MOTU M2?

[twotoedsloth]

Hello all,

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and hopefully, respond.

I am going to be editing about 200 student recitals over the next two months, and I need an audio interface. I am currently using a Mackie Big Knob Studio, and the sound is unfortunately awful. There is an annoying buzz, and the left/right balance is dubious. At home, I have at Benchmark DAC1, will the MOTU M2 be too much of a disappointment in sound quality? I have a well treated space and KRK V8 monitor speakers.

If not the M2, what would you recommend?

Many thanks,

Peter

[laslojott]

Hi there!

I have used the M2 in professional radio reporting contexts in many different settings for both recording and editing. I had only good experiences with it. I can't fully speak on music mixing and mastering on it, but if you are only editing, the M2 is probably more than sufficient.

Just don't expect the preamps to have enough power for a SM7b or something.

Laslo

[twotoedsloth]

Hello and thanks for your response.

While I don't anticipate doing much mixing, I will be doing "light" mastering as classical music often gets really quiet so limiting might be necessary from time to time. I'll only be mixing if something goes drastically wrong.

I will not be recording on to this computer at all.

While this will primarily be used with monitor speakers, it would be nice if the interface has enough, I believe the term is welly, to drive a pair of AKG K702 headphones.

Many thanks,

Peter

[forumuser931182]

If you are only using the interface as a headphone amplifier there are a number of great hifi dac/headphone amplifiers similar to the benchmark you could use instead ( or do you already have the m2 available )

[forumuser931182]

Oh and there are some very reasonably priced usb to spdif converters if you want to use your home benchmark unit

[twotoedsloth]

Greetings again,

Thanks for the suggestion, I am hoping to leave my Benchmark DAC1 at home. It actually has a USB connector on it, which is what I use.

Can you suggest a suitable hifi component? The only one I can find is the Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M, but it's significantly more expensive than the Motu I am considering.

Sorry if I'm being dense here...

[forumuser931182]

If you are in UK Ifi make a range of dac/headphone amplifiers. JDSlabs is a good USA company.
Apogee has the Groove headphone amplifier but it is probably the same price as the Motu.
Unfortunately hifi equipment is often pricier than music equipment because it is “special”.
Motu is a very good brand.

[ef37a]

Hi Peter, I have an M4 which I am pretty sure is just an M2 with an extra two line inputs. I have nothing but praise for it. My son also has one and records his classical guitar with it and he is pretty fussy!

The headphone output is about 3V rms and I get more than enough level into my AKG K92 cans. Yes, the 92s are some 10dB more sensitive than yours and 32R as against 62 Ohms but I am clinically deaf! If you want substantially more headphone level I think you will have to look to externally powered interfaces although the money might be more usefully spent on a good quality headphone amplifier?

If you are in UK you have two weeks to try the interface before you return it for a full refund. MOTU are also very helpful people.

Dave.

[twotoedsloth]

Hello All,

In particular I would like to thank Dave, I was hoping he would weigh in, as he has mentioned the M4 in previous posts.

Unfortunately I live in Canada, and we don't have such generous return policies. Case in point, last week I bought some bone conduction earphones, and they are truly awful, but the dealer won't take them back, even though he recommended them!

I think I'll bite the bullet and buy them M2, I only need to tolerate it until mid June, I can buy a more upscale interface in July if necessary.

Your help here is much appreciated.

Peter

[ef37a]

Hello All,

In particular I would like to thank Dave, I was hoping he would weigh in, as he has mentioned the M4 in previous posts.

Unfortunately I live in Canada, and we don't have such generous return policies. Case in point, last week I bought some bone conduction earphones, and they are truly awful, but the dealer won't take them back, even though he recommended them!

I think I'll bite the bullet and buy them M2, I only need to tolerate it until mid June, I can buy a more upscale interface in July if necessary.

Your help here is much appreciated.

Peter

You are most welcome Peter. When the M2 arrives you will be able to pit it against your DAC1? I will be surprised if there is a massive difference. The DAC1 is directly mains powered so the headphone amplifier is bound to have a higher ultimate headroom but I suspect the M2 will be more than adequate.

Dave.

