MOTU 896 MK3 Hybrid

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Marvellus_NL
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MOTU 896 MK3 Hybrid

Post by Marvellus_NL »

Hi,

I'm on my first serious Linux distro. I fooled around with some vm's and raspberry installs before, but now run Ubuntu / Nautilus on my MacBook Pro.

I can't find anything about enabling a MOTU 896 MK3 Hybrid. There are some stories about other models though.

Is there anyone who can give me directions how to try my version?

Thanks in advance!

Marcel

tseaver
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Re: MOTU 896 MK3 Hybrid

Post by tseaver »

@Marvellus_NL

The MOTU website (https://motu.com/products/motuaudio/896mk3/summary.html) contains the following language as a feature: "Plug-and-play operation with your Mac or PC via FireWire or high-speed USB 2.0." "Plug-and-play" might mean that the device is USB class compliant, meaning that it Just Works(TM) on Linux. For some higher-end devices, access to extra features (e.g., controlling onboard mixer / effects) requires a Windows- or Mac-specific bit of software, even if the "normal" use of the device does not.

Do you plan to use it over USB or Firewire? USB is the more future-proof choice, given Apple's already-demonstrated propensity for abandoning users of existing hardware and standards: support for Firewire in the Linux kernel is already bit-rotting, AFAIK.

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Re: MOTU 896 MK3 Hybrid

Post by Linuxmusician01 »

What @tseaver said 'bout Firewire. In another topic I read over the statement that somebody used a FW audio interface. I immediately stopped helping him. Sorry, but if Apple (one of the few FW advocates back in the day) flat out stopped supporting it years ago I'm not gonna try. Sorry, man.

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Re: MOTU 896 MK3 Hybrid

Post by Marvellus_NL »

Yeah I bought it for the USB connection, and am very aware that Firewire is something from the last century.

So if I'm correct, I can try to just hook it up and see what it brings when it comes to audio playback over it?

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Re: MOTU 896 MK3 Hybrid

Post by tseaver »

@Marvellus_NL

So if I'm correct, I can try to just hook it up and see what it brings when it comes to audio playback over it?

That's what I would do. I would probably be running sudo dmesg -w in a terminal so that I could see what the kernel detects.

I just checked, and the manual for Mac users does talk about installing a driver, which would mean the box is likely not USB class compliant.

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Re: MOTU 896 MK3 Hybrid

Post by Marvellus_NL »

You're all very helpful, thanks! I will surely connect it somewhere next week and see what happens. Probably nothing. :lol:

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Re: MOTU 896 MK3 Hybrid

Post by VennStone »

The 896/828/Ultralite MK3 interfaces are not class-compliant so USB is not an option. You can use it with the FFADO or ALSA drivers over firewire.

Firewire is well supported under Linux.

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Re: MOTU 896 MK3 Hybrid

Post by Martin A »

Marvellus_NL wrote: Thu Nov 17, 2022 8:48 pm

Yeah I bought it for the USB connection, and am very aware that Firewire is something from the last century.

Ha!

It's actually brand new for Linux / Motu!

I have a Motu 896 Hybrid too and its a fact that no USB drivers have been integrated into the Linux Kernel yet.
Firewire may get done, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

It's amazing that a Japanese gentleman Takashi Sakamoto has written the kernel support for many professional Firewire units. (Git Hub)
Untill the 896 Mk3 is directly supported I'm using it as an Adat expander on a Traveler MK3 - see my last post in my thread Wow . . .

This support is only a few months, maybe a year old, so - Motu users are very happy at the moment and the prices of used Studio units are still very low as people dispare.
The Traveler Mk3 has nearly the same feature set as the 896Mk3 - check it out, I love it.

Cheers

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Re: MOTU 896 MK3 Hybrid

Post by Linuxmusician01 »

Martin A wrote: Thu Nov 24, 2022 2:02 pm
Marvellus_NL wrote: Thu Nov 17, 2022 8:48 pm

Yeah I bought it for the USB connection, and am very aware that Firewire is something from the last century.

Ha!

It's actually brand new for Linux / Motu!

I have a Motu 896 Hybrid too and its a fact that no USB drivers have been integrated into the Linux Kernel yet.
Firewire may get done, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

It's amazing that a Japanese gentleman Takashi Sakamoto has written the kernel support for many professional Firewire units. (Git Hub)
Untill the 896 Mk3 is directly supported I'm using it as an Adat expander on a Traveler MK3 - see my last post in my thread Wow . . .

This support is only a few months, maybe a year old, so - Motu users are very happy at the moment and the prices of used Studio units are still very low as people dispare.
The Traveler Mk3 has nearly the same feature set as the 896Mk3 - check it out, I love it.

Cheers

So you yourself can't use this device as an Firewire or USB device? The FW drivers from Takashi Sakamoto youy're talking about are probably these. The instructions to install 'm into the kernel seem pretty straight forward to me. I conclude from your post that your particular FW device isn't supported yet by these drivers. I hope that if they will (I've no idea if Takashi Sakamoto is planning on writing drivers for our particular unit) that the drivers will still install in a few years for the latest Linux kernel.

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Re: MOTU 896 MK3 Hybrid

Post by Martin A »

If you connect a Motu Traveler (Firewire only) it's listed in the ALSA system and works.
The 896Mk3 Hybrid isn't and doesn't show anything in USB mode.

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