This product has everything that I need period.It has so many options with regarding outputs. It has usb, midi in/out. Thunderbolt etc. I’m still learning how to use it because it’s a little intricate but I will get there. It’s just the product that I need to run my DAW which is Logic Pro X and Ableton 10. I will decimate would like to be updates when a driver update becomes available if there’s any. I am still trying to figure out the plugins it came with. I have no more words to say and I have to type 50 character minimum

Absolutely hate it

Maybe other people have had better luck than I have with this product, but I hate it. I absolutely hate it. It was an expensive headache that I have regretted for the last couple of years I've owned it. I had it on Win10 and it crashed constantly. Now I have it on a Mac and it does the same. I constantly have to turn it off and back on again because it stops working or it suddenly starts this high pitched screaming. At the same rate, the knobs are laid out terribly because I hit the phones that are plugged in or the other knobs. The knobs have a physical click as you rotate them that depending on the velocity you turn them at (I think!) determines if they decide to actually work. And speaking of that, its just a confusing product. Push this. Hold this. Do this. Do ... MoreMaybe other people have had better luck than I have with this product, but I hate it. I absolutely hate it. It was an expensive headache that I have regretted for the last couple of years I've owned it. I had it on Win10 and it crashed constantly. Now I have it on a Mac and it does the same. I constantly have to turn it off and back on again because it stops working or it suddenly starts this high pitched screaming. At the same rate, the knobs are laid out terribly because I hit the phones that are plugged in or the other knobs. The knobs have a physical click as you rotate them that depending on the velocity you turn them at (I think!) determines if they decide to actually work. And speaking of that, its just a confusing product. Push this. Hold this. Do this. Do that. Its just ridiculous. Im sorry but I can't stand this thing.

Forget the rest. If you have a Mac this is the interface for you.

I've had my eye on this interface for months and finally decide to take my chances and buy it. It was a hard decision between this one and a Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 or NI Komplete Audio 6. And man, did I make the right decision. This has everything the other two lack so honestly it was worth every penny. First, it sounds great. I've tried it with Logic Pro 9 and Ableton Live 8 and set up was easy and quick. I will admit that the interface does take some getting used to since the knobs on the front share different functions, but it only took me about an hour to get used to it. It has plenty of routing options, can be used as a stand alone mixer without a computer, it's hybrid so I can use it with either USB 2.0 or firewire, it's compatible with both Mac & PC, it's ... MoreI've had my eye on this interface for months and finally decide to take my chances and buy it. It was a hard decision between this one and a Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 or NI Komplete Audio 6. And man, did I make the right decision. This has everything the other two lack so honestly it was worth every penny. First, it sounds great. I've tried it with Logic Pro 9 and Ableton Live 8 and set up was easy and quick. I will admit that the interface does take some getting used to since the knobs on the front share different functions, but it only took me about an hour to get used to it. It has plenty of routing options, can be used as a stand alone mixer without a computer, it's hybrid so I can use it with either USB 2.0 or firewire, it's compatible with both Mac & PC, it's portable, and as trite as it sounds it's built like a tank. If I ever got a flat tire I'm sure I could use it as a jack stand without any worries. The Focusrites and Native Instruments interfaces (although good) lacked certain features that make spending the extra cash on this unit worth it. I even feel it's a better deal than the Apogee Duet 2. If you're thinking about buying the Audio Express, stop hesitating. You won't regret it one bit.

Good interface, fantastic customer service!

