MOTU 828es User's Guide
828es
User Guide
™
Title Page
1280 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
Business voice: (617) 576-2760
Business fax: (617) 576-3609
Web site: www.motu.com
Tech support: www.motu.com/support
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS AND ELECTRICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE 828es (“PRODUCT”)
3-prong plug
Grounding prong
Properly grounded 3-prong outlet
Grounding lug
Screw
3-prong plug
Adapter
Make sure this is connec ted to
a known ground.
Two-prong receptacle
Figure A Figure B
CAUTION! READ THIS SAFETY GUIDE BEFORE YOU BEGIN INSTALLATION OR OPERATION. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
COULD RESULT IN BODILY INJURY OR EQUIPMENT DAMAGE.
HAZARDOUS VOLAGES: CONTACT MAY CAUSE ELECTRIC SHOCK OR BURN. TURN OFF UNIT BEFORE SERVICING.
WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR OTHER MOISTURE.
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED
SERVICE PERSONNEL.
WARNING: DO NOT PERMIT FINGERS TO TOUCH THE TERMINALS OF PLUGS WHEN INSTALLING OR REMOVING THE PLUG TO OR FROM THE OUTLET.
WARNING: IF NOT PROPERLY GROUNDED THE MOTU PRODUCT COULD CAUSE AN ELECTRICAL SHOCK.
The MOTU product is equipped with a three-conductor cord and grounding type plug which has a grounding prong, approved by Underwriters' Laboratories and the Canadian Standards Association. This plug requires a
mating three-conductor grounded type outlet as shown in Figure A below. If the outlet you are planning to use for the MOTU product is of the two prong type, DO NOT REMOVE OR ALTER THE GROUNDING PRONG IN ANY
MANNER. Use an adapter as shown below and always connect the grounding lug to a known ground. It is recommended that you have a qualified electrician replace the TWO prong outlet with a properly grounded THREE
prong outlet. An adapter as illustrated below in Figure B is available for connecting plugs to t wo-prong receptacles.
WARNING: THE GREEN GROUNDING LUG EXTENDING FROM THE ADAPTER MUST BE CONNECTED TO A PERMANENT GROUND SUCH AS TO A PROPERLY
GROUNDED OUTLET BOX. NOT ALL OUTLET BOXES ARE PROPERLY GROUNDED.
If you are not sure that your outlet box is properly grounded, have it checked by a qualified electrician. NOTE: The adapter illustrated is for use only if you already have a properly grounded two-prong receptacle. Adapter is not
allowed in Canada by the Canadian Electrical Code. Use only three wire extension cords which have three-prong grounding type plugs and three-prong receptacles which will accept the MOTU product plug.
IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS
1. Read these instructions. All the safety and operating instructions should be read before operating the product.
2. Keep these instructions. These safety instructions and the product owner’s manual should be retained for future reference.
3. Heed all warnings. All warnings on the product and in the owner’s manual should be adhered to.
4. Follow all Instructions. All operating and use instructions should be followed.
5. Do not use the product near water.
6. Cleaning - Unplug the product from the computer and clean only with a dry cloth. Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners.
7. Ventilation - Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
8. Heat - Do not install the product near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or another apparatus (including an amplifier) that produces heat.
9. Overloading - Do not overload wall outlets and extension cords as this can result in a risk of fire or electrical shock.
10. Grounding - Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding-type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong.
The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult and electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.
11. Power cord - Protect the product power cord from being walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against them. Pay particular attention to cords and plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit
from the unit.
12. Power switch - Install the product so that the power switch can be accessed and operated at all times.
13. Disconnect - The main plug is considered to be the disconnect device for the product and shall remain readily operable.
14. Accessories - Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufac turer.
15. Placement - Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket or table specified by the manufac turer, or sold with the product. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury
from tip-over.
16. Surge protection - Unplug the product during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.
17. Servicing - Refer all ser vicing to qualified service personnel. Ser vicing is required when the product has been damaged in any way, such as w hen a power -supply co rd or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects
have fallen into the product, the product has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
18. Power Sources - Refer to the manufacturer’s operating instructions for power requirements. Be advised that different operating voltages may require the use of a different line cord and/or attachment plug.
19. Installation - Do not install the product in an unventilated rack, or directly above heat-producing equipment such as power amplifie rs. Observe the maximum ambient operating temperature listed below.
20. Power amplifiers- Never attach audio power amplifier outputs directly to any of the unit’s connectors.
21. Replacement Parts - When replacement parts are required, be sure the service technician has used replacement part s specified by the manufacturer or have the same characteristics as the original part. Unauthorized
substitutions may result in fire, electric shock or other hazards.
22. Safety Check - Upon completion of any service or repairs to this MOTU product, ask the ser vice technician to perfo rm safety checks to determine that the product is in safe operating conditions.
ENVIRONMENT, HEAT AND VENTILATION
Operating Temperature: 10°C to 40°C (50°F to 104°). The product should be situated away from heat sources or other equipment that produces heat. When installing the product in a rack or any other location, be sure there
is adequate space around the product to ensure proper ventilation. Improper ventilation will cause overheating and can damage the unit.
TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK OR FIRE
Do not handle the power cord with wet hands. Do not pull on the power cord when disconnecting it from an AC wall outlet.
Grasp it by the plug. Do not expose this apparatus to rain or moisture. Do not place objects containing liquids on it.
AC INPUT
100 - 240VAC ~ • 50 / 60Hz • 0.5A max
Contents
Part 1: Getting Started
7 Quick Start Guide
9 828es Front Panel
10 828es Rear Panel
11 MOTU Pro Audio Control Web App
23 About the 828es
27 Packing List and System Requirements
29 Software Installation
33 Hardware Installation
Part 2: Using the 828es
53 Presets
57 Front Panel Operation
63 Working with Host Audio Software
71 Mixer Effects
79 MOTU Audio Tools
95 Networking
Part 3: Appendices
103 Troubleshooting
105 Audio Specifications
109 Mixer Schematics
113 Updating Firmware
115 OSC Support
117 Index
iii
About the Mark of the Unicorn License
This equipment has been type tested and found to comply with the limits for a class B digital
device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates,
uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is
no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does
cause interference to radio or television equipment reception, which can be determined by
turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by any
combination of the following measures:
• Relocate or reorient the receiving antenna
• Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver
• Plug the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected
If necessary, you can consult a dealer or experienced radio/television technician for additional
assistance.
PLEASE NOTE: only equipment certified to comply with Class B (computer input/output devices,
terminals, printers, etc.) should be attached to this equipment, and it must have shielded inter face
cables in order to comply with the Class B FCC limits on RF emissions.
WARNING: changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the
party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the
equipment.
Agreement and Limited Warranty on Software
TO PERSONS WHO PURCHASE OR USE THIS PRODUCT: carefully read all the terms and
conditions of the “click-wrap” license agreement presented to you when you install
the software. Using the software or this documentation indicates your acceptance of
the terms and conditions of that license agreement.
Mark of the Unicorn, Inc. (“MOTU”) owns both this program and its documentation.
Both the program and the documentation are protected under applicable copyright,
trademark, and trade-secret laws. Your right to use the program and the
documentation are limited to the terms and conditions described in the license
agreement.
REMINDER OF THE TERMS OF YOUR LICENSE
This summary is not your license agreement, just a reminder of its terms. The actual
license can be read and printed by running the installation program for the soft ware.
That license agreement is a contract, and clicking “Accept” binds you and MOTU to all
its terms and conditions. In the event anything contained in this summary is
incomplete or in conflict with the actual click-wrap license agreement, the terms of
the click-wrap agreement prevail.
YOU MAY: (a) use the enclosed program on a single computer; (b) physically transfer
the program from one computer to another provided that the program is used on
only one computer at a time and that you remove any copies of the program from the
computer from which the program is being transferred; (c) make copies of the
program solely for backup purposes. You must reproduce and include the copyright
notice on a label on any backup copy.
YOU MAY NOT: (a) distribute copies of the program or the documentation to others;
(b) rent, lease or grant sublicenses or other rights to the program; (c) provide use of
the program in a computer service business, network, time-sharing, multiple CPU or
multiple user arrangement without the prior written consent of MOTU; (d) translate,
adapt, reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or otherwise alter the program or
related documentation without the prior written consent of MOTU.
