800-ZZOUNDS (800-996-8637)
Mention reference number L2T4VJ7 when you call.
close [x]
  • Mon, Tue, Wed, Thur, Fri 8AM - 10PM (EST)
  • Sat 9AM - 6PM (EST)
  • Sun 1PM - 7PM (EST)
 
4 Payments No Interest Free Shipping No Sales Tax Lowest Price Guarantee
Cart

Mark of the Unicorn (MOTU) UltraLite 10x14 FireWire Interface with MIDI

Your compact bus-powered portable studio is ready to go.

User Ratings

Overall
Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
Value
Manufacturer Support
The Wow Factor
What do you think? Rate and Review This Product
| | |

"The Ultralite is Ultra Nice." submitted December 10, 2006

By a customer from atlanticbb.net
Overall
Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
Value
Manufacturer Support
The Wow Factor
Musical Background: Active performing musician
Music Style: Trans Genre
Back to Product Information
SPOTLIGHT REVIEW
Sound: The MOTU Ultralite is an awesome audio interface. It may not have quite the sound of an apogee, but it is nice. I have had virtually no problems using it on both windows and mac machines. It is picky about the firewire chip you are using. MOTU recommends using a Texas Instruments based firewire port, but i did have a problem with a built-in firewire port on a Gigabyte motherboard, and it was a Texas Instruments chipset. However, once i plugged it into a port on a PCI card everything was great, and every other firewire port i have ever plugged it into (weather it was a pc, Mac, Desktop, Laptop, whatever) it has worked flawless. It does work best with my MacBook Pro (Duh!). It would be nice if the "Cue Mix Console" had some EQ's on the channels, or supported some plug-ins on the channels. Feature: The UltraLite came with everything i would need. The included "AudioDesk" software is actually just Digital Performer with the MIDI functions stripped out. I don't use it beacause i need the Virtual Instruments. I personaly recommend Digital Performer 5.11 with the Intel based Macs. Another cool thing is that they give you the longest firewire cable i've ever seen come with any device. Ease of Use: If you have any experience with external audio interfaces, the Ultralite is going to be a walk in the park. Quality: The Ultralite is housed in a very rugged cast aluminium chassis. But i am very careful with mine as i am always using it in various clubs and venues. Value: Awesome price for this high quality unit. Manufacturer Support: I have never had any problems with the Ultralite unit. I did have a problem using it with a certain buggy firewire port, as i have previously mentioned. The MOTU techs were quick to work with me on an unsolvable problem. The Wow Factor: This is a nice looking unit. It is ultra portable. I carry a 15" MacBook Pro, The UltraLite, Headphones, A Lacie 320GB External Hard Drive, a 6 outlet power strip, all my cables and power supplies in my wenger backpack. Overall: This unit is almost the perfect device. With some software improvements, it could very well be a 10.
7 of 7 people (100%) found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
close [x]

Thank you. Your vote has been counted. Could you briefly tell us why the review was or was not helpful?

"nearly indispensible bit of mac gear" submitted July 26, 2008

By a customer from gmail.com
Overall
Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
Value
Manufacturer Support
The Wow Factor
Musical Background: composer
Music Style: music
Back to Product Information
VERIFIED BUYER
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Sound: didn't use "10" because there may be better mic pre's out there. but this is 9.5... Feature: see "Sound." lots of inputs, tiny box. Ease of Use: the interface is far from intuitive and requires a bit of twiddling, but i haven't found a sound i want that i couldn't create. admittedly, this is not for noobs. experience with similar is required, but if you grok the "page & value" stuff, it's not a challenge. interfaces flawlessly with logic & coreaudio, but that's no surprise, since everything motu has been meant for mac for 25 years. probably a kludge with kludgy systems. Quality: amazingly robust for its weight & profile. don't know where the "brittle knob" complaint comes from. suggestion: don't try to hang your guitar on the knobs, maybe? Value: for the features, & for those who can afford a mac shop, it's perfect. probably not recommended for the windows world. you'll have problems, and there are other, less elegant solutions for you. don't buy one, i'd say, only to complain later that it's a "mac thing" or too expensive. instead, use google to find "windows firewire audio interface." or you might consider why so many happy, successful folks never have to wrestle with drivers & security patches... Manufacturer Support: motu support has always been knowledgeable and accessible, although they can be impatient with dumb questions. hell, so am i. The Wow Factor: certainly a sexy bit of gear. so tiny & capable. "all you brought is THAT?!" Overall: for its purpose, part of a studio i can fly around without blowing carry-on weight limits, i expect to have this for a long time.
3 of 3 people (100%) found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
close [x]

