@@massivebeatzz The only thing that kind of puts me off is the reverb on the Motu, it is not even close to the Antelope one right? I really need a decent reverb there for live shows.
Can I use the onboard DSP for recording or for tracking only? Meaning, can I record the wet signal using the DSP effects? Also, can I set it up so that I hear one set of processing but record another set? for example recording with compression and eq but only listening to reverb?
Hey - glad to hear! I am on RME Babyface Pro FS right now, (reason is portability for travel) but would not mind using the Motu again - it is near perfect.
@ ah ok thanks for the update and response. Old recordings of my Apollo twin made it easier to mix on the motu plus it’s out of my hands now, wish I had kept both..been hearing a lot about RME..when I get a new computer as in MAC I’ll definitely check into that, thanks again!
Sorry, I respect your work and know this is old, but I've been eating interface reviews 6 hours a day for 3 days straight and it has to come out : why, oh why does every reviewer talk for hours about every technical spec possible but can't be bothered to, I don't know, plug in a guitar, a microphone, a bass, anything really, and just play/sing for a (good) while, with no sound treatment? Specs are readable in seconds on any product page, but sound quality isn't, while being the most important criterium by far. Is there some censorship going on I'm not aware of?
that's a good point. one thing for me here was that the differences among high quality interfaces are so small that over UA-cam's compression algorithm, you might not hear them. You do hear my voice through it by the way ( I plugged in a mic), but you don't know which Mic it is, my room treatment etc. .. I certainly could plug in a guitar , bass etc... and then you;d hear something without reference that just happens to be my guitar. I think that is best done during audio interface shootouts as in comparing several devices, and running the same sources into it. Maybe even produce a whole song, and see how they compare in the end result.
@@massivebeatzz Thanks, I hadn't considered the compression algorithm, it does explain a lot of things actually. In the end, the quality of the signal coming in is what really matters, at least with interfaces of comparable quality. I found some videos comparing different interfaces (not this one unfortunatly), and yes, the difference is hard to hear over YT. Comparing several instruments/types of vocals on the same interface could still be usefull though, I suppose, especially bass, acoustic and electric guitar, to get a feel for how each frequency realm gets processed, but thanks anyway!
I found the recordings from the line inputs of my UL5 compressed and distorted (the 2 mic preamps are good tho), and I have checked that the compressor and gate are disabled in cuemix. Not sure if it's a firmware issue or a hardware issue.
There are several mixer options. From monitoring to headphones to recording - each of them can have their own set of effects. Normally anything the UL5 does without effects is ultra clean.
The gate on this thing works REALLY well, I used to use the gate on the 286s, but have found this gate works even better or at the very least equally well.
@AlphaLeX It might be a bit overkill for that since this is really geared for producers and the smaller interfaces can do all of that - but yes, all the above works easily. Key feature to look out for is "Loopback", which becomes more and more common.
No estoy seguro de cuánto exactamente, pero es más que mis interfaces de audio anteriores y es bastante limpio. Utilizo un micrófono Dynamic EV 320 que necesita mucha ganancia y funcionó bien. (I am not sure how much exactly, but it is more than my previous audio interfaces, and it is pretty clean. I use a Dynamic EV 320 mic that needs a lot of gain, and it worked well.)
Not 2 computers - that is not possible - but you could add another interface via ADAT (optical digital connection) theoretically or, via analog cables, since you have several inputs an outputs,. But in that case you may want to buy one Interface and one Adat 8 channel preamp that connects to it. This is what the Adat input is really there for.
I can't speak to them because I have not tested the Apogee. From what I am reading it is similar. Based on measurements by Audiosciencereview (an even crazier version of Julian Krause, in blog form) it's on par, or slightly above RME BabyFace Pro FS in most measurements.
Sorry, I don't use acoustic guitars in my own productions, but you can go to audiosciencereview and Julian Krause to check that these pres/converters are even better than RME Babyface Pro FS. But it' s agood question, I am sure there should be some good demos by some people with good Mics capturing AGs.
The motu was not on my radar until I stumbled on your video, thanks for the Overview! I am looking for extra io for my Antelope tour, I'm sure this would work the other way round as an adat extra io device. I love the routing on the Antelope so will make that my primary device, you had the Zen go sitting on top of it which is nice and neat❤
Can I use the onboard DSP for recording or for tracking only? Meaning, can I record the wet signal using the DSP effects? Also, can I set it up so that I hear one set of processing but record another set? for example recording with compression and eq but only listening to reverb?
In terms of Converter(AD/DA) which u wil recommend me practically not specifications ?? Because My "S" sound in the mix got distorting. Motu ultralite mk5, Apollo x4 or twin x Audient id44 Antelope zen studio plus Thanks for the great video Plz reply
They are all good in terms of AD/DA. Apollo and Audient too old already. Antelope is a bit risky. I would go with Moto MK5 . Also checkout new SSL12. It has better converters I think than SSL 2+. Also check out RME Babyface Pro FS -they say it is the best, but Motu MK5 is just as good.
Hello, I would like to purchase the motu ultralite MK5 audio interface for use in concerts on a 2023 M2 MacBook Pro, 16GB of Ram and a 512GB SSD hard drive. (free space: 380 GB) I read on the motu website: system requirements for the motu ultralite MK5: a large hard drive (at least 500 GB for recording) Do you need to have 500 GB of free space on the hard drive or just a 500 GB hard drive regardless of the free space left on it? Thanks:)
I imagine ., because they OFFER you some free software (plugins, sounds etc) with the purchase - that is why they want you to have that space. Other wise, MOTU app does not use much space at all, maybe - tiny App. So you are totally fine. They mean 512 GB of hard drive, not free space. I have a 1TB and have 80GB free, on a regular basis... :) Also I tested this on a 256GB macbook Air, a 128GB iPad, and above mentioned 1TB Pro. Same result.
Having owned both, based on my own ears (subjective), and 3rd party measurements (objective), yes slightly, but to be fair - it's a lot newer, and they prioritized that quality.
Hi! I cannot find in any web site any information concerning latency runing VSTs under DAWs like Cubase, ProTools. I saw some latency tests suing a guitar ou Mic plugged into UltraLite MK5 as audio only. But when you open a Cubase and play 2 or 3 VST plugins and a midi keyboard controller those latency numbers change COMPLETELY!! From 2.3ms it goes up to 9 or 12ms. That's the problem. If you pick a 128 samples bufer and 44kHz what number could you expect under a DAW? Companys like MOTU and others doesn' t offer those kind of information.
Even 128 , on my computer is still like 4 or 5 ms or such, completely amazing! And I do entire mix sessions with 64, with a hundred plugins and dont have to change settings. it depends a bit on your machine.