MOTU warrants to the original licensee that the disk(s) on which the program is
recorded be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use for a
period of ninety (90) days from the date of purchase as evidenced by a copy of your
receipt. If failure of the disk has resulted from accident, abuse or misapplication of the
product, then MOTU shall have no responsibility to replace the disk(s) under this
Limited Warranty.
THIS LIMITED WARRANTY AND RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT IS IN LIEU OF, AND YOU
HEREBY WAIVE, ANY AND ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, BOTH EXPRESS AND IMPLIED,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE LIABILIT Y OF MOTU PURSUANT TO THIS LIMITED
WARRANTY SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE REPLACEMENT OF THE DEFECTIVE DISK(S), AND
IN NO EVENT SHALL MOTU OR ITS SUPPLIERS, LICENSORS, OR AFFILIATES BE LIABLE
FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
LOSS O F USE , LOSS OF PR OFIT S, LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING REND ERED INACC URATE,
OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY THIRD PARTIES EVEN IF MOTU HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS
WHICH MAY VARY FROM STATE TO STATE. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE
LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE
ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
UPDATE POLICY
In order to be eligible to obtain updates of the program, you must complete and
return the attached Mark of the Unicorn Purchaser Registration Card to MOTU.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Copyright © 2017 by Mark of the Unicorn, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system,
or translated into any human or computer language, in any form or by any means
whatsoever, without express written permission of Mark of the Unicorn, Inc., 1280
Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, U.S.A.
LIMITED WARRANTY ON HARDWARE
Mark of the Unicorn, Inc. and S&S Research (“MOTU/S&S”) warrant this equipment
against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of TWO (2) YEARS from the
date of original retail purchase. This warranty applies only to hardware products;
MOTU software is licensed and warranted pursuant to separate written statements.
If you discover a defect, first write or call Mark of the Unicorn at (617) 576-2760 to
obtain a Return Merchandise Authorization Number. No ser vice will be performed on
any product returned without prior authorization. MOTU will, at its option, repair or
replace the product at no charge to you, provided you return it during the warranty
period, with transportation charges prepaid, to Mark of the Unicorn, Inc., 1280
Massachusetts Avenue, MA 02138. You must use the product’s original packing
material for in shipment, and insure the shipment for the value of the produc t. Please
include your name, address, telephone number, a description of the problem, and the
original, dated bill of sale with the returned unit and print the Return Merchandise
Authorization Number on the outside of the box below the shipping address.
This warranty does not apply if the equipment has been damaged by accident, abuse,
misuse, or misapplication; has been modified without the written permission of
MOTU, or if the product serial number has been removed or defaced.
ALL IMPLIED WARRANTI ES, INCLUDING IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY
AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE LIMITED IN DURATION TO TWO (2)
YEARS FROM THE DATE OF THE ORIGINAL RETAIL PURCHASE OF THIS PRODUCT.
THE WARRANTY AND REMEDIES SET FORTH ABOVE ARE EXCLUSIVE AND IN LIEU OF
ALL OTHERS, ORAL OR WRITTEN, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. No MOTU/S&S dealer, agent,
or employee is authorized to make any modification, extension, or addition to this
warranty.
MOTU/S&S ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
DAMAGES RESULTING FROM ANY BREACH OF WARRANTY, OR UNDER ANY LEGAL
THEORY, INCLUDING LOST PROFITS, DOWNTIME, GOODWILL, DAMAGE OR
REPLACEMENT OF EQUIPMENT AND PROPERTY AND COST OF RECOVERING REPROGRAMMING, OR REPRODUCING ANY PROGRAM OR DATA STORED IN OR USED WITH
MOTU/S&S PRODUCTS.
Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of implied warranties or liability
for incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not
apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may have other
rights which vary from state to state.
MOTU, Digital Performer, AudioDesk, Mark of the Unicorn and the unicorn silhouette
logo are trademarks of Mark of the Unicorn, Inc.
Thunderbolt and the Thunderbolt logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S.
and/or other countries.
Part 1
Getting Started
Quick Start Guide
Mac
Windows
Thank you for purchasing an 828es! Follow these
easy steps to get started quickly.
1 Download and run the MOTU Pro Audio
Installer found here:
http://www.motu.com/proaudio
2 (Optional) For quick access to the 828es from
your iPad or iPhone, download the MOTU
Discovery app from the Apple App Store.
☛ Your iPhone and iPad must be on the same
Wi-Fi network as your computer.
3 Connect the interface to your computer with a
USB cable (included) or Thunderbolt cable (sold
separately). If you have a Thunderbolt-equipped
Mac running OS X El Capitan (10.11) or later, you
can alternately connect the 828es to the Mac’s
Ethernet port with a standard CAT-5e or CAT-6
Ethernet cable (sold separately).
4 Switch on the 828es.
■ You should now see the MOTU Pro Audio
Control web app in your browser, as shown on
page 12. If not, visit Appendix A, “Troubleshooting” page (103).
■ For advanced network options, and device
discovery from any modern browser, see
chapter 11, “Networking” (page 95).
6 Choose a preset from the Quick Setup.
5 Open the MOTU Pro Audio Control web app by
doing one of the following:
■ Choose the 828es from the MOTU Discovery
app menu (found in the Mac menu bar or
Windows taskbar).
■ Alternately, you can launch the MOTU Pro
Audio WebUI Setup shortcut found on the
Windows desktop or in Start menu> All
Programs> MOTU.
■ From your iPad or iPhone, launch the MOTU
Discovery app, and tap your interface.
7
8
828es Front Panel
1 43 10
982 5 6 7 11 12
15 14 13
1. These XLR/TRS combo jacks accept a mic cable or a
quarter-inch cable, balanced or unbalanced, from a guitar
or line input. Use the front panel controls to adjust individual preamp gain, 48V phantom power and optional -20 dB
pad for each mic input.
2. Individual MIC INPUT preamp gain, switchable 48V
phantom power, and optional -20 dB pad switches for
each mic input. The Precision Digital Trim™ knob provides
63 dB of preamp gain. Turn the knob to see the gain
adjustments in the LCD. Push in the knob to lock the gain
adjustment on screen; press it again to unlock and dismiss.
3. This is the built-in talkback mic, so that you can use the
talkback feature (10) without using up one of the two mic
inputs. See “Talkback” on page 60
4. Press the METERS button to cycle among several LCD
screen sets, which display meters for the analog inputs and
outputs, metering for all digital I/O, device settings and
the menu.
5. Push the MENU knob to enter the LCD menu. Turn it to
scroll through menu options. Push again to go into the
sub-menus, if applicable. To choose the current setting,
push MENU a third time. Use the BACK button to return to
the previous menu level. Push METERS to return directly to
the main screen.
6. The 828es dual color LCDs display metering, device settings
and menu navigation. Press METERS (4) to cycle among
several screen sets or return home after menu navigation.
Use the MENU knob and BACK button for menu navigation.
7. The MONITOR knob controls the volume of both the A and
B monitor output pairs, regardless of which one is currently
selected. To change the relative volume between the A and
B monitor outs, see “Monitor volume control” on page 60.
8. Use the A/B monitor select buttons to switch your studio’s
primary stereo output between two pairs of studio
monitors connected to the 828es XLR main outs and TRS
line outs 1-2, respectively. You can reassign these output
pairs as desired. See “Output assignments for Monitor A
and B” on page 59. To enable both pairs simultaneously,
push both buttons simultaneously.
9. Push MUTE to silence the A/B monitor outputs.
10. Push TALK to speak to musicians located in a separate
studio room or isolation booth via the 828es built-in
talkback mic (3). See “Talkback” on page 60.
11. Two independent HEADPHONE OUTPUTS with volume
control. As you turn the knob, the LCD provides visual
feedback with a volume meter.
12. POWER SWITCH: Thunderbolt, AVB, and USB are “plugand-play” protocols. That means you can switch off the
828es and turn it back on without restarting your
computer.
13. Push NET ID to display network settings for the device,
including its IP address.
