896HD or Onyx 1640?

[VI66]

Hi!

MOTU 896HD or Mackie Onyx 1640

Which of these two would be the better purchase and why?

I have a small project studio in home. I also plan on doing some location recording.

Also, could I run an onyx board, either the 1620 or the 1640 in conjunction with, say an 828mkII and/or an 896HD? Would I be able to throw audio back out of the CPU, into the 828mkII/896HD, and then send them to effects, all the while throwing some more tracks into the CPU via Onyx=828mkII/896HD=CPU?

Thanks!

<small>[ January 20, 2005, 07:51 PM: Message edited by: VI66 ]</small>

[VI66]

le bump

[tepmldm]

To me the biggest differences are:

1) ONYX 1640 has 16 mic preamps vs 896HD has 8

2) Input Monitoring Latency. On the ONYX you can monitor every input without latency. On the 896HD 1 mono or a stereo pair.

ONYX does not support multiple firewire devices on OSX.

I know it looks like the ONYX would be better, but it really depends on your situation.

[sdfalk]

From Motu's website about the 896HD:

You can add additional send/return loops using the 896HD••™s new CueMix DSP•„• on-board mixing feature, a flexible DSP-driven 18-input/8-bus mixing and monitoring matrix that eliminates the need for an external mixer or patchbay. Connect all of your studio gear, including microphones, guitars, synths, keyboards, drum machines and even effects processors. Then monitor all of these live inputs via the 896HD••™s main outs, headphone jack or any other output ••” with virtually no monitoring latency and no processor drain on your computer.

I was under the impression with CueMIX DSP on the HD you COULD monitor every input without latency.
I can certainly do that on my 2408mk3.
The 896HD also handles up to 192khz through firewire.
I believe the Onyx tops out at 96khz.

<small>[ January 21, 2005, 10:55 PM: Message edited by: sdfalk ]</small>

[VI66]

Hi and thanks for the replies. What do you think about using a 1620 and an 896HD together? Together, because the biggest downside to the Onyx desk is the ability to send only two tracks (L/R) back to the desk for monitoring. So, I guess what I was wandering is, can you take the audio out of the CPU, to the 896HD, then back through the Onyx? I was hpoing that these two units, used together, would give me some serious flexibility.

Then again, I might be spinning my wheels over nothing.

<img src="http://smilies.sofrayt.com/%5E/u/rockband.gif" alt=" - " />

<small>[ January 22, 2005, 11:43 AM: Message edited by: VI66 ]</small>

[tepmldm]

Cue mix gives you a latency of 1 to 2 ms.

On a pc you could use both units together but not on a Mac. Mackie says they are working on this.

[sdfalk]

Cue mix gives you a latency of 1 to 2 ms.


So in other words practically nothing

[VI66]

On a pc you could use both units together but not on a Mac. Mackie says they are working on this.

Are you saying the 1620/896HD? Due to the firewire interface?

And what would be the connection order? 1620 via firewire to 896HD, 896HD firewire to the PC?

<small>[ January 22, 2005, 07:31 PM: Message edited by: VI66 ]</small>

[Todzilla]

Wait a minute... Doesn't the Onyx only support a stereo pair of digital outs via firewire? I thought I heard that, which would be a huge difference between the two units.

[VI66]

Doesn't the Onyx only support a stereo pair of digital outs via firewire? I thought I heard that, which would be a huge difference between the two units.

It is true, but what would the drawbacks be if you were doing all of your mixing inside the box anyway?

Also concerning the Onyx mixers, the following was posted at the Mackie Forums:

@flyingdutchbird

The fact that it records pre everything apart from gain may be a disadvantage for studio use.

[motuhelper]

Hello,
Just to clarify:
The 896HD supports four independent mixes of all 20 inputs simultaneously (analog, lightpipe, AES/EBU). Latency is described as "Like a digital console" because the act of converting a signal from analog to digital takes about 1.5 milliseconds. Once Cuemix DSP is setup for monitoring, the unit will then operate in stand-alone mode preserving the routings after the computer is turned off. Output levels for each of the four mixes can be controlled from the front panel of the unit in stand-alone mode. Don't forget that this unit can also generate and receive SMPTE time code with supporting hosts.

Cheers

[Cyan421]

If you can use any analog output of the 896HD with cue mix dsp then you could just run that into any line level inputs of the Onyx!

Anybody know about these two divices mic pres?? How do the 896HD pre's compare to the Onyx Pre's???

[VI66]

I believe that you can bypass the pre's on the 896HD via the "fixed" setting on the rear panel. That is, if you like and/or use different pre's.

I was pondering the use of the two units together; having the Onyx connected, via firewire, to the 896HD. Question: could you then use all the pre's on both units? In addition, would this not provide the added benefit of having more returns via the 896HD as well?

<img src="http://smilies.sofrayt.com/%5E/u/elvis.gif" alt=" - " />

[Cyan421]

OSX (using AMS) cannot support multiple Audio Divices. However DP can do this. So you will only be able to do this if your running DP. Im speaking for the mac world of course.

[Siryne]

VI66: The "Fixed" setting of the rear panel of the 896HD does not bypass the pre's. It does bypass the front panel trim pots and lowers the attenuation as so to accept a slightly hotter signal allowing levels up to +18dbu. Anyway, thats what the manual says. I would guess that to bypass the pre's one would need to go in on the AES or ADAT digital options. I go in to my 896HD by ADAT lightpipe (8Ch) from my Apogee AD8000SE converter. If I need more options, I will also hit the AES/EBU with 2 channels from my Apogee PSX-100 both and along with the 896HD clocked by Apogee Big Ben.
Peace!