@@massivebeatzz when you use dozen of plugins inside a DAW like Cubase I think your latency will increase a LOT. It does not depends on your PC. It s more related to connection speed between interface and your machine. So if you use a thunderbolt interface connected to your machine, latency will minor compared to a usb-c connection. I did lot of tests comparing PRESONUS studio 192, presonus 2626, behringer and Soundcraft U24. The best one is Presonus 2626. The only that uses TB 3. I like so much MOTU products. But as new pcs are coming with TB 4 ports, I really believe that new interfaces will be launched with TB4 support
I think that there is a huge confusion between AUDIO latency and MIDI latency. For the first one any interface will work fine. But for home studio using keyboard controllers and plugins things change a lot. You cannot find any information comparing both audio and midi latency. For keyboard players it does matter. For guitar players, audio is not the problem
I'm considering switching to the UltraLite mk5. I've been using an apollo twin mk2 for three years, but I'm tired of driver issues and thunderbolt (I'm currently using it through a TB2->TB3 adapter with my MacBook Pro, and I had it kernel panic multiple times). I've heard that MOTU audio drivers had some issues in the past; what is your experience with them? Also, do you know if MOTU is quick updating drivers when new macOS versions come out? I know RME has a perfect reputation with its drivers, but I'd love to save 700 dollars.
Hey - so I can only say that while I switched from UAD to MOTU, I never had any driver issues. Their (UAD) stuff is solid if your system is set up the right way. Adapters have no influence at all, that is just a mechanical form factor change. TB1/2/3 all talks to each other. But still - a great idea to switch now, DSP is done for. Also, I only had a MOTU like 6 years ago - while it was fine, it wasn't exactly what I was looking for. But now I think the new Ultralite is very different. The regular version 3, and 4 Motu smaller interfaces are different. Different software and drivers. So I can only speak to that. It is really darn good. As far as updates - I havent seen any yet in my time of owning. I am on M1 Pro on Monterey, and everything worked right out of the box. I think Motu is better than UAD and Antelope - bigger budget, less arrogant - and more invested in its customer base. The interface price here in the US is 600, versus 900 for the RME BabyFace Pro FS. So not a huge difference. In Europe that might be flipped (higher US product, lower German product). If you go to the bigger RME interface then yes, it's the difference you mentioned. Thing is Motu UL5 beats the Babyface in specs (Krause, Audiosciencereview) by just a little bit - it sits among the best interfaces in that sub 2000 dollar category. Software is also much nicer than RME (easier, more pleasing, less 1995 computer hacker PC vibe). But as far as support, reliability and company DNA, I think nobody beats RME. They are a stubborn bunch - in a good way, it's hard to find disappointed customers.Only thing is - when people say," I still use my RME from 15 years ago, driver support is amazing" - that will never be me. Things improve - I kind of want things that are less than 4 years old - that is just me. In technology, I feel that is reasonable.
@@massivebeatzz Thanks for replying; I think you convinced me into giving the MOTU a spin. The main reason I'm considering selling my apollo is that I would prefer not to depend on Thunderbolt. Coming from previous trauma with FireWire 400 and 800 on multiple Apogee interfaces (that dropped significantly in value as soon as Apple replaced FW with Thunderbolt), I think that a USB interface would keep its value for longer.
@@sonodima Well, that is great. But also keep in mind TB is here to stay. It's the most powerful format. And it look's like USB-C. A TB computer can run TB4,3, 2,1 as well as USB C. But a USB C computer can not run TB. That works best on the newer Macs though, where every port is a TB3 or TB4 port. TB also delivers more power, so in some cases no power adapter needed. But still it is good to go with USB-C, becasue it is so universal. Everything from my Android phone, every Mac (2016 and up) and most audio interfaces use it as well as PCs. Most iPhones and iPads will soon have it too, some already have. I just wanted to let you know that. I think MOTU is great, but don't buy it because it's USB-C and not Thunderbolt - both are great.
@@tuneunleashed And not all drivers are equal at Motu, but their UL5 drivers for MacOS bring the latency down to a couple of milliseconds...rather than relying on on compliant drivers (for the Mac most manufacturers don't write one, since it is not needed, but you can still improve). That's certainly a RME tactic, and the fact that UL5 beats BabyFace Pro FS in Audiosciencereview measurements is quite something, sine it's 600SD Motu vs 900USD RME.
Thanks for the great review. I've been looking at the RME BabyFace and this unit. Do you know I would be able to achieve 2.3 msec RTL running stand-alone versions of Toontrack EZDrummer or Superior Drummer 3? I have a 2021 Macbook Pro with an M1 and 16 MB RAM.
Thanks for watching - you;re too kind. Either interfaces are able to do that! They can do that at almost 128 sample buffer size. 64 gets you in the 1.3ms range. You might be able to run some stuff with a 32 buffer.
yes, absolutely, especially in that price category it is still pretty unbeaten. There are a few audient and presonus and Neumann interfaces that came out, but they are more expensive.
I'm a MOTU M4 user. I'm a one man band. Gotta have that midi in an audio interface. Also, it's sounds very good compared to a Steinberg UR22. Like a blanket taken out of the speakers . I was going for this MK 5 but in 2021 it was impossible to get. You're good with your MK 5. ❤❤❤❤❤
Thanks man for the support. The ULMK5 just came out about the same time as Apogee Symphony Desktop. I initially thought I really wanted the ASD but then decided against it. Latency is no good (not Thunderbolt as it used to be, like the Element for example, which was great). The converters are great, so are the headphone outputs, but I think MOTU put so much effort into their UL that it's close. Also, lots of problems with ASD, only a few plugins, expensive plugins that are not included, and just a couple of ins and outs The more I looked at it the more I thought this is a joke. I came from Universal Audio and if I wanted to be in an "ecosystem" with a paywall, then I'd rather stay with UA, than getting an ASD.
@@massivebeatzz Did you sell your Apollo X4 and would you still recommend the Ultralight MK5 cause Motu is like the budget RME they have amazing prices for what they offer this should be triple the price.
@@tuneunleashed Yes - I did and got the Motu instead. I tried the Antelope before for a few weeks, but it was not ideal... I was in between the Motu5, Babyface Pro FS and Apogee Desktop. Overall the Motu5 won. It's definitely the star of the Motu line up at the moment.
I'm tired of latency and I need IO for synths. So it's either this Ultralite or the TASCAM Model 12. But I have no clue how much latency the the Model 12 has.
Me neither! Check if Julian Krause channel did a test. But from the tests I remember, the Motu is by far better in all aspects , especially preamp noise.