14. Push MONO to sum each A/B monitor stereo pair to mono.
Push it again to return to stereo ope ration.
15. Push BACK to go back one level when navigating the LCD
menu.
828es Rear Panel
2 4
13
1. The 828es is equipped with an auto-switching international power supply.
2. These are standard BNC word clock jacks. Use them for a
variety of applications, such as digital transfers with
devices that cannot resolve to the clock supplied by their
digital I/O connection with the 828es.
3. These two banks of ADAT optical “lightpipe” connectors
each provide 8 channels of 24-bit ADAT optical digital I/O
at 1x sample rates (44.1 or 48 kHz) and 4 channels at 2x
sample rates (88.2 or 96 kHz). They are disabled at
higher sample rates. Alternately, they can operate as
stereo TOSLink (optical S/PDIF) connectors.
Note: you can choose independent formats for each
bank, A and B, as well as IN and OUT within each bank.
For example, you could choose ADAT for the optical A IN
(for, say, eight channels of input from your digital mixer)
and stereo TOSLink for the optical A OUT (for, say, your
DAT machine).
4. These jacks provide stereo, 24-bit S/PDIF digital input
and output at all supported sample rates (up to 96 kHz).
When connecting a source to the input, be sure to set the
clock source correctly. See “Syncing S/PDIF devices” on
page 47.
3 101 5 7
6
12
5. Connect a MIDI device here using standard MIDI cables.
Connect the 828es MIDI OUT port to the MIDI IN port on
the other device. Conversely, connect the 828es MIDI IN
port to the MIDI OUT port on the other device. You can
connect different devices to each port, such as a controller device to the IN port and a sound module to the OUT
port. You can also daisy-chain MIDI devices, but be sure
to manage their MIDI channels (so that they don’t
receive or transmit on the same channel).
6. Connect a standard foot switch here for hands-free
punch-in and punch-out during recording. For details
about how to set this up, see item #34 in the Device tab
overview (page 14).
7. These eight analog inputs are balanced (TRS) quar terinch connectors that can also accept an unbalanced plug.
Use with line level signals up to +24 dBu, including
synthesizers, drum machines, effects processors, etc.
These inputs are also equipped with the 828es Precision
Digital Trim™ feature: digitally controlled analog trims
that let you adjust input level in 1 dB increments from
the included MOTU Pro Audio Control web app software.
8. The eight analog outputs are balanced, DC-coupled
quarter-inch connectors that can also accept an unbalanced plug. They provide additional analog output for
secondary studio monitors, surround monitoring, submixes or any other desired destination. The output trim
can be adjusted from the Device Tab in the MOTU Pro
Audio Control web app software. From the factor y,
outputs 1-2 serve as monitor pair B for front panel A/B
monitor switching. (The XLR main outs serve as pair A.)
9. These are quarter-inch analog SMPTE input and output
jacks. Use them to resolve the 828es directly to time code
and transmit time code to other devices.
10. These two XLR jacks serve as the 828es main output pair
for primary (powered) studio monitors, PA speakers or
any other desired destination. You can control their
volume from the front panel MONITOR knob. They also
serve as monitor pair A for the 828es front panel A/B
monitor switching feature.
To hear audio playback from your host audio software on
the MAIN OUT pair, use the Audio Interface preset and
then assign audio tracks (and master fader) to these
main outs. You can also use the MOTU Pro Audio Control
web app to route live 828es inputs (and network inputs)
here as well.
11. These two balanced quarter-inch sends supply the preamplified input signal from the mic/line/instrument
inputs on the front panel. Use them to inser t your favorite compressor, EQ, reverb or other outboard effect. Use
any analog input as a return.
8 9
12. Connect the 828es to the computer here via either
Thunderbolt or USB, using a standard Thunderbolt or
USB cable (one or the other, but not both). For details,
see chapter 5, “Hardware Installation” (page33).
13. This AVB/TSN Ethernet port provides industry standard
IEEE 802.1 network connectivity to other network
devices. Examples include:
■ Another 828es or any other MOTU AVB-equipped audio
interface, such as the 1248, 8M, 16A, 24Ai, 24Ao, 112D,
Monitor 8, etc.
■ A standard Ethernet hub or Wi-Fi router (for internet
connection and communication with the web app
software).
■ A standard AVB Ethernet switch for high-speed, low-
latency, high-capacity audio connectivity to an AVB
audio network.
■ A recent-generation Mac (any Mac with a Thunderbolt
port) running OS X El Capitan (10.11) or later. This
allows you to operate the 828es as an audio interface
over Ethernet.
11
CHAPTER
1 MOTU Pro Audio Control Web App
OVERVIEW
MOTU Pro Audio Control is a web app that gives
you complete control over the 828es. If you have
several MOTU interfaces networked together,
such as the 828es, 1248 and 8M, you can control
them all. If you are working with a large network
of many MOTU interfaces, you can access any
device on the network.
IT’S NOT ON YOUR HARD DRIVE
The MOTU Pro Audio Control web app is served
from the 828es hardware itself, therefore it is not
an application on your computer’s hard drive.
Instead, access it from the MOTU Discovery app
(in the Mac menu bar or Windows taskbar), the
MOTU Pro Audio WebUI Setup shortcut
(Windows only) or through your web browser.
USE YOUR FAVORITE WEB BROWSER
The MOTU Pro Audio Control web app runs in
any modern web browser on any device connected
to the 828es, either directly or wirelessly through a
Wi-Fi network. You can use any device you wish: a
desktop computer, laptop, iPad, tablet, iPhone or
smart phone. If it can run a web browser, it can run
the web app. You can use any browser you prefer:
Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc. The latest versions are
strongly recommended.
CONTROL FROM MULTIPLE DEVICES
You can run the web app on multiple host devices
simultaneously.
RUN THE INSTALLER, GET THE APP
Visit www.motu.com/download to get the latest
MOTU Pro Audio Installer and run it on your
computer to install the MOTU Discovery app,
MOTU Pro Audio WebUI Setup shortcut
(Windows only) and other software elements. Visit
the Apple App Store to install the discovery app on
your iPad or iPhone.
MAKE HARDWARE AND NETWORK CONNECTIONS
Connect your 828es to your computer or laptop
with a USB or Thunderbolt cable. Make sure your
iPad, iPhone, tablet or smartphone is connected to
the same Wi-Fi network as your computer or
device, as explained in “Setup for web app control”
on page 38.
LAUNCHING THE WEB APP
To launch the web app, do any of the following:
■ Choose the 828es from the MOTU Discovery
app menu (in the Mac menu bar or Windows
taskbar, as shown on page 7) or launch the MOTU
Pro Audio WebUI Setup shortcut (Windows only).
■ From your iPad or iPhone, launch the MOTU
Discovery app.
■ In your favorite web browser, type this URL:
localhost:1280. (This URL requires a Thunderbolt
or USB connection to the 828es.)
■ If the 828es Ethernet port is connected to your
Ethernet or Wi-Fi network, type the unit’s IP
address (see below) into your browser.
You should now see the MOTU Pro Audio
Control web app in your browser, as shown on
page 12. If not, visit Appendix A, “Troubleshooting” page (103).
Obtaining the 828es IP address
On the front panel of the interface, push the NET
ID button. The LCD now displays the unit’s IP
address, which should look something like this:
“IP: 192.168.1.209”.
11
DEVICE TAB
96 7 11
12
5
4
3
2
1
8
18
1. If you have two or more MOTU interfaces, the Devices list lets you choose
the one you are currently controlling
with the web app.
2. The Aux Mixing tab lets you view
each Aux bus in the mixer, one at a
time.
3. The Mixing tab gives you access to
the mixing and DSP in the interface.
4. The Routing tab displays a grid
matrix, where you can make direct
connections between inputs and
outputs, your computer, the mixer,
and network audio streams, if
networked interfaces are connected.
5. The Device tab has settings for the
hardware itself, such as analog input
and output trim.
6. Expands and collapses the sidebar.
7. Lets you create, save, recall and
manage presets for the 828es. These
presets capture and recall the
complete state of the device (all
settings in all tabs).
