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Mark of the Unicorn (MOTU) 828mk3 Firewire Audio Interface
On-board effects and mixing, CueMix. 7-Band British-style EQ.
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Description
From Our Catalog
The 828mk3 is a cross-platform 1U-rack mount FireWire audio interface with on-board effects and mixing. Apply hardware-based effects to all 28 inputs and 30 outputs via an on-board DSP-driven 8 stereo bus digital mixer with 32-bit floating point precision. Effects include Classic Reverb with tail lengths up to 60 seconds, 7-band parametric EQ modeled after British analog consoles, and vintage compression (automatic gain control) modeled after the legendary LA-2A optical leveling amplifer. Effects can even be applied when the 828mk3 is operating stand-alone (without a computer) as a complete rack-mounted mixer.
Connect a wide variety of studio gear to the 828mk3, including microphones, guitars, synths, keyboards, drum machines and even effects processors via 8 balanced TRS analog in/out, two banks of optical (ADAT and TOSLink formats) and S/PDIF digital I/O. Monitor everything via XLR main outs, surround output and two front-panel phone jacks with independent volume control. Two front-panel mic/guitar combo inputs are equipped with transparent preamps, digitally controlled trim with plenty of gain, XLR mic input, true high-impedance guitar input, individual 48V phantom power switch, 20 dB pad, and V-Limit, a hardware limiter that helps prevent digital clipping from overloaded input signals as high as +12 dB above zero with no distortion. Additional protection can be applied with Soft Clip.
All 828mk3 analog inputs are equipped with digitally controlled analog trim controls that allow adjustments in precise 1 dB increments. The mic/guitar input trims can be adjusted using front-panel digital rotary encoders that provide feedback in the front panel LCD, while all quarter-inch TRS inputs can be trimmed from the included cross-platform CueMix FX software. Different trim configurations can be saved as files on disk for instant recall.
Additional advanced features include 192 kHz operation, Direct Digital Synthesis (DDS) precision clocking, direct SMPTE time code sync (no extra synchronizer needed), MIDI I/O and much more. The 828mk3 provides CueMix FX and drivers for Mac (OS X) and Windows (XP and Vista) for cross-platform compatibility with virtually all audio software via WDM/ASIO/Core Audio drivers. The included AudioDesk workstation software for Mac provides 24-bit recording/editing and 32-bit mixing/processing/mastering.
Connect a wide variety of studio gear to the 828mk3, including microphones, guitars, synths, keyboards, drum machines and even effects processors via 8 balanced TRS analog in/out, two banks of optical (ADAT and TOSLink formats) and S/PDIF digital I/O. Monitor everything via XLR main outs, surround output and two front-panel phone jacks with independent volume control. Two front-panel mic/guitar combo inputs are equipped with transparent preamps, digitally controlled trim with plenty of gain, XLR mic input, true high-impedance guitar input, individual 48V phantom power switch, 20 dB pad, and V-Limit, a hardware limiter that helps prevent digital clipping from overloaded input signals as high as +12 dB above zero with no distortion. Additional protection can be applied with Soft Clip.
All 828mk3 analog inputs are equipped with digitally controlled analog trim controls that allow adjustments in precise 1 dB increments. The mic/guitar input trims can be adjusted using front-panel digital rotary encoders that provide feedback in the front panel LCD, while all quarter-inch TRS inputs can be trimmed from the included cross-platform CueMix FX software. Different trim configurations can be saved as files on disk for instant recall.
Additional advanced features include 192 kHz operation, Direct Digital Synthesis (DDS) precision clocking, direct SMPTE time code sync (no extra synchronizer needed), MIDI I/O and much more. The 828mk3 provides CueMix FX and drivers for Mac (OS X) and Windows (XP and Vista) for cross-platform compatibility with virtually all audio software via WDM/ASIO/Core Audio drivers. The included AudioDesk workstation software for Mac provides 24-bit recording/editing and 32-bit mixing/processing/mastering.
28 inputs, 30 outputs. 2 XLR/TRS mic preamps with phantom power. 8-bus routing.
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Mark of the Unicorn (MOTU) 828mk3 Firewire Audio Interface Reviews
9 out of 10
"Good product quality, Good product price, Bad Customer Service..."
Feature:
I love the fact that it includes DSP effects built in with convenient software to control it all... I personally don't like the reverb as it is too much and hard to find an ambient middle ground, I use the EQ for a bass roll-off on most tracks and to slightly boost the mid range for vocals.
Quality:
The product broke within one month of having it... The backlight started to blink on and off and it would not stay on. That is very annoying please let me tell you.
Value:
It's a great product and I hope my review does not sway you against the product. If it works - you will be making great music.
Desirability:
Its pretty sexy sitting on my rack next to my JoeMeek OneQ preamp... nice solid look - very heavy... Overall seems stable the software in mine broke.
Sound:
The sound is solid - a good set of preamps built in, and I have yet to take advantage of all the built in DSP effects. I think you get out what you put in - if your running a nice microphone and a good preamp you will have better luck - but overall it is very good. You can listen to my recordings at: www.myspace.com/foundyesterday That's my band.