I like the audio express very much. Build quality does seem solid, and for reasons I don't understand, it brought a feeling of calm and order to my work area. The multifunction knobs, like others have noted, take a while to figure out. Reading and keeping the manual handy is a must. Sound quality is good. I sent a little five track song, guitars, bass and vocals, I made with it in Logic 9 to a neighbor, a musician, and he said it sounded great! But customer service was amazing! I first ran the interface on usb 2.0, and while recording went smoothly with no crashes and no perceivable latency, cpu use went up to 50% and the cooling fan kept coming on, even when playing back a song in iTunes, or the computer was just sitting idle. I emailed Motu customer service about ... MoreI like the audio express very much. Build quality does seem solid, and for reasons I don't understand, it brought a feeling of calm and order to my work area. The multifunction knobs, like others have noted, take a while to figure out. Reading and keeping the manual handy is a must. Sound quality is good. I sent a little five track song, guitars, bass and vocals, I made with it in Logic 9 to a neighbor, a musician, and he said it sounded great! But customer service was amazing! I first ran the interface on usb 2.0, and while recording went smoothly with no crashes and no perceivable latency, cpu use went up to 50% and the cooling fan kept coming on, even when playing back a song in iTunes, or the computer was just sitting idle. I emailed Motu customer service about it on Friday, the answer arrived on Monday, and for 3 days and 14 emails the incredible tech support guy there stayed with me trying to locate the cause. He looked at activity monitor screen shots and had me try a lot of things, and even brought in an engineer to check it out. It appears to be something inside my computer. Finally I realized I could hook the audio express up to firewire using a 9-pin to 6-pin firewire cable. Immediately the problem went away. Cpu use dropped to less than 10% on iTunes and mid 30's when playing back five tracks in Logic. And now there was bus power. Motu's devotion to solving my problem definitely made me a fan!

I regret ever purchasing Motu audio express

Ever since I've purchased the Motu Audio Express, I've had problems with the connection / communication between motu and my desktop/laptops running different windows from XP, Vista to Win 7, 8, 10... I've tried everything. Updating, checking forums, cables, drivers, asking others for help.. And I've been at it for at least 4 years now.Every time I start up, I have to restart once, or more times to get it working. Turn it off or on.It's hopeless and absolutely incredibly frustrating.It seems to me, it's a compatibility issue both Windows and Motu are not addressing and there doesn't seem to be any solution.If you own a PC desktop/laptop, DON'T BUY the Motu Audio Express!

I would not buy again

I have purchased this interface almost 3 years ago and since than I had a lot of problems. First things first. It is not Windows friendly. After I had my nerves stretched long enough I decided to sell my old Windows Laptop and buy a MAC to get rid of all the problems, errors, clicks I had before. A lot of times the windows will not see the interface, i would have to restart the computer over and over again. I should mention it was a bran new computer. After I bought the mac, things started running almost good until I went to a friends party and decided to perform using my home setting studio. Bad idea. I did not take my monitors with me per his advise and when he hooked his old monitor to the interface, not sure what happened, but ever since it I cannot get any ... MoreI have purchased this interface almost 3 years ago and since than I had a lot of problems. First things first. It is not Windows friendly. After I had my nerves stretched long enough I decided to sell my old Windows Laptop and buy a MAC to get rid of all the problems, errors, clicks I had before. A lot of times the windows will not see the interface, i would have to restart the computer over and over again. I should mention it was a bran new computer. After I bought the mac, things started running almost good until I went to a friends party and decided to perform using my home setting studio. Bad idea. I did not take my monitors with me per his advise and when he hooked his old monitor to the interface, not sure what happened, but ever since it I cannot get any sound from the mic. I checked both mic and mic cable and they are both working. Computer running alright. When I notice is also I have no changed in cue mix when I turn the knobs left of right. So, definitely something happened with the interface back than. Now I had to spend even more money to ask for a professional help (I asked several professionals) and they are confused as well. The only conclusion they could rich was that there is definitely something wrong with the interface. I will probably send it back to MOTU to see what's my next step. I want to mention that I have only used it a few times since at first I had the multiple errors with windows and soon after I got the mac, in almost 8 month the interface stopped working after I hooked it to an old monitor.

