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I've been trying to buy a 16A, but it's out of stock everywhere. Does anyone know if MOTU has stopped making these?

gjensse wrote: ↑Mon Dec 09, 2024 1:46 pm I've been trying to buy a 16A, but it's out of stock everywhere. Does anyone know if MOTU has stopped making these?

Unobtainium, along with the rest of the Thunderbolt AVB Line, for several years now.

HCMarkus wrote:

gjensse wrote: ↑Mon Dec 09, 2024 1:46 pm I've been trying to buy a 16A, but it's out of stock everywhere. Does anyone know if MOTU has stopped making these?

Unobtainium, along with the rest of the Thunderbolt AVB Line, for several years now.

I wish I understood why this is happening. My 828es and 24Ai are working fine, but this supply issue has shaken my confidence a little bit and made me curious about RME, etc. although they’re more expensive, but I hear the converters are nice.

Hmm... didn't know this.

Makes me wonder what I'll do in Q1 or Q2 next year when I FINALLY upgrade to a new Mac and install audio software. Definitely going to need new audio & MIDI interfaces 'cause mine won't be compatible, I know that much for sure, and of course I was expecting to go all-MOTU as I always have...

Again, it was a factory fire that put the AVB line out of business. Same factory provided RME with their Thunderbolt chips, which is why RME no longer has Thunderbolt interfaces either.

I hate to say it, but I just jumped ship after 24 or so years.. Thomann has killer prices on RME stuff, but there is a chance you get hit with import duties once it gets here. I picked up a Digiface USB for about half what it costs here at Sweetwater, along with a second Ferrofish Pulse 16 (again, about $300 cheaper than it is here). Only took three days to get here, but sat waiting to clear customs for a week, but I didn't even get hit with any charges for a $1320 order imported from Germany..

I had been eyeing that new 828 to replace my 828x (its starting to get a little flaky on me lately and has some USB 'quirks'), and figured I needed to hurry up and get my new interface now before any tariffs or anything kick in.. Before the new one dropped, I was planning on moving to the Digiface, not thinking we were going to see them again, and that price I just could not turn down. Those 8 extra ins and outs I have now were a BIG help. Now I got dedicated lines from the computer to my samplers, don't have to move my turntable around to play it, send/returning my effects directly from the console to the DAW, etc..

I'm using RME's new DriverKit drivers for it, haven't felt any need to move to the Kernel extension at all. About a 4ms round trip at 64 samples right now, and the thing starts up almost instantly unlike waiting for the 828 to boot.

I recently connected an 8A AVB interface to my 16A with an ethernet cable, so now I have 24 channels, but would have liked to have had 32. Are there any other ways to do this? I don't want to use an analog patchbay.
Are there any other manufacturers of AVB interfaces that can be connected to the MOTU ones?

If my 828ES dies at some point, I'd probably still go with the new USB-only 828, as I don't need any more inputs/outputs than I currently have and it would be such a simple drop-in solution for my studio, including the beloved punch in/out foot pedal jack.

mothra wrote: ↑Tue Dec 10, 2024 6:15 amDigiface USB

That said, the Digiface/Ferrofish combo looks very cool. Do I assume correctly that clocking will be via the ADAT connections?

gjensse wrote: ↑Tue Dec 10, 2024 7:15 am I recently connected an 8A AVB interface to my 16A with an ethernet cable, so now I have 24 channels, but would have liked to have had 32. Are there any other ways to do this? I don't want to use an analog patchbay.
Are there any other manufacturers of AVB interfaces that can be connected to the MOTU ones?

Any 8-channel ADAT converter should do the job; you can connect directly to the 16A, and that additional I/O will be available in the 16a's AVB Mixer. Anything from the Ferrofish that mothra discussed down to the $150 Behringer ADA8200.

Presonus was somewhat supporting AVB at one point, no idea if they still are and what compatibility looks like.

Factory fire is the first thing I’ve heard like an explanation.

