Windows 7 MOTU 8PRE problems

Mnementh

New Member
Hi all!

I just bought myself a MOTU 8PRE FW soundcard.

I have it up an running without any problems on my laptop running Win XP/Cubase SX3/Guitar Rig 4 and some other apps.

When installing it under Windows 7/Cubase 5 I get extreme distortion. And I mean really extreme distortion. I get it to "work" without distortion if I put all volume sliders in the mixer at 4%(!). When I start cubase I need to have the main out slider in Cubase also at -45dB to be able to get a descent sound.

I can use the MOTU Cuemix and hear my instrument correctly but as soon as I try to use any program other than that the distortion is very nasty. Even the system sounds distort like crazy.

I've tried all the tips I can find online but to no success ... I've tried different drivers, disabled the onboard audio completely and stuff like that ...

Plz help ... it feels kinda drag to buy a used sound card for €400 and not be able to use it properly ... *grrrr*

Thanks in advance!
 
Hey!

Fellow MOTU user here. I have the Traveler. See my thread and how I've helped them repair the firewire based drivers for their firewire lineup of gear recently. It's interesting if nothing else:

MOTUNATION • View topic - Traveler driver always bsod

I too use Cubase 5, Guitar Rig4. :)

---

Anyhow - on to the problem -

Here's what to do to troubleshoot the way you have it setup.

In Cuemix, mute the guitar inputs so you don't hear them. Then in your Cubase 5, make sure the correct input is selected and applied to a track. Also make sure the correct outputs are selected of course.

Now here's the problem:

You are hearing double the sound layered on top of each other at the current moment. You can set Cubase to playback or mute the playback, instead. If you don't fully understand, and what also may prove helpful to you, is to try different combinations of muting and/or not muting in Cubase and Cuemix.

If you need more info or help, let us know. Perhaps I can explain better if needed as well.
 
Thanks for the answer!

The FW legacy driver problem was corrected early.
FW legacy.jpg
I have now tried several different muting setups but at no success ...

I can't understand where the signal is boosted? As described in my initial post it feels like the stereo signal out from the computer is boosted 2 or 3 times before going out ... I am now playing spotify through the MOTU card but have to have both the MOTU slider and the Spotify slider at 4% in the Win 7 sound mixer ... and I also have noise together with the music suggesting the volume was maxed out ...
win7sliders.jpg

So my n00b conclusion is that somewhere the signal is boosted but I don't know where ...

Any suggestions?
 
You're welcome.

In Cuemix, in the bottom right hand corner, there is a mix dropdown button to change the bus. Go to all the buses you aren't using and use the mute button next to the output slider, to mute them. You're probably only using 1, so if this is the case, mute buses 2 , 3 and 4.

If you say this doesn't help out, I may have other things to try.
 

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I thought of something else that should help. In Cubase, you can set the tracks to be monitored or not. If you're monitoring in Cubase and also with Cuemix, that will double the sound which you don't want.

If you click either of the places the arrow shows in the track, that's the monitoring button. The first screenshot it with monitoring off and the second is with it on.
 

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The solution was change FW controller card ...
With the help of MOTU support.
I had a FW controller card with NEC chipset ... borrowed one with Texas Instrument chipset (as demanded by the support) and it works ... well well ... that was easy

Thanks for your time :)
 
You're welcome.

Wow, very surprised that this particular issue was fixed in that manner. Usually its crackles or pops in the audio when the firewire chip is incompatible.

In any case, thanks for letting us know and glad you got it resolved. You're really going to enjoy the MOTU gear. Just make sure the newest driver is installed from MOTU.com for it.
 
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