8. Choose the desired sample rate.
Make sure your host audio software
is set to the same rate.
9. Click to rename the interface. To
restore the default name, delete the
current name.
10. The Quick Setup button prompts
factory presets used to configure
your interface for a specific application. See chapter 6, “Presets”
(page 53).
11. Click this device ID button to identify
the unit you are currently viewing
and controlling with the web app
software. The front panel LCD on the
hardware itself will flash the name
of the device, and its name will also
flash in the Device list (1).
12. If an update is available for your
device, and the computer you are
viewing it from is connected to the
internet, you’ll be notified here. Click
More Info to learn what’s new and
start the update process. Firmware
updating requires a USB or network
connection to your computer. See
Appendix D, “Updating Firmware”
page (113).
13. Choose the clock source from the
Clock Mode menu. Your MOTU
device will resolve its digital clock to
this master source.
14. The Clock Status icon indicates that
the current device (1) is successfully
resolved to its chosen Clock Mode
source (13). If it cannot lock for some
reason, this icon flashes red. Check
your chosen clock source, cables, etc.
15. The Word Clock output on the your
MOTU interface can operate as an
OUT or a THRU. In addition, at higher
sample rates, it can either follow the
system clock or operate at the corresponding 1x sample rate. For details,
see “Daisy-chaining word clock” on
page 48.
16. If you have multiple MOTU interfaces, one of them may serve as a
master clock source for the network.
Click the Become Clock Master button
to choose the current interface (1) as
the master clock source.
17. ( Windows only) Choose the Host
Buffer Size. Smaller values reduce
latency but increase your computer’s
CPU load. See “Host Buffer Size” on
page 30.
18. (Windows only) Choose a Host
Safety Offset to fine tune host buffer
latency. See “Host Safety Offset” on
page 31.
19. The Input Settings section provides
gain settings for inputs and the
built-in talkback mic, plus phase
invert for the mic/guitar inputs. You
can also toggle the 48V phantom
power and -20 dB pad for the mic
inputs.
20. The Output Settings section lets you
adjust the trim for any outputs that
support it. Phones and Main outputs
provide full volume control. Analog
outputs provide calibration control
(-24 to 0 dB).
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DEVICE TAB (CONTINUED)
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Scroll down to view these addi tional
Device tab settings.
21. AVB is IEEE’s Audio Video Bridging
Ethernet standard for highbandwidth, low-latency audio
streaming over Ethernet. If your
MOTU interface is connected to a
2nd MOTU interface through its
network port, or to an AVB switch for
access to an extended AVB network ,
you can stream audio channels to
and from other devices on the
network. AVB streams are handled
in banks of eight channels, so if you
enable 2 streams, that’s 16 channels.
See chapter 11, “Networking”
(page 95).
22. If you’ve activated one or more AVB
network input streams (21), connect
them to the output streams of other
devices on the network here. This is
how you route audio from the other
devices to the 828es.
23. In the Input/Output Banks sections,
you can disable any banks that you
are not using. Doing so hides them
from the routing matrix and mixer to
simplify operation. Doing so also
helps conserve DSP resources.
24. Configure the optical ports for either
8-channel ADAT or stereo TOSLink.
At 88.2 or 96 kHz, the ADAT setting
supports 4-channel SMUX format.
See “Optical I/O” on page 45.
25. The digital mixer in the 828es
supports up to 48 channels at 44.1
or 48 kHz. At higher sample rates,
the maximum number of supported
channels is lower, due to finite DSP
resources. If you don’t need 48
inputs (or the maximum available),
you can lower the number here to
simplify mixer and routing operation and conserve DSP bandwidth
for effects processing.
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DEVICE TAB (CONTINUED)
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Scroll down to view these additional
Device tab settings.
26. In the Computer Setup sectio n, you
can specify how many audio
channels you would like to be able
to stream to and from your
computer, up to 128 channels each
way, simultaneously, over USB or
Thunderbolt. Map them as desired
in the Routing tab (page 15).
27. Your MOTU interface can resolve to
SMPTE time code, also referred to as
LTC (Longitudinal Time Code), by
choosing LTC from the Clock Mode
menu (item 13 on page 12). From
the LTC Input Source menu (27
above), choose the analog or digital
input that is receiving the time code.
If you would also like to send time
code (LTC) to the computer, where it
will be converted to MIDI Time Code
(MTC) for resolving your DAW or
other software to MTC via OS X Core
Audio (a Mac-only feature), choose
an audio channel you are not using
for other purposes from the
Computer Channel for LTC-to-MTC
Conversion menu; otherwise, leave it
set to None. Choose the desired
frame format, or use the Enable
Format A utodetect to automatically
detect the frame format of the
incoming time code. When Enab le
Jam Sync is turned on, your interface
will continue to operate under its
own clock and continue LTC-to-MTC
conversion, even after it stops
receiving time code. Click Stop Jam
Sync to exit this mode. For further
details about time code sync, see
“Syncing to SMPTE time code (LTC)”
on page 48 and “LTC-to-MTC conversion” on page69.
28. Use these buttons to manually check
for and install updates for your
MOTU interface. For complete
details, see Appendix D, “Updating
Firmware” page (113). Updating
from a file can be done off line from
your computer, using an update
you’ve obtained through MOTU’s
web site or tech support department. The Check For Updates button
requires that the computer (or
device) you are using to view your
MOTU interface is connected to the
internet through a local network or
Wi-Fi. Updating from the internet is
easy and convenient.
29. Use Set Password to passwordprotect the interface on the
network. All settings are blocked,
except for aux bus mixing, as shown
above (29). This allows musicians to
access their personal monitor (aux)
mixes from their mobile devices,
while all other device settings
remain blocked. To clear the
password, log in and then click Clear
Password. If you forget the
password, you can clear it in the
Settings menu in the front panel LCD
(see page 59) with either the Clear
Password setting or by doing a
factory reset with the Fac tory
Default setting.
30. The System Information sec tion
displays information about your
MOTU device, including the
firmware version and network IP
address.
31. Use Restore Factory Presets to restore
your MOTU device’s factory presets.
32. Click Reboot to resta rt the interface.
33. Choose the outputs you would like
to use for the front panel monitor
controls (Monitor A/B switches,
Mute and Mono). You can also
control these functions here in the
web app with the controls provided.
See “Talkback” on page 60.
34. Enable the Foot Switch input here. In
each text box, type the keystroke
you wish to trigger from your foot
pedal. Click ‘X’ to clear the text box.
35. When the Computer Volume Controls
option is enabled (a Mac only
feature), the Audio MIDI Setup
utility in OS X provides volume
control for each output channel to
your MOTU audio interface. In
addition, the volume controls for
your Mac (on your computer
keyboard) will control the channels
you’ve designated for computer
output in Audio MIDI Setup, if any.
Be careful when toggling this
setting because sudden changes in
your computer volume can resu lt.
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ROUTING TAB
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The Routing Tab lets you route inputs to
outputs. Outputs are listed by row on the
left; inputs are listed in columns across
the top. Simply click in the grid to make
a single connection. Click and drag to
make multiple connections in one
gesture. To route a single input to
multiple outputs, make multiple
connections vertically in the same
column below the input. To mix multiple
inputs to the same output, you’ll need to
use the mixer (page 16) and the Mix In
bank in the routing tab (18).
1. In its collapsed form, (shown here),
the sidebar displays icons for each
tab.
2. Click this icon to view the Routing
tab, shown on this page.
3. Click here to show or hide the
sidebar.
4. Create, save, recall and manage
routing presets.
5. Locks the grid to prevent accidental
changes. Unlock to make changes to
the grid.
6. Outputs are listed in rows on the left.
7. When you make a connection, the
source (input) signal is listed by
name here in the Source column,
just to the right of the output it is
being routed to.
8. Inputs are listed in columns across
the top of the grid, starting with the
physical inputs on the hardware
itself. In this example, the analog
inputs and S/PDIF digital inputs are
being routed to the computer over
Thunderbolt (TB).
9. The From Computer input bank lets
you route audio channels from your
host audio software to any output,
including AVB network streams or
the mixer, where you can mix
computer audio with local inputs.
Use the Device tab to choose how
many computer channels are available.
10. AVB streams are 8-channel banks
that let you route audio to or from
other devices on the AVB network (if
any are connected) to local
hardware inputs and outputs. In this
example, 8 channels of audio from a
MOTU 1248 interface are available.
The first four are being routed to the
computer. Use the Device tab
(page 13) to configure how many
AVB streams you wish to work with.
If you aren’t working with network
audio, you can set the number of
streams to zero to hide them from
this grid (and the mixer).
11. These input streams are buses that
originate from the mixer, which
supplies the main mix bus, monitor
mix bus, seven stereo aux buses,
three stereo group buses, a reverb
return bus and postFX channel sends
(for sending processed inputs to the
computer or elsewhere). You can
route these mixer buses to any
outputs you wish (6), including
physical outputs, host software on
your computer, other devices on the
AVB network, or even back in to the
mixer (beware of feedback loops!)
12. Use these two columns to route the
talkback mic and time code input to
any desired outputs. In this
example, time code is being routed
from the LTC input directly to the
output.
13. Use these triangles to expa nd or
collapse groups of inputs. For
example, it might be convenient to
collapse banks that you are not
using at the moment.
14. Click a channel label to rename it.
15. Audio ac tivity indicators.
16. Here, the Monitor bus from the
mixer is being routed to analog
outputs 1-2 (the Monitor B pair) on
the 828es.
17. Click the grid to make a connection.
Click a connection to remove it. Click
and drag to make or break multiple
connections in one gesture.
18. The Mix In group lets you route audio
to the 48-channel mixer.
19. AVB output streams let you route
any audio to other devices on the
AVB n etwo rk.
20. The To Computer output bank routes
any input to host audio software
running on your computer. Use the
Device tab to choose how many
computer channels are available.
21. These are the physical outputs on
the interface itself.
22. Use these triangles to expand or
collapse groups of outputs.
23. Indicate the outputs designated for
A/B monitor switching (item #33 on
page 14 and item #8 on page 9).
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MIXING TAB
The Mixing tab gives you full access to
the 48-channel mixer in the 828es,
which provides a main mix bus, monitor
bus, three group buses, seven aux buses,
and a dedicated reverb bus. Use the
Device tab to configure how many
inputs you wish to work wi th (up to 48).
Use the Routing tab (page 15) to route
channels to the mixer inputs. Channels
can come from any source, such as the
physical inputs on the interface,
channels coming from the computer, or
channels coming from the AVB network.
1. Shows and hides the Mixer Setup
sidebar (3), which lets you show and
hide channels, channel strip
settings, effects, and the Legend (6).
2. The Mixing tab selects the mixer.
3. Use the Mixer Setup sidebar to show
and hide elements in the mixer.
4. Shows and hides all elements in the
section with one click.
5. Create, save, recall and manage
mixer presets.
6. This column is the Legend. It
provides labels and controls for
channel strip sections. The menu at
the top lets you create, name, save
and manage entire mixer presets.
7. Mixer input channels.
8. This input channel has an EQ shelf
filter enabled.
9. This is Group bus 1-2. You can send
inputs to this group with their Group
send fader (25). Groups are sent to
the Main Mix with its Main send
fader (24) or aux buses (19).
10. Group buses, the main mix bus, and
the reverb return bus are equipped
with the Leveler, a vintage compressor modeled after the Teletronix
LA-2A leveling amplifier.
11. The reverb channel strip provides
the reverb processor. Use the reverb
send on inputs or groups to route
them to the reverb bus, which can
then be mixed in with the main mix
or aux busses. Disable the reverb
processor to use it as a n extra group.
12. The Monitor Bus can mirror the
output of any other bu s, or it can act
as a separate Solo bus. See page 19.
13. The Main Mix bus is the master fader
for the entire mixer. You can add EQ
and Leveler compression.
14. You can adjust Aux bus output levels
here, or in the Aux Mixing tab shown
on page 17.
15. Click a name to change it, except for
the Main Mix, Monitor, and Reverb
busses, which cannot be changed.
16. Stereo toggle to switch channels
pairs between mono or stereo. Use
the other menus to manage channel
strip presets and to choose audio
sources and destinations for mixer
inputs and bus outputs.
17. Click the thumbnail EQ graph to
open the full-size, editable EQ graph
(Figure 9-4 on page 73).
18. The Dynamics sec tion provides a
conventional compressor for inputs
and the Leveler for output busses.
19. Reverb and aux sends.
20. S olo and mute. On the Monitor bus,
the SC button clears all solos.
21. Ch annel faders.
22. Choose the source for the Monitor
bus from this menu. It can mirror
any output bus or the Solo Bus.
23. Whe n Follow Solo is enabled, the
Monitor bus temporarily switches to
the solo bus when any channel is
soloed.
24. Main Mix sends.
25. Group sends.
26. S ee “Talkback setup” on page 60.
27. S ee “Talkback settings” on page 61.
28. ‘S’ lets you solo the group. ‘PRE’
toggles the sends between pre- and
post-fader routing, i.e. before or
after the channel fader.
29. Show and hide output busses here.
30. Show/hide all busses with one click.
31. Same as (28) above.
32. Show and hide inputs here.
33. Show/hide all inputs with one click.
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MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP
AUX MIXING TAB
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The Aux Mixing tab provides quick
access to the 828es mix buses (aux
buses, groups and reverb bus), viewed
one at a time. Choose a bus in the Aux
Mix Target section (3) and then use the
faders to directly mix the send levels
from all mixer inputs, groups, and the
reverb bus.
1. Shows and hides the Mixer Setup
sidebar (3), which lets you show and
hide channels.
2. The Aux Mixing tab (shown on this
page) gives you access to the Aux
busses and groups in the mixer.
3. Use the Aux Mix Target sidebar to
control which aux bus or group you
are currently viewing. You can also
show/hide inputs and group sends.
4. Click the aux bus or group you wish
to view in the window. In this
example, Aux bus 1-2 is being
displayed.
5. These are mixer inputs (aux sends
from each mixer channel). To
include an input in the aux bus mix,
simply bring up its fader.
6. These are group bus faders.
7. This is the mixer’s reverb bus fader.
8. This is the master fader for the
current aux bus being viewed (4).
9. Indicates if the input or group is
stereo or mono. This indicator is for
display purposes only. To toggle
between mono and stereo operation, use the toggle switch in the
Mixing tab (item #16 on page 16).
10. Solo and mute for the aux bus
master fader. The mute buttons for
the input channels and other buses
are for display purposes only, so that
you can see if they are m uted or not
(in the mixer).
11. Shows and hides the pan controls for
aux bus inputs.
12. When Prefader is enabled, all send
levels to the aux bus are independent of the main fader for each
channel. In other words, changing
an individual channel’s main fader in
the Mixing tab won’t affect its send
level to the aux bus.
13. Click the View Personal Mix button to
open a new web page that displays
only that specific Aux Mix or Group.
14. Show and hide mix groups and the
reverb bus here.
15. Use the Groups button here to show
or hide all groups with one click.
Drag this section divider vertically to
resize the list.
16. Show and hide mixer inputs
(channel sends) here.
17. Show and hide all mixer inputs with
one click here. Drag this section
divider vertically to resize the list.
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17
MIXER INPUT CHANNEL STRIPS
To access a mixer input channel strip, go to
the Mixing tab (page 16), reveal the side bar
(item #3 on page 16), and show the input
channel in the Mixer Inputs section (32). To
show and hide sections of the channel strip,
such as EQ or the compressor, use the Controls
section of the side bar (item #3 in the Mixing
tab on page 16).
1. Click the input channel name to chan ge
it. Delete the current name to restore the
default name.
2. Provides hardware settings for inputs, if
any, such as preamp gain. If there are no
hardware settings for the assigned input,
this icon is grayed out. If the channel has
been assigned to an input on another
AVB device on the audio network, you can
use these settings to control it remotely.
3. Choose the source for the input channel.
You can also make this setting directly on
the Routing grid (page 15).
4. Create and recall channel strip presets.
5. Toggles the input between mono and a
stereo pair.
