MOTU, Won'tyou?

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sloom

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I have found that my new/used MOTU 1224/324 PCI does not like my VIA KT600 chipset. That's what I believe, since I've tried every 'fix' I can get to, including disabling attributes-relating in the BIOS.

The thing DOES work on the house internet buggy, which is a PIII. Well there you go. Don't finish your masters-level homework before you buy, and this is what you get. So...

Before I try and sell this off (yep, it does work- with P4 too), does anyone have any last-ditch ideas on how to get this going?

I've:
1) Tried every PCI port
2) Installed fixes, rifled the BIOS
3) Updated my VIA chip-thing (4-in-1 Update)
4) There is something about March Drivers... ?
5) Tried to get my cat to mate with it

Anyone?
Thanks for reading!
 
What exactly is the problem you are having now that I can't get back the one minute of time it took to read your fucking gripe that doesn't include WHAT is wrong! :rolleyes:

Is it stuttering? Little glitches? WHAT IS IT FUCKING DOING!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
 
I'd try to get your cat to mate with it again. Might work the second time.
 
Yeah, Hah-hah... allright. :p I realize I wrote a kind of vague complaint here. But I'm not responsible for the way you spend your minutes of time, Ford Van. Unless I've hired you, which I haven't. I generally make an effort to not be disrepectful to the forum at-large, and I realize that I'm the one asking for help. This doesn't mean I'm intersted in setting myself up for abuse, so please dispense with it.

My cat has been of no help- the second time never works. Nor has my sarcasm. It doesn't hurt to be thorough, though, I guess...

Here's the whole story:

I bought it used, and apparently didn't know enough about the item in regards to my system. I have found that it works on my PIII, the one I use for internet- but it does not work with the machine I had built for music production.
It's the MOTU 1224 with the 324-PCI card. My music PC system:

-AMD 3200+
-VIA KT-600 chipset
-Rage 128 vid card
-512 MB RAM

I followed the prescribed method of installation, and the apparent result was that it is not being recognized by my software apps within the music PC. The MOTU Audio Console has a drop-down window labeled 'configure Interface'. In this window there is no Device name. It ought to read "1224", or something to that effect. In the PIII PC, the window reads "1224".

There are two LEDs on the front panel of the 1224, labeled 44.1 and 48. On my music PC these LEDs blink alternatively between them until the device boots up, after which the 44.1 continues blinking on it's own. On the PIII, the 44.1 LED stops blinking at this point and remains steadily lit, suggesting that the unit is on and working. I believe.

On the music PC, when I call up n-Track, or any of the apps on the machine, I import tracks and play them with no resultant sound. I loaded n-Track on the PIII internet 'buggy' and played a wav file, and there was clear, beautiful sound coming from the headphone (read: Mains) output. So I infer that it is working on the PIII machine.

The rest I've mentioned- that I've tried several fixes for the music PC... among them a VIA "4-in-1" Update, and a 'fix' I found on another thread of this forum, designed to make a PC work with the MOTU 324 card. No dice here. I went in to the BIOS of my machine on word from the author of the same thread, and disabled an attribute called "PCI POST-WRITE". Nope, still doesn't work.

I tried re-installing the PCI card in every available PCI port on the machine, no result.

This is my scenario so far. I have posted on several forums, including the unicornation.com forum, which has been, incidentally, of no help at all. No one even cussed at me! :)

Finding out the 1224 does indeed work has been a real morale booster! I thought I'd gotten shafted for a minute, there... but I am coming to grips with the idea that it's the VIA chipset- and actually it's probably the 324 card, from where I sit. I have got word from MOTU tech-support (by phone-call) that the 424-PCI card will work with "anything".

If I could get this 324 to work within my set-up, I'd be happy as a clam in sewage. I'd sooner avoid the expense of the upgrade to the 424- which is considerable. And after having heard the sound coming out of this thing, I'll be grudgingly selling it off if I can't make it happen.

Thanks for reading, and I apologize for not having been more clear about the problem.
 
sloom said:
There are two LEDs on the front panel of the 1224, labeled 44.1 and 48. On my music PC these LEDs blink alternatively between them until the device boots up, after which the 44.1 continues blinking on it's own. On the PIII, the 44.1 LED stops blinking at this point and remains steadily lit, suggesting that the unit is on and working. I believe.
Click to expand...

It's not set to external sync by any chance, is it?

Another question: does the device show up in the hardware configuration control panel (or whatever it's called---I've done close to zero work with Windows...). This almost sounds like maybe the driver isn't ever loading or isn't matching against the device.
 
I don't know if this applies to your interface, or not. On my interface, any LED blinking is a sort of Morse Code for what exactly the problem is... I'm surprised MOTU said nothing in this direction, if indeed this function exists for your devices. I'll do some digging and see what I can find...
 
Actually, this is a very well-known problem with the 324 cards. They just WILL not work with most newer mbs. It will work fine on a mac, just not on most newer mbs.
At first they said it was the via chipset, so I got a mb with an intel chipset, but same result.

