more than twice as big as all your data needs and have it run automatically. You can use a USB3 dock or a box connected via ethernet to your router/wi-fi modem as I do.
Having 8TB onboard storage adds $2,200 to the price of an m2 Ultra — necessary if sharing huge cloud files as I do but not everyone has those needs. A 4 Lane USB 4 housing with a NVMe 3 x4 blade is less than half the speed of internal storage but still blazing fast. The fastest external storage you can have is a single blade in a e Lane housing: 2800MB/s for data only with another 8000MB/s for video and a combined theoretical maximum of 3200MB/s. Newer blades can have much higher numbers for internal mounting in PCs but they cannot go faster over a USB4/TB4/3 cable. Multiple drive housings are slower.
TB4/3 is based on USB 4 but Thunderbolt is certified and licensed by Intel while USB4 is not. Some of us have already tested USB4 drives and cables finding identical performance and lower cost.
This $99 USB 4 housing is as fast as the protocol allows and runs nice and cool with an 8TB blade connected to my system. Unlike TB4/3, this actually connects to my 2012 MacBook Pro over USB 2 (!)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BBZ ... UTF8&psc=1
OWC's version has a sexier heat sink and can be bought loaded or empty. Unlike the other solutions, it isn't shipping yet but can be pre-ordered.
https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/owc-express-1m2
Some blades, especially those advertised for gaming come with heat sinks. The housings I linked have heat sinks built in with no room for others. Again, the maximum numbers in an external housing are absolute and higher advertised speeds cannot change this.
This is a good price on a 4TB blade from a well known company.
https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-PCIe-NAN ... ref=sr_1_9
8TB blades range from around $839 to $1,200.
https://www.amazon.com/Oyen-Digital-Sol ... ef=sr_1_14
Nothing wrong with starting at 4TB and upgrading later.
Interface — I see no need for a Thunderbolt interface here unless your future needs are much greater than the present. the RTL (round trip latency) between the fastest TB interface and
Fast USB 2 is the same as moving your ears closer to or further away from your monitor speakers about 18".
It looks to me that the MOTU 8pre USB will do everything you need including connect to your ADAT expander (and has a DIN 5 MIDI port). USB only.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... -interface
If you need the additional horsepower and connectivity, the 8pre-es is a great choice. USB2 and TB1 (use the Apple adapter to connect to TB3/4).
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... tu-8pre-es
Then there's the 8M
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... e-with-avb
Due to component shortages, the above are backordered just about everywhere at the moment. If you do not need 8 mic inputs, there are a lot more choices out there. One thing about MOTU is that if you buy a used interface, Support can un-register it from any former owner which lets you get installation help etc. as long as it's a supported model.
Don't know if you are using Cue Mix or not. Some of the newer interfaces don't have it—with the low RTL nowadays, many don't feel the need. The 8pre series does, however.