Thanks again Jidis..
What I ended up doing yesterday was to wipe and re-install my machine, so I guess that will take care of any old names or settings that might be kicking around. I've not yet had a chance to try Cubase.
I've been focusing on getting the Motu sorted out first with Windows, Sounds & Audio devices via Control panel.
The crux of the problem appears to be that windows isn't recognising the Motu properly as an audio interface. All the volume controls are greyed out within Sounds & Audio devices.
There doesn't seem to be any mechanism via the Motu which will allow you to modify the levels of WAVE sounds coming from the PC and so it looks like the WAVE level modifications need to take place in Windows but that kinda sucks for me at the moment due to my not being able to access any volume controls as already mentioned.
Very puzzling because i've just done a clean re-install so for now I can't think of what can be what.
Motu 24 i/o Recording Audio in Cubase SX3
Moderator: James Steele
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Discussion related to installation, configuration and use of MOTU hardware such as MIDI interfaces, audio interfaces, etc. with Windows
Discussion related to installation, configuration and use of MOTU hardware such as MIDI interfaces, audio interfaces, etc. with Windows
I don't have much time at the moment. What you are missing is that you cannot control the MOTU from Windows. That's what Cuemix is for. The other thing you might try in Cubase is to right click on any of the VU meters, & choose "Input level", or whatever it says. Now, ALL of the VU meters are displaying their feeds instead of their outputs. This might give some clues as to what's happening.
I think he's just talking about controlling output levels from a convenient place. Cuemix is more of an "input" thing for matrix routing.
Musicmad, in the back of my head, I remember gripes about MOTU's relationship with Windows' sound software. I think regular (non-ASIO) drivers are supposed to have some sort of code that links them into the multimedia part of the OS, so they can be controlled by all the Windows mixer junk, but maybe the MOTU doesn't have it. Again, I don't map through mine, but I do recognize (and utilize) the need to use it for non-ASIO stuff. I can use mine in Winamp and MediaPlayer Classic, but I use MediaPlayer's volume control, and for Winamp, I resort to (very carefully) adjusting the knob on the 2408mk3. Winamp,etc. has the 2408 outs selectable in it's prefs, but they're sort of vague IIRC, like right now, it's on "PCI-424 1-8" or something. I think it just addresses them in "banks" and routes to the first two outs or something. I keep a "boombox bus" routed to 7&8 in Nuendo, so I can't play through that AFAIK.
George
PS- I doubt this will ever change, but many of us have tried to stress the importance of not only issues like basic compliance with Windows sound protocols, to just the overall importance of that whole platform to a company on this level. I mean, not meant as a bash, but it's really not top of the line "rock solid dependable" (expensive) hardware. It's more on the project/home studio level, which is obviously swarmed with fellow Windows users. I think the minority of DAW people who have NO chance of ever using their audio hardware for the more "general purpose" junk are already running RME, Lynx, Apogee,etc. It's a heck of a market to neglect.
Musicmad, in the back of my head, I remember gripes about MOTU's relationship with Windows' sound software. I think regular (non-ASIO) drivers are supposed to have some sort of code that links them into the multimedia part of the OS, so they can be controlled by all the Windows mixer junk, but maybe the MOTU doesn't have it. Again, I don't map through mine, but I do recognize (and utilize) the need to use it for non-ASIO stuff. I can use mine in Winamp and MediaPlayer Classic, but I use MediaPlayer's volume control, and for Winamp, I resort to (very carefully) adjusting the knob on the 2408mk3. Winamp,etc. has the 2408 outs selectable in it's prefs, but they're sort of vague IIRC, like right now, it's on "PCI-424 1-8" or something. I think it just addresses them in "banks" and routes to the first two outs or something. I keep a "boombox bus" routed to 7&8 in Nuendo, so I can't play through that AFAIK.
George
PS- I doubt this will ever change, but many of us have tried to stress the importance of not only issues like basic compliance with Windows sound protocols, to just the overall importance of that whole platform to a company on this level. I mean, not meant as a bash, but it's really not top of the line "rock solid dependable" (expensive) hardware. It's more on the project/home studio level, which is obviously swarmed with fellow Windows users. I think the minority of DAW people who have NO chance of ever using their audio hardware for the more "general purpose" junk are already running RME, Lynx, Apogee,etc. It's a heck of a market to neglect.
Here's a direct quote off the MOTU tech. notes pages:
Q- Why do I not have access to the Windows volume control when I use my MOTU Audio Interface?