So which device has the best Preamps for the Mic ( i dont care about the Monitor / Headphone outputs). So between Antelope Zen Go / Q / Discrete, MOTU UltraLite MK5, BabyFace Pro FS, Apollo Twin X (thunderbolt). Which device has the best Preamps? and then Latency? thx
Latency , for using plugins (not counting Sharc et) Motu Wins. If you count Sharc / Synergy Core plugins then UAD and Antelope are faster than UL5, but not much anymore. Pre-amps, it is very close. I think the BabyFace Pro FS and Ultralite are slightly better than the Antelope, and Antelope is a bit better than Twin X. Audiosciencereview did measurements, and only Lynx and RME ADI -2-Pro are in the same class (even slightly better). The UL5 came out better than the Babyface Pro FS and pretty much every other interface. www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/motu-ultralite-mk5-review-audio-interface.24777/
@@massivebeatzz Yeah, it's pretty much blatant false advertising that they're advertised as "Windows compatible." Doesn't look like they'll ever fix their drivers either.
I recently got my Ultralite MK5, but I am having audio issues. Mostly the soundcard won't playback any sound when connected..I plug the usb straight to my computer port so no hubs. This issue is bugging me out!! Have you experienced this?
@@massivebeatzz yep. macOS13. It happens often when the computer wake up from sleep mode. Everytime I have to restart the soundcard to have sound back.
Hii bro Great content. I am investing in my mixing mastering studio. Would you suggest me apollo twin or Motu ultralite in terms of preams and DAC. Or any other recommendations?
Right now, I would go with the UL5 (not the Motu 4), as the 5 is above both all of them. It's not night and day of course, but it is measurable and also I could hear it.
yo really thinking about this, im on windows laptop though decent ram and base clock on the cores, im a usb drummer ezd3, wondering if the latency is on par with rme
@@massivebeatzz thanks buddy, im going to pull on one i think though the audient have a new id44 with improved ad and inserts, man latency vs sound around 500quid is a toughie :), thanks again
@@Bcwilderness I dont think the Audient sounds as good as the Motu - based on measurements the converters , noise ratio, distortion on the M was way better than Audient. I know Audient has improved, so it might be closer - but I think for sound purists, the Motu might still be a better choice. Latency too. I am not a fan of coloring teh signal at the interface stage.
@@massivebeatzz ok im going for this purely on your joy over the latency, i have my prism titan for critical stuff nothing comes close for the money but as a set up quick laptop smash it anywhere system and the headphone amp this is it then :) :) if it works with my windows laptop and usb drumkit yyyeeeessss, thanks again
@@Bcwilderness ha - I would say, check Julian Krause review - he has everything tested and measured - there you can compare your old interface, and the new ones. he has a list whoi best in which category.
If the RME UCX II is in stock would you switch your Motu Ultralite MK5 and how is the latency with virtual instruments? What is the better value between the RME Fireface UCX 2 and the Motu Ultralite MK5 overall? How's the audio quality compared to your Babyface Pro FS?!
Good questions...And thanks for watching and commenting. There's no short answer. So, UCX2 and Babyface Pro FS share the same clock and converters, so expect the same sound quality, although in Audioscience Review's tests the Babyface Pro came out a bit better than the UCX2. The Motu has more gain, especially for hi-Z instruments and the software is more modern, and honestly better. With Babyface a good DI is a must - but when you have one , the sound is kileler and preamps have less noise. Everything is quite close though. Th price difference to Babyface is already quite big, 600 vs 900, and the UCX is even more expensive. Also Babyface and UCX have better headphone amps. If you can get a UCX2 for a really low price, it is worth it.
@@massivebeatzz hello. You are saying that with the babyface you need a good DI? I try to record guitar with my newly purchased babyface pro fs, and getting very low input. Could this be the case why? Do I really need a DI box to get decent levels? RME themselves state that the inputs are “powerful” enough. But I am nowhere near to get the same input as say my audient id14mkii guitar input.
Far as I know the latency of ul5 is pretty middle of the road ( not really a low latency option unless they updated it recently). It’s about 10.5ms at 48/128 buffer according to tests
Greetings. Would this device be worth it even if I didn’t need all the extra IO at the back. I am looking to upgrade from a Focusrite Scarlett. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
I think the better sound quality, for mic and line, and better headphone amp is worth it. Also it has DSP power. If you go with the smaller Motu interface, it does not have the same sound quality, The difference is not huge of course, but it certainly was measured,
On par with the Apogee Symphony and the RME?🤔 Pretty big claim. Thanks for the video. I’m going to sell my UFX and my Element 46, I may get the Ultralite, I tried the Audient and it sounded great. I have the Zen Go also, it’s pretty decent.
According to benchmarks yes, above RME BabyFace Pro FS, it's among the top 3 of all tested on Audiosciencerevie measurements, in most aspects. The guy is a Julian Krause on steroids , lol - www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/motu-ultralite-mk5-review-audio-interface.24777/
Currently have a first gen focusrite interface with the UA twin finity pre amp. Looking to upgrade my interface as im now getting more into recording and mixing aside from just making beats. What do you think is a good option considering my UA pre amp? Thanks in advance
That' s a pretty flexible pre-amp - since you have tube, transistor and DI box all rolled into one . I think this Motu MK5 would be good, any RME and Focusrite Clarett+ (the new ones).
IT has onboard DSP, so it runs On-board effects including reverb, 4-band parametric EQ and dynamics (compressor and gate) for each input (and output). That's real time, with no latency, for monitoring. Also, Motu includes Performer Lite (a DAW with effects), 6GB of samples and loops.
I'd say if we take the new Clarett+ 4Pre (the old Claretts are no longer made because of the fire in the chip plant, so they designed new units). It has 4 preamps, and 2 headphone outs , which is great. On paper it is quite good. However, the values Julian measured are not quite as good as the MUL5. Preamp gain, preamp noise, headphone quality - all of that is slightly below the UL5. I was also a bit surprised bu this. In some measurements, even the old Clarett was better - although in most, the C+ is an improvement. But, because of that fire, also Motu is back ordered, not able to get the chips. So the Clarett 2 +or 4+ might be a good second choice. But Try the new Audient Evo16 maybe? Hearing good things on Warren Huart's channel.
@@massivebeatzz Hopefully the Motu's come back in stock, loving that there's so much options for outputs. I have a clarett right now, serves me well but the motu would be great for out of the studio as well as in
If you are referring to the line inputs- they are capable of adding gain - so if you are looking for a fixed-gain line amplifier circuit this would not be it. Certainly capable of ultra clean pass through though - I'd like to see any analog preamp notice or be capable to track any signal coloration from this. Ultra clean.
@@massivebeatzz To save costs, many interfaces have the line inputs go through the preamp stage of the circuit which is not ideal if you are using external preamps even though most of the time the preamp stage adds no coloration. However, this is not the way it should be. My Clarett has inputs on the rear of the unit and even though there is no way to vary the gain of the input the signal still passes through the preamps stage internally before going to the converters. I am looking for a new interface that allows me to use the rear inputs of the interface without going through the preamp stage inside the unit so if I use external mic preamps the signal will go straight to the ADC stage in my interface as it should and not pass through the preamps within the audio interface. Understand?