6. High Pass Filter with cutoff frequency.
7. Each effect in the channel strip (High Pass
Filter, Gate, EQ, etc.) has an on/off button
on the left and a preset menu on the
right, for managing presets that apply
only to that processing module. For
example, you can create your own EQ
presets for the EQ modules.
8. The Gate processor provides standard
attack, threshold and release controls.
9. The Gate indicator turns red when the
gate is engaged.
10. The EQ section provides four bands of
parametric EQ, each with standard Gain,
Frequency, and Bandwidth settings.
11. The High and Low EQ bands provide a
Shelf filter button for standard high and
low shelf filtering.
12. The thumbnail EQ Graph displays the
currently enabled EQ filters, if any. Click it
to open the full-size, editable EQ Graph
(Figure 9-4 on page 73).
13. The Compressor provides standard
controls for Threshold, Ratio, Attack,
Release and Gain. Normally, the
compressor operates in Peak mode,
where signal peaks determine the input
level. Engage the RMS button to use RMS
values (a computational method for
determining overall loudness) for the
input level. Engage Auto makeup gain to
compensate for any gain reduction.
14. Input level and gain reduction meters for
the compressor.
15. The thumbnail Compressor Graph
provides a graphic representation of the
compressor, when enabled. Click it to
open the full-size, editable Compressor
Graph (Figure 9-6 on page74).
16. Aux 1-2 send.
17. Pan for the Aux 1-2 send. This is enabled
in the Aux mix tab (item #11 on page 17).
18. S olo/Mute. Mute affec ts all sends as well
as the main channel. Pre-fader sends are
not affected by Mute.
19. Move the fader to adjust level. Doubleclick to return to zero (unity gain) or -×.
20. Click the dB scale numbers to make the
fader jump exactly to that level. Click and
drag horizontally to jump consecutive
faders to the same level.
21. Click to type in an exact dB level.
22. Channel pan. For mono inputs, doubleclick to center.
23. Main M ix Slider feeds signal to the Main
Mix. Slider is set to 0 dB by default, so all
channel strips are pre -routed to the Main
Mix bus. If a channel is being sent to a
Group (which will eventually be fed to
the Main Mix), drag the slider to -× so it
is not sent to Main Mix directly.
24. Group sends.
25. Makes the input the source for talkback.
26. S ee “Talkback settings” on page 61.
27. ‘S’ lets you solo the group. ‘PRE’ toggles
the sends between pre- and post-fader
routing, i.e. before or after the channel
fader. PAN enables pan for group sends.
28. The input level meter (behind the fade r
handle, 19) can display either pre- or
post-fader levels. Toggle here.
29. Clears all solos.
30. ‘S’ lets you solo the Aux bus. ‘PRE’ toggles
the sends between pre- and post-fader
routing, i.e. before or after the channel
fader. The dots let you toggle the Aux bus
between mono and stereo.
31. This side bar, with the section labels in it,
can be shown or hidden us ing the Legend
switch in the Controls section of the side
bar (item #3 in the Mixing tab on
page 16).
32. Shows how much DSP power is being
used by the mixer hardware. To free up
DSP bandwidth, try reducing the number
of mixer ins, disabling channel effects,
reverb, etc. See “DSP Usage” on page 77
for more info.
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MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP
MAIN MIX AND MONITOR CHANNEL STRIPS
To access the Main Mix and Monitor bus
channel strips, go to the Mixing tab
(page 16) and scroll the display to the
right, beyond the inputs and groups.
To show and hide sections of the channel
strip, such as EQ or the Leveler, use the
Controls section of the side bar (item #3 in
the Mixing tab on page 16).
1. By default, the Monitor bus serves as
a solo bus. However, it can be set to
mirror the main mix bus, or any other
aux bus, group, or the reverb bus, in
addition to monitoring solo. Make
this choice in the source menu (13).
Use the Routing grid (page 15) to
specify the output for the Monitor
bus.
2. The Main Mix bus is the primary
stereo mix.
3. Provides hardware settings for any
assigned outputs that have them. For
example, if the Main Mix bus is
assigned to the Main Outs on the
828es, you’ll see trim settings for the
outputs. This item is grayed out if
there are no hardware settings for
output.
4. Use this output assignment widget to
choose the destination — or multiple destinations — for the bus. You
can also make this setting directly on
the Routing grid (page 15).
5. Use the preset menus to create save,
recall, and otherwise manage
channel strip presets for the Monitor
bus and Main Mix bus.
6. Indicates that the bus is stereo.
7. The four-band parametric EQ for the
Main Mix bus operates the same as
described for input channels (items
10 and 11 on page 18), including
High and Low Shelf filter options.
8. The thumbnail EQ Graph displays the
currently enabled EQ filters, if any.
Click it to open the full-size, editable
EQ Graph (Figure 9-4 on page 73 ).
9. The Leveler provides specialized gain
reduction modeled after the legendary Teletronix LA-2A Leveling Amplifier. For complete details, see
“Leveler” on page 75.
10. Mutes for the Main Mix bus and
Monitor bus.
11. Master faders for the Main Mix bus
and Monitor bus. Use the same
techniques described for input
channel faders (items 19, 20 and 21
on page 18).
12. When Follow Solo is enabled, the
Monitor bus switches to the solo bus
when any channel is soloed. NOTE: if
an aux bus is soloed, then the Monitor
bus carries only the soloed aux bus
(any current channel solos are
excluded).
13. Choose the source for the Monitor bus
from this menu. It can mirror the
main mix, any aux bus, group, the
reverb bus, or it can serve only as a
Solo bus.
14. The SC button clears all solos.
15. This mid-band EQ is currently
disabled (and therefore grayed out).
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AUX BUS CHANNEL STRIPS
Aux buses can be used to create sub- mixes. An
aux bus can be assigned to any output in the
Routing grid (page 15).
To access an Aux bus channel strip, go to the
Mixing tab (page 16), reveal the side bar (item #3
on page 16), and then show the aux buses you
want in the Mixer Outputs section (29).
To show and hide the four-band EQ section of the
channel strip, use the Controls section of the side
bar (item #3 in the Mixing tab on page 16).
1. A stereo aux bus.
2. A mono aux bus.
3. Click this dot to toggle an aux bus between
mono and stereo.
4. The four-band parametric EQ module for Aux
buses operates the same as described for
input channels (items 10 and 11 on page 18),
including High and Low Shelf filter options.
5. The thumbnail EQ Graph displays the
currently enabled EQ filters, if any. Click it to
open the full-size, editable EQ Graph
(Figure 9-4 on page 73).
6. Aux bus solo and mute.
7. Aux bus master fader.
8. Click to type specific value manually.
9. Click to route the talkback mic to the aux bus
output.
10. Click the dB scale numbers to make the fader
jump exactly to that level. Click and drag
horizontally to jump consecutive faders to the
same level.
11. A disabled EQ band.
12. Use these menus (hardware settings, output
assignment, and presets) in a similar fashion
as described for the Main Out bus (items 3-5
on page 19).
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MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP
GROUP AND REVERB CHANNEL STRIPS
Group busses can be used to create a mix su bgroup, which is a set of inputs you wish to control
together as a group. Groups differ from aux busses
in that they have aux sends, a reverb send, as well
as a main mix send. In addition, group busses are
equipped with the Leveler.
The Reverb bus is a special group bus that provides
a reverb processor. If you disable the reverb, the
reverb bus functions as a (fourth) regular group
bus.
To access the Group and Reverb bus channel strips,
go to the Mixing tab (page 16), reveal the side bar
(item #3 on page 16), and then show the desired
Group buses or Reverb bus in the Mixer Outputs
section (29).
To show and hide the four-band EQ section of the
channel strip, use the Controls sec tion of the side
bar (item #3 in the Mixing tab on page 16).
1. A Group bus channel strip. Click the name to
rename it. Delete the current name to retur n to
its default.
2. The Reverb bus. If you disable the Reverb
processor, it can be used as a fourth Group bus.
The Reverb channel strip is twice as wide as
other mixer channel strips to accommodate the
Reverb processor controls.
3. Group busses and the Reverb bus are always
stereo.
4. The four-band parametric EQ module for Group
buses and the Reverb bus operates the same as
described for input channels (items 10 and 11
on page 18), including High and Low Shelf
filter options.
