MOTU Pro Audio - Routing Grid Basics

[@ELEKTROGOWK]

I bought a Presonus Studiolive Rack Mixer and was unhappy. Then I bought a Motu A16 and now I am happy :-) Motu is the best!!!

[@Polentaccio]

Love my MOTU 24 AO but this routing grid is one of the most confusing things I have ever used. I have zero IDEA of what I am doing but through trial and error got it to work,

[@littlegoose9860]

I agree! The visual feedback (blinking blue dot) helps but understanding what is going on is the challenging part. For example what's the significance of the From/To Computer pairs? What determines how many From/To Computer pairs there are? What's the difference between From/To computer - maybe an example of a From/To pair in practical use - how does one think about/understand these? Are these what a DAW uses for its inputs or outputs?

[@fab672000]

Love the routing flexibility, may those who seem not to understand them should try the 'Quick Setup feature' in the device thumbnail or maybe look at simpler other MOTU products. This control software fulfills very well professional use related requirements to me, well done MOTU.

[@tomski2671]

A lot of people are confused about this routing grid, including myself. It took me two days to figure out what is going on. I do have a suggestion that would make the grid easy to understand at first glance. Set separate background colors for: Physical inputs and outputs Computer inputs and outputs AVB inputs and outputs Mixer inputs and outputs and maybe Optical as well

[@motuTV]

Great suggestion, Tom! I'll submit this to our team for consideration.

[@Becoming_]

@@motuTV Does the interface save all the routing and effects settings and so on once set up, or do you need the web interface open all the time? Say if the web browser crashed or you just don't need it open once you get it dialed in? Getting an Ultralite mk4 so I was curious.

[@motuTV]

@@Becoming_ It's saved within the unit for sure.

[@Becoming_]

@@motuTV Thanks! I appreciate it and very happy to hear that.

[@rrinquen]

I have an UltraLite AVB, which uses this browser interface. Your model's capabilities might vary.@@Becoming_ You can save your settings/configurations in various ways and places, including saving the entire current set-up under a filename, loading a previously saved configuration, getting the recently saved one, revising it and saving as yet another file. I suggest saving your working setup, then modifying and practice saving and retrieving. The UX of the saving process is a bit confusing until it becomes second nature. I have a couple dozen saved, but most are old "backups" and I only used a couple. For minor tweaks, I just change the cell or mute or whatever as needed. Several years ago, driver updates to the software/hardware were fairly frequent, but I haven't encountered one for a while.

[@ELEKTROGOWK]

One thing disturbs me. I can save different routing scenes, but different input/output names are not saved nor the different configurations on the left panel. That would be great if this could also be saved.

[@delightfullyironic3414]

Get this guy a glass of water

[@billkahler]

Narrator says “drag horizontally” at 3:00 but really means diagonally. At least I think so. Routing grid is confusing because in the western world we read left to right. For the grid we read down and right to left.

[@Emm_R_Guitar]

is there anything like this for the m4?

[@hiveschool]

Is it possible to control routes via external control? Like Midi or OSC?

[@Ryckydoo]

cannot figure how to route more than 1 input to headphone. If I select analog 1 then analog 2, analog 1 will be unselect. I cannot use this board to monitor all mix using haedphone

[@andydonnaeli5c]

I’m trying to do that too with no luck

[@markusburri9018]

Hi Rick. You need to route the inputs you want to hear to a MIX in channel. Then use the mixer to mix the signals. Back in the router you connect the mix output to the headphone. The router itself has no mixing capabilities and can be seen rather as a (digital) patch bay, where each destination can get only one signal. This is how basically all digital mixing systems work: route signals to mix channels -> mix the channels in the mixer -> route the output of the mix (master or aux mixes) to usually physical outputs. Hope this helps

[@stephenpertesis6738]

it’s because motu routing-mixing and, based on my own unit, Quality Control is a disaster compared to presonus, UAD, RME or Focusrite. Motu has good converters, solid enough drivers, transparent pres and good customer support. now they need to catch up to their competitors in the mixing/routing realm. Until then, motu should stick with input source to DAW input monitoring products only (like presonus 2626) until they get this straight. otherwise, you’re gonna be paying for almost unusable bloat.

[@harrynak22]

Is there A-D/D-A conversion involved when routing an analog output to an analog input? Lets say I have a 16A with an analog EQ and an 828es with a compressor. If my routing is 16A EQ -> AVB -> 828es compressor. Is the audio from the EQ on the 16A converted to digital to transfer it over AVB? And will this also happen when both effects are on the 16A for example? Thanks

[@marlino8042]

I have some new Neumann KH 150 speakers with Spdif inputs... how do I Connect my Motto 1248 with them? I don't get it.. Pls help 🥲

[@thatdrh]

So I’m assuming windows or Mac will see this or similar units as a “sound card” so to speak... if I don’t use recording software, will windows detect and use this as a microphone source and output option? (That was short and vague, I don’t want to write a novel).

