MOTU 828X with Garageband, no sound

I have a bunch of new gear I'm setting up, so finding and fixing bugs is getting maddening. I'm on a schedule, so I need help with what i can't figure out on my own (after many attempts and trial and error, believe me!).

 

So because I'm incorporating new gear with existing gear, I realized too late that some things had to be hooked up certain ways because the OS doesn't support them, or there are no drivers for Yosemite for the device, and so on.

 

I've had to use the analog outputs 1-2 on my 828X instead of the "Main" outs - which are XLR (I had to use 1/4" to RCA so XLR wouldn't work and of course they're not dual style jacks).

 

I got the Mac's audio to play, and I got the two synthesizers I have to play.

 

But Garageband will not play. It will play through the internal speakers. It SHOWS signal in the 828x, but you can't hear it.

 

So I also got Logic Pro X and had the same problem - no audio.

 

But, I scanned through some preferences and found an "output assign" and I chanced upon setting that to "3-4" and it worked!!!!

 

Those outputs are called 1-2 on the MOTU, but Logic must be seeing them as 3-4.

 

1-2 in Logic must be the "main" XLR jacks. Now, I think this because the same kind of signal SHOWING in the MOTU is what was showing with GB. When I changed the outputs in LPX to 3-4, I could see where it changed on the MOTU, and could hear it.

 

So I'm betting that GB has the same problem. It's sending to the "main outs" which it sees as 1-2, while I want it to go to what's called 1-2 on the MOTU, which GB would think (because LPX does) is 3-4.

 

The only problem there is, I don't see any way to change the output assign in GB.

 

I need to hook a powered monitor up to the XLR port to confirm that's what it is, but I can make this change in GB that would be great (can only use the powered monitor temporarily).

 

The MOTU doesn't seem to have a way to "mirror" what goes out the "main" outs. It allows you to route everything to any destination internally, but there's no "in" for GB (or LPX) so there's no way to route what's coming in to any of the outputs.

 

It must come in "digital" over the USB cable and go directly tot he Main Outs. Oddly enough though, the Mac's system sounds are coming across that same USB cable and they get routed to outputs 1-2 (on the MOTU) fine.

 

So I can't really fathom why GB and LPX would be different.

 

TIA for any help you can offer.

I think the issue here is how MOTU handles the outputs.

You can luckily route the outputs to your hardware output of choice inside of Cue Mix if I'm not mistaken.

Thanks Eric. I heard back from MOTU and yes, the problem is that Garage Band sends to the MOTU's "Main Outs" which are considered "1 and 2" by Garageband.

 

Logic does the same thing, but within Logic you can change the output assign (thank god). The outputs called "1 and 2" on the MOTU are "3 and 4" as far as LPX is concerned.

 

It's funny that the systems sounds don't exhibit this issue too though.

 

Unfortunately, there's no way to "mirror" the Main Outs like that in Cue Mix. They suggested (and I may have had this brain storm given enough time) I run XLR to 1/4" outs from the Main Outs back into a pair of analog inputs, and then route those analog outputs to "1 and 2".

 

!

 

How's that for an inelegant - but crafty - solution.

 

Of course, I told them, why not just upgrade their driver to allow mirroring of any port, which should be a standard feature. I guess they assume everyone's going to use XLR to their monitors.

???

 

So there is no way to send Logic's or Garageband's Out 1-2 to the main outs of the motu via Cue Mix?

That's a huge oversight.

After skimming the manual I found a Main Outs assign in the settings. What happens if you change that to the pair that Logic is using?

I have the 828 mk3 Hybrid and it works with both GB and LPX with no problems. You should be able to set Cuemix up to Follow Active Mix. Have you gone to motunation.com?