HCMarkus wrote: ↑Tue Dec 10, 2024 7:34 am If my 828ES dies at some point, I'd probably still go with the new USB-only 828, as I don't need any more inputs/outputs than I currently have and it would be such a simple drop-in solution for my studio, including the beloved punch in/out foot pedal jack.

mothra wrote: ↑Tue Dec 10, 2024 6:15 amDigiface USB

That said, the Digiface/Ferrofish combo looks very cool. Do I assume correctly that clocking will be via the ADAT connections?

Yeah, I was a little worried at first about that, but so far so good after a few days of running it through its paces. When I first thought of going this route about a year ago, first choice was the LP32, as it has word clock, along with an actual volume knob for the headphone output, which is now my 'Main Out' to the system (the rest of the I/O is in the patchbay for its own purposes). That one seems to be on the same path, one day Sweetwater had them, and then nothing for months until a handful more come in, repeat. I remember my first converter with my 828mk2, didn't have a BNC cable yet, and it was pretty glitchy here and there, but that was ages ago, who knows what I did in the setup of it (think that was the good old AI-3).

I am going to miss things like the handy 'instrument' inputs on the front (no DI's needed to use guitar pedals)

@gjensse - I've actually used both the Ferrofish and that Behringer ADA8200 that was mentioned. Cant go wrong with either one. The Pulse is obviously a bit more, but it's definitely a step up and pretty rock solid conversion. You would be able to max out the 16A with another 16 in/out at 44.1/48khz as well. Im using two Pulses straight into the Digiface now (was using one with the 828x prior). I wasn't a fan of the Behringer's combo mic pre/line inputs or the front mounted inputs, but for the price it cant be beat if you need another 8 in a pinch. Stepping up, the Pulse 16 is one of the best 'bang for your buck' converters you can get.

HCMarkus wrote: ↑Tue Dec 10, 2024 7:34 am
@gjensse - I've actually used both the Ferrofish and that Behringer ADA8200 that was mentioned. Cant go wrong with either one. The Pulse is obviously a bit more, but it's definitely a step up and pretty rock solid conversion. You would be able to max out the 16A with another 16 in/out at 44.1/48khz as well. Im using two Pulses straight into the Digiface now (was using one with the 828x prior). I wasn't a fan of the Behringer's combo mic pre/line inputs or the front mounted inputs, but for the price it cant be beat if you need another 8 in a pinch. Stepping up, the Pulse 16 is one of the best 'bang for your buck' converters you can get.

Thanks for a very good tip! I didn't realize you could get 16 extra channels via ADAT. I will order the Ferrofish Pulse16 converter. It's also a less expensive solution than buying another 16A. I think I'll keep the 8A as well, but not in the rack.

EMRR wrote:Presonus was somewhat supporting AVB at one point, no idea if they still are and what compatibility looks like.

Factory fire is the first thing I’ve heard like an explanation.

Yeah, this is the first time I heard of this. I’d love to get a link if there’s a news article about it. Seems crazy that multiple manufacturers would be so dependent on one supplier that it could take down their product line. I’m wondering if the factory is being rebuilt or MOTU will find another supplier? Seems crazy that this puts a damper on AVB as well it seems.

Found this. Probably more out there but on my iPhone now and battery low. This was almost THREE years ago.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/23 ... -shortage/

Interesting. Ya know the only plant that made lacquers for record cutting burned several years ago, but there’s been no obvious hiccup in vinyl production.

EMRR wrote: ↑Wed Dec 11, 2024 8:27 am Interesting. Ya know the only plant that made lacquers for record cutting burned several years ago, but there’s been no obvious hiccup in vinyl production.

The Apollo plant? There is still the remaining one in Japan that's been carrying on, although the whole Fukushima thing put a damper on them for awhile..

this is a shame. I wonder if a Presonus AVB unit will work. I need to fill out my AVB inputs. Minus the wacky routing I really just need a lot of inputs and optical is so sketchy in my experience. MOTU really need to start adding AVB back into their line.