Thank you. Your vote has been counted. Could you briefly tell us why the review was or was not helpful?

"Support, Drivers? Thumbs down. Sound? Thumbs way up!" submitted November 18, 2007

By a customer from gmail.com
Overall
Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
Value
Manufacturer Support
The Wow Factor
Musical Background: Singer, Songwriter, Vocalist, Guitarist, Mastering Engineer
Music Style: Alternative Pop Rock
Back to Product Information
VERIFIED BUYER
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Sound: The sound of this unit is impressive, especially at this price point. I've gotten impressive, near commercial quality vocal tracks running a Studio Projects C1 through a Studio Projects VTB1 into this unit. Playback of mixes and other audio also sounds great. It's accuracy has allowed me to produce better mixes. Feature: **** One problem I've had with the Ultralite is that it's drivers won't work with over 3 Gig of RAM. I have 4, but I can only use three because of this "known issue" (according to MOTU support, although they mean, "known to us, but we're not telling anyone about it until after they buy one"). Not wanting to waste memory, I recently bought a Focusrite Saffire, because their drivers don't care how much memory you use. But I ended up returning it, because the sound just couldn't match the Ultralite - the Saffire sounded very thin in comparison. Another area the Saffire didn't measure up in was the headphone level. I'm a loud singer and I need plenty of level to track vocals, and I would've had to buy a headphone amp to be able to work with the Saffire. The Ultralite's are way loud enough. Ease of Use: It's true, the knobs are too close together. Once you get over that, it's a non-issue. The MOTU is pretty easy to dial in. Quality: I've had some issues, but none with build quality. It's solid. **** I will say if you're using Vista, turn off the Aero interface. I was having a lot of pop/hiss/click noise issues as a result of the MOTU drivers conflicting with Vista and the graphics card. Once I turned off Aero, no problems. Value: Worth the going price on sound quality alone. Manufacturer Support: MOTU support leaves a lot to be desired. Expect to wait 48 hours for a response, and don't expect it to be too overly helpful when you get it. With regard to my memory issue, their response was basically, "Yeah, we knew about it all along. Guess you'll have to wait and hope for a driver update." Thanks, MOTU. The Wow Factor: Not the prettiest interface, or the best aesthetic design. Overall: I'm still looking for an interface that will match the sound quality of the MOTU, but will allow me to use all of my memory and have better drivers and support. Eventually I might have to move up to RME or something. But until then, I gotta stick with this interface for its sound and ignore its ugly side.
8 of 10 people (80%) found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
close [x]

Thank you. Your vote has been counted. Could you briefly tell us why the review was or was not helpful?

"The BEST compact FireWire interface!" submitted April 8, 2006

By a customer from hotmail.com
Overall
Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
Value
Manufacturer Support
The Wow Factor
Musical Background: Producer
Music Style: Trance / New Age / Worship / Rock / Pop
Back to Product Information
SPOTLIGHT REVIEW
VERIFIED BUYER
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Feature: I must mention that I was also [I]floored[/I] at the quality of the included AudioDesk software! This isn
1 of 2 people (50%) found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
close [x]

Thank you. Your vote has been counted. Could you briefly tell us why the review was or was not helpful?