[Hugh Robjohns]

I will be doing "light" mastering as classical music often gets really quiet so limiting might be necessary from time to time.

I would caution against limiting. It often sounds obvious, wrong and unpleasant in the context of classical music.

You are right that the dynamic range of live classical music is often too much for convenient listening in more typical domestic environments. However, rather than crushing the loudest peaks, I find it far more satisfactory to lift the quieter parts.

The best way is arguably through parallel compression...(https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques ... ompression)

...but an alternative and simpler approach is to use a very gentle compressor with a very low threshold.

The idea here is to have the compressor doing something very gentle all the time, so you don't hear it suddenly start to squash just the loud bits.

Try a ratio of between 1.1 :1 and 1.5 :1, with a very low threshold (-40dB or so). Then tweak make-up gain to suit. (Obviously, these are just starting suggestions — adjust to the music and taste.)

[adrian_k]

I will be doing "light" mastering as classical music often gets really quiet so limiting might be necessary from time to time.

...but an alternative and simpler approach is to use a very gentle compressor with a very low threshold.

The idea here is to have the compressor doing something very gentle all the time, so you don't hear it suddenly start to squash just the loud bits.

Try a ratio of between 1.1 :1 and 1.5 :1, with a very low threshold (-40dB or so). Then tweak make-up gain to suit. (Obviously, these are just starting suggestions — adjust to the music and taste.)

I like this approach ever since I read it in SOS many years ago. Needs a good fast acting compressor though IMHO.

[ef37a]

I will be doing "light" mastering as classical music often gets really quiet so limiting might be necessary from time to time.

...but an alternative and simpler approach is to use a very gentle compressor with a very low threshold.

The idea here is to have the compressor doing something very gentle all the time, so you don't hear it suddenly start to squash just the loud bits.

Try a ratio of between 1.1 :1 and 1.5 :1, with a very low threshold (-40dB or so). Then tweak make-up gain to suit. (Obviously, these are just starting suggestions — adjust to the music and taste.)

I like this approach ever since I read it in SOS many years ago. Needs a good fast acting compressor though IMHO.

Wasn't this what a studio "sound balancer" did decades ago to squeeze Beeth'5 down to R3 AM dynamic range? I suppose it got a bit easier with the coming of FM?

I hate to say this but such a task seems to me well suited to AI? Not sure if it could ever do it in real time?

Dave.

[Hugh Robjohns]

Wasn't this what a studio "sound balancer" did decades ago to squeeze Beeth'5 down to R3 AM dynamic range? I suppose it got a bit easier with the coming of FM?

They still do it today!

I hate to say this but such a task seems to me well suited to AI? Not sure if it could ever do it in real time?

That's why R3 sound balancers read the score... to anticipate the loud and quiet buts and adjust the level in subtle steps before hand to compensate in an inaudible way.

[James Perrett]

However, rather than crushing the loudest peaks, I find it far more satisfactory to lift the quieter parts.

The best way is arguably through parallel compression...(https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques ... ompression)

...but an alternative and simpler approach is to use a very gentle compressor with a very low threshold.

The idea here is to have the compressor doing something very gentle all the time, so you don't hear it suddenly start to squash just the loud bits.

Have you tried something like Audition's compressor (or Reaper's General Dynamics) that allows you to do upwards compression on low level signals?

[twotoedsloth]

Hello and thanks for all of your responses.

Hugh, thanks for your advice on compression. I use the Sonnox compressor, and I usually start with the G Series Emulation preset and tweak it from there. So far it has not led me astray, and no one has complained about obvious pumping or breathing. I used to use the Waves L2 and on occasion it was too much for the material, and it was indeed unpleasant.

I haven't tried the Audition or Reaper compressors, though I do have licenses for both, as we are doing video and audio recordings for the students now, I use Vegas Video for audio and video work. I will have a look at Audition and Reaper tomorrow morning, I mostly use Audition for the noise reduction, and Reaper is pressed into service as a backup audio recorder.

I have heard really good things about Fabfilter, do you think it's worth giving it a try? Anything that would make my workflow faster would be very desirable.

Best regards and thanks for all of your help,

Peter