@@adamoreilly7333 I think the Audient id44 has the option to do this on the first two channels. (Also the id22, but that's old tech now). I think that's about it on $700 and down interfaces.
@@rjb7569 think the motu latency slams audient though its a tough juggle esp if using virtual instruments people need to detail the use as ive always found its a drag, arturia sounds great but the latency in monitor in the daw useless
when comparing the motu ultralite mk5 and audience id44 which one do you choose? I'm confused between these two devices.. help me to choose between id44 and mk5 ? Tq dude
I did not test the id44 myself, but based on features such as, latency, mic quality, headphone outputs, the ULMK5 wins on all , for me. Slightly though, so it' s not a night and day difference. Also Motu has DSP powered Reverb, Gate, EQ, Compressor. The ID44 has more Headphone outputs, and much better hands on control, which is nice. It depends what feels better to work for you. Motu is a bit small , and harder to operate. Can be an advantage. But still needs power supply!
@@tuneunleashed Though you have the option to bypass the pres on the id44 on the first two channels, avoiding having your signal go through a 2nd preamp stage.
The Apollo X4 is more fun, I have to say. But the Motu ULMk5 just makes more sense, feature wise, and slightly better converter/headphone quality... If both would be free , I would still choose the UAD X4 with 20 plugins ...but that's unrealistic. Really love the UL5.
@@massivebeatzz My hate with UA is their Mixer Engine constantly runs in the background and if your mac has a dedicated high performance GPU it will constanly run it. On a macbook, it just runs hotter, eats up battery and spins fans constantly and UA Customer support just blamed apple when its only their app that does so without any Audio Software or UA hardware Connected. Do you see any of those issues with your mac?
Please test this interface RMAA, Balanced-Balanced, and Unbalansed-Unbalanced connect TRS stereo only hot tip. 24-044, 24-192. In Unbalansed-Unbalanced disappointment awaits you as an exit.
Sound quality wise, how does this compare to the Apogee Due 2? Just purchased a new stereo synth and looking to up my IO but not sure which interface to go with.
@@jayway1116 I don't know that. The M4 is not close to the UL5 in quality. Different system. I would guess (just guess), that given the Apogee's age, it still might be a slight upgrade. Julian Krause does all the measurements on his channel, I just can't remember if he did the Apogee2.
@@jayway1116 I have an apogee duet 2 and it's getting hard for me to run it with a newer computer. The software and interface don't see each other. What computer and OS are you using with your Duet 2?
The Apogee desktop doesn't have nearly the I/O of this thing, just proving Apogee is just another gear manufacturer ripping off the public, I mean really, almost $1500.00 !!!... close to 3 times the mk5 price......... they have an ASTOUNDING pair of testicles!
Agreed. To be fair the Motu is $600 in the US, and the Apogee typically 1400, so it' s more like double the price - but your point stands. Pretending to give us a luxury interface - living off the good reputation they had. This thing isn't even Thunderbolt, so no real time effects as the Elements. So so RTL, and no ins/outs. 2 great converters, excellent headphone amp and a couple of half baked plugins that look straight out of 2011, should not cost that much. 899 tops!
Having used the Apogee Quartet and then UA Apollo twin Mk2, I can attest Apogee, UA and most "prosumer" brands are garbage and don't deserve the money they ask for it. Metric Halo, RME, Lynx, Motu are wayy better for the money.
Hi. Either! It has a very low output impedance of 0.17Ohm. The lower the better. Some interfaces have a much higher O.I. , the UL5 i s a class leader here. Confused? Well, this means that while having a lot of power, the UL5 can drive even low impedance headphones, such as 32Ohm or 80Ohm well without distortion. It's really one of the best there. And it has the power to drive high impedance headphones such as 250, 300 and even 600Ohm. So you can take your pick. If you are referring to the Beyerdynamic models, as far as I know, the 250Ohm model performs just better than the 32 and 80Ohm models, so I made sure yo pick the 250Ohm version (770 and 990 models, that I use). But that' s just within the same brand. There are excellent, lower impedance headphones out there. Also the benefit from low impedance HPs is that a phone, a computer, a tablet can also drive them, so it depends how much you're moving them around. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching.
Omg, I have a Zen Go and that is the first video for the Motu I am watching, great sync. Thanks man!
Haha awesome - Glad I could help!
@@massivebeatzz The only thing that kind of puts me off is the reverb on the Motu, it is not even close to the Antelope one right? I really need a decent reverb there for live shows.
Just received it and it’s just fantastic! So much quality and so many features for this price!!!!
Nice! Congrats & enjoy!
Can I use the onboard DSP for recording or for tracking only? Meaning, can I record the wet signal using the DSP effects? Also, can I set it up so that I hear one set of processing but record another set? for example recording with compression and eq but only listening to reverb?
I bought an ultralite mk3 firewire I think in 2008 and it's going strong so I guess you don't have to worry too much about durability with motu.
Are you still recording with the Motu MK5? I love this interface too! I got it and thanks for sharing!
Hey - glad to hear! I am on RME Babyface Pro FS right now, (reason is portability for travel) but would not mind using the Motu again - it is near perfect.
@ ah ok thanks for the update and response. Old recordings of my Apollo twin made it easier to mix on the motu plus it’s out of my hands now, wish I had kept both..been hearing a lot about RME..when I get a new computer as in MAC I’ll definitely check into that, thanks again!
I have a Mac but not with the new usb3
Does this have a loopback feature for streaming? You did not mention. Thanks in advance.
It sure does, and it works great!
Sorry, I respect your work and know this is old, but I've been eating interface reviews 6 hours a day for 3 days straight and it has to come out : why, oh why does every reviewer talk for hours about every technical spec possible but can't be bothered to, I don't know, plug in a guitar, a microphone, a bass, anything really, and just play/sing for a (good) while, with no sound treatment?
Specs are readable in seconds on any product page, but sound quality isn't, while being the most important criterium by far. Is there some censorship going on I'm not aware of?
that's a good point. one thing for me here was that the differences among high quality interfaces are so small that over UA-cam's compression algorithm, you might not hear them. You do hear my voice through it by the way ( I plugged in a mic), but you don't know which Mic it is, my room treatment etc. .. I certainly could plug in a guitar , bass etc... and then you;d hear something without reference that just happens to be my guitar. I think that is best done during audio interface shootouts as in comparing several devices, and running the same sources into it. Maybe even produce a whole song, and see how they compare in the end result.
@@massivebeatzz Thanks, I hadn't considered the compression algorithm, it does explain a lot of things actually. In the end, the quality of the signal coming in is what really matters, at least with interfaces of comparable quality. I found some videos comparing different interfaces (not this one unfortunatly), and yes, the difference is hard to hear over YT.
Comparing several instruments/types of vocals on the same interface could still be usefull though, I suppose, especially bass, acoustic and electric guitar, to get a feel for how each frequency realm gets processed, but thanks anyway!
