Hello,
here is a new-bie question. I have my new motu, but I couldn't manage to route the audio signal to all outputs at the same time. I mean, i can choose main 1-2, out 3-4, etc, but I will only hear the signal from main 1-2 , 3-4, according to the channels selected. What if i want to connect two pair of monitors at the same time to my motu, and hear the same signal on all 4 speakers? What if i want to connect a 5.1 sourround system, where do i have to connect the subwoofer, back/side speakers, centre and front? I have a motu ultralite. Thank you
Connecting multiple speakers and 5.1 systems
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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
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blackfamba
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2010 2:23 pm
- Primary DAW OS: Unspecified
Re: Connecting multiple speakers and 5.1 systems
This is a software issue that is specifically addressed by each software program. Let's say you have a program called "Whizzo Chocolate Factory's MP3 Player". Let's assume all it does is open whatever default "Wave output" device you've selected in Control Panel's "Sound" utility. If you want 5.1 playback, then you had better hope:
1) The software is written to output 6 channels of audio. Most software programs that don't offer you some sort of "Audio setup" screen only do stereo audio output.
2) Your audio device has a single item in the "Wave output" list that specifically reports having 6 channels. The MOTU Ultralite doesn't. It can be configured as listing either 8 (ie, 1 channel) mono devices, or 4 stereo (ie, 2 channel) devices. It does the latter by default.
Now let's assume that Whizzo MP3 player does in fact have an audio setup screen. Let's look at it. Does it allow you to pick out 6 (mono) devices to output Left front, Right front, Left Rear, Right Rear, Center, and Sub respectively? Yes? No problem. The MOTU outputs can be configured as mono. Run the "CueMix FX" program, go to the Inputs window, and click on the "Mono/Stereo" buttons to start separating those stereo channels into mono channels. For example, if you click on the "Mono/Stereo" button for "Output 7 - 8", then this stereo pair will break up into two separate mono outputs 7 and 8. Create 6 mono channels. (You can have a total of 8 mono chans). Let's say you set chans 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 to be mono (and leave the Main 1 and 2 configured as stereo. Leave this set as Control Panel's default device, for the sake of programs that output only stereo). Ok, now go to Whizzo's audio setup screen and dole out those 6 mono Motu devices you now have. For example, maybe you'll set Left Front to use MOTU Wave Out 3 device, Right Front to use MOTU out 4, Left Rear to use MOTU out 5, Right Rear to use MOTU out 6, Center to use MOTU out 7, and Sub to use MOTU out 8. Run a cable from Motu output 3 jack to your Left Front speaker. (Well, not directly. You need an amplifier). Run Motu output 2 to your Right Front speaker. Etc. MOTU Out 8 jack goes to your Sub. You get the idea.
But what if Whizzo's setup screen doesn't ask you to pick 6 mono devices? What if it asks you to pick out some stereo device for Left Front and Right Front? And another stereo device for Left Rear and Right Rear? And a third stereo device for Center and Sub? No problem. The MOTU outputs can be configured as stereo pairs too (and in fact, default to that). Go back to Cuemix's Input windoww and change all the chans back to stereo pairs. Now go to Whizzo and set the Right/Left front to use MOTU Wave out 3 - 4 device. Set the Right/Left Rear to use MOTU Wave out 5 - 6. And set the Center/Sub to use MOTU 7 - 8. Now connect up your cables the same as before.
But what if Whizzo's setup screen doesn't list 3 stereo chans? What if it asks you to pick out one 6 channel device? Uh oh. You're out of luck. The MOTU doesn't have a way to take 6 (of its total 8 mono outs) and configure them as a single 6 chan device. Sorry. No can do.
1) The software is written to output 6 channels of audio. Most software programs that don't offer you some sort of "Audio setup" screen only do stereo audio output.
2) Your audio device has a single item in the "Wave output" list that specifically reports having 6 channels. The MOTU Ultralite doesn't. It can be configured as listing either 8 (ie, 1 channel) mono devices, or 4 stereo (ie, 2 channel) devices. It does the latter by default.
Now let's assume that Whizzo MP3 player does in fact have an audio setup screen. Let's look at it. Does it allow you to pick out 6 (mono) devices to output Left front, Right front, Left Rear, Right Rear, Center, and Sub respectively? Yes? No problem. The MOTU outputs can be configured as mono. Run the "CueMix FX" program, go to the Inputs window, and click on the "Mono/Stereo" buttons to start separating those stereo channels into mono channels. For example, if you click on the "Mono/Stereo" button for "Output 7 - 8", then this stereo pair will break up into two separate mono outputs 7 and 8. Create 6 mono channels. (You can have a total of 8 mono chans). Let's say you set chans 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 to be mono (and leave the Main 1 and 2 configured as stereo. Leave this set as Control Panel's default device, for the sake of programs that output only stereo). Ok, now go to Whizzo's audio setup screen and dole out those 6 mono Motu devices you now have. For example, maybe you'll set Left Front to use MOTU Wave Out 3 device, Right Front to use MOTU out 4, Left Rear to use MOTU out 5, Right Rear to use MOTU out 6, Center to use MOTU out 7, and Sub to use MOTU out 8. Run a cable from Motu output 3 jack to your Left Front speaker. (Well, not directly. You need an amplifier). Run Motu output 2 to your Right Front speaker. Etc. MOTU Out 8 jack goes to your Sub. You get the idea.
But what if Whizzo's setup screen doesn't ask you to pick 6 mono devices? What if it asks you to pick out some stereo device for Left Front and Right Front? And another stereo device for Left Rear and Right Rear? And a third stereo device for Center and Sub? No problem. The MOTU outputs can be configured as stereo pairs too (and in fact, default to that). Go back to Cuemix's Input windoww and change all the chans back to stereo pairs. Now go to Whizzo and set the Right/Left front to use MOTU Wave out 3 - 4 device. Set the Right/Left Rear to use MOTU Wave out 5 - 6. And set the Center/Sub to use MOTU 7 - 8. Now connect up your cables the same as before.
But what if Whizzo's setup screen doesn't list 3 stereo chans? What if it asks you to pick out one 6 channel device? Uh oh. You're out of luck. The MOTU doesn't have a way to take 6 (of its total 8 mono outs) and configure them as a single 6 chan device. Sorry. No can do.