Topic: Please educate me! :)

I have a small home studio and currently use Logic pro 9 along with the original MOTU Ultralite interface to record.  I'm interested in the ADI-2 but have some questions.

1) I see that the ADI-2 has two analog inputs that are 1/4 inch and mic.  Are those two inputs mic pres?

2) Would I still need my MOTU Ultralite as a input to use along side the ADI-2?  And if so, how would I be able to use only the ADI-2 converters instead of the ones in the Motu?

3) I'm not sure how I would chain my mic pres, compressors and Motu interface with the ADI-2.

Please help me understand this situation.

Thanks so much!!!

Jerry :-)

Re: Please educate me! :)

HI Jerry,
1. Those are balanced line level analog.
You can use TRS balance 1/4" or XLR balanced. The analog inputs use a XLR-phone jack combo connector.
So either XLR or 1/4" are possible on the one connection.
2. Yes you will be plugging the ADI-2 into the digital SPDIF connections of the MOTU.
So if you want to record or playback stuff though ADI-2 you will assign your softwares inputs and output to the SPDIF channels.
3. The ADI-2 is just adding an extra set of analog I/O to the MOTU.
So if you have 1 or 2 nice Mic Pre-amps then you plug them directly into the ADI-2's 1/4" or XLR inputs.
If it is an analog compressor and you are only using to compress your vocals on the way in then you just need to put it in between the Mic-pre and the ADI-2.
If you are trying to use the compressor on a mix then it gets more complicated. You would either always have to unhook your Mic pre in order to use the compressor, use a patch bay of some sort. If you are wanting to make full use of your external compressors and Mic-Pres and have them plugged into a better sounding device then I would just replace the MOTU with a Fireface 400, 800 or UFX. Any of these will have more and higher quality analog I/O than the MOTU and you would technically not really need to use the ADI-2 sense the AD/DA on the Fireface series is excellent.

Chris

Chris Ludwig | ADK Pro Audio
www.adkproaudio.com
https://www.facebook.com/adkmg

Re: Please educate me! :)

Are the converters in the Fireface series the same as the ones in the ADI-2?

Re: Please educate me! :)

Hi Jerry,
Technically not as good as the ADI-2 but way better than MOTU and better than most any other audio interface IMHO.
I think you will hear a noticeable sound quality increase with either the ADI-2 or the Fireface converters.
Chris

Chris Ludwig | ADK Pro Audio
www.adkproaudio.com
https://www.facebook.com/adkmg

Re: Please educate me! :)

Thanks for the help Chris!  Just to make sure I'm straight on this:

If I get the ADI-2, I CAN use it with the MOTU and completely bypass the MOTU's converters?  This will increase the sound quality of the things I'm recording even if it's still chaining thru the MOTU, and what I hear back thru my monitors via the RME unit will sound superior to what I have now with just the MOTU?

Jerry

Re: Please educate me! :)

HI Jerry,
Yes.
For best results set the ADI-2 to internal/master and the MOTU to slave via the SPDIF.
Chris

Chris Ludwig | ADK Pro Audio
www.adkproaudio.com
https://www.facebook.com/adkmg

Re: Please educate me! :)

The converter chips in the FF800 are the same as in the ADI-2. The other Firefaces have different converters... cool

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME