Motu M4 Audio Interface Review

[carmico]

The firmware.

i think this is impossible to know before order it online
probably amz prime is our friend, so order, check, if not 2022 ver, send it back
what firmware version is the 2022 version?

 

[phoenixsong]

i think this is impossible to know before order it online
probably amz prime is our friend, so order, check, if not 2022 ver, send it back
what firmware version is the 2022 version?

Is the 2022 version really that much better than the original version/is the original version unworthy of purchase to such a degree? Honest question

 

[artburda]

Is the 2022 version really that much better than the original version/is the original version unworthy of purchase to such a degree? Honest question

The differences are negligable. What would be a practical application where the differences could matter? Btw: with the older one you could get one that was assembled in the USA

 

[oversorrow]

Is the 2022 version really that much better than the original version/is the original version unworthy of purchase to such a degree? Honest question

No, the difference is not very big, but the main design has changed and people tend to think V2 is an improved product, right?

 

[ahhui]

Hi, I'm new to here and glad to found this forum.

I just got my M4 for two days and I found two issue. My connection method is to connect a synthezier (I tried Wavestate and Analog Four MKII respectively) through two TRS balanced cables to the 1/2 input of M4, I used Cubase 9 for the DAW, and my Headphones is SONY-7506.

The first thing I don't understand is that I feel that the sound quality when I monitoring with Headphones is not good as recording and then playing, when I play the synthezier and monitor directly from the Headphones, the sound becomes very 'narrow' and 'thin'(I don't know how to explain it exactly). But if I record with Cubase and play it back (or just open 'Monitor' button in Cubase when recording), the sound quality is the same as if I plug my Headphones directly into the headphone jack behind the synthezier. I don't know much about sound interface, what I want to know is is this normal?

The second problem is that when I use the rear 3/4 input port, I obviously feel that the gain is not enough. I know that the 3/4 port is a line input, and there is no additional amplifier, but I thought the output of the synthesizer and the input of the M4 were all should be line level, shouldn't there be enough gain? Or must need insert a mix console to work perfectly together?

Can someone give me some hint or comment? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[ahhui]

The firmware.

I don't think so. I just got my M4 for two days, the firmware is 2.00, but I believe it is still a old(pervious) version, beacuse I have successfully installed its driver on windows7,.

According to the previous post, the new version no longer supports windows 7 due to the replacement of the USB chip.

 

[Vict0r]

The second problem is that when I use the rear 3/4 input port, I obviously feel that the gain is not enough. I know that the 3/4 port is a line input, and there is no additional amplifier, but I thought the output of the synthesizer and the input of the M4 were all should be line level, shouldn't there be enough gain? Or must need insert a mix console to work perfectly together?

Can someone give me some hint or comment? Any advice would be appreciated.

Welcome! I have a Motu M4 and use it with a ASM Hydrasynth and Arturia Microfreak (and a Zoom MS70 pedal). The synths are instrument-level, not line-level, so input 3 & 4 will not have enough gain. The only way to fix this is with a line converter, DI box or, like you said, a mixer that ups its input voltage to line output.

Regarding your headphone issue; how is the sound when you just play a track or video on your PC and listen to it through the headphones? Same issue?

 

[ahhui]

Welcome! I have a Motu M4 and use it with a ASM Hydrasynth and Arturia Microfreak (and a Zoom MS70 pedal). The synths are instrument-level, not line-level, so input 3 & 4 will not have enough gain. The only way to fix this is with a line converter, DI box or, like you said, a mixer that ups its input voltage to line output.

Regarding your headphone issue; how is the sound when you just play a track or video on your PC and listen to it through the headphones? Same issue?

Hi, victor, thanks a lot for clearing up one of my doubts, I have been wrongly thinking that the output of synthesizers is line level, it seems that I need check their manuals carefully again.

Regarding the first question, when I play a music track or some video on my computer, the sound quality is very good and normal. That's what I am confused. I couldn't say that sound is a distortion or something, but it does different than plugging headphones directly behind the synthezier or "record then play".

 

[dasdoing]

The only way to fix this is with a line converter, DI box or, like you said, a mixer that ups its input voltage to line output.

you can use input 1 and 2. no need for extra device

 

[Vict0r]

Hi, victor, thanks a lot for clearing up one of my doubts, I have been wrongly thinking that the output of synthesizers is line level, it seems that I need check their manuals carefully again.

Regarding the first question, when I play a music track or some video on my computer, the sound quality is very good and normal. That's what I am confused. I couldn't say that sound is a distortion or something, but it does different than plugging headphones directly behind the synthezier or "record then play".

I take it you're using the monitor options of the M4 properly (the little buttons) and have adjusted the gain. Can you try it in a free DAW like Cakewalk and see if it happens there as well? If it doesn't, you know it's something to do with Cubase and you can take it from there.

 

[Vict0r]

you can use input 1 and 2. no need for extra device

You can't use 1 & 2 if those are already in use by another stereo input. My ASM Hydrasynth is stereo (so 2x TRS out), for example, so both 1 & 2 are taken. 3 & 4 are needed if you want to connect another instrument.

 

[ahhui]

I take it you're using the monitor options of the M4 properly (the little buttons) and have adjusted the gain. Can you try it in a free DAW like Cakewalk and see if it happens there as well? If it doesn't, you know it's something to do with Cubase and you can take it from there.

Yes, when I mentioned 'monitoring', I pressed the two metal (MONI) buttons on the M4 panel and tried tunning two GAIN pots, they just changed the volume, the sound quality did not change.

Do you mean the monitor sound quality will be affected by the software? I thought the M4 sound just went through the internal channel to the headphone amp section, but I'm sure that's not the case with the M4, I haven't used Cakewalk, but I know this software, I can install one and try it sometime.

 

[Vict0r]

Do you mean the monitor sound quality will be affected by the software? I thought the M4 sound just went through the internal channel to the headphone amp section, but I'm sure that's not the case with the M4, I haven't used Cakewalk, but I know this software, I can install one and try it sometime.

It would make sense to make sure it's 100% related to the M4. Trying it in another DAW to see if it happens there as well is a good way of narrowing it down to the hardware.

 

[ahhui]

It would make sense to make sure it's 100% related to the M4. Trying it in another DAW to see if it happens there as well is a good way of narrowing it down to the hardware.

Good idea, I'll try to install Cakewalk this weekend.

 

[dasdoing]

the monitoring sounds thin because the Motu M4 has no panning in the monitoring, so instead of stereo you get the two channels overlayed in the center (which is worse than mono, since you will have cancelation).
you can solve this issue by monitoring via your DAW

 

[ahhui]

the monitoring sounds thin because the Motu M4 has no panning in the monitoring, so instead of stereo you get the two channels overlayed in the center (which is worse than mono, since you will have cancelation).
you can solve this issue by monitoring via your DAW

Thank you for your reminder, I just listened carefully to the stereo sound from the synthesizer for a long while. It is very similar a part of the sound is canceled due to the difference phase.

Then I carefully read the manual again, and I found that the MONI button of the M4 can be set as a stereo monitor by press and hold , when I did this, everything is back to normal. The wonderful sound reappeared in the headphones.

I apologize for my carelessness in not reading the details of the manual carefully, and thanks for this forum and your help. @Vict0r @dasdoing

 

[dasdoing]

Thank you for your reminder, I just listened carefully to the stereo sound from the synthesizer for a while. It is very similar a part of the sound is canceled due to the difference phase.

Then I carefully read the manual again, and I found that the MONI button of the M4 can be set as a stereo monitor by press and hold , when I did this, everything is back to normal. The wonderful sound reappeared in the headphones.

I apologize for my carelessness in not reading the details of the manual carefully, and thanks for this forum and your help. @Vict0r @dasdoing

RTFM lol

 

[ahhui]

RTFM lol

Absolutely. MOTU should have write a 300 but 28 page manual so I won't miss something because it's too simple.

 

[OHtaru]

I don't think so. I just got my M4 for two days, the firmware is 2.00, but I believe it is still a old(pervious) version, beacuse I have successfully installed its driver on windows7,.

According to the previous post, the new version no longer supports windows 7 due to the replacement of the USB chip.

Actually there are three versions.
v1 XMOS controller+ES9016S DAC+AK5554 ADC
v2 NXP controller+ES9026pro DAC+AK5554 ADC
v3 Atmel controller+ES9026pro DAC+ES9840 ADC
v2&v3 both have 2.xx firmware

 

[Cadence]

Actually there are three versions.
v1 XMOS controller+ES9016S DAC+AK5554 ADC
v2 NXP controller+ES9026pro DAC+AK5554 ADC
v3 Atmel controller+ES9026pro DAC+ES9840 ADC
v2&v3 both have 2.xx firmware

View attachment 191711

Given #1 should be the old version, which one do you think is better between #2 and #3? Then, how to make sure to purchase the better one between these two?