Feature Request Direct monitoring multiple MR816's

I thought this would happen :frowning:

I knew this was going to happen, let’s wait and see how long they will support the mr816, I own one for 3 months now, just like my midex-3/VG-2 !! De-ja vue BIG TIME!

I hope they give us good support for at least 6 year more!!!

read this thread

Its not acceptable!

Steinberg’s original add copy:

MR816 X – Top 10 Features

True Integrated Monitoring™ with full faderless mixing: no latency, DSP-powered FX* and dynamic 1:1 hardware/software mirroring with Cubase
Complete Cubase user interface integration throughout: direct access from Cubase with no additional software mixing application or external windows required
Eight discrete Class A analog ‘D-Pre’ mic preamps with combination XLR and TRS analog inputs with advanced new inverted Darlington circuits, hardware gain knob and phantom power per channel
Quick Connect: next-generation of plug and play as well as instant routing of inputs to Cubase channels from the hardware with the push of a button
DSP Power for Cubase: VST3 onboard DSP-powered FX with REV-X reverb: also available within Cubase during mixing
Instant setup: Cubase automatically detects the MR hardware and comes with ready made templates as well as an automatic project I/O configuration
Full, flexible connectivity: eight Analog, one ADAT® I/O, one S/PDIF Coaxial I/O and WordClock sync
Extendable system with daisy-chaining of up to 3 units providing up to 24 analog inputs and outputs
Includes Cubase AI4: hassle-free recording and creating music right out of the box thanks to the fully featured starter version of the world’s most popular music production software platform!
Supports Apple OS X 10.4 / 10.5 and Windows XP and Vista : includes ASIO and CoreAudio drivers as well as additional external software mixer and plug-in editors for using with 3rd party audio software

No latency + daisy-chaining. Doesn’t say anything about losing direct monitoring with daisy-chaining… does it?

So, again, and most respectfully, I’m wondering what Steinberg is going to do for the people - like me - who bought multiple MR816s and, after discovering the direct monitoring problem, were told the fix was “coming in an update soon” or “we’ll get back to you” by tech support. Won’t hold my breath for an answere here either… :cry:

They’re not going to do anything about it.

The manager at my studio wrote to them about it and was posting on this thread/forum, he was subsequently banned from all access to the forum because he kept on about the direct monitoring issue.

We have 3 units in one studio and a MOTU setup in the other … we’re working out what to do in the future.

Steinberg aren’t going to help us … they don’t care and the only possible action would be a class suit, and they know it’s too hard to organise.

So we’re over a barrel, getting what we deserve for putting faith into this company. We’ve always been Steinberg loyalists, but with the way they’re treating our staff, I don’t know if this will continue.

Can we assume that the UR824 is going to have the same ‘limitations’ then? That announcement piqued my interest, which led me to having a look at the cheaper MR816-x… and then I found this thread!

I would take their claims of it’s features with a grain of salt after the last debacle.

The UR’s are not chainable so not an issue! The MR816 when useing 16 i/o trough ADAT hasn’t have the monitoring problem as far as I know.

Quite right.

I’ve decided to sell 3 of my MR816s, get an RME Fireface UFX and connect the remaining 2 MRs to it via ADAT.

The Totalmix FX application looks awesome - phenomenal routing possibilities, great effects and dead-easy zero-latency monitoring across all 3 units - things that multiple MRs can not do at all well, despite Steinberg’s advertised claims.

I’m not even going near the UR824.

Why can the the motu’s direct monitor on windows and not osx? Is the a Mac limitation? Or motu’s lack of support?

It’s do disheartening only the mr series do this. I get the total mix solution, but I want to do it all on the one mix surface.

I’m pretty certain this is an OSX thing. I remember going through this with my macbook doing live recording/mixing and bootcamped it so I could have ASIO direct monitoring.

IIRC OSX does not support ASIO. I believe it has to do with Apple’s “Core Audio”.

Little foggy on this though.

Who came up with the adat workaround?

If Steinberg did, I would think it will probably not be possible through the firewire chain or not possible internally in the MR816 units.

Me thinks a very cheap work around would be to build a passive summing box if you can DM each unit’s 8 channels through their outputs.

Woodcraft,

If you built a summing mixer you still then need to set up 3 stereo outputs in Cubase.

Then assign any channels recording from the second unit to the second stereo out and the channels using hte third units inputs to the 3rd stereo out…

ABSOLUTE PAIN IN THE ARSE!!!

Considering Steinberg ADVERTISED “Full Flexibility of inputs and outputs”

Make it happen or reimburse us all!!!

