Motu Traveller, MOTU Traveller Evaluation Options

[tilo]

HI.

I am about to upgrade my studio from PC to MAC. My dealer suggested a MOTU Traveller for recording. How does it compare with other card in this category? I am also upgrading to Logic 7 and my mac will be a dual 2ghz running Tiger.

Thanks.

[rickenbacker]

It's very nice. It's very full-featured. It's also very expensive. How much I/O will you realistically need? The more realistic you are, the more money you can save by choosing something smaller. I'm big on the PreSonus FireBox right now, which has enough I/O for me. YMMV. PreSonus also does a bigger version, the FirePod. RME does the popular FireFace 800. Lots of other companies do something similar. MOTU of course does the 828 MKII. I used to use an 828 MKI, which was great but only up to 48KHz.

[DANO10]

Maybe I have a newer model, but my 828mkII will sample up to 96K. Anyway, I agree with rickenbacker.
Those are all good I/Os and that's good advise.

DANO10

[rickenbacker]

My 828 was a mere MKi, hence the 48KHz ceiling. That's why it had to go.

828 MKIIs do indeed go up to 96KHz and it was on my shortlist for upgrading, but I'm rocking a nice stack of 1/3-rack sized units as my outboard these days, so the PreSonus fits neatly atop the lot.

I also very much enjoy the FireBox's separate main and headphone volume controls. Very useful. Not sure if the 828MKII or the Traveller does that. Look out for this feature in every interface you audtition, anyway.