5. The thumbnail EQ Graph displays the currently
enabled EQ filters, if any. Click it to open the
full-size, editable EQ Graph (Figure 9-4 on
page 73).
6. The Reverb processor. For complete information, see “Reverb” on page 76.
7. Click to route the talkback mic to the group
output.
8. Main Mix sends.
9. Master faders for the Group and Reverb busses.
10. Mute and Solo.
11. Use these menus (hardware settings, output
assignment, and presets) in a similar fashion as
described for the Main Out bus (items 3-5 on
page 19).
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MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP
CHAPTER
2 About the 828es
The 828es is a 28 x 32 Thunderbolt/USB/AVB
audio interface with console-style 48-channel
mixing, DSP effects, wireless control, AVB audio
networking and very high quality A/D/A
conversion at sample rates up to 192 kHz for onthe-go mobile audio recording.
Powerful DSP delivers large console style mixing
with 48 channels, 12 stereo busses, and 32-bit
floating point effects processing, including
modeled analog EQ, vintage compression and
classic reverb. Matrix routing lets you quickly
patch ins to outs, or split inputs to multiple
destinations.
The 828es can operate as an audio interface for a
studio workstation (DAW), as a standalone mixer,
or as an auxiliary monitor mixing system in the
studio or on stage. The following sections provide
a brief overview of its main features and characteristics.
Comprehensive I/O
The 828es provides a variety of analog and digital
interconnects, all active simultaneously, designed
to provide everything you need for a wellequipped recording studio.
† The 828es optical connectors support several
standard optical I/O formats, which provide
varying channel counts. See “Optical I/O” on
page 45 for details about optical bank operation.
All inputs and outputs are discrete. For example,
using a mic input does not “steal” an input from
the TRS analog I/O bank.
Network I/O
828es is capable of handling four 8-channel banks
of network audio input and output for an
additional 32 channels of network I/O.
Other MOTU interfaces
The 828es is part of a larger family of audio
interfaces that offer complementary I/O configurations. For details, visit motu.com.
Universal connectivity
The 828es can connect to a computer with
Thunderbolt or hi-speed USB 2.0, which is
compatible with USB 3.0. It is USB audio classcompliant, which means that it is iPad compatible
(with a camera connection kit) and does not
require driver installation for USB connection to a
computer.
Connection Input Output
Quarter-inch analog on bal/unbal TRS 8 8
Mic/guitar on XLR/TRS combo 2 -
Main outputs on XLR - 2
Headphone output - 2 x stereo
ADAT optical digital† 16 16
RCA S/PDIF 24-bit 96kHz digital stereo stereo
Tot a l 28 3 2
Alternately, the 828es can be connected to the
Ethernet port on a recent-generation Mac (any
Mac with Thunderbolt on it) running Mac OS X
El Capitan (10.11) or later for audio interface
operation through AVB Ethernet.
Mic/guitar inputs with preamps
The two front-panel mic/line/instrument inputs
are equipped with preamps and “combo” XLR/
TRS jacks, which accept XLR microphone inputs
or quarter-inch line/instruments inputs.
Individual 48 volt phantom power and a -20 dB
23
pad can be supplied independently to each mic
input. The Precision Digital Trim™ knobs on the
front panel for each mic/instrument input provide
up to 63 dB of boost in precise 1 dB increments.
As explained in “Mic/guitar sends” on page 24, the
pre-amplified signal can be routed to external
outboard gear before being routed back into the
828es.
Mic/guitar sends
Before A/D conversion, the pre-amplified signal
from each front-panel mic/guitar input is routed
to one of the two rear-panel quarter-inch analog
sends, so that you can insert a favorite outboard
EQ, compressor, amp or effects processor to the
mic/guitar input signal before it is converted to
digital form. The resulting output from the
outboard gear can be fed back into the 828es via
one of the eight TRS analog inputs on the rear
panel, for routing to the computer and/or
inclusion in the 828es built-in monitor mixes.
Flexible analog I/O with Precision Digital Trim™
All quarter-inch analog inputs can accept either a
balanced or unbalanced plug. The quarter-inch
outputs are DC-coupled, so they can be used for
CV control output.
Analog inputs are equipped with digitally
controlled analog trims, adjustable in 1 dB
increments. Equipped with renowned ESS
Sabre32™ DAC technology, all analog outputs offer
32-bit trim in the DAC, also adjustable in 1 dB
increments. You can save your trim configurations
as a preset for instant recall.
Independent XLR main outs
The XLR main outs are equipped with very high
quality ESS Sabre32 D/A converters and serve as
independent outputs for the computer or the
828es on-board mixer.
On-board DSP with mixing and effects
828es is equipped with a powerful DSP engine that
drives both an extensive routing matrix and a
48-input digital mixer with 12 stereo buses and
effects. The mixer offers familiar operation
modeled after large format mixing consoles.
32-bit floating point processing
All of the mixing and effects processing in the DSP
engine is handled with 32-bit floating point
calculations, to maintain and deliver virtually
unlimited headroom and the utmost in sound
quality.
Modeled vintage effects processing
Effects include “classic” reverb, compression
modeled after the legendary Teletronix LA-2A
compressor, and 4-band EQ modeled after British
analog console EQs.
AVB/TSN system expansion and audio
networking
AV B stands for the IEEE 802.1 Audio Video
Bridging Ethernet standard for high-bandwidth,
low-latency audio streaming over Ethernet. You
may also hear AVB referred to as AV B / T S N or
simply TSN because the IEEE is in the process of
renaming the standard to Time Sensitive
Networking to accommodate the expanding scope
of the specification to applications beyond audio
and video.
The AVB Ethernet network port on the 828es lets
you add a second AVB-equipped MOTU interface
using any standard CAT-5e Ethernet cable. You
can network up to five MOTU interfaces together
using a MOTU AVB Switch™ (sold separately), and
then run them as a stand-alone network or as an
extended bank of I/Os for your computer-based
production system (or both). You can even
connect multiple computers, each with full access
to all devices on the network (including the other
computers).
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ABOUT THE 828ES
With additional standard AVB switches (from
MOTU or other brands) and standard Ethernet
cabling, you can build an extensive AVB audio
network. The entire network operates with nearzero network latency, even over very long cable
runs. MOTU’s AVB implementation allows you to
stream hundreds of audio channels among devices
and computers on the network with guaranteed
Quality of Service (QoS), prioritizing audio
streams over less important traffic.
Matrix routing and multing
The 828es provides completely flexible matrixstyle audio routing and multing. You can route any
analog or digital input, computer channel, or
network stream to any other output, computer, or
network device. You can also mult any single input
to unlimited multiple output destinations.
Web app control
You can control the 828es on-board DSP, mixing,
device settings, clock/sync settings and network
audio routing from the MOTU Pro Audio Control
web app software running in your favorite browser
on a laptop, tablet or smart phone. Multiple
devices can be used simultaneously on a shared
Wi-Fi network to access any audio interface
settings. Optional password protection prevents
unauthorized access from the network.
Stand-alone mixing with wireless control
If you connect the 828es to an Apple Airport or
other Wi-Fi router with a standard Ethernet cable,
you can control its powerful mixing and DSP
effects from your smart phone or tablet, without a
computer — great for live sound mixing from your
iPad, tablet, or other wireless device.
ADAT digital input
The 828es provides two 8-channel banks of optical
digital I/O. Connect outboard digital processors,
digital mixers or other gear: 16 channels at 44.1/48
kHz or 8 channels at 88.2/96 kHz. Alternately, the
optical ports can be independently configured to
support stereo TOSLink (optical S/PDIF). The
banks operate independently, including input and
output, allowing you to mix and match any optical
formats. For example, you could receive four
channels of 96 kHz S/MUX input on Bank A
while at the same time sending 96 kHz stereo
optical S/PDIF (“TOSLink”) from the Bank A
output.
S/PDIF
The 828es rear panel provides S/PDIF input and
output in two different formats: RCA “coax” and
optical “TOSLink”. The RCA jacks are dedicated to
the S/PDIF format. The TOSLink jacks can be
used for either TOSLink or ADAT optical, as
discussed earlier.
MIDI I/O
The standard MIDI IN and MIDI OUT jacks
supply 16 channels of MIDI I/O to and from the
computer via the Thunderbolt or USB connection.
Timing accuracy can be sample-accurate with host
software that supports it.
On-board SMPTE synchronization
The 828es can resolve directly to SMPTE time
code via the quarter-inch SMPTE input, without a
separate synchronizer. A SMPTE out jack is also
provided for time code distribution. The 828es
provides a DSP-driven phase-lock engine with
sophisticated filtering that provides fast lockup
times and sub-frame accuracy.
Word clock
The 828es supports standard word clock synchronization at any supported sample rate. When the
828es is operating at 96 kHz, it can generate word
clock output at either 96 or 48 kHz. Half-rate
output is supported for all high sample rates (from
88.2 to 192 kHz).
ABOUT THE 828ES
25
Foot switch input
The quarter-inch foot switch input accepts a
standard foot switch. When you push the foot
switch, the 828es triggers a programmable
keystroke on the computer keyboard. For
example, with MOTU’s Digital Performer audio
sequencer software, the foot switch could trigger
the 3 key on the numeric keypad, which toggles
recording in Digital Performer. Therefore,
pressing the foot switch is the same as pressing the
3 key. The 828es web app software lets you
program any keystroke you wish.
Full-color dual-LCDs
The full-color dual-LCDs display all signal activity
at a glance with vivid, detailed metering for all I/O.
You can access many hardware settings directly
from the front panel.
Two independent headphone outputs
The 828es front panel provides two independent
headphone jacks with separate volume control.
You can program each phone output to mirror
another set of outputs or act as its own
independent output.
Rack mount or desktop operation
The 828es is housed in a sturdy, metal-alloy fullrack enclosure. Rack mounting brackets can be
removed for desktop or mobile operation.
AudioDesk
AudioDesk is a full-featured audio workstation
software package for Mac and Windows that is
available as a free download for you as an 828es
owner. Visit motu.com/download to obtain your
copy. AudioDesk provides multi-channel
waveform editing, automated virtual mixing,
graphic editing of ramp automation, real-time
effects plug-ins with crossfades, support for many
third-party audio plug-ins, sample-accurate
editing and placement of audio, and more.
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ABOUT THE 828ES
CHAPTER
3 Packing List and
System Requirements
PACKING L IST
the 828es ships with the items listed below. If any
of these items are not present in the box when you
first open it, please immediately contact your
dealer or MOTU.
■ One audio interface
■ USB cable
■ Power cord
■ User gu ide
■ Product registration card
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
■ A 1 GHz Intel-based Mac or Pentium-based PC
(or compatible). Faster CPUs are recommended
for best performance.
■ 2 GB RAM; 4 GB or more recommended.
■ OS X 10.8 or later; Windows 7 or later; for
operation as an AVB Ethernet audio interface,
Mac OS X 10.11 or later is required, running on a
recent-generation Mac (any Mac with a
Thunderbolt port on it).
PLEASE REGISTER TODAY!
Please register the 828es today. There are two ways
to register.
■ Visit www.motu.com/register
OR
■ Fill out and mail the included product
registration card
As a registered user, you will be eligible to receive
technical support and announcements about
product enhancements as soon as they become
available. Only registered users receive these
special update notices, so please register today.
Thank you for taking the time to register your new
MOTU products!
■ Available Thunderbolt or high-speed USB 2.0
(or 3.0) port.
■ A large hard drive (preferably at least 512 GB).
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PACKING LIST AND SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
CHAPTER
4 Software Installation
OVERVIEW
USB audio class-compliant operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Software installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Audio drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
MOTU Discovery app . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
MOTU Pro Audio WebUI Setup for Windows. . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
AudioDesk workstation software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Working with host audio software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
USB AUDIO CLASS-COMPLIANT OPERATION
The 828es is a USB audio class-compliant device.
This means that you can connect it to your Mac
(running Mac OS 10.8 or higher) with a USB cable
and use it without installing any software drivers.
The computer recognizes the 828es as a USB audio
device and makes its inputs and outputs available
to your host audio software. Basic settings, such as
the hardware’s sample rate, are made in either your
host software.
☛ In this scenario, the 828es provides basic
audio input and output, and no software driver
installation is necessary.
Connection to iOS devices (iPad and iPhone)
Audio-class compliant operation allows you to
connect the 828es to any iOS device with a
standard camera connection kit adapter. The
828es then provides multi-channel audio I/O to
your audio apps. Use your audio app to configure
the number of available audio channels.
requires is a network connection between your
computer and the 828es with a standard Ethernet
cable, Ethernet hub, or shared Wi-Fi network. For
details about accessing the web app through the
network port, see “MOTU Pro Audio Control
Web App” on page 11.
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION
Software installation is required for any of the
following scenarios:
■ You are using a PC running Windows 7 or later.
■ You will use the 828es as a Thunderbolt audio
interface with your Mac or PC.
■ You will use 828es as a USB audio interface, and
you want to access the web app without a network
connection between the computer and the 828es.
■ You will be using multiple MOTU interfaces.
If none of the above scenarios apply to you, then
you can skip software installation if you wish, and
proceed to details about accessing the web app
through the network port, see “MOTU Pro Audio
Control Web App” on page 11.
Download and run the MOTU Pro Audio Installer
To download the latest MOTU Pro Audio installer
for Mac or Windows, visit www.motu.com/
download. Follow the directions that the installer
gives you.
Web app control
As explained earlier in this guide, the MOTU Pro
Audio Control web app provides full access to all
settings in the device, including the extensive onboard routing, mixing, and effects processing
features. Since the web app is served from the
audio interface hardware itself, it does not require
any software installation on your computer; all it
☛ We recommend that you run the software
installer before you connect the 828es to your
computer and power it on. This ensures that all
driver components are properly installed in your
system.
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AUDIO DRIVERS
The installer provides Thunderbolt and USB
audio drivers for Mac (CoreAudio) and Windows
(ASIO and Wave).
Thunderbolt support for Mac and Windows
You can connect your MOTU interface to a
Thunderbolt-equipped PC and access up to 128
channels of simultaneous audio input and output
using the MOTU Pro Audio ASIO driver. On Mac
OS, the MOTU Pro Audio Core Audio driver
provides similar high-bandwidth Thunderbolt I/
O for Mac audio applications. On both Mac and
Windows, you will enjoy access to very low buffer
settings and extremely low I/O latency
performance from your host audio software.
☛ Check motu.com/support for the latest
information regarding PC Thunderbolt compatibility, as some PC products are not yet qualified
for use with MOTU Thunderbolt-equipped audio
interfaces.
Industry-leading I/O latency performance
On Mac OS and Windows, the MOTU Pro Audio
driver provides exceptionally low I/O latency
performance for both Thunderbolt and USB
operation. For example, with a 32-sample buffer
size, an 828es interface operating at 96 kHz
produces round trip latency (RTL) performance of
1.9 milliseconds (ms) over Thunderbolt on
Windows and 1.6 ms on Mac OS. RTL is the
measurement of the time it takes audio to pass
from an analog input, through a highperformance DAW host such as Digital Performer,
to an analog output.
MOTU Pro Audio ASIO Driver
On Windows, to enable the 828es in your ASIO
host software, choose the MOTU Pro Audio ASIO
driver.
Figure 4-1: Choosing the MOTU Pro Audio ASIO driver in Cubase.
WDM / Wave driver support
On Windows, the MOTU Pro Audio driver
includes stereo and multi-channel support (up to
24 channels) for WDM (Wave) compatible audio
software.
Host Buffer Size
When connected to a Windows host, the Host
Buffer Size menu (Figure 4-2 on page 31) is
available in the Device tab (page 12). This setting
determines the amount of latency (delay) you may
hear when live audio is patched through your
Windows audio software. Smaller buffer sizes
produce lower latency, with sizes of 256 samples or
less producing virtually imperceptible delay. Many
host applications report audio hardware I/O
latency, so you can see what happens to the
reported latency when making adjustments to this
setting.
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SOFTWARE INSTALLATION
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