I found the recordings from the line inputs of my UL5 compressed and distorted (the 2 mic preamps are good tho), and I have checked that the compressor and gate are disabled in cuemix. Not sure if it's a firmware issue or a hardware issue.
There are several mixer options. From monitoring to headphones to recording - each of them can have their own set of effects. Normally anything the UL5 does without effects is ultra clean.
Is it possible to split the aux mixes into mono outputs? LIke instead of Line 1/2, LIne 3/4 you split them to Line 1, Line 2, Line 3, Line 4?
Yes you can ! It gets adjusted in the software.
@@massivebeatzz On what page?
The gate on this thing works REALLY well, I used to use the gate on the 286s, but have found this gate works even better or at the very least equally well.
I agree, this a great gate! Thanks for pointing that out.
@AlphaLeX good for all that
@AlphaLeX It might be a bit overkill for that since this is really geared for producers and the smaller interfaces can do all of that - but yes, all the above works easily. Key feature to look out for is "Loopback", which becomes more and more common.
@AlphaLeX In that case the ULMK5 will serve you really well!
Motu is underrated! They’ve been around a long time and had their ups and downs but in my experience they make good stuff
Is there a way to record vocals on MK5 on PC with DSP settings?
Yes you can record the DSP processing into your recordings.
¿Cuanta ganancia permite el previo y cuan limpia puede ser hasta su límite superior?
No estoy seguro de cuánto exactamente, pero es más que mis interfaces de audio anteriores y es bastante limpio. Utilizo un micrófono Dynamic EV 320 que necesita mucha ganancia y funcionó bien. (I am not sure how much exactly, but it is more than my previous audio interfaces, and it is pretty clean. I use a Dynamic EV 320 mic that needs a lot of gain, and it worked well.)
Can you use two computers with this like the iConnectivity PlayAudio 12?
And can you daisy chain two mk5 interfaces together? If so, how?
Not 2 computers - that is not possible - but you could add another interface via ADAT (optical digital connection) theoretically or, via analog cables, since you have several inputs an outputs,. But in that case you may want to buy one Interface and one Adat 8 channel preamp that connects to it. This is what the Adat input is really there for.
How would you compare the ADDA conversion and headphone quality of the Motu UL5 vs the Apogee Symphony Desktop? And the mic pres?
Don't forget the Audient id44 pre's as well
I can't speak to them because I have not tested the Apogee. From what I am reading it is similar. Based on measurements by Audiosciencereview (an even crazier version of Julian Krause, in blog form) it's on par, or slightly above RME BabyFace Pro FS in most measurements.
better on all accounts!
Could you please record some acoustic guitar so that we could hear the quality of the converters and Micpres? Thank you
Sorry, I don't use acoustic guitars in my own productions, but you can go to audiosciencereview and Julian Krause to check that these pres/converters are even better than RME Babyface Pro FS. But it' s agood question, I am sure there should be some good demos by some people with good Mics capturing AGs.
The motu was not on my radar until I stumbled on your video, thanks for the Overview! I am looking for extra io for my Antelope tour, I'm sure this would work the other way round as an adat extra io device. I love the routing on the Antelope so will make that my primary device, you had the Zen go sitting on top of it which is nice and neat❤
Glad I could help!
Can I use the onboard DSP for recording or for tracking only? Meaning, can I record the wet signal using the DSP effects? Also, can I set it up so that I hear one set of processing but record another set? for example recording with compression and eq but only listening to reverb?
Yes you can!
@@massivebeatzz Can you give more details on how to record vocals on MK5 on a PC with DSP settings?
In terms of Converter(AD/DA) which u wil recommend me practically not specifications ?? Because My "S" sound in the mix got distorting.
Motu ultralite mk5,
Apollo x4 or twin x
Audient id44
Antelope zen studio plus
Thanks for the great video
Plz reply
They are all good in terms of AD/DA. Apollo and Audient too old already. Antelope is a bit risky. I would go with Moto MK5 . Also checkout new SSL12. It has better converters I think than SSL 2+. Also check out RME Babyface Pro FS -they say it is the best, but Motu MK5 is just as good.
@@massivebeatzz baby pro fs & motu ultra lite mk5, which has better converter in ur view?
Thanks for the reply sir
Hello, I would like to purchase the motu ultralite MK5 audio interface for use in concerts on a 2023 M2 MacBook Pro, 16GB of Ram and a 512GB SSD hard drive. (free space: 380 GB) I read on the motu website: system requirements for the motu ultralite MK5: a large hard drive (at least 500 GB for recording)
Do you need to have 500 GB of free space on the hard drive or just a 500 GB hard drive regardless of the free space left on it? Thanks:)
I imagine ., because they OFFER you some free software (plugins, sounds etc) with the purchase - that is why they want you to have that space. Other wise, MOTU app does not use much space at all, maybe - tiny App. So you are totally fine. They mean 512 GB of hard drive, not free space. I have a 1TB and have 80GB free, on a regular basis... :) Also I tested this on a 256GB macbook Air, a 128GB iPad, and above mentioned 1TB Pro. Same result.
Ok good News🙂 thanks a lot
The AD DA Better than twin x or not? Any comment about about the ad da in comparison to Apollo x series? Great content thanks
Having owned both, based on my own ears (subjective), and 3rd party measurements (objective), yes slightly, but to be fair - it's a lot newer, and they prioritized that quality.
Hi! I cannot find in any web site any information concerning latency runing VSTs under DAWs like Cubase, ProTools. I saw some latency tests suing a guitar ou Mic plugged into UltraLite MK5 as audio only. But when you open a Cubase and play 2 or 3 VST plugins and a midi keyboard controller those latency numbers change COMPLETELY!! From 2.3ms it goes up to 9 or 12ms. That's the problem. If you pick a 128 samples bufer and 44kHz what number could you expect under a DAW?
Companys like MOTU and others doesn' t offer those kind of information.
Even 128 , on my computer is still like 4 or 5 ms or such, completely amazing! And I do entire mix sessions with 64, with a hundred plugins and dont have to change settings. it depends a bit on your machine.
Damn…really?!!!! Damn and I ordered a Ultralite MK5! I knew I should had went for the Babyface Pro FS
@@massivebeatzz when you use dozen of plugins inside a DAW like Cubase I think your latency will increase a LOT. It does not depends on your PC. It s more related to connection speed between interface and your machine. So if you use a thunderbolt interface connected to your machine, latency will minor compared to a usb-c connection.
I did lot of tests comparing PRESONUS studio 192, presonus 2626, behringer and Soundcraft U24. The best one is Presonus 2626. The only that uses TB 3.
I like so much MOTU products. But as new pcs are coming with TB 4 ports, I really believe that new interfaces will be launched with TB4 support
I think that there is a huge confusion between AUDIO latency and MIDI latency.