Ease of Use:
I read through the manually and was having difficulty setting routing the busses to create monitor mixes... I found a fix but it was not what exactly the way it should be.
Support:
Very bad support. Their product broke within one month and I had to pay shipping to get it back to them. Lets keep in mind I just spent 700 dollars on the product, now I am paying an additional $60 dollars to get it back to them. That is not right. So it broke - now what. I have been without my unit for a good 3 weeks - I have contact customer support numerous times to report a complaint - no avail they have no contact with the department that fixes the product... I was outraged that I had to pay for shipping so in compensation they advised they would "overnight" the product back instead of ground shipping... That was great - but it didn't happen. The order was placed on a 3 day ground shipping. And It's on its way to my house now... I pray you have no problems with your device.
Overall:
Overall, I am still pleased with this product - it is better than any digidesign (other than PCI connection ones) and it is MUCH better than my old M-Audio 410...
I love the fact that it includes DSP effects built in with convenient software to control it all... I personally don't like the reverb as it is too much and hard to find an ambient middle ground, I use the EQ for a bass roll-off on most tracks and to slightly boost the mid range for vocals.
Quality:
The product broke within one month of having it... The backlight started to blink on and off and it would not stay on. That is very annoying please let me tell you.
Value:
It's a great product and I hope my review does not sway you against the product. If it works - you will be making great music.
Desirability:
Its pretty sexy sitting on my rack next to my JoeMeek OneQ preamp... nice solid look - very heavy... Overall seems stable the software in mine broke.
Sound:
The sound is solid - a good set of preamps built in, and I have yet to take advantage of all the built in DSP effects. I think you get out what you put in - if your running a nice microphone and a good preamp you will have better luck - but overall it is very good. You can listen to my recordings at: www.myspace.com/foundyesterday That's my band.
Ease of Use:
I read through the manually and was having difficulty setting routing the busses to create monitor mixes... I found a fix but it was not what exactly the way it should be.
Support:
Very bad support. Their product broke within one month and I had to pay shipping to get it back to them. Lets keep in mind I just spent 700 dollars on the product, now I am paying an additional $60 dollars to get it back to them. That is not right. So it broke - now what. I have been without my unit for a good 3 weeks - I have contact customer support numerous times to report a complaint - no avail they have no contact with the department that fixes the product... I was outraged that I had to pay for shipping so in compensation they advised they would "overnight" the product back instead of ground shipping... That was great - but it didn't happen. The order was placed on a 3 day ground shipping. And It's on its way to my house now... I pray you have no problems with your device.
Overall:
Overall, I am still pleased with this product - it is better than any digidesign (other than PCI connection ones) and it is MUCH better than my old M-Audio 410...
Submitted: 06/18/2008
Style of Music: Alternative, Pop, Rock - My Band: www.myspace.com/foundyesterday
7 out of 10
"Misleading overview from MOTU - not all true!"
Feature:
The overview from MOTU is a bit misleading and they don't give you an idea of a practical use for the on board DSP. After spending many hours trying to figure it out, I am still in the dark. The outputs only come in pairs, so all the effects they brag about can be applied to stereo pairs only. Also, reverb doesn't work at 96khz and above! What's the use. Why would you record at 44.1khz on an interface that's built for 192khz??? They also don't tell you that up front. Then, there is no use of the effects on outputs if you don't have an external mixer, and if you had one, why would you use EQ on the card anyway? No way to patch them back into the mix. Very disappointing.
Quality:
well, it didn't break yet, after a few days of use, mainly trying to figure it out.
Value:
the price is about right
Desirability:
looks nice, some call it sexy.
Sound:
Sounds pretty good. I had MOTU traveler before it, can't really tell the difference.
Ease of Use:
so, so... maybe I am stupid or it has too many features, and again, they don't talk about the practical use, just the technical side, and even that is confusing and not very detailed. Others are complaining about it too.
Support:
Didn't call them up yet, but will do as soon as they open on Monday.
Overall:
I was expecting more, but I guess when I get over it, I will be pretty happy with what it offers.
The overview from MOTU is a bit misleading and they don't give you an idea of a practical use for the on board DSP. After spending many hours trying to figure it out, I am still in the dark. The outputs only come in pairs, so all the effects they brag about can be applied to stereo pairs only. Also, reverb doesn't work at 96khz and above! What's the use. Why would you record at 44.1khz on an interface that's built for 192khz??? They also don't tell you that up front. Then, there is no use of the effects on outputs if you don't have an external mixer, and if you had one, why would you use EQ on the card anyway? No way to patch them back into the mix. Very disappointing.
Quality:
well, it didn't break yet, after a few days of use, mainly trying to figure it out.
Value:
the price is about right
Desirability:
looks nice, some call it sexy.
Sound:
Sounds pretty good. I had MOTU traveler before it, can't really tell the difference.
Ease of Use:
so, so... maybe I am stupid or it has too many features, and again, they don't talk about the practical use, just the technical side, and even that is confusing and not very detailed. Others are complaining about it too.
Support:
Didn't call them up yet, but will do as soon as they open on Monday.
Overall:
I was expecting more, but I guess when I get over it, I will be pretty happy with what it offers.
Submitted: 07/26/2008
Style of Music: world music
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