MAC MUSIC

Home
Culture
Images of The Week
Interviews
Mac Games
Mac Music

You can now search our Mac Music archives by title, category or author.

EXCLUSIVES

MOTU 896HD FIREWIRE AUDIO INTERFACE > MAKING YOUR MAC INTO A POWERFUL AUDIO WORKSTATION

by Lisa P. Hill

November 2007

Music is in your fingers and your Mac. To improve sound recording accuracy and clarity, a firewire audio interface with high quality analog-to-digital converters and microphone preamps is just the ticket.

MOTU provides a selection of firewire audio interfaces. The 828mkII, Ultralite and 8pre audio interfaces provide sample rates up to 96 kHz. And the workhorse 896HD audio interface provides high definition 24 bit sampling at 192 kHz. MOTU's 896HD can turn a Mac computer into a powerful 24bit, 192kHz digital audio workstation. For a number of years, MOTU and Apple have worked closely together and it shows! To ensure compatibility, multiple audio driver downloads are provided on MOTU's website. MOTU also states their products support all popular Mac audio software. However, the 896HD's sample rate may be limited by software. For example, GarageBandlimits the sample rate to 44.1 kHz and Logic Expresslimits the sample rate to 96 kHz.

By comparison, Logic Proand MOTU's AudioDesksoftware can utilize the 896HD's full 192 kHz sample rate. With AudioDesk, a Mac can become a full- featured digital audio workstation that records, edits and mixes real-time 32-bit effects processing, with sample accurate synchronization. AudioDesk is a Mac native software and is shipped with the 896HD. The 896HD firewire's quality shows in the converters [analog-to-digital (A/D) and digital-to-analog (D/A)], and the microphone preamps. The A/D and D/A conversion is clean and accurate. In addition, the microphone pre-amps are clean and don't color the recording. The result: clear, high fidelity sound. Live recordings sound alive!

The 896HD firewire audio interface provides 18 inputs and 22 outputs. There are eight analog inputs and eight analog outputs that include a stereo headphone jack on the front panel, and left and right mains on the back panel. The input may be connected to a microphone pre-amp with switchable 48-volt phantom power and front-panel trim control. The 24-bit ADAT optical digital I/O provides eight channels at 44.1/48 kHz and four channels at 88.2/96kHz. The stereo AES/EBU I/O supports sample rates up to 96kHz . The analog inputs, optical I/O, AES/EBU I/O, headphone out and main outs are handled as separate channels (with no channel sharing). At 176.4 or 192 kHz, however, the main outs and headphones are mirrored.

Flexibility is a key component incorporated into the MOTU 896HD. This versatile audio interface can be used in a studio or taken on the road. The firewire connection permits laptop or desktop connections. This audio interface's neat and simple engineering provides novices and professional recording engineers a flexible and creative recording solution. ncluded with the 896HD is the CueMix DSPTM latency-free mixing and monitoring matrix that eliminates the need of an external mixer. The CueMix DSPTM can be controlled at the front panel or programmed with the CueMix Console software. When needed, this matrix can also be modified using the front panel controls and the visible level readings available for the inputs and outputs. Alternatively, the matrix can be manipulated using the CueMix Console software. This mixing and monitoring matrix can create different mixes for the main outs and headphones - except at 176.4/192 kHz where the headphones mirror the mains.

The CueMix DSPTM also supports send/return loops for outboard gear with up to four separate busses (two at 176.4 or 192 kHz). Any input can be monitored via the 896HD's main outs, headphone jacks or other output. While the 896HD provides monitor outputs, an attached Mac using AudioDesk, Garage Band, Logic, or other Mac digital station software can record music tracks from each input onto a hard drive. Back in the studio, the 896HD can then output the mixing, editing, and mastering results to studio monitors.

The 896HD audio interface can also serve as a master clock source for synchronizing other audio or video inputs, or as a slave receiving master clock signals from an external source (like the Mac computer or a MOTU time piece). This permits the synchronization of video sources to enable frame accurate audio editing. Overall, the 896HD is a sweet sounding firewire audio interface that seamlessly communicates with Mac computers.

Product: MOTU 896HD Audio Interface
Made By MOTU
Price: Around $1,000
Pros: Well engineered for novice to amateur professionals; multiple audio driver downloads provided for Macs
Cons: None noted
Rating: 4 1/2 stars