MOTU - daisy chaining units?

If you're hooking up via adat optical -

check the motu audio setup and make sure it's set to use adat mode for the optical ports. Make sure things are sync'd properly as well.

In logic, the 828 should show up as 1 device with 16 inputs and 16 outputs. the first 8 will be the analog i/o, and 9-16 will be the pre8 via Adat.

Create the aggregate device and use firewire cables for both devices.

Creating an aggregate device is really easy so I would imagine that you did it properly.

I use 2 896s and 2 ADA-8000s and have no problems with Logic 8. There are 2 different issues here at play. Let's address each:

1. Daisy Chaining. This is where they are attached firewire to each other and into the computer. This is where you use the aggregate device. This works for me as long as I hook them together with a word clock. Since you are using just two things, you can hook one to the other. Then, in the control panel, you can select which word clock as the clock source for the one being slaved off the other (also, in the aggregate, selected the master unit as where the clock is coming from). MOTU says that it can get the clock off of the firewire, I've never had success in it working. This of course will not cause no audio, it usually just means it removes any glitching. When connected as an aggregate device, it's like you are using them separately and CoreAudio is combining the results. The fact this is not working for you seems VERY strange.

2. ADAT connections. I think you are going to have to use CueMix on whatever device it is you want it to use ADAT and have it direct the signals out the ADAT port. By default, ADAT out has nothing to do with the inputs on the device. For this reason you can use all outputs and inputs at the same time. What you want is that your inputs get mapped to the ADAT outs on whatever device. This is why it is probably not working for you.

Other than that, I don't know what to say. I do know other people have responded that they are having trouble keeping their 8pre's recording all the time. So maybe it is a problem with the 8pre. These people were using it daisy chained firewire.

Yes, when you create the Aggregate device, this is what you select inside Logic, NOT the other devices.

Also, It is probably NOT input 9.

On my 896, Inputs 1-8 are the analog ins. Then 9-16 are the ADAT in channels, then 17&18 are the AES/EBU ins (I might have the order wrong here, but you get the idea) so that 19 is actually the first channel of the second instrument.

This is probably the problem you are seeing. Have something generating noise on an input and just keep changing the input channel till you see something. This is how I figured it out! 🙂

With my system I get 36 inputs and they all work in Logic.

Awesome!

In Logic, I forget where the menu is but look for 'I/O Labels' or something like that. You can name all the 'mono' channels and the 'stereo' channels. I spent like an hour setting all mine up and they show up always, it's great!