Until
recently, MOTU's popular line of audio interfaces -
the 2408, 1224, 308, 24i, and 1296 - all connected to
a host computer through MOTU's PCI-324 card. The 828,
MOTU's newest interface, connects directly to an IEEE
1394 FireWire port on a Mac or a Windows-compatible
PC. The 828 makes high-speed, high-quality multitrack
hard-disk recording possible for computers without PCI
expansion slots.
The
828 offers eight channels of analog I/O, eight channels
of ADAT Lightpipe I/O, stereo S/PDIF I/O, ADAT sync,
zero-latency monitoring, and two phantom-powered mic
preamps. For smaller recording systems, especially portable
laptop setups, the 828 may be the perfect solution for
getting 24-bit audio into and out of your computer.
STUDIO
IN A RACK
The
828's rear panel includes two balanced mic/line inputs
with Neutrik combo (XLR and ¼-inch) jacks; six balanced
¼-inch line inputs; eight balanced ¼-inch line output
jacks, two balanced ¼-inch main output jacks, and a
¼-inch footswitch jack (see Fig. 2). All of
the analog I/O operates at +4 dBu. A single front-panel
switch turns on phantom power for the mic preamps.
The
output of channels 1 and 2 is mirrored on the main outputs:
a front-panel Volume knob controls their level as well
as the headphone output. Front-panel input trim knobs
give you independent level setting for channels 1 and
2 and level setting in pairs for line inputs 3 through
8. The 828 has 24-bit converters throughout.
In
addition to the analog I/O, the 828 provides two channels
of S/PDIF input and output on RCA and optical connectors.
You can also configure the optical connectors for 8-channel
ADAT Lightpipe I/O. An ADAT sync-in jack lets you synchronize
the 828 to ADAT-compatible devices with sample accuracy.
All 18 inputs and outputs - 8 analog, 8 Lightpipe, and
2 S/PDIF RCA - are simultaneously active.
From
a hardware perspective, the 828 is well constructed.
The analog connectors are gold plated and feel solid
and snug; the plugs won't slip out of their jacks as
they do on some inexpensive USB audio interfaces I've
seen. The front-panel trim knobs on my review unit were
a little rough and inconsistent, but they smoothed out
a bit with use.
Like
the 2408 line of MOTU interfaces, the 828 has an internal
power supply, which is great but adds a little more
weight to the unit. Overall, the 828 should fare perfectly
well in any studio installation, and I suspect that
it will also travel well in road cases handled by commercial
airlines.
IT'S
A SETUP
Installing
and configuring the 828's software was a snap on the
Macintosh. The 828 CD-ROM contains Mac and Windows installers
and loads the necessary extensions, drivers, and control
panels for proper operation. To connect the 828 to the
host computer, simply route the included 15-foot FireWire
cable from the computer to the 828 interface.
The
828's software control panel looks much like the Configure
Hardware Driver dialog box used with other MOTU audio
interfaces. Use the pull-down menus to set the sampling
rate, clock source, sample buffer, optical input and
output type, main analog-output pair, and analog-input
monitor channels. You can also program the functionality
of the footswitch jack; it is usually set to toggle
Record on and off, which is handy for manually punching
in and out. On the Macintosh, the 828 software installs
a Control Strip module that allows immediate access
to the 828's control-panel settings from anywhere on
your computer.
The
828's control panel also provides access to CueMix Plus,
which lets you mix the signal going into any analog
input with the main outputs in real time. The monitoring
latency of CueMix Plus is lower than the original CueMix
that came with earlier MOTU audio interfaces. A dedicated
monitor-level knob balances the selected live input
with the main outputs, and the main Volume knob controls
the summed signal.
The
828 comes with the Mac-only AudioDesk, a software
package that's a full-featured digital audio workstation. AudioDesk is essentially Digital Performer 2.4 without the MIDI features and includes all of the
MOTU Audio System (MAS) plug-ins that ship with Digital
Performer 2.4. You can use additional third-party
MAS and VST plug-ins in AudioDesk, though VST
plug-ins require an additional shell application such
as Cycling '74 Pluggo or Audio Ease VST
Wrapper. For Mac users who don't use MIDI in their
projects, AudioDesk could very well be all
the recording software they need.
In
addition to providing full integration with Digital
Performer, the 828 comes with ASIO drivers for
Windows and the Mac, a Sound Manager driver for the
Mac, and WDM drivers for Windows. Those drivers allow
recording, editing, and mixing using virtually any audio
software on either computer platform.
QUIET,
I'M WORKING!
In
the midst of writing this review, I faced a very busy
weekend. I was scheduled to perform two Burt Bacharach
concerts in Tulsa. I also needed to sequence 30 minutes
of music for a Six Flags over Texas show and record
it as audio files for a Monday morning vocal session.
After a quick check of the 828's basic functionality
at home, I left on Friday with the 828, my PowerBook
G3/400 MHz, a Roland XV-5080 sound module, a CD-ROM
drive, my sample library, a pair of small powered monitors,
and a Roland XP-30 to use as a controller. I crossed
my fingers and headed for Tulsa.
Setting
up the whole rig was a cinch; the hardest part was rearranging
my hotel room's furniture to accommodate the cabling.
Because I had eight songs to sequence and record during
the weekend, I decided to print tracks immediately after
completing each song while it was still fresh in my
mind. That way, I would know early on if there would
be any problems recording audio files with my setup.
Because
the XV-5080 has an RCA S/PDIF output, I elected to record
into MOTU Digital Performer 2.72 using the
828's S/PDIF input. However, the 828 does not let you
assign any digital inputs to the independent monitor
pair, which only work with the analog inputs. That's
understandable, as digital monitoring would require
an additional pair of D/A converters to allow the S/PDIF
input to show up at the analog mix circuitry. I simply
used two ¼-inch cables and connected the XV-5080's analog
outputs to the 828's analog inputs. That let me monitor
the XV-5080 through the 828 as I sequenced. Another
option would have been to monitor the S/PDIF input through Digital Performer by setting the Input Monitoring
mode to "Monitor record-enabled tracks through effects."
Before
recording the XV-5080 outputs, I changed Digital
Performer's clock source from internal to S/PDIF
input. That made the 828 synchronize perfectly to the
XV-5080's digital output, resulting in clean, glitch-free
audio.
During
the next three days, I successfully sequenced the MIDI
tracks and recorded them as audio files without even
a hiccup from the 828. I finished with enough time left
over to tweak the Digital Performer tracks
to a finer level by time-shifting parts, adding compression
and EQ, and so on before the vocal and mix sessions.
I was astounded at what I was able to do with such a
small amount of gear while I sat in a hotel room during
a weekend.
ROUND
TWO
A
couple of weeks later, I called the 828 back into action.
I was working on a second show for Six Flags, but this
one involved writing music using Coda Finale and conducting an ensemble of string, brass, and woodwinds.
After two days of recording the rhythm section first
and then recording the orchestra, the mix engineer,
the producer, and I launched into the dreaded all-night
mixing session. So what does that have to do with the
828?
The
problem was that the show's opening was moved up two
days. That meant that the mixes had to be completed
the night of the orchestra date. I still needed to overdub
timpani, orchestra bells, vibes, xylophone, and a few
synth textures, which I originally planned to do the
following day at my studio. Luckily, I had stereo submixes
of the rhythm section from the day before imbedded in
my original click-track sequence files. So once again,
I powered up the PowerBook, the XV-5080, and the 828.
While
the engineer and producer built up the main mixes in
Studio A, I set up my portable rig in the producer's
suite. Using my sample library, I began overdubbing
MIDI parts and immediately recording them as audio files
through the 828. Using an Ethernet connection between
Studio A and my laptop, the three of us created an assembly
line of new audio tracks and finished the mixes around
midnight. I couldn't have done it without the 828.
Again,
I was amazed that a setup that small could perform so
well. The 828 packs a lot of power into a single rackspace,
allowing for professional results with a desktop computer
in the studio and with a laptop computer in the field.
For a truly portable MIDI setup, a three- or four-space
rack could house an 828 with a sampler or synthesizer.
For on-the-go audio recording, an 828 with a custom
preamp and an equalizer or compressor could fit in an
equally small rack yet deliver world-class performance
virtually anywhere that you can find electricity.
Because
my first two projects involved recording only through
the digital inputs of the 828, I later tested the analog
inputs by recording a handful of MIDI tracks straight
into the unit. Six of the 828's inputs are only ¼-inch,
but channels 1 and 2 sport Neutrik combo jacks. Because
those two channels are phantom-powered, you can connect
any pair of microphones directly to the 828 without
additional hardware (except mic cables).
The
mic preamps don't sound bad, either. They're not as
quiet as high-priced studio preamps, but they sound
better than the preamps in most mid-level mixers and
even as good as some standalone preamps.
The
¼-inch inputs have a wide range of available gain, letting
them accommodate almost any signal level. The input
trims are linked in pairs, so raising the gain of channel
5 also affects 6 and so on, but that shouldn't be a
problem. The 828's line-level inputs sound great and
match the level of audio quality found in MOTU's other
interfaces.
WISH
LIST
In
a perfect world, I would like the ability to switch
the outputs on the 828 to - 10 dB operation for semipro
studio setups. Because I don't always work with stereo
inputs, it would be nice to have independent input trims
for each channel rather than being locked to pairs for
channels 3 through 8. I also wish I could set the digital
inputs - better yet, all inputs simultaneously - to
the no-latency monitoring output instead of being limited
to a single analog input or pair.
However,
individual input trims for each channel would mean more
knobs, and monitoring the digital inputs would mean
more D/A converters. Fulfilling any of my wish list
would necessarily result in a more expensive audio interface.
For the price, you really can't beat the 828's feature
set.
THE
INTERFACE AGE
The
MOTU 828 is an excellent audio interface for pros and
for novices. It's easy to use, the analog I/O sounds
great, the digital I/O is versatile, and the monitoring
features solve many problems associated with host-based
computer recording. It works great in setups that don't
require more than eight simultaneous inputs. Moreover,
by press time, MOTU's Web site will offer new drivers
that let you use multiple 828s with a single computer
using a FireWire hub.
The
828 is a great solution for those who need to do professional
recording on a laptop or a computer without PCI slots,
such as the Apple iMac. Among affordable audio I/O devices,
it may be the single most flexible unit available for
laptops. I'm sure you'll be seeing plenty of MOTU 828
interfaces in studios and on the road.
MOTU
828 (MAC/WIN)