No reverb in dsp or multiple headphone mixes above 48k

[synthetique]

This is partially my review of the 828x and an inquiry if two of the three issues will be addressed in any future firmware upgrade. One iss can't be changed, the "quality" of the preamps.
The review: I bought the MOTU 828x after reading that (1) it had DSP for the on board Reverb, EQ and Compression, (2) ability to send several distinct cue mixes to the musicians in my studio, (3) 2 on board Mic Pres, (4) SMUX so I can send 8 Channels at 96k from my Audient 880 to the 828x and (5) Thunderbolt.
Once I get the 828 in the studio, I find out that the Reverb (the only effect that even needs extra DSP, IMHO) is non-functional above 48K. The manual confirms this limitation.
Then I find that MOTU also disables multiple headphone mixes above 48k. All headphone mixes mirror the main output. Ridiculous.
The mic pres are the worst I have ever heard on any audio interface. The SMUX works fine. Thunderbolt connectivity works fine.
I connect the SMUX outs of my Audient 880 with it's great mic pres and Burr-Brown convertors and fortunately the 828x doesn't ruin or deteriorate the sonic quality. I also have an Aphex 2ch Tube mic pre connected to 2 analog inputs and it's quality is maintained by the MOTU. But the fact that the on board Reverb w/DSP and Multiple Headphone Mixes when recording at 96k are disabled really ****** me off.
Motu promotes that it is SMUX ready so it can send or receive 8 channels at 96k, but MOTU, neither in their advertising nor on their web site, bothers to tell potential customers that key features would be disabled. Not cool at all. I had to buy the unit, set it up in my studio and try using the features before finding out they didn't work and then finding out why in the User's Manual.
I can live without the MOTU reverb with it's useless DSP and the two lousy mic pres but I cannot operate a professional recording studio without multiple distinct headphone mixes tailored to each musician/singer. This my clients demand.
So now I have to either dump the MOTU 828 and find another Thunderbolt audio interface with the ability to accept 8 Channels of SMUX or spend who knows how much to get me multiple separate headphone mixes if that's even possible.

My inquiry:
So to any MOTU administrator that might be here or to anyone who knows how MOTU works: Will there be a firmware upgrade which will permit me to send distinct headphone mixes tailored to each musician/singer above 48K? That is my main need. It would also be nice if the reverb could be activated above 48k, although I suspect there is not enough Digital Signal Processing power to do so .

[TinenTech]

Why not do things the old-fashioned way, with your headphone mixes in the DAW software instead of in the hardware using CueMixFX? With current processor speeds, you should be able to run with a low-enough buffer that latency won't be noticeable.

Once you're overdubbing, you have to set up multiple headphone mixes in your DAW anyway. CueMix only mixes the live inputs coming into the interface. As for reverb, the same story.

This appears to be very different in the newest (AVB) generation of MOTU interfaces…much more powerful DSP chip, better mic preamps; maybe you can trade your 828x in…after checking to see if the features you want work at 96 kHz (I'd guess so, but it isn't obvious).

[EMRR]

Nice idea, but it doesn't work for me to use low buffers. I'm running DP on a 3.4GHz iMac and with my templates can't run buffers lower than 256 or processing will overload. It's not the computer overloading, based on activity monitor, it's DP.

[apanacci]

I have the 828 MKIII also. What I do is have the discreet mixes go thru a hardware reverb unit and mix in the dry/rev for the client. I have 4 rooms, 4 hp mixes and 4 reverb units. Love using Cuemix that way. I hate latency and low buffers. Too many problems.

[mikehalloran]

Some of us hate reverb in the headphone mix while tracking. Singers nearly always sing too loudly so that they can hear themselves better.

[TinenTech]

Some of us hate reverb in the headphone mix while tracking. Singers nearly always sing too loudly so that they can hear themselves better.

I've found that if you use the right early reflection program, or an ambient mic mixed into cue, it helps some singers with pitch. It's an alternative to the one-earphone-off approach.

BTW, what happened to Synthetique?

[synthetique]

Where is Synthetique? I am still here reading the comments. I will try using the DAW and outputting the headphone mixes through the analog outs of the 828x to the headphone amps. I'll also research the feature set of the new MOTU line of interfaces. BTW, the more I use the pres on the Audient ASP880, the more I love them. I'll try compression and or eq to improve the sound of the 828x mic-pres.

[synthetique]

mikehalloran Perhaps I was a little less than clear. My problem was not no reverb in headphone mix but,(1) but no reverb on DSP usable at all above 48k and (2), the more vexing problem that "Cue Mix" disables multiple headphone mixes above 48k. I will try using my DAW (Reaper) to achieve multiple HP mixes.

[mdee]

I have the 828 MKIII also. What I do is have the discreet mixes go thru a hardware reverb unit and mix in the dry/rev for the client. I have 4 rooms, 4 hp mixes and 4 reverb units. Love using Cuemix that way. I hate latency and low buffers. Too many problems.

Could you explain your signal flow for this? I just bought an 8Pre USB in order to record live drums and want to be able to add an external hardware reverb unit to my headphone mix.

[apanacci]

I am using an 828MKIII for my main audio unit. For HP1 mix I send a stereo send to analog outs 1,2 of the 828. That goes into the Rev unit L,R ins. I mix in how much reverb and dry signal in that unit, then send out of the reverb L,R to the stereo ins of my HP amp. The same with outs 3,4 and 5,6 and 7,8 of the 828 to three other reverbs and HP amps. I also send a stereo HP mix out of the SPDIF to a HP amp for a 5th discreet mix. I also have a Nuendo 8 ch A?D convertor. I send 2 stereo mixes from the 828 light pipe to the Nuendo and then out of the Nuendo analog outs to 2 more Stereo HP amps That gives me a total of 7 discreet stereo HP outs in my studio. Because it is in my house I have 4 rooms in my basement to record in.I sometimes use an upstairs room for ghost vocals. This setup allows me to give 2 seperate HP mixes in 1 room when I need it. Sorry bout the long winded explanation.

[mdee]

Thanks for your reply. I guess it wouldn't hurt for me to buy a personal HP Pre-amp like the PreSonus HP2 or Behringer P1.