Anyway to disable firewire bus power? (Hooking up a 6 pin device to the 9 pin port)

[musicguy7]

If you cannot afford the Apogee or similar, the MOTU is likely not the weak link in your chain. What are you monitoring through? What are you comparing it to? Is your room treated? Are you listening to raw tracks or mixed and mastered?

I am monitoring through krk rokit 5 monitors, not great. My basement apartment is not treated at all. I compose and produce my tracks and also try to "mix and master" them myself all within Logic and the Mac Pro. Mostly remixes right now. I solved the computer power issue by getting the mac pro, it can handle the track count I couldn't reach on my white macbook. I went for a midrange interface that was known to be stable with macs, the 828mk2. It is stable in terms of latency, no dropouts etc. But I dont know about the sound. Even in itunes, tracks don't sound as clear and direct, the vocals all sound softer for some reason.

As you said, it may not be the motu at this point. I'm obviously lacking in mixing and mastering skills...The main issue I have right now is getting my tracks to sound loud and clear, and I'm not sure buying a 2 channel apogee would solve that or help greatly. I didn't want to buy into the apogee duet hype when you can get way more channels and features on a motu with the same stability. My mixes all sound less than radio loudness and much more muddy right now. Oh yeah, there is a constant buzz/hum sound coming from the motu itself, not the channels, did you get this as well?

 

[derbothaus]

It is not hype when the Apogee sounds leagues better. Who care's if you have all kinds of I/O if it always sounds bad? Terrible argument for music. Sound should be everything. Otherwise you just put more stuff on an already bad sounding mix.

 

[musicguy7]

Yea im beginning to realize the more i/o s may not be a big deal, but i still cant get over only 2 channels of d a on the duet. You need at least a separate headphone mix for singers. I will not go duet 2 cuz im against audio and usb.

 

[derbothaus]

Yea im beginning to realize the more i/o s may not be a big deal, but i still cant get over only 2 channels of d a on the duet. You need at least a separate headphone mix for singers. I will not go duet 2 cuz im against audio and usb.

Duet does look limited. The ULN-2 gets around it with it's MIO Console software. I create any mix and route anywhere I want all inside the box up to 18 channels in and out + 8 channels of ADAT and 2 channels AES.
If you change your mind on USB the RME Babyface seems pretty cool. Similar specs as Apogee (They'd be in the same ring) but with more routing capabilities and 8 channels of ADAT for 750ish.

This may help with your room needs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUTe7F0Qlp0&feature=sh_e_se&list=SL

 

[getz76]

I did not want to make anyone feel they need to justify what they use.

Not the way I took it at all. I've performed on at least one release using MOTU hardware that I can remember in a Hoboken, NJ studio (I remember the G5, Logic and the MOTU converters). It was a good release.

I am monitoring through krk rokit 5 monitors, not great. My basement apartment is not treated at all.

There is no way to tell what the problem is, then. With an untreated basement, it could be anything, but more likely than not, it is the room. Basement means you likely have low ceilings, right-angle walls and highly reflective surfaces; in other words, everything you don't want in a listening environment.

Even if it is not the room the only problem, it's the weakest link.

The main issue I have right now is getting my tracks to sound loud and clear,

Take a listen to some demo sessions and isolate some tracks. They don't sound anything like what they sound like in the mix. You'll be shocked to hear what a bass or a guitar or even a kick sounds like when it is solo'd before mixing and mastering.

Check what levels you are hitting; you should be looking for middle greens these days; no need to come close to the yellow or red. The noise floor is so low. No need to saturate digital.

How are you tracking? What's your chain? You could spend $50k on equipment, but if your room isn't treated, it will still likely sound crap.

You have to make some decisions; treat the room or compromise and get some good headphones and some virtualization hardware or software. Look at the VRM box or 112db's Redline Monitor. Using those in conjunction with an untreated room can yield decent results if you are patient.

Even in itunes, tracks don't sound as clear and direct, the vocals all sound softer for some reason.

iTunes should sound "meh" through your monitors. Commercial songs should sound mid-rangy. Flat monitors are not meant for finished replay; that's why you have reference listening (i.e., the "car test", the "boombox test", the "earbuds test", etc). The point of having a flat response in a treated room is to identify problems that might occur on a less-flat playing environment that your product is distributed on.