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MOTU UltraLite-mk5 Review (Audio Interface)

Trell

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Hi,

Reading some of the messages above, it looks like this is a good place to ask about software compatibility. I bought a mk5 some months ago for remote recording along with a laptop, and it has been great. So great in fact, that I would like to use it in the studio. The problem is I still have windows 7 on that machine. I installed the drivers and cuemix on it with no errors. With Reaper, I can record and play through all channels, but Cuemix5 does not connect to the mk5. Is there any way to use Cuemix5 with windows 7? Is this a websocket issue?

Thanks

Windows 7 was EOL January 2020. Move on.

 

carat

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Does anyone know why the UltraLite-Mk5 puts duplicate devices in Windows Device Manager? There are NOT duplicate Playback/Recording devices in the Windows Sound Control Panel, and everything seems to be working fine, but the yellow bang and "needs troubleshooting" error message is starting to get on my nerves. I completely uninstalled and reinstalled the MOTU software but that didn't change anything.

dup.png


"Problem status: This device cannot start (Code 10). The I/O device is configured incorrectly or the configuration parameters to the driver are incorrect."

The first UltraLite-Mk5 device with the error:​


Device Description: USB Audio Device

Hardware Ids:
USB\VID_07FD&PID_000C&REV_0200&MI_03
USB\VID_07FD&PID_000C&MI_03

Matching device Id: USB\Class_01

Driver version: 10.0.19041.1682
Inf name: wdma_usb.inf
Provider: Microsoft
Service: usbaudio
Manufacturer: (Generic USB Audio)

The second UltraLite-Mk5 device without the error:​


Device Description: UltraLite-Mk5

Hardware Ids:
USB\VID_07FD&PID_000C&REV_0200&MI_00
USB\VID_07FD&PID_000C&MI_00

Matching device Id: USB\VID_07FD&PID_000C&MI_00

Driver version: 4.0.9.1636
Inf name: oem13.inf
Provider: MOTU, Inc
Service: MOTUgen5
Manufacturer: MOTU, Inc

As per the manual, the UltraLite-Mk5: "is USB audio class-compliant...and does not require driver installation for USB connection to a computer." Is the errored instance the class-compliant one, which has become redundant while a second instance is used with the MOTU driver package?
 
Last edited:

xrqp

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If you cannot delete it from the device manager, consider just living with it as-is. I went thru a phase where I would spend a lot of time trying to fix things like that. But now, if I can't clean it up easily, and if it seems to have no effect, then I live with it. Sometimes things like that go away eventually. Sometimes we cannot know if it has no effect, but I am willing to live with that too. Operating systems are so complicated, they are like life, and I have to make compromises to get by.
 

xrqp

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it sure is, those DSP ships are not very powerfull.
my older Motu device also cannot produce more than one reverb type at once.
in my device you can throw any input, mix or output at it though
Thanks. My Tascam 102i interface also has only one reverb mix.
Does anyone know if the RME UCX ii has more than one reverb mix?
 

TriN

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Hi,

Reading some of the messages above, it looks like this is a good place to ask about software compatibility. I bought a mk5 some months ago for remote recording along with a laptop, and it has been great. So great in fact, that I would like to use it in the studio. The problem is I still have windows 7 on that machine. I installed the drivers and cuemix on it with no errors. With Reaper, I can record and play through all channels, but Cuemix5 does not connect to the mk5. Is there any way to use Cuemix5 with windows 7? Is this a websocket issue?

Thanks
Windows 7 doesn't support Websocket "natively"... maybe it works thru Chrome or Firefox, open the index.html directly instead of the .exe
 

Nspace

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November 15 2022 saw the release of new UltraLite-mk5 Firmware version 1.1.9+2466
 

redeyes

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Strictly speaking this isnt an AVB device.. even though it is internally. You can't actually use it via network that i've been able to tell. the USB connection creates a virtual network adapter on the computer and then AVB takes over. It's un-cool that they don't make an android app for it since the software is literally a electron app, which is chrome in a wrapper).
 

redeyes

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I just realized that I could just dive into the driver folder on windows, and run the index.html that Cuemix actually is. It loaded up in a web browser and just worked fine.

Here are those files (I think thats enough to make it work)
 

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mdsimon2

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Updated to latest firmware, as suggested by the release notes you now have the option for a display time out of 30 sec, 30 min or off.

Not sure exactly how it works but in limited testing it seems to be triggered by lack of input signal. The time out is a black screen with a "pong" type cursor bouncing around.

Definitely a good addition to prevent oled burn in.

Michael
 

carat

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One minor design flaw you can see in that teardown is that the screen cover is not sealed onto the screen, which allows dust to get between them. This has happened to my unit. I only notice it when light is shining on the screen, but it's still not ideal.

I'm also surprised at the lack of heatsinks. In summer mine gets very warm. The manual says it can operate in ambient temperatures up to 40°C.
 
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thrash

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Has anyone tried to operate two of the mk5's in cascade mode? Strictly Windows question. I know that it works on Mac. I just want to know if the driver natively allows it -or you have to use ASIO4ALL - and if there are any clock synchro issues. I am trying to figure out if you can jack two MK5 through Usb on a single PC and utilize the ADATS in 96Khz (since each MK5 will have 4 channels avail at hires). Intention is to record more than 14 channels on one take through both interfaces.
 

Grooved

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Has anyone tried to operate two of the mk5's in cascade mode? Strictly Windows question. I know that it works on Mac. I just want to know if the driver natively allows it -or you have to use ASIO4ALL - and if there are any clock synchro issues. I am trying to figure out if you can jack two MK5 through Usb on a single PC and utilize the ADATS in 96Khz (since each MK5 will have 4 channels avail at hires). Intention is to record more than 14 channels on one take through both interfaces.
You should look at the manual, it will certainly be explained if you can connect two on a PC and have the ASIO driver showing all In/Out as one interface.
I still have several 20 years old MOTU interfaces, and it was already working like that, the ASIO driver just add #1 or #2 for each in or out to let you know on which interface it is
It even works with a USB + a Firewire one
If MOTU could do it 20 years ago, they certainly still can do it now, but better check it first
 

thrash

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You should look at the manual, it will certainly be explained if you can connect two on a PC and have the ASIO driver showing all In/Out as one interface.
I still have several 20 years old MOTU interfaces, and it was already working like that, the ASIO driver just add #1 or #2 for each in or out to let you know on which interface it is
It even works with a USB + a Firewire one
If MOTU could do it 20 years ago, they certainly still can do it now, but better check it first

Well! It's not exactly the case. I am posting the answer i just received from MOTU Tech support. Apparently the MK5 cannot work in cascade mode.


Motu_response.png
 

redeyes

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IM thinking you could slave one unit off the other via adat/optical but the actual control software might not work.
 

Grooved

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Well! It's not exactly the case. I am posting the answer i just received from MOTU Tech support. Apparently the MK5 cannot work in cascade mode.
Sorry to hear that. It wouldn't have been really a cascade mode (would have been MK5 USB-MK5 USB-PC) as both would have been plugged separately (MK5 USB-PC-MK5 USB)
Now, the software should show you all the In/Out, including ADAT, so there no reason to not be able to use one as "main", and the other one linked via ADAT, as long as this one work as standalone after routing configuration to get 8 input signals going to ADAT output (then send it on ADAT In of the MK5)
You don't have a full control of both, but you can still add up to 8 inputs to the main MK5
 
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