MOTU 828 mkII, TRS Cables change audio? – Forum Post & Discussion Thread : macProVideo.com

Ben

Posts: 113

Joined: Nov 13th, 2008, 11:23

MOTU 828 mkII, TRS Cables change audio?

Nov 30th, 2009, 09:14

My dear audio gear expert friends. I just got my audio card from repair, and they sent me a completely new one :) So I have 2 x MOTU 828 MKII sound cards. One connected to a Mac and the other to a PC. I have 2 x 8 TRS to 8 TRS cables (snakes). I admit that I got the absolute cheapest - Hosa. When I hear the audio on the second audio card it sounds very different, less lively, less details and less spectrum. For instance, if I would play the default ES2 synth sound, I loose the nauseating high frequency sound in it that pans from right to left. What is the cause of the difference in your opinion? Do cheaper cables change the sound?? or is it the sound cards?

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Rounik Admin

Posts: 8713

Joined: Dec 16th, 2006, 08:13

Re: MOTU 828 mkII, TRS Cables chan...

Dec 1st, 2009, 02:29

Hi Ben, Cables are the most under rated piece of studio equipment IMHO. Yes the audio interface is hugely important as are the monitors, but if the cables are not good quality then they can be the weak link in your audio signal chain. :) Rounik

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Ben

Posts: 113

Joined: Nov 13th, 2008, 11:23

Re: MOTU 828 mkII, TRS Cables chan...

Dec 1st, 2009, 10:59

Ye Rounik, but can they CHANGE the sound?

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Rounik Admin

Posts: 8713

Joined: Dec 16th, 2006, 08:13

Re: MOTU 828 mkII, TRS Cables chan...

Dec 1st, 2009, 11:12

Yes, it can. Like any component it can alter the quality. :) Rounik

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Ben

Posts: 113

Joined: Nov 13th, 2008, 11:23

Re: MOTU 828 mkII, TRS Cables chan...

Dec 1st, 2009, 11:47

Hey Rounik, I called MOTU. What I forgot to do was to PAN the mono channels left and right, so my sound was out of phase :) I spoke to him about the differences that can be caused by different cables. He told me that the difference would be very minimal (un-noticable), unless the cables are actually damaged. He added that although analog cables get digital sound that was processed to analog by the card, then sent to the other and the same conversion happens on the way back, but it's still pretty slim difference. There is one, but for the moment I can live with it :) How's the weather in the UK?

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Rounik Admin

Posts: 8713

Joined: Dec 16th, 2006, 08:13

Re: MOTU 828 mkII, TRS Cables chan...

Dec 1st, 2009, 02:11

Hey Ben, Glad to hear you sorted it out :) Yes, you're right the differences do tend to be minimal... I've had bad experiences with cheap cables in the past... buzz, hum, bad stuff. Oh... man, the weather here is awful. It's been weeks of cold wind and rain interspersed by a day of crisp breeze with clear blue skies. Winter Joy ;-) What about for you, across the pond?

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Ben

Posts: 113

Joined: Nov 13th, 2008, 11:23

Re: MOTU 828 mkII, TRS Cables chan...

Dec 1st, 2009, 03:17

Incredible weather here as always. LA has no winter :) No problems with my cables so far... Finally time to write music.

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Cajypiu

Posts: 400

Joined: Oct 11th, 2006, 09:48

Re: MOTU 828 mkII, TRS Cables chan...

Dec 10th, 2009, 02:08

Hi Guys, hope you don't mind me chipping in but as I used to have an 828 I thought this might be relevant. If you are generating sounds on one computer and spitting them out via the 1/4inch jacks and in to the other 828's 1/4inch jacks then you are converting your sounds twice from analog to digital. As in, digital to analog from one machine in to the cables, to go from analog to digital inside the second 828... for it then to go from digital to analog again for the sounds to make it to your speakers. The convertors aren't bad on the 828 but they aren't amazing either and as a result are capable of smearing stereo sounds quite a bit. That, in my opinion, would have a much more noticeable difference than cable quality unless as has been said, the cable if faulty in some way. Food for thought. Cheers, John

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