Just what I needed

I was looking for a small, portable, felxible, rugged and reliable interface that also sounded good and could offer firewire bus power. This box was the answer and I am very glad I went with it. It sounds great, works well and was pretty easy to set up with my laptop and Pro Tools DAW. Latency is a non issue also. Yay. Big ticks. The front controls are a little small but, it's a small portable device so...things are therefore small... A little confusion at first with the mulitple functions of each knob but once I got the hang of it, it makes great sense and provides some quick and easy options in work flow. I did a lot of research on the net about Motu equipment and to be fair, the reviews and feedback was not always so great. Despite these I decided on purchasing ... MoreI was looking for a small, portable, felxible, rugged and reliable interface that also sounded good and could offer firewire bus power. This box was the answer and I am very glad I went with it. It sounds great, works well and was pretty easy to set up with my laptop and Pro Tools DAW. Latency is a non issue also. Yay. Big ticks. The front controls are a little small but, it's a small portable device so...things are therefore small... A little confusion at first with the mulitple functions of each knob but once I got the hang of it, it makes great sense and provides some quick and easy options in work flow. I did a lot of research on the net about Motu equipment and to be fair, the reviews and feedback was not always so great. Despite these I decided on purchasing one as it was one of the few I/Os in it's price range to offer firewire bus power and present so many options for monitoring and recording. I looked at the Apogee and RME protable boxes but the idea of having the breakout cables looked messy. I have to say that so far I have had no issues with the device. Am really enjoying it. Thanks! S

Limited Utility

Be careful about what you wish for. This product has been in production for a long time and has undergone numerous revisions. The exact configuration of the product cannot be determined from the name. Early models only had a serial interface and are, thus, completely obsolete. Many are being sold without explicitly stating this in the description, although pictures of the rear panel will reveal this fact. Even with a USB interface there are major differences. Early models with a USB interface included the ClockWorks application which only worked properly with an iOS, not Windows. In any case, assuming the unit you purchase is a later model with software compatible with both iOS and Windows, the ClockWorks application only allows routing of MIDI I/O for the MIDI ... MoreBe careful about what you wish for. This product has been in production for a long time and has undergone numerous revisions. The exact configuration of the product cannot be determined from the name. Early models only had a serial interface and are, thus, completely obsolete. Many are being sold without explicitly stating this in the description, although pictures of the rear panel will reveal this fact. Even with a USB interface there are major differences. Early models with a USB interface included the ClockWorks application which only worked properly with an iOS, not Windows. In any case, assuming the unit you purchase is a later model with software compatible with both iOS and Windows, the ClockWorks application only allows routing of MIDI I/O for the MIDI Express XT only, no other MIDI ports that you may have in your computer. If this is your only MIDI interface then that is not a problem. If you do have other MIDI ports in your PC then you will need another application entirely to route any MIDI in to any MIDI out. There is a free virtual MIDI router app available, but that only allows routing a single in to a single out at any one time. To route multiple ins to outs you will need to purchase an application such as SoundQuest MIDI Tools. Some DAW applications also have theability to do multiple MIDI routings. If you are a Mac user then any USB model should be compatible. If you are a Windows user confirm that the ClockWorks Routings Tab window shows the routing selections (and not a blank black dialog window) when installed on Windows, i.e., don't purchase from a Mac user, who will not be able to confirm this.

This thing bleeds quality. Low latency, great sound.

