Motu M4 rev1 firmware version: stuck on v1.0.1

[AudioMaster]

I’m looking for some clarification on the MOTU M4 firmware versions. From this forum I learned that there was three hardware versions (v1, v2, and v3).

I own a v1 unit, and the latest firmware I can find being discussed on forums for it is 1.0.2.

I have firmware 1.0.1 on my unit. However, when I run the latest MOTU firmware flasher, it reports that my device is already up to date, even though I should be updated to 1.0.2 for my rev1.

What am I missing here?

 

[DVDdoug]

I don't know anything about the MOTU but I wouldn't mess with it unless there is a way to recover if something goes wrong and you "brick it" by killing the existing firmware, and the USB stops working! (Sometimes the old firmware isn't overwritten and there's an internal hardware jumper to recover, but sometimes not.)

Of course there's no harm in trying it yourself if it's an important update and you're going to have to send it back for an update anyway,

 

[AudioMaster]

I don't know anything about the MOTU but I wouldn't mess with it unless there is a way to recover if something goes wrong and you "brick it" by killing the existing firmware, and the USB stops working! (Sometimes the old firmware isn't overwritten and there's an internal hardware jumper to recover, but sometimes not.)

Of course there's no harm in trying it yourself if it's an important update and you're going to have to send it back for an update anyway,

What is weird is that everyone have 1.0.2 and I am I on 1.0.1, without an explanation from the installer besides "you have the latest firmware"

 

[Smuckers]

Chiming in here on happenstance - I had an early version and a later one - bought a few months apart back in '21 I think.

The early version had a green PCB, and refused firmware updates - I believe MOTU kept the early ones on a very early firmware revision due to hardware differences, and the later blue-PCB ones get the updates. I had to replace the V1 early on because it was not stable or usable. MOTU replaced under warranty with another V1, which is when I noticed those versions can't receive the newer firmware. It was still glitchy but functioned, so I sold the V1 to someone who had a different system, not AMD-based.

That aside, after 4 years I noticed my V2 starting to act glitchy, the buffer size needing to be increased. That eventually lead to the past 1-2 months of it sounding like it was clipping audio signal when playing back audio from the PC. Today I went to update it to the newest firmware to see if that would help - new driver, too. No go.

My M4 is now locked in update mode and will not come out. It's out of warranty, so I'm not even bothering with MOTU support. It's bricked, and after 4 years of doing all I can to make this thing run happily/noise free (USB splitter, running power from an adapter, add-in USB card, specific cables). When it worked, it worked well, but getting it to that point was a slog, and took probably the better part of a year dealing with constant troubleshooting and monitoring to determine which drivers, at which version, worked best. Kinda burnt out and done with it at this point, wish I could find an interface that simply worked. Not going MOTU again, that's for darn sure.