I have heard that the 424 will work just fine. I am not about to buy one to put it to the test.

So, I have a totally useless 2408 mkII on my hands. When my MTP AV gives up the ghost, my studio will be forever rid of MOTU products because I will never again purchase anything from them.
 
Sounds to me like it is working 100% as MOTU intended it to

Ebay that sucker and NEVER look back

Unless you're running Digital Performer of course
 
From Usenet:

"Built a new Athlon machine for the
2408mkII a little while back (Tyan Trinity K7 - VIA chipset) and it
would NOT recognize the PCI-324. The previous motherboard in that
system, an FIC SD11 ran both the Athlon and the 2408, but was poor
quality and eventually died. After dealing with MOTU, they concluded
that there's a difference in how this particular VIA chipset manages PCI
devices that made it incompatible with the card. The FIC board used a
strange combination VIA/AMD chipset that was apparently compatible until
the board died. Our *only* solution was to swap the board and CPU over
to a non-VIA board and CPU, which meant switching to an Intel CPU and
chipset. So, the Athlon *is* compatible...it's just the VIA chipset that
isn't. Just my experience... "
 
peritus said:
From Usenet:

"Built a new Athlon machine for the
2408mkII a little while back (Tyan Trinity K7 - VIA chipset) and it
would NOT recognize the PCI-324. The previous motherboard in that
system, an FIC SD11 ran both the Athlon and the 2408, but was poor
quality and eventually died. After dealing with MOTU, they concluded
that there's a difference in how this particular VIA chipset manages PCI
devices that made it incompatible with the card. The FIC board used a
strange combination VIA/AMD chipset that was apparently compatible until
the board died. Our *only* solution was to swap the board and CPU over
to a non-VIA board and CPU, which meant switching to an Intel CPU and
chipset. So, the Athlon *is* compatible...it's just the VIA chipset that
isn't. Just my experience... "
Click to expand...

Hmmm, I just indicated that switching over to an intel mb and chipset didn't help the problem...

I have both an AMD system and a Intel system. Neither is good.
 
fraserhutch said:
Hmmm, I just indicated that switching over to an intel mb and chipset didn't help the problem...

I have both an AMD system and a Intel system. Neither is good.
Click to expand...

Sorry bout that man...
 
dgatwood said:
It's not set to external sync by any chance, is it?

Another question: does the device show up in the hardware configuration control panel (or whatever it's called---I've done close to zero work with Windows...). This almost sounds like maybe the driver isn't ever loading or isn't matching against the device.
Click to expand...

No, it's set to internal. The driver does show up in Device Manager, but I think you're right- they aren't talking on the VIA machine...

MOTU has been helpful inasmuch as they've been forward with something in the way of information, but since they haven't actually been able to help me I think they're just not hip to the PC thing as much as the Mac thing. Just a surmising. One guy actually walked me through software and hardware installation/uninstallation, etc., to no avail. And I did get conflicting angles from the two guys I spoke to.

I read your links, Peritus, very informative, thank you. I'm probably not going to do a lot of swapping of PC guts to get this working. I'm not doing this for a living, got no one waiting for me to get it together, so it's looking like my choices are upgrade to the 424 or sell this piece. Upgrade seems like it involves a good degree of risk. Too bad, 'cause it's the right feature-thing and sounds great.

Thanks everyone for your offerings and wisdom. I still have my ear to the wall, but I'm going to make a move and wash my hands of any further hassle with this.

Peace!
 
I hate to say this, Rog.

but I'm glad you tried it and not me! I've been thinking a 2408MkIII would do the trick for my I/O, but maybe I'll hold off.

For what it's worth, MOTU's Digital Performer recording software runs only on Macs.
 
lpdeluxe said:
but I'm glad you tried it and not me! I've been thinking a 2408MkIII would do the trick for my I/O, but maybe I'll hold off.

For what it's worth, MOTU's Digital Performer recording software runs only on Macs.
Click to expand...

I am actually toying now with the idea of trading my shiny new AMD 3200+ for an older P4. The only potential drag is, what if it still needs the upgrade to the 424 card. There are evidently a lot of people out here who have permanently dismissed MOTU as a waste of time.

They should just market to Mac users- this can't be good for them. As if I care. It's too bad, though, the thing sounded great in my headphones! My bass was beautiful...
 
permanently dismissed MOTU as a waste of time.
Click to expand...

I'm one of them and I can speak for their complete lack of attention to anything not on a mac.

DP is sweet though, but I just dont want anything to do with a mac. So like you, I am SOL
 
Before I traded a brand new PC, for an old one, I would Ebay the MOTU and get somethig that wasn't so finnicky.
 
Well I'm not sure brand-new is the point. I don't think that once it's up and going, I'm going to be into 'update fever'. Not to be brusque, here, but actually this is the idea for I/O, and as long as I can get the system to get along and support the software, I'm good. And I don't think I can afford something like this new.
But it's true there are an awful lot of dynamics going on here between all these things. Wearisome.

I shall become wearisome too if I post anymore on this subject. I'm going off to make up my mind. Thanks everybody!
 
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