MOTU 828MKII/2408/24IO/Whatever else?!?!?

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fierojoe

fierojoe

Pretzel distributor
Hey guys, I'm contemplating my next purchase. I desperately need to get rid of my current sound card. My question is this: Which one? Has anyone had positive/negative experiences with any of these? I am looking for very good sound quality and I would like to maximize what I have, so I am leaning toward the 24IO. If you have a suggestion for another card, please suggest! Any help would be appreciated!
 
No suggestions but I've been running a 2408 mkII along with ADATs and an HD24 for a few years and I'm VERY pleased with the results. YMMV.
 
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As always...

I will once again suggest the RME/Nuendo soundcards.

My first soundcard was a Delta44. Then a Delta1010. Then a Echo Gina. Then a Echo Mona....now I have a Nuendo Audiolink96 Multiset, and woooooooo!!! sooooooooooo cool. I love it.

I'm 100% satisfied.

Take a look at these, and if they dont please you, at least you will know what the are!

see ya
 
I think I am going to go with the MOTU 828 mkII. It has several features the 2408 does not have and I don't think I really need 24 ins and 24 outs just yet... So, unless someone gives me a good reason not to, i think I am going to buy it.
 
The 828MkII is an excellent choice IMHO. I've had mine since the day it came out, and it's been a pleasure to work with. CueMix is worth the price alone, plus the converters are said to be the same as the 2408MkIII. The 2 built-in mic pre's are quite nice as well...a bit fuller sounding than the DMP3, a little less top end than the ones in my Digimax LT, and a little more crispy than the VTB-1. The ability to control separate monitor and headphone mixes is an added bonus, and it will work as a stand-alone mixer as well.

I don't think you'd regret the purchase! :cool:
 
The 24I/O is the only piece of MOTU gear that has ever tempted me. I want it, I want it! I can't believe that it's 2003 and MOTU is the only company that has put 24 analog ins and outs on one box.
 
I was thinking the same thing!!

I stumbled on to a webpage that had the 828mkll card on it and it was quite impressive. I will be soon in the market for a high end card and I've been looking for different options as far as the more popular cards go. I really hope others post there thoughts because I don't want to make an expensive mistake. It's quite a unit though. I can't see how it would be.

Does anyone know how it stacks up against something like the Digi002 or the Digi001 for that matter? I really like the idea of having the software for tracking come with the package. Any thoughts??:D
 
Re: As always...

Kryogh said:
I will once again suggest the RME/Nuendo soundcards.

My first soundcard was a Delta44. Then a Delta1010. Then a Echo Gina. Then a Echo Mona....now I have a Nuendo Audiolink96 Multiset, and woooooooo!!! sooooooooooo cool. I love it.

I'm 100% satisfied.

Take a look at these, and if they dont please you, at least you will know what the are!

see ya
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I haven't heard of those but I will be sure to check them out. At the very least I'll have another option.
 
I am using MOTU 2408MKIII with 308 for quite sometime and it is awesome. Get a 2408 MKIII it will be of great use, if you need more inputs, get a old 2408s and expand it.
 
Does anyone know how it stacks up against something like the Digi002 or the Digi001 for that matter? I really like the idea of having the software for tracking come with the package. Any thoughts??
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Well, having the included software is nice. MOTU stuff includes software too, but they don't include their best app, Digital Performer, and that's Mac anyway. The Digi002 is a great little box, I finally got to try one and those faders are everything I want and more. They're fast and extremely useful. But it's pricey. The Digi001 has 8 less inputs than the 2408 or 24 I/O, and 2 less than the 828. It's also 3 year old technology.

On the MOTU side, I've never been a fan of the 2408 series. The 24 I/O and the 192 I/O really do impress me though.
 
Re: I was thinking the same thing!!

sonicpaint said:

Does anyone know how it stacks up against something like the Digi002 or the Digi001 for that matter? I really like the idea of having the software for tracking come with the package. Any thoughts??:D
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Digi usually isn't really a 'bang for your buck' thing. You have to pay for the name.
 
I only want to buy once.

I am having quite a time deciding on what card to go with. I really want to make the right choice when I buy one of these. I'm even considering spending a bit more and going with something like the Digi 002 if it's a huge improvement over the 001.

Someone mentioned that the 001 only had plug-ins that supported 32 voice and that the higher end stuff from Digi Design had 128. Does the 002 have 128? That would be great to know. I would also like to know if both of these units have all balanced in and outs or what? The don't seem to say that in the huge right up they have of their units.

For some reason I'm feeling that Digi Designs Pro Tools set ups either the 001 or the 002 have more to offer me then the other units that don't have the software as part of their hardware. I mean how bad can it be choosing the industry standard when it comes to recording.

Hmmmm......it's tough coming to a decision on this. I don't know......the only thing I do know is that I'm not going to get anything until I'm confident that the unit I do buy isn't going to make me regret it after the fact.

Confused and unsure,
sonicpaint

:confused:
 
Re: I only want to buy once.

sonicpaint said:
I mean how bad can it be choosing the industry standard when it comes to recording.
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Don't forget that 'industry standard' doesn't mean 'best.' The reason eveybody uses Protools is because it's expected. If someone comes to your office and says 'what do you use' and you spout off some system he doesn't know, he's going to go down the line and get a Protools man. A lot of people that use protools use it because of the name, not because they like it. My teacher from school hated it, but he used it becuase that's what people know and that's what people want. It's just like having that U87 when something else sounds better. People want to SAY they used protools because it's well known, just like people want to go around saying they used a U87.