[@motuTV]

If I understand your question, the answer is yes. However, I would connect with our tech support team for further clarification or questions about this setup for sure motu.com/support

[@84DNK]

how to use external delay with motu 16a and Ableton ?

[@werewolfmedialv]

I have had this unit for four years now. It started adding an additional monitor from the computer that stacks over the actual hardware monitoring causing a horrible slapback in the left channel out of nowhere last week. I'm probably like four hours into trying to problem shoot this at this point. Never had the issue before and nothing that a quick setup and readjust usually fixes. Now with this problem, my normal monitoring setup no longer works as it has done for years. Super confusing and embarrassing for the last two clients I have had in.

[@wordoffaithsanantonio5652]

Do i need special hardware on my PC to receive the routing of audio?

[@motuTV]

You just need to install the drivers for your AVB unit, and connect it via USB or Thunderbolt!

[@qwut9544]

Usually multi track mixers are documented with flow schematics. That would be helpful to see here. In this case the flow schematics would vary based on the grid patch settings, right? Pointing at a grid and talking about a mixture of software routings and hardware routings is probably what is causing confusion to those who are not getting it.

[@motuTV]

We have a few channel schematics specifically for the internal mixer on these units available to see - it's in the Appendix section of the Pro Audio manuals. Here's the 828es manual to use as an example: s3.amazonaws.com/motu-www-data/manuals/proaudio/828es_User_Guide.pdf

[@qwut9544]

@@motuTV I'll have a look. thanks

[@jimM196]

You never show this working, only in Theory. It doesnt route internally or via AVB as you state

[@GeoffBosco]

I didn't come here for gluemouth asmr lol

[@stanmanmedia]

For more details setting up a studio with callers, with routing and mixing, mix-minus and callers. kzbin.info/www/bejne/m4iuoHuHitx0eqM

[@Limit5482]

You guys need to streamline this routing situation so normal people can understand it. Nothing makes sense?? When I select outputs in my daw they don’t have the same names as in the routing app. It’s a bit of a mess. Also u need to let us rout the phones so that the monitor volume controls the phones volume. So we don’t have to level match them all the time. Solid interfaces but the software needs some thought

[@MickeyMouse-jf2or]

I disagree. I can’t think of a simpler way to do routing other than a matrix. I just got an interface two days ago and already getting the hang of it 😎

[@Limit5482]

You will see soon enough trust me. Yeah the matrix is great but it’s so confusing to do different things. Took me over a month how to figure out how to do direct monitoring to get Sonarworks to measure.

[@phel21]

It doesn't get much more streamlined than this. When you handle routing remember that what you are doing is (virtual) patching within one unit. Each unit in the network has its own perspective of what ins and out are depending on its position and role in the network ... the DAW included. You need a perspective of where you're going with the overall signal-flow, but when setting up individual nodes you're best off imagine yourself being the brain inside that particular box. Think of yourself being in a room with pipes going in and out, each pipe carrying bundles of cable. Naming-conventions for channels and connections differ between manufacturers so the first thing to get to grips with is the organisation of virtual channels across the different forms of media (USB/Thunderbolt/AVB/ADAT etc). Once you understand how individual channels are organised across a connection it gets much easier to map these onto particular gear or through software at both ends of the connection.

[@Faithaven]

This avb setup is completely convoluted. I have to return my motu product and is recommended by the dealer. Beyond frustrated. Do not buy this product at all costs

[@Haytevoy1]

I been struggling with this for a year 🤦‍♂️

[@mikrogoon]

All the routing should have level control instead of only 100% gain. Multiple inputs should be able to be routed to same output channel, this is really basic stuff. Routing capabilites have to be improved! EQ's have to be improved! There is not even a low pass filter and the high pass filter is impossible to find and not even available on every channel. There should be more effects than just one plain reverb with limited controls. I have used TotalMix from RME and it's by far way more capable, higher quality and faster to use than what Motu offers. This control panel is neither versatile in studio nor usable in live setting. Can't believe it's been more than 7 years and absolutely no updates have been implemented.

[@motuTV]

Thanks for the feedback, Hendrik. I'll pass this along to our development team

[@royalranting119]

this is the absolute opposite of intuitive.

[@DiceHaze]

if i may comment, i couldnt watch more than 60 seconds of your video simply because of your audio. maybe im crazy but your mouth noise is terribly distracting, sounds like im listening from inside it.

[@rrinquen]

I didn't notice the mouth noise it until you mentioned it, but yeah, as a recording with no music or SFX, it's there and a studio product would have it minimized or processed out. But you may be too professionally focused on the mic process and post. Presumably you're here for the content, which for me was sufficiently distracting. To improve the VO quality, first I'd angle the mic from the side a bit, so it's not aiming straight into the mouth. Also, there are mild pops, so use a pop screen, but angling will also help with that. And, oh, joy, if already recorded, you can enhance your listening pleasure by using this software interface's EQ and dynamics features to clean or color to taste. I use it often to make webinars and Zoom sessions more listenable.