MOTU Ultralite MK3 headphone output

Question

Level 1

0 points

MOTU Ultralite MK3 headphone output

Hi All

I would appreciate some assistance if anybody has been through this problem.

I am unable (despite reading the manual) to get my output from logic pro 8 to outputs 7+8 on the Mk3 (for my headphone amp) unless I change the all the channel outputs within the Logic mixer to the corresponding channel outputs for 7+8.

I would like to have my Uktralite Mk3 send (via a bus?) the output from the Main outputs also to outputs 7+8 where I will connect my headphone amplifier. I have tried to work though this but it's driving me nuts. I would appreciate the indivual steps to make this happen.

I am a newbie so I apologise if this is basic stuff.

Thanks

Craig
Egypt
Thanks

iMac, Mac OS X (10.5.7)

Posted on Jun 28, 2009 9:25 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Jun 28, 2009 9:41 AM in response to Craig Egypt

In "MOTU Hardware Setup" there is a pop-up menu that allows you to set the phones to mirror any of the output pairs that you want (if you want the same mix in your phones as in your main outs), or to set them as their own output (which requires that you bus a mix to outputs 13-14 I think, but this allows you to have a different headphone mix than main mix).

You definitely dont want outputs 7&8, because those actually correspond to Analog Outs 5&6 on the back of the unit (at least on my original Ultralite)

Message was edited by: Arvid Tomayko-Peters1

Reply

Answer 2

Bee Jay

Level 6

10,900 points

Jun 28, 2009 9:39 AM in response to Craig Egypt

What I'd do is create to aux channels, call one "MainOut" and the other "Headphones".

Now, all your regular tracks you set to output to bus 16 (or some high unused bus) instead of Output 1+2, and have this bus 16 come up in your MainOut aux channel. This will then output to 1+2 (or whatever are you main outputs).

On this bus, also send to the headphones aux via another bus. You might want a pre-fade send the the MainOut fader doesn't affect the headphones level, but that's up to you.

So now, your whole mix goes tracks -> MainOut -> Output 1+2, and the mix from MainOut is also sent to the Headphones aux which outputs to 7+8.

Configure your mixer setup in your default template so it's always ready for you when you start a song.

Does that make sense?

Reply

Answer 3

Bee Jay

Level 6

10,900 points

Jun 28, 2009 9:40 AM in response to Arvid Tomayko-Peters1

Ah, if you can do this via the control panel, that would be a far simpler way of setting it up, for sure...

Reply

Answer 4

Craig Egypt Author

Level 1

0 points

Jun 29, 2009 2:43 AM in response to Bee Jay

Thanks so much for your prompt replies.

As I don't actually need a separate phones mix at this time, I was hoping I could just send a copy of the Main outputs (L&R) signal within MOTU's Cuemix, to two of the MK3's outputs via a bus, straight to my headphone amp so I can control the main volume to my main studio monitors without actually affecting the volume of the phones signal being sent the headphone amp. Then I guess I don't need to do anything within Logic itself?

I did work out the way to do what you suggested with the AUXs etc in Logic, and that actually worked. But then I thought that according to the MOTU manual, this should be easy - but I just can't work out the user Cuemix interface.

I find the MOTU cuemix so complicated and difficult to use.
Thanks again.

Reply

Answer 5

Craig Egypt Author

Level 1

0 points

Jun 30, 2009 6:44 AM in response to Craig Egypt

Sorted:

MOTU offer the same workaround as above. This from their site incase anybody else has the same issue. Still can't believe you can't mirror the main outs within Cuemix and send them to the other outputs.

How do I hear the output of my DAW on more than one bus in CueMix?

Each CueMix bus is a mix of:

1. The input sources that you are monitoring in the CueMix Console
2. Any audio playing back from your computer that is assigned to the same outputs that your CueMix busses are assigned to

So to hear the output of your DAW on more than one bus in CueMix, in your DAW you will need to route the audio playing back to the same outputs that your CueMix busses use.

For example, let's say you're using an 828mkII and you'd like to create two monitor mixes, and the output of your DAW needs to be heard in each mix. We'll say the first CueMix bus is assigned to Main Out 1-2, and the second CueMix bus is assigned to Analog 7-8.

In Digital Performer, you would follow these steps:

* Assign all of your tracks' outputs to bus 1-2
* Create two aux tracks, both with bus 1-2 as their input
* Set the output of the first aux track to Main Out 1-2, and the output of the second to Analog 7-8
* Now all audio is being routed to bus 1-2, and is in turn routed to both Main Out 1-2 and 7-8

You can do the same thing in other DAWs by following similar steps to route your audio through a bus to multiple outputs; check your DAW's documentation for specific details.

Thans
CRaig

Reply

Answer 6

Jun 30, 2009 7:32 AM in response to Craig Egypt

Whoa guys - you're going overboard!

The switch to set the phones output to mirror the main outs is not in CueMix - it's in MOTU Audio Setup - which is a separate program (it has some other useful things too, like clocking, channel re-naming and sample rate). You'll find it in your Applications folder.

It's one simple switch - very easy... if this is what we are all still talking about!

Reply

Answer 7

Craig Egypt Author

Level 1

0 points

Jul 1, 2009 2:58 AM in response to Arvid Tomayko-Peters1

I'll check this. But I think the mirroring option justs send the 'main outs' output also to the phones output on the front of the Ultralite - not to the analogue outputs on the rear of the unit. Then when you turn the main monitor
output down in volume, it also tuns the phones volume down, which is no good. Unless anybody knows how to get Cuemix to perform this task?

Anyway, I have it working now using the aux send method, which is nice to have I suppose as a separate headphone mix to my outputs 7+8 (but not something I really need as I will never have more than one or two musicians to record).
This output then feeds my headphone amp (which is the Behringer miniamp 4 channel if anybody is looking for a cheap solution - it seems to work well for GBP40.00!).

I'm loving the iMac 24" with MOTU and Logic Pro. I am an older dude who started this game 20 years ago on an Atari 1040 ST. So you can imagine how cool this is for me!

Thanks again.
Craig

Reply

Answer 8

Bee Jay

Level 6

10,900 points

Jul 1, 2009 4:29 AM in response to Craig Egypt

I am an older dude who started this game 20 years ago on an Atari 1040 ST.

Hey - me too!

So you can imagine how cool this is for me!

It's always worth stopping to realise how amazingly cool and easy we have it these days.... 🙂

Reply

Answer 9

Caramby

Level 4

1,523 points

Jul 1, 2009 5:03 AM in response to Bee Jay

I couldn't afford a 1040 at first, but I got a 520 as soon as it was available. Ended up with 4 STs eventually…

But I would say that things were easier then, rather than now; less to go wrong!

Reply

Answer 10

Craig Egypt Author

Level 1

0 points

Jul 1, 2009 5:35 AM in response to Caramby

Yes defo was easier back then..but then all that striping tape with SMPTE and getting tangled in MIDI cables and hoping your time code would hold up..

This is just amazing..but yes there is so much more capability these days..you can work so quickly..

Happy days

Reply

Answer 11

Jul 1, 2009 6:50 AM in response to Craig Egypt

Yeah - its all pretty astonishing - even though I was only born 24 years ago I did spend some time just using a 4-track tape recorder and was AMAZED when I got an iMac G3 DV and the 8-track Pro Tools Free.

On my original ultralite, the mains volume and the phones volume are completely independent if controlled via the knobs on the front, even when they are mirrored - ie they are mirrors before the gain stages. But of course if you change the master fader in logic they will both change…

Yes - mirroring the analog outs to the main outs probably does require bussing in logic. Cuemix really doesn't handle that kind of stuff, unless they have made some significant changes with the mkIII. Cuemix mostly deals with stuff coming in from the outside world.

Another way you could do it is by remapping outputs using JackOSX, but that is a whole 'NOTHER can of worms 🙂 in which the MOTU is abstracted through the jack audio server.

(in my opinion Jack is the thing that makes a computer studio complete in that it lets you route audio between programs in realtime, similar to, but much more flexible than rewire)

Reply

Answer 12

Caramby

Level 4

1,523 points

Jul 1, 2009 8:11 AM in response to Craig Egypt

The first music computer I used ran the BBC's old Synthi 100. The Synthi 100 filled an entire room, & had a massive FOUR oscillators. — Wow!

…Anyway, the only way to store sounds or sequences on the Texas 990 that controlled it was by backing them up onto cassette tape. Which you had to do on at least four tapes, because the method was very unreliable, & three out of four tapes wouldn't be usable.

Reply

Answer 13

Jul 2, 2009 1:46 AM in response to Craig Egypt

Hi,

Seen this subject (getting independent mixes out of an Ultralite) in a few places across the web. Hopefully Motu will add software returns as extra inputs to CueMix at some point before too long...

Only just got my Ultralite III yesterday - well impressed, apart from one VERY annoying niggle - the switched mode PSU in it makes a lot (considering it ought to be silent) of noise, a bit like hard disk head seeking. Won't be a problem out and about but in an otherwise silent room, it's a deal breaker. I have a got a duff one??

Regards,

- Paul

Reply

Answer 14

Jul 2, 2009 6:43 AM in response to paulbeaney

I've never heard the power supply on mine - you are talking about noise in the room, not noise on the audio outs correct? You might have a bum unit.

I did in one configuration have a noise problem on the audio lines between my amp and speakers. Plugging the ultralite in with the wall adapter solved the problem. In my new apartment with the exact same setup the problem is gone though.

Reply

Answer 15

Jul 5, 2009 2:32 PM in response to Arvid Tomayko-Peters1

Hi Arvid,

Yes, I'm talking about a "physical" noise, that emanates from the Ultralite box itself, a kind of fizzing/crackling noise. It goes away as soon as I plug in the mains power adapter. Very faint, and not louder than my Macbook Pro with the fan running at reasonable speed, but noticeable by it's frequency.

I'll try and contact Motu tomorrow, although I'll be gutted if I have to send it straight back having only just got it! Hopefully the shop will swap it it...

Regards,

- Paul

Reply