Motu 624 AWB

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end117
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Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 8:08 pm

Motu 624 AWB

Post by end117 »

Hi guys

I bought a MOTU 624 AWB. Before buying it I read some threads around the web and it seemed to be supported.

....usb3 class compliant, web-app for manage the soundcard in linux without software (win o mac) stand-alone mixer

everything seems to be going well, jack sees it, connects, from the connections panel I see all the in/outs, I can set everything, but no sound comes out.
I checked the matrix-mixer on the web-app....everything seems ok.
Selection_002.png
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If I use the soundcard as a stand/alone mixer with the web-app everything is fine...sound, manage, dsp, plugin ecc, and I can see the main section meter that "moves", while if the sound comes from the computer it does't.

Now I tried to install AVLinux, yesterday I tried with Ubuntu Studio and Ubuntu...but nothing changes

I have ASROCK Z87 PRO3 motherboard whit usb3

Alsa-mixer in terminal shows like in the photo attached
Selection_001.png
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sudo aplay -l

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emenems@emenems:~$ sudo aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: HDMI [HDA Intel HDMI], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: HDMI [HDA Intel HDMI], device 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: HDMI [HDA Intel HDMI], device 8: HDMI 2 [HDMI 2]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: HDMI [HDA Intel HDMI], device 9: HDMI 3 [HDMI 3]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: HDMI [HDA Intel HDMI], device 10: HDMI 4 [HDMI 4]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC892 Analog [ALC892 Analog]
  Subdevices: 0/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 1: ALC892 Digital [ALC892 Digital]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 2: M624 [Motu 624], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
cat /proc/asound/cards

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emenems@emenems:~$ cat /proc/asound/cards
 0 [HDMI           ]: HDA-Intel - HDA Intel HDMI
                      HDA Intel HDMI at 0xf0534000 irq 30
 1 [PCH            ]: HDA-Intel - HDA Intel PCH
                      HDA Intel PCH at 0xf0530000 irq 29
 2 [M624           ]: USB-Audio - Motu 624
                      MOTU Motu 624 at usb-0000:00:14.0-4, super speed

can someone help me?

M.
supereb
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Re: Motu 624 AWB

Post by supereb »

Looks like all your inputs go to the internal mixer, internal mixer out to computer in, computer out to analog outs, so that appears to be correct. The most common problem with the AVB series is that they are very sensitive to USB timing, so much that depending on your hardware and software environment, may work fine or hardly work at all. The common complaint is that the computer output channels would swap in increments of eight - 1/2 would play for a bit, the sound would start to have a bitcrushing effect and then go silent because now the stream on 1/2 has become 9/10 to the MOTU, and then 17/18 and so on.

Play sound from your DAW and watch the signal indicators at the top of the screen. You may need to expand the routing grid view to show additional computer out channels, if you are not hearing sound, you'll probably see signal indication on another channel pair.

Some users have had luck switching to earlier firmware, but many including myself needed to apply a kernel patch created by Drumfix, you can read about it in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18046&start=165

The good stuff starts on page 12. Kernel patch and some curl commands sent to the motu through ethernet.
end117
Established Member
Posts: 35
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 8:08 pm

Re: Motu 624 AWB

Post by end117 »

@superb Thank you for the answer

Now it works

I tried different way to switch on the motu and the pc and I found that if I switch on the motu before, than wait for full loading of it and finally switch on the computer, it works.
Good new!!!

I tried to work with it and, trying various jack setting, I noticed that with

SAMPLE RATE 44100
FRAMES/PERIOD 512
PERIODS/BUFFER 2

I have latency 23,2 and some xrun which temporarily blocks the transport of Ardour
It is too bad....
With the previous sound card FOCUSRITE SAFFIR PRO 24 DSP, I could work with latency 8.71 without xrun, with the same hardware, obviously.

My hardware is
MB ASROCK Z87 PRO 3
Intel Core i5-4440 CPU @ 3.10GHz
8 GB DDR RAM
AVLinux with RT Kernel 4.16.12-rt5-avl1

Wath do You think about my HW? I think it is not too bad! Maybe am I wrong? Wrong somethings?

Do you have some advise in order to improve performance?

M.
supereb
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Re: Motu 624 AWB

Post by supereb »

Sounds like you were using a smaller buffer size before, but that won’t fix the xruns. Switching to an older firmware might help, but I your probably going to have to do the kernel patch and use it in windows proprietary mode.

Also, change the buffer size in the MOTU device tab before starting Jack and you should be able to select a different buffer size.
end117
Established Member
Posts: 35
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 8:08 pm

Re: Motu 624 AWB

Post by end117 »

Also, change the buffer size in the MOTU device tab before starting Jack and you should be able to select a different buffer size.
I tried...nothings change
kernel patch and use it in windows proprietary mode.
Do you mean Kernel patch by Drumfix?

Wath is windows proprietary mode?

M.
supereb
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Re: Motu 624 AWB

Post by supereb »

end117 wrote:
Also, change the buffer size...
I tried...nothings change
kernel patch and use it in windows proprietary mode.
Do you mean Kernel patch by Drumfix?
Wath is windows proprietary mode?
M.
Hmmm.. you should be able to change buffer size as long as you make jack match what you set in the web interface. Weird.

Yes, the kernel patch that Drumfix created.

Windows proprietary mode is the mode that the interface operates in when connected to a Windows PC and using Motu's Windows driver. This mode of operation is less sensitive to USB timing, which can be a problem when trying to use the interface in class compliant mode.
end117
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Re: Motu 624 AWB

Post by end117 »

I mean I have already change buffer size and other settings....obviously, the more I increase the latency the less xruns i get...but is impossible to work with higher latency...

I think I'll try the patch and the downgrading of firmwere...


But, i I didn't understand how to set the Windows proprietary mode..is this possible using the kernel patch? is this right?

M.
supereb
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Re: Motu 624 AWB

Post by supereb »

end117 wrote: But, i I didn't understand how to set the Windows proprietary mode..is this possible using the kernel patch? is this right?

M.
Use the curl commands posted on page 12 to change the mode of the motu and set the number of channels. The number of channels must match the quirk that you copy into quirks-table.h.
end117
Established Member
Posts: 35
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 8:08 pm

Re: Motu 624 AWB

Post by end117 »

Ok... Thank you

I'll try soon as possible and let you know the results


M.
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