For the first one any interface will work fine. But for home studio using keyboard controllers and plugins things change a lot.
You cannot find any information comparing both audio and midi latency. For keyboard players it does matter. For guitar players, audio is not the problem
I'm considering switching to the UltraLite mk5. I've been using an apollo twin mk2 for three years, but I'm tired of driver issues and thunderbolt (I'm currently using it through a TB2->TB3 adapter with my MacBook Pro, and I had it kernel panic multiple times). I've heard that MOTU audio drivers had some issues in the past; what is your experience with them? Also, do you know if MOTU is quick updating drivers when new macOS versions come out?
I know RME has a perfect reputation with its drivers, but I'd love to save 700 dollars.
Hey - so I can only say that while I switched from UAD to MOTU, I never had any driver issues. Their (UAD) stuff is solid if your system is set up the right way. Adapters have no influence at all, that is just a mechanical form factor change. TB1/2/3 all talks to each other. But still - a great idea to switch now, DSP is done for. Also, I only had a MOTU like 6 years ago - while it was fine, it wasn't exactly what I was looking for. But now I think the new Ultralite is very different. The regular version 3, and 4 Motu smaller interfaces are different. Different software and drivers. So I can only speak to that. It is really darn good. As far as updates - I havent seen any yet in my time of owning. I am on M1 Pro on Monterey, and everything worked right out of the box. I think Motu is better than UAD and Antelope - bigger budget, less arrogant - and more invested in its customer base. The interface price here in the US is 600, versus 900 for the RME BabyFace Pro FS. So not a huge difference. In Europe that might be flipped (higher US product, lower German product). If you go to the bigger RME interface then yes, it's the difference you mentioned. Thing is Motu UL5 beats the Babyface in specs (Krause, Audiosciencereview) by just a little bit - it sits among the best interfaces in that sub 2000 dollar category. Software is also much nicer than RME (easier, more pleasing, less 1995 computer hacker PC vibe). But as far as support, reliability and company DNA, I think nobody beats RME. They are a stubborn bunch - in a good way, it's hard to find disappointed customers.Only thing is - when people say," I still use my RME from 15 years ago, driver support is amazing" - that will never be me. Things improve - I kind of want things that are less than 4 years old - that is just me. In technology, I feel that is reasonable.
@@massivebeatzz Thanks for replying; I think you convinced me into giving the MOTU a spin.
The main reason I'm considering selling my apollo is that I would prefer not to depend on Thunderbolt.
Coming from previous trauma with FireWire 400 and 800 on multiple Apogee interfaces (that dropped significantly in value as soon as Apple replaced FW with Thunderbolt), I think that a USB interface would keep its value for longer.
@@sonodima Well, that is great. But also keep in mind TB is here to stay. It's the most powerful format. And it look's like USB-C. A TB computer can run TB4,3, 2,1 as well as USB C. But a USB C computer can not run TB. That works best on the newer Macs though, where every port is a TB3 or TB4 port. TB also delivers more power, so in some cases no power adapter needed. But still it is good to go with USB-C, becasue it is so universal. Everything from my Android phone, every Mac (2016 and up) and most audio interfaces use it as well as PCs. Most iPhones and iPads will soon have it too, some already have. I just wanted to let you know that. I think MOTU is great, but don't buy it because it's USB-C and not Thunderbolt - both are great.
@@massivebeatzz You know Motu has great drivers right? Not as good but very very close. They’re basically the budget version of RME.
@@tuneunleashed And not all drivers are equal at Motu, but their UL5 drivers for MacOS bring the latency down to a couple of milliseconds...rather than relying on on compliant drivers (for the Mac most manufacturers don't write one, since it is not needed, but you can still improve). That's certainly a RME tactic, and the fact that UL5 beats BabyFace Pro FS in Audiosciencereview measurements is quite something, sine it's 600SD Motu vs 900USD RME.
Thanks for the great review. I've been looking at the RME BabyFace and this unit. Do you know I would be able to achieve 2.3 msec RTL running stand-alone versions of Toontrack EZDrummer or Superior Drummer 3? I have a 2021 Macbook Pro with an M1 and 16 MB RAM.
Thanks for watching - you;re too kind. Either interfaces are able to do that! They can do that at almost 128 sample buffer size. 64 gets you in the 1.3ms range. You might be able to run some stuff with a 32 buffer.
Do u recommended the ul5 today on 2024?
yes, absolutely, especially in that price category it is still pretty unbeaten. There are a few audient and presonus and Neumann interfaces that came out, but they are more expensive.
@@massivebeatzz I got it, it’s ok Nice…sounds good.
Can i connect more than one headphone or i need to have splitter to connect multiple headphones , and which splitter you prefer for me 😊
2 headphones! No splitters ever, please.
@@massivebeatzz thanks for answering me bro, what is the maximum of headphones can I connect on it🙏🏻
I'm a MOTU M4 user. I'm a one man band. Gotta have that midi in an audio interface. Also, it's sounds very good compared to a Steinberg UR22. Like a blanket taken out of the speakers . I was going for this MK 5 but in 2021 it was impossible to get. You're good with your MK 5. ❤❤❤❤❤
Hey man nice video! What about the Apogee Symphony? Is the UltraLite MK5 new? or very old? thx
Thanks man for the support. The ULMK5 just came out about the same time as Apogee Symphony Desktop. I initially thought I really wanted the ASD but then decided against it. Latency is no good (not Thunderbolt as it used to be, like the Element for example, which was great). The converters are great, so are the headphone outputs, but I think MOTU put so much effort into their UL that it's close. Also, lots of problems with ASD, only a few plugins, expensive plugins that are not included, and just a couple of ins and outs The more I looked at it the more I thought this is a joke. I came from Universal Audio and if I wanted to be in an "ecosystem" with a paywall, then I'd rather stay with UA, than getting an ASD.
@@massivebeatzz Did you sell your Apollo X4 and would you still recommend the Ultralight MK5 cause Motu is like the budget RME they have amazing prices for what they offer this should be triple the price.
@@tuneunleashed Yes - I did and got the Motu instead. I tried the Antelope before for a few weeks, but it was not ideal... I was in between the Motu5, Babyface Pro FS and Apogee Desktop. Overall the Motu5 won. It's definitely the star of the Motu line up at the moment.
I'm tired of latency and I need IO for synths. So it's either this Ultralite or the TASCAM Model 12. But I have no clue how much latency the the Model 12 has.
Me neither! Check if Julian Krause channel did a test. But from the tests I remember, the Motu is by far better in all aspects , especially preamp noise.
@@massivebeatzz I think I'm going with the MOTU
hi mate, what's the best ohm value for headphones for this device? does it works better with 32, 80, 250 ohm?
