MOTU AudioDesk 4..

[VTypeV4]

I've downloaded AudioDesk 4 from the MOTU site (it didn't used to be but it's now free!) to see how it is for audio sequencing. As a test, I've recorded a band (live) this evening although I won't get chance to have a look at mixing it until early next week.

It's a straight forward interface and vaguely resembles PT with each channel vertically presented on the 'mix' page. From top to bottom we have a number of inserts followed by sends with mutes and pre / post on each, a selection of 'buttons' with solo, mute, record-arm and monitor input functions. Beneath that there's a pan function (although this vanishes on OTB setups when the output is changed from main L/R on mono channels) with a balance indicator. Lastly there's a fader with a position indicator and at the bottom is the I/O config.

On the 'edit' page, it's once again similar to PT with the recorded wave files shown on the horizontal axis with the channel info / routing as well as automation options on the left of each. It's easier to name the channels on this page too.

There's also a third box which is multi configurable but I used it as a meterbridge to monitor the 12 or so channels I recorded this evening. Conveniently it shows level inputs with reasonably fast rise and fall balistics and has a clip inicator which stays on until it's reset.

I'll make an ITB and OTB - the latter being my preferred method - patch to see how it goes both ways. The software comes with a number of plugins / fx built although I don't know if there's anymore that can be downloaded and integrated with it. Initial impressions are good with everything being roughly laid out in a reasonably logical manner and most things being where you'd expect them to be found.

On the down side, I don't think it sequences midi and I believe it only works with Motu interfaces (although I could be wrong on both) but for my live recording setup, it seems to have worked without incident this evening.

I'm going to have a closer look and get into it a bit more this week so I'll report back when I'm a bit more dialed in. I figure this thread may be useful for those using it in a similar way to myself especially as it's free software..

[VTypeV4]

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Y1rQnN][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/Y1rQnN]Audio desk[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/78773723@N02/]VTypeV4[/url], on Flickr

I started my OTB mix yesterday and other than having to increase the size of the sample buffers, it works great. Again, I'll report back when I've done a bit more..

[VTypeV4]

As a follow up to this thread..

I've used AD for a few projects over the last month or so and it has worked perfectly. It does have some limitations but all in all, it's a great bit of software.

As suggested above, I did start doing an ITB mix after I'd completed my OTB mix but I just couldn't get it to sound right. I also put the files into a PT session and tried an ITB mix but I couldn't settle with that either - makes me wonder if those old Yamaha consoles I use have more going on than I think they do...

I experimented with a few of it's bundled plugins some of which are pretty good - the pre-amp thing is very good indeed offering a comprehensive channel strip and a character section. The latter is the best part which when used sparingly gives a warmth and a little grit to help things 'sit' - I used it on my OTB mix on the vocal channel. The modulation (chorus, phase, flange etc) are serviceable too, nothing overly fancy but they do the job well enough. I felt some of the reverbs were a little lacking being a little false and harsh but I wonder if it's a MOTU thing as the inbuilt reverb in the later 828 interfaces is similar. Maybe it's just a design characteristic or that I'm just that used to the Yamaha and TC styles but either way I wasn't a big fan.

The software allows third party plugins to be used although I can't remember which format which may be handy although I haven't got that far with it if I'm honest.

I'll report back as and when I do some more..