MOTU UltraLite Interface Customer Review submitted March 1, 2007

By a customer from gmail.com
Overall
Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
Value
Manufacturer Support
The Wow Factor
Musical Background: Hobbyist
Music Style: Electronic/Folk
Back to Product Information
Sound: Sounds okay. I have problems with it bubbling and blipping when I switch from one app to the next. It pops and flicks when it turns off in a major way. The quality seems okay when its working. Feature: Seems to be as featured as the others I've owned in the past. Ease of Use: The mapping is okay but the software they give with the thing is stupid. Quality: This, I give the worst rating. My volume knob broke off within days of owning it...it was weakened before I got it, I suppose. I've owned other equipment with similar knobs and it took years before they weakened. I don't think these cheap plastic posts with long jutting out knobs are good designs. They need to think of something better, especially for equipment designed to take out on the scene. Value: Kinda expensive for what you're really getting. I would shop around for similar products and compare the features.
1 of 2 people (50%) found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
close [x]

Thank you. Your vote has been counted. Could you briefly tell us why the review was or was not helpful?

MOTU UltraLite Interface Customer Review submitted May 31, 2007

Overall
Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
Value
Musical Background: Active Musician
Music Style: It's all good
Back to Product Information
SPOTLIGHT REVIEW
VERIFIED BUYER
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Sound: The mic preamps in this unit are excellent and very quiet, given the price and the fact that they're solid-state. A/D conversion is noticeably better than other units I have used (PreSonus and especially M-Audio). Zero-latency monitoring. Feature: For my needs, and for just about any home/project studio, the features of this unit are perfect. I record 24/96 in Logic, and having 12 inputs available (with built-in mixer functions) is exactly what I need. Ease of Use: I installed the software and plugged it in. Note: I have a Mac-based studio...doing anything in Windows is more of a pain in the ass, so YMMV. Quality: Unlike some other reviewers here, I found the unit solidly built. It's lightweight (hence...the name) for portability. That doesn't mean it's cheap or flimsy. Software drivers seem rock-solid so far. Value: There are many cheaper alternatives with similar features, but all the ones I've used are sonically inferior to MOTU. For project studios, you have to go with what you can afford, but this one is really worth the $.
Did you find this review helpful?
Thanks for your opinion!
close [x]

Thank you. Your vote has been counted. Could you briefly tell us why the review was or was not helpful?

"built like no other...." submitted April 27, 2006

Overall
Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
Value
Manufacturer Support
Musical Background: producer
Music Style: all types
Back to Product Information
Sound: between good and great. Feature: too many to mention. but i do got to mention it comes with DAW software, but it only works with MAC'S. Ease of Use: simple. Quality: built like a TANK. metal cover. love it. Value: with it's many ins and outs and 2 mic's ins, well worth it. Manufacturer Support: no need yet. Overall: very well built. portable. easy to set up with each sequencer. if you carry it, your laptop must have a regular big size firewire in, otherwise you will have to use the power supply that it comes with.
Did you find this review helpful?
Thanks for your opinion!
close [x]

Thank you. Your vote has been counted. Could you briefly tell us why the review was or was not helpful?

"MY Ultralite Motu Review.. a more realistic view..." submitted January 3, 2007

By a customer from starwolf.ca
Overall
Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
Value
Manufacturer Support
The Wow Factor
Musical Background: Hobbyist Musician
Back to Product Information
Sound: Mic pres sound good and general sound from the output is very good. Feature: -Build-in Mixer: It does include a build in mixer but not very usefull. Better get a small mixer, unless you are very tight in space. More as a gadget, cause you can't control any OUTPUT except the master. Only the input is controllable. So you can't even have a mix of 2 Output with a one input. -Driver/software: On PC side, i found them limited feature on the driver. Even with the software the output are not controllable. Also all the volume control from software using WDM doesn't work. Also WDM doesn't have access to Output individually except if you put the driver in a special mode not recommand by motu for performance. -Sample Rate: At this price I was expecting a full range up to 96K. but only support 44K, 48K, 88.2K, 96K. So if for any reason you have audio file with different sample rate, it won't be support. -Power supply: Bad design, I hate those Wallplug, take 3 ACplug! -Hot pluging: When connecting the device, it lock the PC for 10 Secondes. So not fully Hot plugging compare to other device. -Firewire: Been using a firewire card TI with FW HDDrive on one controller and Ultralite on other. Had some pop noise, sometime application hang or HD was very slow. Using the ultralite only, fix the issue. Ease of Use: Ease of use was in general easy, but I think there still improvement to be made on control. I won't use the control for LIVE application except for the master output control. Will have been good if with the Master output control button we were able to control output of different output but pushing the button and select the output. But again there is not control on the output witht the mixer and the software. Only master control the 2 output. Quality: Case is very well design and solid. All connectors are professional and gold plate. Except for the Rack ears, are in kind of plastic. As for suggestion, I will add 2 handlebare on each side to protect the button and face and also been a half-rack is not very Value: I found this unit a little price, I paid $699 Canadian, and was expecting more from the Driber/Software and mixer build-in. Reading a lot before buying it from all the Magazine comment and internet saying it had all kind of feature..hummmm. Manufacturer Support: Call them cause the serial number was unreable, the ink didn't stick to the label. There send me another SN withtout any problem. Also contact them for all the other issues mention above. The Wow Factor: I putting a five, cause it nice and do his job. But I found it not very versatile, and price so unfortunatly I send it back. And will try another Audio Interface. Overall: In Conclusion, I was expecting a Top of line sound card firewire for PC/Laptop, versatile for recording, live application VST, and support by DJ software and all other Windows applications. Unfortunatly, it maybe do it jobs well for what been design, Recording! But I think there a lot of space for improvement on the Driver side for feature, compatibily and stability on PC side (didn't test the MAC). If you are looking for excellent sound quality versus general feature/Compatibility, this seem to be a good unit except it's a little pricey.
4 of 12 people (33.33%) found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
close [x]

Thank you. Your vote has been counted. Could you briefly tell us why the review was or was not helpful?

"Don't Believe the Hype" submitted September 14, 2006

By a customer from netzero.com
Overall
Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
Value
Manufacturer Support
The Wow Factor
Musical Background: Hobbyist
Music Style: Avant Jazz/Funk and Spoken Word
Back to Product Information
Sound: Playback through both my monitors and headphones was very good. Recording pre's sounded thin. Feature: Lots of features. More system than I needed (I decided on a Mackie Onyx Satellite) and more complicated than necessary. Has MIDI in/out and two Firewire ports (the Satellite has no MIDI and only one Firewire; hello Firewire hub!) Ease of Use: There are so many features and settings that it was a turn-off. I prefer something simpler in an audio interface. Too much is crammed onto the interface (both front and back), leading to a pretty jammed up situation when cords are plugged in. Quality: I felt it was overrated. VERY finicky about the systems it will work with. The mic pre's didn't blow my hair back. It seems a bit fragile. The buttons feel brittle and the casing is kind of lightweight. I would fear bumping or, god forbid, dropping it. Value: I don't think the quality justifies the price. It isn't a piece of junk, but it isn't mind-blowing, either. Manufacturer Support: I had many questions to ask tech support and they were helpful. The Wow Factor: I think there is irony in its name: Ultralite. It was a lightweight compared to its hype (what music-related magazine hasn't had it on its back cover in the past few months?). I tried it and did not like it. I would have been willing to spend the time to learn its many features if the mic pre's sounded better. I thought the Onyx Satellite was a cut above (and a lot of money below) the Ultralite. Overall: It doesn't live up to the hype.
1 of 8 people (12.5%) found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
close [x]

Thank you. Your vote has been counted. Could you briefly tell us why the review was or was not helpful?

MOTU UltraLite Interface Customer Review submitted December 23, 2006

Overall
Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
Value
Manufacturer Support
The Wow Factor
Musical Background: I'm da dopest producer round dese pars
Music Style: CRUNK
Back to Product Information
The Wow Factor: Those guys that rated this badly are obviously rookie producers. Take a few classes, or in your case....maybe just stop trying to produce your own music. Some people should not even tempt to be a producer/sound engineer. MOTU is one of the best companies for cross-platform interfaces !!!
5 of 12 people (41.67%) found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
close [x]

Thank you. Your vote has been counted. Could you briefly tell us why the review was or was not helpful?

"Mac overpriced posh." submitted July 6, 2006

By a customer from bellsouth.net
Overall
Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
Value
Manufacturer Support
The Wow Factor
Musical Background: Active Musician
Music Style: Jazz, Funk, Grunge, Classic Rock
Back to Product Information
Ease of Use: Error message: No MOTU hardware has been detected! This thing was a typical POSh made for Mac headache. Their driver for my 6 pin fire wire card is not compatible with it. Not to mention that they don
2 of 6 people (33.33%) found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
close [x]

Thank you. Your vote has been counted. Could you briefly tell us why the review was or was not helpful?

BizRate Customer Certified (GOLD) Site
Questions? Our gear experts can help!
800-zZounds (800-996-8637)
Mention Reference Number L2T4VJ7 When You Call. Toll Free En Español: 800-460-7976 m-f 1AM to 1AM EST Follow zZounds on:
 Customize Search Results for Your Location



Sitemap View Our Sitemap Contact Us By Email Place a Purchase Order Return Request
Let Us Help You FAQs Product Condition Shipping Information Payment Options Order Verification Returns Affiliate Program Join Our Affiliate Program
Shop with those who respect your privacy — we do. Copyright © 1996-2012, zZounds Music, LLC. Terms of use apply. A-ID: 634917
[x] close
Send cool stuff to my old-fashioned mailbox, too
To get your cool stuff, we'll need your address:
close [x]What is this?
A temporary customer reference number is assigned to each customer only while they are shopping on zZounds.com. If you call our customer service department for assistance, this number makes it easier for us to answer any questions you have about products, services or purchases.
 
close [x]What is this?
A temporary customer reference number is assigned to each customer only while they are shopping on zZounds.com. If you call our customer service department for assistance, this number makes it easier for us to answer any questions you have about products, services or purchases.
close [x]
Available on
orders $249+
learn more

Need it now but short of cash? All we need is the first payment up front and the rest in easy monthly payments!

Fast approval.
We approve everyone, with very few exceptions, as long as we can verify your identity.
No interest. Ever.
It's just as if you paid the whole amount up front!
No paperwork. Nothing to track.
No application to mail or fax, no bills to pay. We automatically charge the payments to your credit card.

We'll wait on your money so you don't have to wait for your gear!

When you checkout, just click the Play as you Pay checkbox to indicate which installment plan you wish to use.

close [x]
on most orders $49+

Just $2.99 on
smaller orders

Really heavy stuff might cost you a
little more

learn more

Why fight traffic and pushy salesmen when we'll bring your gear straight to your home, free of charge?

zZounds free shipping is really free!
No hidden charges or hassles on returns.
Fast, reliable delivery
We have warehouses on both coasts, so most shipments arrive in 3 days or less.
We don't collect sales tax. Bonus!
Only NJ residents pay tax during checkout.
close [x]
learn more

A guarantee so solid, you never have to worry about price when shopping at zZounds

We'll beat any price
Simply click the Seen it for less? link next to the gear you want or call us at 800-zZounds (800-996-8637)
Got a coupon from another site?
Use it with us - we'll beat those prices, too!
Find a better price after buying from us?
No problem. We'll refund you the difference for 30 days, so you'll never regret buying from zZounds.

You'll still get the trustworthy service you've come to expect from zZounds, without paying more for your gear!