I did notice that pressing the rightmost knobs caused a slight inward movement of the LCD unit, but further investigation revealed that this was nothing serious. The front panel is made from the same alloy, and the controls have a good, solid feel to them. I was relieved to see, too, that most of the rear-panel audio sockets are case-mounted, so 'enthusiastic' plugging in won't stress the Traveler's weaker internal components. At 1.8kg it's surprisingly light, and its case, with friendly rounded corners and edges, is manufactured not from plastic but a more confidence-inspiring aluminium alloy.
It's not pocketable by any means, but capable of fitting in a laptop or other similarly sized bag. Not coincidentally, this puts it at about the same size as an average 15-inch screen laptop. It's still a 1U height, and, at 25cm, reasonably deep, but the Traveler's width is only 37.5cm. Specificationsįrom just seeing the box the Traveler comes in, you know it's a lot more compact than other 19-inch rack-based interfaces. Any can be used as long as they supply between 10 and 18V, and 12W - names to look out for in the UK include Hawkwood and PAG, though US suppliers such as often have deals on brands such as Bescor.
MOTU 828 MK2 FIRMWARE TV
Second, the battery packs commonly used in film and TV circles can be pressed into service via the four-pin XLR socket on the side of the Traveler. First, any mains power adaptor can be used so long as it provides between eight and 18V with sufficient current - 1.33A is needed for a 9V supply, but the Traveler isn't fussy about whether tip connections are wired positive or negative. Obviously the Traveler can run all day long if the host computer is plugged into the mains, but for more flexibility on the road two additional powering options are available. Used this way with an Apple 1GHz G4 Powerbook, the Traveler gave me a very respectable two and a quarter hours of use before my Powerbook battery ran down, and this was with none of the laptop's energy-saving options enabled. The Traveler can be powered solely by the Firewire connection to the host computer, but only if a six-pin Firewire connector is used at the computer end - miniature four-pin connectors won't work. And this is not the only change that makes the Traveler more suited to mobile use. The other big change is that the Traveler has no IEC mains power inlet - instead it can be powered by DC adaptor, battery pack (via a standard four-pin XLR connector), or via the Firewire connection itself. Additionally, the gains for these inputs are digitally controlled - MOTU calls them Digital Precision Trims.
The Traveler can operate at sample rates up to 192kHz, has AES-EBU digital I/O, and the four mic/guitar inputs (the 828MkII only has two) are mounted on the rear panel.
MOTU 828 MK2 FIRMWARE PLUS
On the face of it, the Traveler is quite similar to the MOTU 828 MkII, reviewed in the July 2004 issue of SOS, in that it's a multi-channel interface with eight analogue inputs and outputs, ADAT and S/PDIF digital audio connections, plus MIDI In and Out and SMPTE sync facilities, but it differs in a few important ways. Where does the Traveler fit in to all this, and what does it have to offer? Time has moved on since the original 828 came out, though, and whilst MOTU's current 828 MkII and 896HD interfaces are both attractive, prospective Firewire interface buyers have plenty of other models to choose from. Firewire has proved itself to be a flexible and reliable platform for audio, capable of handling multiple channels of high sample-rate audio, and proving to be the perfect solution for laptop users who want or need to steer clear of USB. MOTU have been one of the most enthusiastic supporters of the IEEE1394 Firewire protocol for audio use, and their original 828 (Mk I) interface is still a sought-after and useful tool for studio-based and mobile sound recordists alike. With two market-leading Firewire audio interfaces already part of the MOTU stable, where does the new mobile recording-oriented Traveler find its natural home?
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