I currently have the FW16e installed in my Motif which allows me to record simultaneously several digital tracks from my Motif to Logic Pro via FW. Until now I’ve been using a USB audio interface mixer for other inputs (mic, synths and monitoring) but the digital noise I’m getting on the USB inputs has forced me to abandon that.  I am thinking now of getting a Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 as my analogue to digital interface for my mic and Nord electro. Question is will I be able to use the FW16e and Saffire Pro 24 via firewire together i.e. record from the FW16e channels and the Saffire inputs?  I’m using an Apple iMac 3.4Ghz i7 with Logic Pro.

Question is will I be able to use the FW16e and Saffire Pro 24 via firewire together i.e. record from the FW16e channels and the Saffire inputs?  I’m using an Apple iMac 3.4Ghz i7 with Logic Pro.

Short answer, yes, you will.

Details: First, we would be remiss if we did not point out that you should not be receiving any audible noise via your USB connection. This is like a curable thing with a proper ground situation (just want you to be switching for the right reasons).

Next, we would be remiss if we did not point out that you can connect microphones, guitars, other keyboards to the A/D Input of the Motif XF, and you can route that signal on to your computer. The A/D Input can be converted to digital signal by your XF (24-bit, 64 times over sampling) and routed on any of the available FW buses, even assigned its own dual Insertion Effects in a similar fashion to any of the XF’s internal synth Parts.

Finally, if you are convinced you still want to spend additional money for a separate I/O device for your other sound sources, do so because you want to, not because you think it is the only way. An external audio device like the Focusrite will certainly enhance your recording studio, and because you are using a Macintosh computer, you will be able to build your own custom ‘Aggregate Audio device’ that will allow the Focusrite to access its driver at the same time your XF accesses its driver.

Your aggregate driver device is easily configured (takes seconds), and should be optimized for what you are doing… In other words, configuring all possible channels, when you are only using a few of them will use more CPU than if you configure just the ones you are using. Once you get into using it, you’ll see that you can easily optimize the configuration as necessary. If you are not actively using 24+16 buses simultaneously, you’ll give your CPU a nice break by configuring just what you are going to use… This translate directly into better CPU performance and lower possible latency settings. Of course, if you need 40 simultaneous bus inputs, you’ll have them!

We just want you to be purchasing more gear for the right reasons.

Hope that helps.

Many thanks for the advice. I am planning to make use of the analogue inputs on the motif for my other keyboard (a Nord Electro 4D), but I am keen to plug my phantom powered mic into a good preamp, but it does raise a good point.. the Motif firewire audio interface is extremely good.  At least it satisfies my concern that the Saffire Pro 24 only has 4 analog ins.

I am assuming I can probably daisy chain the Saffire Pro to the Motif, rather than use up my only remaining thunderbolt port and buy another firewire adaptor.

Thanks again!

Simon

I am assuming I can probably daisy chain the Saffire Pro to the Motif, rather than use up my only remaining thunderbolt port and buy another firewire adaptor.

Sorry, I have no experience with daisy chaining these two products - in theory they should not interfere with each other - however, theory is one thing, and reality sometimes is something else.

Let us know.

Short answer, yes, you will.

Can this be done on a Windows 8 PC?

Short answer, no.

Hi everyone again! Well I’ve got the Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 DSP and I am so impressed at the audio quality of this interface. Absolutely amazing!  Now I have daisy chained it from my Motif XF via Firewire and I’ve created an aggregate driver in the Audio Midi setup window to combine the audio interface of the motif (FW16e) and the Saffire Pro. I’m not sure which clock rates to use or which to use as the master clock, but I’ve gone for 44KHz to begin and tried using the Motif as clock. Now in Logic I have chosen the new aggregate driver for the audio settings on in and out.  I can use software instruments and line signals into the saffire pro without any problem in logic, but I am struggling to get the audio from the Motif via Firewire into an audio track.

When I create a new audio track I am presented with 32 inputs in mono or 16 stereo pairs in stereo. The problem is I can’t see which ones are motif and which are saffire. Does anyone know of a useful guide on how to determine which inputs to use and how to ensure I have an input coming from the FW16e and then the DAW monitored to the Saffire Pro?

It is early days though , I will carry on experimenting and reading up to figure out how to configure this!

UPDATE:  It seems maybe I am trying to do the impossible.  I can get the audio via the FW16e from motif to a track and record it in Logic, but I am unable to monitor it via the Saffire Pro when I am doing this.  Maybe I can’t use both simultaneously?  Once the track is recorded it plays back via the Saffire Pro fine.... so I guess I need another way to monitor the audio from the motif until its recorded into the audio tracks?  Could I use the spdif link to do this?

SImon

Neither Logic Pro nor the Focusrite are products I can answer questions for… But I can give an educated guess. In setting up your Aggregate driver one of the devices is the master (typically the one closest on the daisy chain to the computer) and it is also the one connected to your speakers. I will assume that is the Focusrite…

It must have a way to select direct monitoring… Connect the output of the XF to the Focusrite and set it to Direct Monitor the XF input. You only need this connection for monitoring purposes as the XF sends audio direct to the computer… Someone here just reported they did this within the last week or so…

”I talked to Focusrite yesterday and you were correct (as usual :).

Setting the Mix Control up correctly was the key :)”

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