Setup For Multiple Thunderbolt And Usb Interfaces - MOTU 8M User Manual

SETUP FOR MULTIPLE THUNDERBOLT AND
USB INTERFACES
It is possible to connect multiple MOTU interfaces
directly to your host computer through multiple
Thunderbolt and USB ports, as discussed in the
following sections. However, there are several
disadvantages to doing it this way:
The audio interfaces will not be clocked to one
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another and may be susceptible to drift, unless you
use external word clock connections. When using
the AVB network connections shown on pages
36-38, the interfaces are very tightly synchronized
with each other through their network connections
(measured in pico seconds).
You will not be able to route audio directly from
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one audio interface to another. When using the
AVB network connections shown on pages 36-38,
you can route audio streams (hundreds at a time)
directly among interfaces with near-zero latency.
Connecting multiple interfaces using
Thunderbolt
If your host computer has two or more
Thunderbolt ports, you can connect one interface
to each port, either directly or at the end of a
Thunderbolt daisy chain (on either port or both
ports).
H A R D W A R E I N S T A L L A T I O N
Connecting multiple interfaces using
Thunderbolt and USB
Another way to operate multiple interfaces on the
same host computer is to connect the first interface
to a Thunderbolt port and the second to a USB 2.0
(or 3.0) port.
Multiple interfaces and USB
When connected through USB, your MOTU
interface operates as a USB 2.0 device, even when
connected to a USB 3.0 port. USB 2.0 provides
enough bus speed for several USB 2.0 devices, but
due to your MOTU interface's high-performance
requirements for real-time operation and low
latency timing, we recommend the following:
Do not connect more than two units to your
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computer's USB 2.0 or 3.0 port(s).
When two units are connected with USB 2.0,
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don't connect other USB 2.0 or 3. 0 devices, such as
external hard drives.
For best results, establish clock synchronization
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with other interfaces connected to the same
computer. You can use word clock, S/PDIF, ADAT,
or AVB to achieve clock synchronization.
Mixing and matching audio interfaces
In the scenarios just discussed for connecting
multiple interfaces, you can mix and match the
interface with other MOTU audio interface
models. For example, you could connect a 1248
through Thunderbolt and another MOTU audio
interface, such as a 16A, through USB 2.0.
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