A- MOTU wave audio cannot be controlled by "Volume Control", the Windows multimedia applet associated with the volume functions of the operating system. Some MOTU audio interfaces are equipped with a dedicated main out volume knob, headphone volume knob, or a combination of the two. Interfaces without volume knobs rely on the host application's master output for volume control. (ie: the volume slider in Windows Media or the master volume fader in Sonar). CueMix is a virtual input monitor mixer, allowing you to patch inputs trough to assigned output(s). The CueMix output section functions mainly as the output volume control for the monitor mix CueMix creates. It does not include the computer's audio output.
Q- Why do I not have access to the Windows volume control when I use my MOTU Audio Interface?
A- MOTU wave audio cannot be controlled by "Volume Control", the Windows multimedia applet associated with the volume functions of the operating system. Some MOTU audio interfaces are equipped with a dedicated main out volume knob, headphone volume knob, or a combination of the two. Interfaces without volume knobs rely on the host application's master output for volume control. (ie: the volume slider in Windows Media or the master volume fader in Sonar). CueMix is a virtual input monitor mixer, allowing you to patch inputs trough to assigned output(s). The CueMix output section functions mainly as the output volume control for the monitor mix CueMix creates. It does not include the computer's audio output.
Thanks for sticking with me on this one guys.
I guess that Q&A knocks it on the head airstorm, thank you thank you, i'll just have to get used to things and try match levels a bit closer between whats running on audio and whats on MIDI. The Cubase mixer helps.
I guess thats it, with all your help i've now gone from Motu Audio recording Noob to .. erm.. no i'm still a Motu Audio Recording Noob,lol, but one on more of a mission.
Ok.. theres just one more thing
i've just noticed in Cubase is that 'sometimes' when I export audio tracks Wav or MP3 the pitch changes both in the Output file and the Audio track which remains in Cubase.
Also, when I export to audio files 'Highest Quality' wav or mp3 there is some slight noise or hiss around the actual sound(s) when I play the tracks back. Theres no noise within the audio tracks in Cubase pre-export.
Does this noise/hiss come with the territory or should it be noise free? Can it be noise free?
I guess that Q&A knocks it on the head airstorm, thank you thank you, i'll just have to get used to things and try match levels a bit closer between whats running on audio and whats on MIDI. The Cubase mixer helps.
I guess thats it, with all your help i've now gone from Motu Audio recording Noob to .. erm.. no i'm still a Motu Audio Recording Noob,lol, but one on more of a mission.
Ok.. theres just one more thing
i've just noticed in Cubase is that 'sometimes' when I export audio tracks Wav or MP3 the pitch changes both in the Output file and the Audio track which remains in Cubase.
Also, when I export to audio files 'Highest Quality' wav or mp3 there is some slight noise or hiss around the actual sound(s) when I play the tracks back. Theres no noise within the audio tracks in Cubase pre-export.
Does this noise/hiss come with the territory or should it be noise free? Can it be noise free?
Now you're into the tricky territory! The pitch changes USUALLY are caused by a change in sample rate, I.E. You record all the work at 48K, the export gets set to 44.1K (CD standard), & there you have it... Just like playing a record at 33 1/3 when it's a 45... Errr something like that I heard. I'm not old enough to know such things. 
Have read about dithering yet? Not to mention the help files contained in Cubase. There have literally been volumes worth written on the art of mastering, and a few more on getting it all back out of the digital domain cleanly.
My advice is to decide on bit rate & depth, then stick with it across the board. I am dealing right now with some tracks done previously at 96K, & THE 2408Mk3 is a little moody about that setting it seems, so it gets tricky.
Try the CD standard 44.1K @ 16 bit depth. That is the safest & most universal.
Good luck!
P.S. Anybody reading this ever have anomaly's with 96K recording on 2408Mk3/424PCIe setups? I have to send out of mixer Busses 1 & 4 or something like that to have it show up in cubase as 1 L/R. I can't find anything in documentation bout it. I'll start new thread after one more check.
Have read about dithering yet? Not to mention the help files contained in Cubase. There have literally been volumes worth written on the art of mastering, and a few more on getting it all back out of the digital domain cleanly.
My advice is to decide on bit rate & depth, then stick with it across the board. I am dealing right now with some tracks done previously at 96K, & THE 2408Mk3 is a little moody about that setting it seems, so it gets tricky.
Try the CD standard 44.1K @ 16 bit depth. That is the safest & most universal.
Good luck!
P.S. Anybody reading this ever have anomaly's with 96K recording on 2408Mk3/424PCIe setups? I have to send out of mixer Busses 1 & 4 or something like that to have it show up in cubase as 1 L/R. I can't find anything in documentation bout it. I'll start new thread after one more check.