Greg

Woodcraft, EH? LOL I now know your trade! So you’re a carpenter!!! :laughing:

I think it may be time for you to sell your units. The new Steinberg hardware is going to devalue your MR816s so get out while you can, or get a raydat or similar adat card.

It is up to you to solve your problem. You will get no reimbursement from Steinberg.

sorry “Woodcrest” MY bad on the name…

I hate to say it but there is alot of support here from people who all feel the advertised features were falsely represented… therefore we have a fair trade argument and Steinberg are responsible for this matter…

They may feel they aren’t but I assure you that if something is falsely advertised then either a recall, and update that makes it do as advertised or a refund is in order…

Even the sales person at the store I use was led to believe that it was possible…

And the blatant avoidance on the topic from day one in regards to this is just not acceptable…

I love the sound quality and the features that do work on this unit and if they would simply get the techs in Japan to work on the firmware and fix this MAJOR issue then we would all be happy and everything would be great…

Comes down to if steinberg want this headache to go away… It is in their hands now… cause I know until we get a satisfactory resolution WE will not go away and we will not back down…

If you advertise Full Flexibility of inputs and outputs… and rave on about how advanced your system is then back it up with the features actually working…

I dont think my request is complicated… I simply want to patch input 1 from unit 2 to outputs 1&2 of unit one directly with zero latency…

Respectfully

Greg

Amen brother.

I sold my RME 9652’s and bought five MRs in good faith when they were first announced, believing the advertised blurb, and trusting that Steinberg knew what they were doing after my being with them since the Atari/Pro24 days. It all turned out to be too good to be true. I’m now going back to RME.

I no longer trust Steinberg to produce products that do what they say on the box. The lack of a user manual for Wavelab-7 doesn’t help my impression of the company either. In fact, I am even starting to question why we are even bathing in the Nuendo soup, what with the constant bugs and new updates breaking things that worked before they were installed (see the many posts on the forum).

I jumped into Nuendo because of my long history with previous Steinberg products (not wanting to have to learn a new GUI), despite associates saying I should take the Protools or Logic route, so it doesn’t help to regularly read articles in magazines featuring well known producers, engineers and mixers who, in the main, use Protools, with rarely a mention of Nuendo/Cubase. Makes me wonder whether or not Steinberg are making any real inroads into the pro market.

Despite these comments I still like Nuendo, but can not, as yet, bring myself to join the Wavelab-7 and Halion-4 clubs.

That’s so disappointing to read.

It’s one thing to have this issues we’re plagued with, but your history of let downs just seem like more nails into the coffin.

Steinberg is reading this right now, but won’t do anything about it because they can’t - they’ve promised something they’re designs don’t support and they’re running scared.

I agree with your point, but a comment I read by Ed Doll in one of these threads said they never stated it would have this specific feature and this leads me to believe you and everyone else needing this feature may have no luck with ever seeing this happen. It really shocks me this was overlooked because I can’t see why a manufacture would offer a “stackable/expandable” no-latency recording system and not consider that a second unit would need direct monitoring through a master stereo output on another. Steinberg really dropped the ball with this oversight.

I really feel their silence is the answer of what to expect. Heck, it may not even be possible if the internal architecture of the 816 cannot support it.

Who knows… they revived the midex. I do stand by what I said earlier though: If direct monitoring on multiple units through a single stereo pair on what I would consider a stereo master is a real deal breaker, I would get an adat card or sell the units while they still have value. Basically, adapt or cut my losses and move on due to Steinberg’s stance of silence. That’s me.

This really is a tragic flaw in the MR816 when used this way. The 816s seemed like promising units and as a solo piece, probably awesome for the price…

Good luck with getting it resolved.

No they did not specifically state that you ould direct monitor from the extended units through the initial unit…

BUT

They do promise FULL FLEXIBILITY OF INPUTS AND OUTPUTS…

AND

Multiple units extending this to 48 inputs and outputs…

They do promise ZERO LATENCY MONITORING…

They NEVER state that ZERO LATENCY MONITORING IS ONLY AVAILABLE ON SINGLE UNIT SYSTEMS…

This therefore is misleading or false advertising…

I have a family member in Advertising and Marketing and if she created such claims and didn’t disclose the limitation of the promised features albeit in the add itself or in the manual or in a clause denoted by an asterix for example then she would have her ass kicked and the company would be responsible for the damages caused…

They mislead us all which is illegal!

Simple as that…

If they were a car manufacturer then all units would be recalled and either the issue fixed or the units replaced…

Pick up the ball steinberg!!!

Greg