8/8 Midi interface question

elektro80

Steinberg no longer supports the Midex 8 and I will definitively have to grab some new boxes now. Right, I knew it had to happen someday.. but they are all gone. Shocked

The Edirol 8/8 is dead, the Steinberg stuff is dead, the Emagic interfaces are dead.. they are all gone. It seems like the ones left on the market are the Motu Express series and the ESI. Alternatives??
Are the Motus OK? Is the MOTU MIDI EXPRESS XT USB a decent one? I need something that will play OK with G class macs as well as macintels.

cbm · Joined: Oct 25, 2005 Posts: 381 Location: San Francisco

It's funny that this is problematic these days, isn't it? The dark side of soft synths, I guess.

At this point I have more MIDI interfaces than I can shake a stick at:
- MOTU MIDI Timepiece AV
- emagic Untior & AMT 8
- Roland UM-4
- an old Opcode (R.I.P) Studio 5
- Edrol UM-3EX

The MOTU works well, except for one problem it shares with the emagic stuff: it tries to be too smart about MIDI Clock. I need an interface which will just pass through the MIDI clock data to applications, without intercepting it and trying to tie it in to fancier synchronization schemes.

The emagic stuff still works well other than the caveat above.

The Roland UM-4 is discontinued, and doesn't work with Intel Macs, anyway.

The Opcode Studio 5 is _way_ obsolete, but in some ways the best of the bunch.

What I'm currently using for my synths is the Edirol UM-3EX. It's a 3 In / 3 Out interface, although one input and one output only appear on the front panel. Two additional UM-3EXs can be plugged into the first UM-3EX for a total of nine ports. This one does what I need regarding MIDI clock. Edirol sells a rack mounting kit for mounting three of these in one rack space.

kcinsu · Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 10:06 pm Post subject:

funny, I am looking for an 8x8 right now too.

I cant decide which MOTU model to get... the XT or the 128.

Can anyone clear up a question I have about MMC? Does standard MIDI cover MMC, or does it have to be built to handle it?

I only ask because on MOTUs site, they list one of the XT features as supporting MMC, and the 128 makes no mention of it.

I am using a mackine control, and mackie XT, and so I need something that can handle MMC.

Would I be ok with the 128, or do I have to get the XT?

BobTheDog · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 6:04 am Post subject:

Strangely enought I am also looking for an 8x8.

From what I can see the Motu units are the only ones arround which is a shame as I have a Motu Micro Lite 5x5 interface and I think it stinks.

Anyone any other ideas apart from Motu?

Cheers

Andy

elektro80 · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 6:28 am Post subject:

I guess the Motu 8/8 XT thingie looks OK, but how good or bad is it really?

Posted Image, might have been reduced in size. Click Image to view fullscreen.

elektro80 · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 6:29 am Post subject:

Internal PSU, I like that.

elektro80 · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 6:35 am Post subject:

Reviews of the XT

BobTheDog · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 12:29 pm Post subject:

To be quite honest I would rather keep away from motu kit.

I have had two 828mkii units that have a variety of issues, the most annoying being very load transformer hum (louder than the noise my MacPro makes!).

After replacing one unit Motu just informed me that the noise was normal but if I wanted I could send it off to the States with $100 and they would have a look, this is on a two month old unit under warranty!

The Motu Micro lite 5x5 midi interface I have hangs at least once a day, the only way to get it back is to unplug the usb lead and plug it back in. It does this on XP and OSX.

Add to that Motu support who can happily ignore your emails for weeks.

Sorry to sound bitter.

Andy

elektro80 · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 12:39 pm Post subject:

Man.. so the only options are either that nasty looking ESI or a trippelpenetrated roland/boss thingie? Shocked

seraph · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 12:51 pm Post subject:

I got this one:

Posted Image, might have been reduced in size. Click Image to view fullscreen.

elektro80 · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 12:54 pm Post subject:

Uh.. does it work ok? And are there sensible features and drivers?
BTW: M-Audio just axed that one. Shocked

seraph · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 12:58 pm Post subject:

It's nothing fancy but it works OK. You are right: if you go to the M-Audio's page about USB/Midi interfaces this one is not there, but it's featured on another page of the same website Shocked

BobTheDog · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 1:44 pm Post subject:

Looks like its not made any more, not available in the UK anyway.

cappy2112 · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 8:48 pm Post subject:

elektro80 · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 8:53 pm Post subject:

The Motu XT is a patchbay as well.

cappy2112 · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 8:57 pm Post subject:

elektro80 · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 9:03 pm Post subject:

cappy2112 · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 10:20 pm Post subject:

elektro80 · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 10:28 pm Post subject:

Sure. However, I guess I´ll be buying this one anyway. It seems robust, mac users are mostly loving it to death and the features are cool. It also seems like it is the last 8/8 with pro features left on the market ( apart from the Motu AV device.. )

elektro80 · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 10:29 pm Post subject:

And it isn´t USB powered. Great! I like that.

seraph · Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2007 12:12 am Post subject:

I used to have a KMX Midi Central 15x16 midi patchbay (you can see it here on the 2nd picture of my first post, at the bottom of the rack) that I bought in the heydays of MIDI (late 80's).

EdisonRex · Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 12:04 pm Post subject:

I have a MOTU midi express 128. It's fine, and plays well with the Mac's CoreMIDI.

YMMV.

Dragon's Lair · Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 9:55 pm Post subject:

BobTheDog · Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 11:33 pm Post subject:

cappy2112 · Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 11:51 pm Post subject: