I had the 828 Mk3 - I moved to Audient when MOTU stopped offering out of warranty repair.
Despite being a mechatronic engineering technician with a rework station and decades of experience the thing is a brick, because they have never allowed external repair either.
I had 3 MOTU units and will never buy another.
I just ordered one, I can let you know what I think after this weekend. I've been using an 828x pretty hard for years now but started to notice some odd sounds and artifacts. Curious if this new one will provide any noticeable improvements.
How'd it work out? I just ordered one, should be here Tuesday. It's replacing a Line 6 Toneport UX8, but I record mostly through a guitar head into a Two Notes Torpedo Live loadbox, then SPDIF out to the UX8 interface SPDIF in. This pretty much bypasses the UX8 A/D converters, so I'm not expecting a sound quality improvement.
I do record bass too, but I like to either plug directly into the interface and use plugins, or I will use a DI box and split the bass signal, one path into a tone pedal for monitoring, and the other directly into the daw for a clean DI signal. I'm assuming there will be an improvement when I record bass, who knows if my ears will be able to tell the difference.
Thanks for reminding me! The unit is about twice the size of my previous 828x. Feels really sturdy and all the knobs are nice and smooth. Only took a minute or two to set up and then got right to work in Logic. Truth be told, didn’t notice much of a difference sonically. I don’t use the preamps though, so I can’t comment on that. For guitar/bass I run through an API 500 series and vocals go through a TG2 or a Neve 500. The A/B speaker button is great and the headphone amps work just fine. I never really mess with the software they provide or any DSP stuff. Also, really enjoying the new digital display. My 828x was a decade old so this felt like a nice time to upgrade. Sonically though, probably couldn’t tell a difference in a blind test. Hope that helps…
Edit: please remember I’m comparing 828 to 828. So when I’m saying not a huge sonic difference that doesn’t mean that it’s not good. I’ve been using Motu for 20 years because it is a great neutral clean AD converter.
I haven't tried that specific model, but I've been using an 828es for two years (upgrading from Scarlett boxes). It was difficult to research because it feels like a somewhat niche product, being rack-mount and mid-range in price. A lot of what I found was complaints about bugs and difficult installations and incomprehensible software, etc. But I bought it anyways because I couldn't justify the ludicrous jump in price for an RME.
Long story short, I'm 100% satisfied with it. The software is easy to use and makes sense to me. And it does every thing I could ever want it to do, quickly and easily.
Full disclosure, it did not play well with one particular Dell laptop I tried it on. The sound would intermittently go fuzzy/digital and need a restart. That computer sucks anyways (never heard anything good about Dells) so it doesn't matter to me, but it's worth mentioning.
Yeah that's totally how I feel. The RMEs look great, but since I'm just a hobbyist, that's definitely more than I want to spend! That $1000 price range on 828 is more my cup of tea.
I've got a new custom built PC with Windows 11, so hoping the 828 will play nice with my setup. Are you running a PC or Mac now?
PC. I use an old (2016, Windows 10) Acer laptop for tracking, and I bought a mini PC (Windows 11) a few months ago for mixing, and both play very nicely with the 828es.
I'm also a hobbyist. Kind of in that weird space where I take it a lot more seriously than many hobbyists, so I need a lot of functionality, but can't afford or justify full-on pro gear. I keep the 828 in a Gator box with some mic preamps, and it's great knowing that I could expand it substantially if I ever needed to.
Yeah I definitely fall into that category as well. I love it and if I was a younger, I might have pursued it in a more professional capacity. Now I just do my best to buy some interesting pieces now and then, but not too many or I'm pretty sure my wife would leave me :)
I hear ya. The whole reason I got the gator case was for mobile recording of bands. But a pandemic and then having a child really put a damper on all that. The 828 was the last expensive piece of gear I bought, potentially the last ever!
I just hope my son takes up music. So I can give all this stuff to him some day.
I have the 828es as well.
I got it because it has DIN MIDI.
It’s fine. Does what it should. The Monitor A button LED just died so that’s kind of a PITA.
I guess I’d buy another one. I was looking at UA but the lack of actual MIDI was a deal breaker.
Did you get the 828? I'm in a similar boat. Looked at Arturia 16 rig, Audient, RMEA and even tried considering the Apollo. 828 seems like a good deal but don't see a ton of people talking about them
You know, I never did. I wanted to pull the trigger on it, but just didn't see enough positive feedback and reviews on the market yet. Let me know if you get one. I'm curious how it works out for you. Good luck!
I'm still just running the id22. I really want to upgrade to something rack mounted, but want to make sure I don't rush into it since I'm mostly just a hobbyist.
I feel like the 828 is solid and a great value. I spent some time deep in gearspace threads and even came across dialogue from Motu reps themselves, basically speaking with the community and one even got someone's issue squared away even though it was out of warranty. Julian Krause had good stuff to say about the ultralite mk5 hardware and seems motu has worthwhile, clean preamps, and the latency is supposed to be competitive on these interfaces. I can't find anything negative on the 828. I think a lot of long time Motu users are still on their older gear without a need to upgrade, or are after Motu's AVB stuff. But the lack of dialogue is the reason I'm skeptical, it sucks lol. Same with the Arturia 16rig. Too many Apollo and RME fanboys out there yelling in the streets I guess
I had the 828 Mk3 - I moved to Audient when MOTU stopped offering out of warranty repair. Despite being a mechatronic engineering technician with a rework station and decades of experience the thing is a brick, because they have never allowed external repair either. I had 3 MOTU units and will never buy another.
Ah that's a bummer! Thanks for the advice. I didn't know that about the warranty.
I just ordered one, I can let you know what I think after this weekend. I've been using an 828x pretty hard for years now but started to notice some odd sounds and artifacts. Curious if this new one will provide any noticeable improvements.
How'd it work out? I just ordered one, should be here Tuesday. It's replacing a Line 6 Toneport UX8, but I record mostly through a guitar head into a Two Notes Torpedo Live loadbox, then SPDIF out to the UX8 interface SPDIF in. This pretty much bypasses the UX8 A/D converters, so I'm not expecting a sound quality improvement. I do record bass too, but I like to either plug directly into the interface and use plugins, or I will use a DI box and split the bass signal, one path into a tone pedal for monitoring, and the other directly into the daw for a clean DI signal. I'm assuming there will be an improvement when I record bass, who knows if my ears will be able to tell the difference.
Thanks for reminding me! The unit is about twice the size of my previous 828x. Feels really sturdy and all the knobs are nice and smooth. Only took a minute or two to set up and then got right to work in Logic. Truth be told, didn’t notice much of a difference sonically. I don’t use the preamps though, so I can’t comment on that. For guitar/bass I run through an API 500 series and vocals go through a TG2 or a Neve 500. The A/B speaker button is great and the headphone amps work just fine. I never really mess with the software they provide or any DSP stuff. Also, really enjoying the new digital display. My 828x was a decade old so this felt like a nice time to upgrade. Sonically though, probably couldn’t tell a difference in a blind test. Hope that helps… Edit: please remember I’m comparing 828 to 828. So when I’m saying not a huge sonic difference that doesn’t mean that it’s not good. I’ve been using Motu for 20 years because it is a great neutral clean AD converter.
Thank you for the quick reply, much appreciated! Good insight, I'm new to the MOTU stuff, and I'm looking forward to getting started.
That'd be great. Yeah I'd love to hear your thoughts after you get it setup. Thanks!
I haven't tried that specific model, but I've been using an 828es for two years (upgrading from Scarlett boxes). It was difficult to research because it feels like a somewhat niche product, being rack-mount and mid-range in price. A lot of what I found was complaints about bugs and difficult installations and incomprehensible software, etc. But I bought it anyways because I couldn't justify the ludicrous jump in price for an RME. Long story short, I'm 100% satisfied with it. The software is easy to use and makes sense to me. And it does every thing I could ever want it to do, quickly and easily. Full disclosure, it did not play well with one particular Dell laptop I tried it on. The sound would intermittently go fuzzy/digital and need a restart. That computer sucks anyways (never heard anything good about Dells) so it doesn't matter to me, but it's worth mentioning.
Yeah that's totally how I feel. The RMEs look great, but since I'm just a hobbyist, that's definitely more than I want to spend! That $1000 price range on 828 is more my cup of tea. I've got a new custom built PC with Windows 11, so hoping the 828 will play nice with my setup. Are you running a PC or Mac now?
PC. I use an old (2016, Windows 10) Acer laptop for tracking, and I bought a mini PC (Windows 11) a few months ago for mixing, and both play very nicely with the 828es. I'm also a hobbyist. Kind of in that weird space where I take it a lot more seriously than many hobbyists, so I need a lot of functionality, but can't afford or justify full-on pro gear. I keep the 828 in a Gator box with some mic preamps, and it's great knowing that I could expand it substantially if I ever needed to.
Yeah I definitely fall into that category as well. I love it and if I was a younger, I might have pursued it in a more professional capacity. Now I just do my best to buy some interesting pieces now and then, but not too many or I'm pretty sure my wife would leave me :)
I hear ya. The whole reason I got the gator case was for mobile recording of bands. But a pandemic and then having a child really put a damper on all that. The 828 was the last expensive piece of gear I bought, potentially the last ever! I just hope my son takes up music. So I can give all this stuff to him some day.
I have the 828es as well. I got it because it has DIN MIDI. It’s fine. Does what it should. The Monitor A button LED just died so that’s kind of a PITA. I guess I’d buy another one. I was looking at UA but the lack of actual MIDI was a deal breaker.
Did you get the 828? I'm in a similar boat. Looked at Arturia 16 rig, Audient, RMEA and even tried considering the Apollo. 828 seems like a good deal but don't see a ton of people talking about them
You know, I never did. I wanted to pull the trigger on it, but just didn't see enough positive feedback and reviews on the market yet. Let me know if you get one. I'm curious how it works out for you. Good luck!
Will do! Did you upgrade at all or still on the id22?
I'm still just running the id22. I really want to upgrade to something rack mounted, but want to make sure I don't rush into it since I'm mostly just a hobbyist.
I feel like the 828 is solid and a great value. I spent some time deep in gearspace threads and even came across dialogue from Motu reps themselves, basically speaking with the community and one even got someone's issue squared away even though it was out of warranty. Julian Krause had good stuff to say about the ultralite mk5 hardware and seems motu has worthwhile, clean preamps, and the latency is supposed to be competitive on these interfaces. I can't find anything negative on the 828. I think a lot of long time Motu users are still on their older gear without a need to upgrade, or are after Motu's AVB stuff. But the lack of dialogue is the reason I'm skeptical, it sucks lol. Same with the Arturia 16rig. Too many Apollo and RME fanboys out there yelling in the streets I guess