I’m starting to consider getting a MOTU Ultralite MK5 as an upgrade to my Audient EVO8.
The thing I would want to know from MOTU owners, is if it will be a true upgrade from an EVO8.
The main reason I think I want it, is to consolidate the audio interfaces I use, have room to add more inputs, and improve latency.
However, I’m evaluating if I actually need it. One thing I really like about the EVO8 is how it routes your computer audio so you can include it in mixes. I also really like the artist mix feature. This is important as I make YouTube videos from time to time, and this gave me a way to combine all the audio into OBS (mic + DAW output)
Artist mix is a way to send a different mix to a pair of outputs.
For example, if you want to send a full mix to headphone 1 with a metronome, and a regular mix to headphone 2 without the metronome (EVO8 has 2 headphone jacks).
Put another way, I’d want to know on the UL5 if I can set up different mixes for each pair of outputs.
CueMix is MOTU’s front end for interfaces with hardware mixers - like the UL5.
My recollection is that the MOTU 828mk2 was essentially a matrix mixer under the hood where anything could be routed to anything else. A combination of the UL5 manual and the CueMix manual should reveal exactly how flexible the routing is in the UL5 (or any other mixer interface).
Don’t have a UL5 but a UL3.
You can route any combinations of inputs to any outputs (Mains, Analog 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, Headphones) through the CueMix software.
It is called differently since the UL4 I believe.
Good thing about these MOTU is you can plug/unplug them from your (in my case) Mac and they work fine
I just pre-ordered one from Sweetwater. It’s out of stock, but if you pre-order and pay upfront it moves you closer to the front of the line. Now I just have to wait a few months and hope they make some more.
Can anyone on Windows 10 comment to the state of the drivers and overall stability? I need to replace my audio interface in the coming months and ultimately, I want an RME setup, but that’s going to be very costly (the way I want to do it) and something I can’t do for a while. I’m thinking the Ultralite MK5 would be a great in between solution and might even ultimately satisfy my overall needs. Stable drivers are an absolute requirement though using at most 256 buffer size, but preferably lower.
What’s the current state of Motu on Windows?
EDIT: I should mention that I’m on a pretty high end build – AMD 5900x on X570, 64GB RAM, all NVMe storage, etc, so I don’t have any performance issues or limitations in that regard. Importantly, my USB-C is genuine Intel (actual Thunderbolt and not generic USB4) even though it’s an AMD motherboard. It should hopefully just come down to the quality of the drivers. Motu has been less than desirable for me in the past, but that’s practically ancient history.
Yeh be good to find out how well works on windows.
Ive got a ULmk3 and it is a pain with driver issues. Every time i boot up if got to run windows troubleshooter to reload drivers…then it works until i switch of again.
Sweetwater confirmed that they did not get their expected shipment which means it will go into “no ETA” status. I’m bummed. Starting to look at alternatives…
2 of them just popped up on reverb, and I grabbed one of them.
Posting this in case it helps someone out.
Edit: It’s gone, was only up there for an hour (hopefully someone here got the other one )
Edit #2: This thing is awesome! Still exploring routing possibilities, and so far it was exactly what I was looking for. It’s now very easy to send audio to things, in fact I literally use send effects in Bitwig. A turn of a software knob and I can blend audio sources without moving cables around. Makes integrating sampling hardware like the Iridium or DT a breeze.
Ugh, can you expand on this (or maybe you did - I’ve only read three posts of the thread so far)? I just bought a used MK3 as a cheap way to get a DC-coupled interface to send CV from my computer to Eurorack. Hasn’t arrived yet but now I’m curious what is buggy about the MK3?
It may not be the Motu MK 3 necessarily, but the issues I’ve had are occasional pops / crackles with the audio. This happens at random and a restart on the unit will fix the issue. The other issue is Cubase will detect the Motu but at times won’t actually be able to record tracks, which a laptop restart usually fixes that. Motu MK 3 has the most recent firmware installed also (1.07 I believe)
These issues could be due to many other factors such as Windows OS, Cubase Version, etc… however I never had issues with my Yamaha MG10XU USB Mixer with this same exact Windows / Cubase setup. Therefore, I’m led to believe it is the Motu unit. Btw, I’ve learned to live with these minor inconveniences, they are easily fixed. Hope this helps!
Never had a single issue/drop/clicks with my UltraLite Mk3.
I can plug/unplug the USB connection from my laptop (MBP 2014) and it is detected.
I believe MOTU drivers are better developed for Mac OS.
This is probably true about the Mac drivers. I wish it worked that smooth on my system and I’m not convinced buying a MK 5 would even fix the issue. But like I stated, not a big deal, I’ve learned to live with it because when it works (which is 95%), it works great!
My MK3 on Windows 10 is an absolute terror, I don’t get the pops and crackles as often as I used to but half the time I turn it on my pc doesn’t recognize it. It does cool pitch bends every once in a while too.
The form factor is so great though, I’m really curious about the MK5 but I worry the drivers still aren’t up to the task.
