MOTU 896 as Mic Pre's Only?

promesis

promesis

Black Knights of the 4H.
I have a MOTU 896 just hanging around and need some additional mic pre's. I already have 8 mic pre amps but another 8 channels are going thru my Mackie 32/8's mic pre section - I would much rather not use the Mackie's pre amp section .. I am going into an Alesis HD24 .. I was thinking of using the MOTU 896 as an additional 8 channels of Mic Pres and use the Fibre Optic output of the MOTU to go directly into the fibre optic input for channels 9-16 on the HD24. Last nite I plugged in all of the mics into the MOTU but no levels came thru on the Analog Input level meters.. I did not have the fibre optic cable in - just thought I would check levels .. but like i said - there were none.

Ok.. do I need to have the MOTU hooked up to a computer before the signal will pass from the Mics into the pre-amp section? Or simply - is it possible to use the MOTU just as a mic pre.. without any computer interface? Do I need to have an output connected to the MOTU to get the mic signals into the preamp section.. what's up with this thang? Any help is greatly appreciated.
 
I can't imagine why you would need it hooked up to a computer, I thought it was useable standalone.

Hmmm...
 
In stand-alone operation (without being connected to a computer), AFAIK the default routing is first 8 inputs -> optical outputs. Hook up an optical cable from the 896's optical output to the HD24's optical input. Then, you'll be using the preamps and the converters from the 896.
 
Yeah, it sounds like you can program the routing anyway you'd like when it is hooked up to a computer, and then save that and take it along seperately. I guess it doesn't have the onboard routing capabilities of the other boxes.

"Need to hit the road? Program the 896HD at the studio with the CueMix Console software and then take the 896HD on the road for mixing/monitoring without a computer. Bus levels can be adjusted without the computer by using the front panel Monitor Level knob."

Although it might be easier just get an optical cable, and do what dgatwood suggests, rather than mess with the routing yourself.
 
I'd hook it up to the computer and varify that the Analog inputs are assigned... you should be seeing something on the meters regardless of where the output is routes
 
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