Seriously, try out demos of all of the different apps and find one that you like the best instead of just taking one because everybody else uses it (unless you're working in a real studio and then you'll want protools, haha).
 
What do you mean? lol

I really appreciate the feedback Chris. I understand completely what you mean. I know other people have also mentioned that I would get more "bang for the buck" if I were to get hardware apart from the software. I guess that's why it's so tough to decide on one. It's not like the cards were talking about have huge quality differences between them(at least that's not what I've gathered) making the final choice any easier.

You did make one great comment though and I'm going to do it for sure. You mentioned going to demos and that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to go to as many as I can and maybe that way I can see for myself the differences, strong and weak points in order to finally get a great sound card that I'll be truly happy with.

What did you mean by that last remark?? "unless your in a real studio"?

Thanks everyone!!
sonicpaint
 
Re: What do you mean? lol

sonicpaint said:
What did you mean by that last remark?? "unless your in a real studio"?
Click to expand...

I think Chris was being just a little sarcastic :D
 
just to play the devil's advocate here. I don't know if the entry level systems Digidesign sells are that expensive. As far as I know, MOTU is cheaper but the software it brings is not as good as Protools LE. And if you have to buy a recording package comparable to Protools LE, then I don't know what the price it would be.
On the other hand, I don't like Digi's policy of not using standards (like VST, GSF, etc...) and the guys like Steinberg or Propellerheads always seem to get more juice out of the apple. I understand their business policy and I'm cool with that.

Cheers, Andrés
 
Bang for your buck is relative. Technically, you get more stuff for less money with Digi, because you do not have to buy the separate audio app. Then, later, if you want to use Cubase or something, you can do that too (they have ASIO drivers). So I would say that other systems where you have to buy the app separately from the hardware are actually "less" bang for your buck.

HOWEVER--
All version of Pro Tools LE (no matter what hardware you buy) are limited to 32 tracks of audio. So if you absolutely need more than 32 tracks, it's not the way to go.

HOWEVER #2--
The MOTU boxes DO include an app, AudioDesk. It's just not their best app (Digital Performer). And again, both apps are Mac only, they do not include PC software, apart from the drivers.

FINALLY--
From what I have seen of the Digi002, it is the one I would get if I had it to do all over again. It has better converters, 4 mic pres, is 96k capable (something I really don't care about, except that it makes the converters better on the bit rates I use), and that control surface is killer.

For most people, the differences between the apps and their functionality will be trivial. There are definitely people who would be hampered by Pro Tools' MIDI implementation, which definitely does not kick ass. There are definitely people who would rely on the VST instrument support of Cubase for their sound creation process. There are also people who would find Pro Tools to be an easier editing environment, or vice versa. The bottom line is, for most people using it as an audio recording, editing, and mixing environment, anything you use and learn is going to be what you like.

Also, you should know that it is quite fashionable to hate Digidesign and Digidesign products, so if you buy Digidesign, you are instantly going to be marked, and criticized by some... If you decide to go Digi, learn to use the DUC (Digi User Conference)... it's very useful. http://duc.digidesign.com
 
charger said:
HOWEVER #2--
The MOTU boxes DO include an app, AudioDesk. It's just not their best app (Digital Performer). And again, both apps are Mac only, they do not include PC software, apart from the drivers.
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See, now that just pisses me off. Here I go thinking I'm going to get a MOTU 828MKII and the app it comes with is Mac only. Dammit dammit dammit dammit.

charger said:
From what I have seen of the Digi002, it is the one I would get if I had it to do all over again. It has better converters, 4 mic pres, is 96k capable (something I really don't care about, except that it makes the converters better on the bit rates I use), and that control surface is killer.
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Other than the control surface, which is great ANYTIME you use a computer, I hear the converters are subpar, as are the preamps. For 2k I think you could put together something better (RME Multiface $800, Sonar $300, four outboard preamps $1200?). I mean, you lose the control surface which sucks, but if your sound is better then isn't that what it's all about? However, I think the digi 002 comes with plugins, too (since the digi is $1200 we can also make that sonar XL and get some plugins, too).

Who knows. And also, I'm not POSITIVE and I haven't HEARD the converters or preamps, and I also probably wouldn't know the difference if it bit me on the butt. I'm just saying what I hear. Hah. That's just a warning to all of you that actually listen to me. ;)

sonicpaint said:

What did you mean by that last remark?? "unless your in a real studio"?
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Haha, not a personal bash to you, by any means. I was just saying, most of us here don't have professional studios (not saying that we don't record people and get paid, we just don't record Metallica and the Backstreet Boys) so jumping on the protools bandwagon isn't necessary because our clients aren't coming up to us telling it's protools or they find someone else. :)
 
Other than the control surface, which is great ANYTIME you use a computer, I hear the converters are subpar, as are the preamps.
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I have listened to the converters and preamps several times, and I think they are excellent. The preamps are based on the new Digi OctoPRE preamps, and they sound pretty damn good... not just according to me. And the converters can easily hold their own with RME and the other players. Don't believe everything people tell you, go try it out on a session... that's what I did.

I like RMEs stuff too, but it would be hard to beat the Digi price, $1200 for the rack version, or $2200 for the control surface version, which includes Maxim, D-Fi, D-Fx, NI Pro 52, SampleTank SE, AmpliTube, and the Waves Renaissance Collection. And that control surface is really slick, the smoothest I've seen for the project market.
 
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