So which device has the best Preamps for the Mic ( i dont care about the Monitor / Headphone outputs). So between Antelope Zen Go / Q / Discrete, MOTU UltraLite MK5, BabyFace Pro FS, Apollo Twin X (thunderbolt). Which device has the best Preamps? and then Latency? thx
Latency , for using plugins (not counting Sharc et) Motu Wins. If you count Sharc / Synergy Core plugins then UAD and Antelope are faster than UL5, but not much anymore. Pre-amps, it is very close. I think the BabyFace Pro FS and Ultralite are slightly better than the Antelope, and Antelope is a bit better than Twin X. Audiosciencereview did measurements, and only Lynx and RME ADI -2-Pro are in the same class (even slightly better). The UL5 came out better than the Babyface Pro FS and pretty much every other interface.
www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/motu-ultralite-mk5-review-audio-interface.24777/
If you're on Windows STAY AWAY FROM APOLLOS. You straight up can't use the inputs on any non-asio app. (Discord, Skype, OBS.etc.)
@@Skrenja thanks for sharing this!
@@massivebeatzz Yeah, it's pretty much blatant false advertising that they're advertised as "Windows compatible." Doesn't look like they'll ever fix their drivers either.
6x6 interface
Black lion audio
Is good o not
Have not tried.
I recently got my Ultralite MK5, but I am having audio issues. Mostly the soundcard won't playback any sound when connected..I plug the usb straight to my computer port so no hubs. This issue is bugging me out!! Have you experienced this?
is it a Mac? Have you enabled it in security preferences?
@@massivebeatzz yep. macOS13. It happens often when the computer wake up from sleep mode. Everytime I have to restart the soundcard to have sound back.
Hii bro
Great content. I am investing in my mixing mastering studio. Would you suggest me apollo twin or Motu ultralite in terms of preams and DAC. Or any other recommendations?
Right now, I would go with the UL5 (not the Motu 4), as the 5 is above both all of them. It's not night and day of course, but it is measurable and also I could hear it.
Can you use both compressor and reverb in one channel?
Yes you can. Compressor is insert, Reverb is send/return.
yo really thinking about this, im on windows laptop though decent ram and base clock on the cores, im a usb drummer ezd3, wondering if the latency is on par with rme
It is very similar. I have a RME Babyface Pro FS also and the latency is amazing, Motu UL5 was pretty much the same.
@@massivebeatzz thanks buddy, im going to pull on one i think though the audient have a new id44 with improved ad and inserts, man latency vs sound around 500quid is a toughie :), thanks again
@@Bcwilderness I dont think the Audient sounds as good as the Motu - based on measurements the converters , noise ratio, distortion on the M was way better than Audient. I know Audient has improved, so it might be closer - but I think for sound purists, the Motu might still be a better choice. Latency too. I am not a fan of coloring teh signal at the interface stage.
@@massivebeatzz ok im going for this purely on your joy over the latency, i have my prism titan for critical stuff nothing comes close for the money but as a set up quick laptop smash it anywhere system and the headphone amp this is it then :) :) if it works with my windows laptop and usb drumkit yyyeeeessss, thanks again
@@Bcwilderness ha - I would say, check Julian
Krause review - he has everything tested and measured - there you can compare your old interface, and the new ones. he has a list whoi best in which category.
If the RME UCX II is in stock would you switch your Motu Ultralite MK5 and how is the latency with virtual instruments? What is the better value between the RME Fireface UCX 2 and the Motu Ultralite MK5 overall? How's the audio quality compared to your Babyface Pro FS?!
Good questions...And thanks for watching and commenting. There's no short answer. So, UCX2 and Babyface Pro FS share the same clock and converters, so expect the same sound quality, although in Audioscience Review's tests the Babyface Pro came out a bit better than the UCX2. The Motu has more gain, especially for hi-Z instruments and the software is more modern, and honestly better. With Babyface a good DI is a must - but when you have one , the sound is kileler and preamps have less noise. Everything is quite close though. Th price difference to Babyface is already quite big, 600 vs 900, and the UCX is even more expensive. Also Babyface and UCX have better headphone amps. If you can get a UCX2 for a really low price, it is worth it.
@@massivebeatzz hello. You are saying that with the babyface you need a good DI? I try to record guitar with my newly purchased babyface pro fs, and getting very low input. Could this be the case why? Do I really need a DI box to get decent levels?
RME themselves state that the inputs are “powerful” enough. But I am nowhere near to get the same input as say my audient id14mkii guitar input.
Far as I know the latency of ul5 is pretty middle of the road ( not really a low latency option unless they updated it recently). It’s about 10.5ms at 48/128 buffer according to tests
Greetings. Would this device be worth it even if I didn’t need all the extra IO at the back. I am looking to upgrade from a Focusrite Scarlett. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
I think the better sound quality, for mic and line, and better headphone amp is worth it. Also it has DSP power. If you go with the smaller Motu interface, it does not have the same sound quality, The difference is not huge of course, but it certainly was measured,
@@massivebeatzz Yes makes sense. Thanks for the reply!
Did you have any issues with this on an apple silicon mac? I heard there have been issues for many users.
Not at all - works robust. I have only used it on Apple Silicon, not even tried on Intel.
On par with the Apogee Symphony and the RME?🤔 Pretty big claim.
Thanks for the video.
I’m going to sell my UFX and my Element 46, I may get the Ultralite, I tried the Audient and it sounded great.
I have the Zen Go also, it’s pretty decent.
According to benchmarks yes, above RME BabyFace Pro FS, it's among the top 3 of all tested on Audiosciencerevie measurements, in most aspects. The guy is a Julian Krause on steroids , lol - www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/motu-ultralite-mk5-review-audio-interface.24777/
Does it make the speakers pop when you turn the computer on and off?
It does not for me , I'm on a Mac.
@@massivebeatzz did you experience pops with other interfaces?
Currently have a first gen focusrite interface with the UA twin finity pre amp. Looking to upgrade my interface as im now getting more into recording and mixing aside from just making beats. What do you think is a good option considering my UA pre amp? Thanks in advance
That' s a pretty flexible pre-amp - since you have tube, transistor and DI box all rolled into one . I think this Motu MK5 would be good, any RME and Focusrite Clarett+ (the new ones).
Appreciate the response! Thanks man!
Has the UltraLite plugins software ?
IT has onboard DSP, so it runs On-board effects including reverb, 4-band parametric EQ and dynamics (compressor and gate) for each input (and output). That's real time, with no latency, for monitoring. Also, Motu includes Performer Lite (a DAW with effects), 6GB of samples and loops.
@@massivebeatzz Can we use Performer Lite to process live audio instead of post-edition?
A video on Performer Lite would be good.
Thanks
What is the recommended quality headphone?
try Beyerdynamic 990Pro or Sennheiser HD600
@@massivebeatzz thanks
How would you say this compares with the clarett by focusrite?