I've used about four different audio interfaces over the last 5 years, and this thing is by far the best. I'm extremely happy so far. Likes: - Low latency on my mac. First time I've been able to software monitor (with effects!) and not notice much of a delay. (I use Ableton). This opens up brand new possibilities for live performance. This is why I'm so happy. (And there is always direct monitor if your machine is not keeping up). - Solid midi support. With the very low latency, again, opens up new live performance possibilities. - Driver. Along with the hardware, the quality of the OS driver is extremely important. The performance of the Mac driver is amazing. My macbook air 13" just flies with this thing. I can run the buffer settings very low without any drops or ... MoreI've used about four different audio interfaces over the last 5 years, and this thing is by far the best. I'm extremely happy so far. Likes: - Low latency on my mac. First time I've been able to software monitor (with effects!) and not notice much of a delay. (I use Ableton). This opens up brand new possibilities for live performance. This is why I'm so happy. (And there is always direct monitor if your machine is not keeping up). - Solid midi support. With the very low latency, again, opens up new live performance possibilities. - Driver. Along with the hardware, the quality of the OS driver is extremely important. The performance of the Mac driver is amazing. My macbook air 13" just flies with this thing. I can run the buffer settings very low without any drops or glitches. No hangs or crashes. - Solid build. Metal case. Made in USA. - Preamps. My recordings are sounding great under a variety of conditions. Decent headroom, super low noise, good sound. - Documentation. They invested in a decent manual. - Intuitive controls. Of course the half-rack form factor makes for cramped front panel, but they did a wonderful job fitting an intuitive interface into that small space. Once I learned it, I can remember it because it just makes sense. - Lots of channels for the price and quality. 4 in, 4 out, plus 2x2 digital. I can plug my old EMU USB 0404 into this thing via the SPDIF digital inputs, and add another two quality XLR preamps, and be recording 6 channels simultaneously. Drool. So I'm using my old audio interface, which no longer was supported and thus wouldn't work on newer OSs (win 7 and OS X lion), to get another 2 channels of great analog input. - Price. Really, for the quality of the drivers, the rugged hardware build, and the number of channels, it is a screaming deal. - Lots of independent mixes. Want a four channel headphone amp so everyone in the band can have their own mix? Included! Dislikes: - No major complaints so far. - The half rack form factor makes for a cramped control panel and rear inputs, but I quickly learned the controls.

pro sounds and pro features

I was skeptical of getting an Audio Express as I thought it might be a watered down cheapo interface. but I was really surprised that it does just what you need it to without a bunch of confusing stuff you will never really use (as found on the mk3 ultralite). Instead, it was a super clean interface with just simple as it gets interface with great sound. in fact, in 1 minute I was able to create a seperate mix to my headphones than to my recorder and its just crystal clear. Just simple and it works. I also love the fact that all the connections are on the back except the phones,because when I had an ultralite with connections on front and back the unit would keep falling off my desk with cbles everywhere and was never in the correct place/seating.here, its very ... MoreI was skeptical of getting an Audio Express as I thought it might be a watered down cheapo interface. but I was really surprised that it does just what you need it to without a bunch of confusing stuff you will never really use (as found on the mk3 ultralite). Instead, it was a super clean interface with just simple as it gets interface with great sound. in fact, in 1 minute I was able to create a seperate mix to my headphones than to my recorder and its just crystal clear. Just simple and it works. I also love the fact that all the connections are on the back except the phones,because when I had an ultralite with connections on front and back the unit would keep falling off my desk with cbles everywhere and was never in the correct place/seating.here, its very neatly in place. and cables neatly tucked away behind the unit. so simple and works/sounds great.I already had cuemix loaded (when i used an old ultralite mk1) on a lowly win xp machine and it automaticly downloaded driver and I was ready to go. It covers all the essentials without any extra stuff really. sound quality was amazing.no pops,crackles,super clean. I will definitely use this live to provide a mix to in ear monitors and to the pa.easily done!! drivers at least for firewire are rock solid with xp. have not tried win7 64 bit yet or usb. hard to beat this kind of sound quality and ease of use for the price. I bought mine used for a great price,but now would buy a new one if I had a problem with mine. saw a bunch of videos on you tube of audio express errors but then noticed that it was the same sap posting 12 videos of his obviously defective interface lol and I now see that mine at least is super reliable.I will report back with my experience with win7 64 bit and usb,but firewire seems rock solid. My only gripe is I wish it had 1 mre analog input,but the spdif makes up for it. Super pleased!!!