MIDI TimePiece II help! Manual, anyone?

NeveSSL · Post by **NeveSSL** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 10:41 pm

Hello all!

Well, its not my first choice... but the price was right... it was given to me.

So I now have a MOTU MIDI Time Piece II. And I have no idea what I can do with it, other than the basic functions on the front, which are quite useful in a couple of different situations (makes a great MIDI router, of sorts, for large guitar rigs

), but I'm wondering how much I'm missing.

Can/does this thing act like an interface with the appropriate cable? What else can it do that I should no about? Does anyone know where I can get drivers for it? And just as, if not more importantly: Where can I find a manual?

Any and all help would be GREATLY appreciated.

And, if nothing else, I'll go scout a used USB MTAV some time in the future.

BTW, I tried searching the boards and either I just don't know how to use that search engine, or its less than useful (no offense to any admins or anything... if nothing else, consider it a plea for help using it or a recommendation for making it useful

).

Brandon

NeveSSL · Post by **NeveSSL** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 11:03 pm

Ok, so I think I found out on Google that this is not an interface and its not supposed to work with Windows... it's pretty much only a patchbay. Is this accurate?

If it is accurate, I could hook my MIDI I/O off of my FireWire 1814 up to two ports on it and use it to direct traffic to my computer from external sources? It would be a bit complicated, but possibly fun to try... again, it was free!!!

Also, I've read you can piggy-back it onto some of the other interfaces... exactly which interfaces can this be done with and will it work on Windows?

Lastly... are any of the units that this can connect to via the serial connection able to act as a digital MIDI patchbay and interface allowing me to have 16 MIDI I/O and be able to patch them digitally?

Lots of questions, I know, but thanks very much for ANY help! It is greatly appreciated.

Brandon

rAC · Post by **rAC** » Fri Jun 25, 2010 5:07 pm

I have just purchased a MTPAV which came without the manual - can anyone advise whether the power supply needs to have a fuse changed if switching it from 115V to 230 V operation?

YouTube · Post by **James Steele** » Fri Jun 25, 2010 5:28 pm

You can probably buy a manual from MOTU. MOTU doesn't make PDFs available online AFAIK. I think they ought to for hardware.

It's much more than a patchbay. It can be a full-on multiport MIDI interface and do more than that. Problem is it's old and pre-USB. It's only good with an older computer... OR... with the proper cable you can daisy chain it off a USB MTP/AV and thus turn the 8-IN/8-OUT USB interface into a 16-IN/16-OUT interface.

So... if you already have a USB MTP/AV they're quite useful. It's why I loved snapping mine up for $20 because a lot of people don't know this. Try doing THAT with your Opcode Studio 4. LOL

rAC · Post by **rAC** » Fri Jun 25, 2010 6:08 pm

James thanks for quick reply,
I actually purchased the 'current' model (MTP AVU) with the USB interface. I was basically after a MIDI router/rechanneler to interconnect an AT-45 (roland organ) with a BCF2000 (Behringer), PC2r and PC3x (Kurzweils). The MOTU website offers these manuals for sale but there seems to be a problem in actually buying them from the website (I have emailed their customer service and am anxiously waiting for them to reply to me).
BTW I couldn't see anywhere on your site that may have been more appropriate to ask this question at.

rAC · Post by **rAC** » Sat Jun 26, 2010 4:16 am

OK, found the answer re power supply in the MOTU faq. Next question is how long do they take to register, and how long do they usually take to respond to their customer service?

buzzsmith · Post by **buzzsmith** » Sat Jun 26, 2010 5:52 am

rAC wrote:OK, found the answer re power supply in the MOTU faq. Next question is how long do they take to register, and how long do they usually take to respond to their customer service?

In my experience with a 24I/O that developed an issue, which I bought on eBay, I called MOTU with the serial #. It had already been registered, so I had to provide proof of purchase via email.

Within minutes they transferred the registration.

Then I contacted customer service and was issued a RA# and a charge of $99.00.

I shipped mine and within about 5 days I had a replacement.

Good experience.

Buzzy

NeveSSL · Post by **NeveSSL** » Sat Jun 26, 2010 9:05 am

Wow... this one was raised from the dead, huh?

Brandon

YouTube · Post by **James Steele** » Sat Jun 26, 2010 9:44 am

NeveSSL wrote:Wow... this one was raised from the dead, huh?

Brandon

No kidding! I missed it when you first posted it and only saw it because of the new poster using this thread to ask about the manual. I didn't even look at the date of the original post! Three years later, I'm assuming you got this sorted out.

channelite · Post by **channelite** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 9:08 pm

I just got an old MIDI Time Piece II from ebay that I intended to use as a MIDI patchbay. I changed the battery and works as it should except for an electric humming noise that it makes when it's powered on and off too. The noise only goes away when I pull the plug out of it. Any ideas how I could fix it?

YouTube · Post by **James Steele** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 10:50 pm

channelite wrote:I just got an old MIDI Time Piece II from ebay that I intended to use as a MIDI patchbay. I changed the battery and works as it should except for an electric humming noise that it makes when it's powered on and off too. The noise only goes away when I pull the plug out of it. Any ideas how I could fix it?

You could fix it the way the previous owner did by passing it off on someone on eBay.

This could be the transformer. I haven't looked inside one of those, but you might be able to open it up and then turn it on and try to see where the noise is coming from. You might be able to figure out how to dampen vibrations if that's what's causing it.

channelite · Post by **channelite** » Sat Feb 05, 2011 9:54 am

The noise is coming from the power supply. It's weird that the noise is actually louder when the MTP II is turned off. I only paid $40 for it. It says it was made in 1992, so maybe this is to be expected. I was looking for a cheap MIDI patchbay to have two computers share the same MIDI devices. Maybe I need to spend a bit more and go for a newer MTP AV.

buzzsmith · Post by **buzzsmith** » Sat Feb 05, 2011 10:20 am

channelite wrote:The noise is coming from the power supply. It's weird that the noise is actually louder when the MTP II is turned off. I only paid $40 for it. It says it was made in 1992, so maybe this is to be expected. I was looking for a cheap MIDI patchbay to have two computers share the same MIDI devices. Maybe I need to spend a bit more and go for a newer MTP AV.

There's a guy in Austin that specializes in power supplies, but I think the repair or replacement would probably exceed your initial $40.00.

Buzzy

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