I'd say if we take the new Clarett+ 4Pre (the old Claretts are no longer made because of the fire in the chip plant, so they designed new units). It has 4 preamps, and 2 headphone outs , which is great. On paper it is quite good. However, the values Julian measured are not quite as good as the MUL5. Preamp gain, preamp noise, headphone quality - all of that is slightly below the UL5. I was also a bit surprised bu this. In some measurements, even the old Clarett was better - although in most, the C+ is an improvement. But, because of that fire, also Motu is back ordered, not able to get the chips. So the Clarett 2 +or 4+ might be a good second choice. But Try the new Audient Evo16 maybe? Hearing good things on Warren Huart's channel.
@@massivebeatzz Hopefully the Motu's come back in stock, loving that there's so much options for outputs. I have a clarett right now, serves me well but the motu would be great for out of the studio as well as in
I like this guy! :) Learned something...hehe...
Do the inputs go straight to the converters or do they go through a preamp stage? This is important if you want to use external preamps
If you are referring to the line inputs- they are capable of adding gain - so if you are looking for a fixed-gain line amplifier circuit this would not be it. Certainly capable of ultra clean pass through though - I'd like to see any analog preamp notice or be capable to track any signal coloration from this. Ultra clean.
@@massivebeatzz To save costs, many interfaces have the line inputs go through the preamp stage of the circuit which is not ideal if you are using external preamps even though most of the time the preamp stage adds no coloration. However, this is not the way it should be. My Clarett has inputs on the rear of the unit and even though there is no way to vary the gain of the input the signal still passes through the preamps stage internally before going to the converters. I am looking for a new interface that allows me to use the rear inputs of the interface without going through the preamp stage inside the unit so if I use external mic preamps the signal will go straight to the ADC stage in my interface as it should and not pass through the preamps within the audio interface. Understand?
@@adamoreilly7333
I think the Audient id44 has the option to do this on the first two channels. (Also the id22, but that's old tech now).
I think that's about it on $700 and down interfaces.
@@rjb7569 think the motu latency slams audient though its a tough juggle esp if using virtual instruments people need to detail the use as ive always found its a drag, arturia sounds great but the latency in monitor in the daw useless
if you are serious about sound try a prism lyra it makes rme sound smeared
Super nice! When you find one to buy it in stock. Nice you got one 👍
Thanks for the visit
when comparing the motu ultralite mk5 and audience id44 which one do you choose? I'm confused between these two devices.. help me to choose between id44 and mk5 ? Tq dude
I did not test the id44 myself, but based on features such as, latency, mic quality, headphone outputs, the ULMK5 wins on all , for me. Slightly though, so it' s not a night and day difference. Also Motu has DSP powered Reverb, Gate, EQ, Compressor. The ID44 has more Headphone outputs, and much better hands on control, which is nice. It depends what feels better to work for you. Motu is a bit small , and harder to operate. Can be an advantage. But still needs power supply!
@@massivebeatzz thank you friend, I'm just confused about choosing id44 or mk5 for my work
@@fadliefhadillah1262 MOTU............
@@fadliefhadillah1262 For the price alone and the features you get the Ultralite MK5 literally kills the ID44
@@tuneunleashed
Though you have the option to bypass the pres on the id44 on the first two channels, avoiding having your signal go through a 2nd preamp stage.
only thing i wish it had is auto on and off
Do you like it better than the Apollo X4?
The Apollo X4 is more fun, I have to say. But the Motu ULMk5 just makes more sense, feature wise, and slightly better converter/headphone quality... If both would be free , I would still choose the UAD X4 with 20 plugins ...but that's unrealistic. Really love the UL5.
@@massivebeatzz My hate with UA is their Mixer Engine constantly runs in the background and if your mac has a dedicated high performance GPU it will constanly run it. On a macbook, it just runs hotter, eats up battery and spins fans constantly and UA Customer support just blamed apple when its only their app that does so without any Audio Software or UA hardware Connected. Do you see any of those issues with your mac?
So sad I can’t find the mk5 anywhere to buy. Zzz.
Yeap, backordered until October! They have no chips.
03:20 yeah, I don’t understand the whole 1 HP Output thing.
Please test this interface RMAA, Balanced-Balanced, and Unbalansed-Unbalanced connect TRS stereo only hot tip. 24-044, 24-192. In Unbalansed-Unbalanced disappointment awaits you as an exit.
Sound quality wise, how does this compare to the Apogee Due 2? Just purchased a new stereo synth and looking to up my IO but not sure which interface to go with.
it's better in every possible way, and measurements. Converters, IO, preamps, connectivity, latency.
@@massivebeatzz Thanks for the response brother! Do you also happen to know how the Motu M4 compares to the Apogee Duet 2?
@@jayway1116 I don't know that. The M4 is not close to the UL5 in quality. Different system. I would guess (just guess), that given the Apogee's age, it still might be a slight upgrade. Julian Krause does all the measurements on his channel, I just can't remember if he did the Apogee2.
@@massivebeatzz Thanks for the
Info my friend.
@@jayway1116 I have an apogee duet 2 and it's getting hard for me to run it with a newer computer. The software and interface don't see each other. What computer and OS are you using with your Duet 2?
The Apogee desktop doesn't have nearly the I/O of this thing, just proving Apogee is just another gear manufacturer ripping off the public, I mean really, almost $1500.00 !!!... close to 3 times the mk5 price......... they have an ASTOUNDING pair of testicles!
Agreed. To be fair the Motu is $600 in the US, and the Apogee typically 1400, so it' s more like double the price - but your point stands. Pretending to give us a luxury interface - living off the good reputation they had. This thing isn't even Thunderbolt, so no real time effects as the Elements. So so RTL, and no ins/outs. 2 great converters, excellent headphone amp and a couple of half baked plugins that look straight out of 2011, should not cost that much. 899 tops!
Having used the Apogee Quartet and then UA Apollo twin Mk2, I can attest Apogee, UA and most "prosumer" brands are garbage and don't deserve the money they ask for it. Metric Halo, RME, Lynx, Motu are wayy better for the money.
hi mate, what's the best ohm value for headphones for this device? does it works better with 32, 80, 250 ohm?
Hi. Either! It has a very low output impedance of 0.17Ohm. The lower the better. Some interfaces have a much higher O.I. , the UL5 i s a class leader here. Confused? Well, this means that while having a lot of power, the UL5 can drive even low impedance headphones, such as 32Ohm or 80Ohm well without distortion. It's really one of the best there. And it has the power to drive high impedance headphones such as 250, 300 and even 600Ohm. So you can take your pick. If you are referring to the Beyerdynamic models, as far as I know, the 250Ohm model performs just better than the 32 and 80Ohm models, so I made sure yo pick the 250Ohm version (770 and 990 models, that I use). But that' s just within the same brand. There are excellent, lower impedance headphones out there. Also the benefit from low impedance HPs is that a phone, a computer, a tablet can also drive them, so it depends how much you're moving them around. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching.