Or stream dozens of audio channels to and from your Mac over AVB/TSN Ethernet using a standard, affordable CAT-5e cable up to 100 meters long. Connect up to five MOTU interfaces using a MOTU AVB/TSN Switch (sold separately). Introduces support for operation as an audio interface for Mac OS X 10.10 over AVB Ethernet. MOTU AVB firmware update: If your MOTU AVB interface (and the computer it is connected to) has no internet access, you can download a firmware update file from another computer that does have internet, and then use the file to update your MOTU.
Does anyone here have a new 2017 Macbook Pro, the one with four Thunderbolt3 / USB-C connections, and use it with AVB Ethernet connection? My present MacbookPro (2011) has built-in Ethernet which works with AVB, but it's getting slow, strange and pokey. With older models, Ethernet dongles didn't support AVB, and with the new MacBook Pro, everything is connected with a dongle. I want to make sure it work before spending CHF$5000 on a full-spec model if it doesn't do everything I need. So I'm wondering if anyone has direct experience with one and can say for certain that it works.
Posts: 2 Joined: Sat Oct 07, 2017 2:05 am Primary DAW OS: MacOS. Update, just in case it helps someone in the future searching this same question. I got an answer from MOTU, and found some other discussions on the net - Many USB-C to Ethernet adapters are actually a USB to Ethernet adapter, and the Ethernet interface appears under USB deviced in 'About this Mac'.
These DON'T work with AVB. It is guaranteed (And supported by MOTU) if you force it to use Thunderbolt for the Ethernet: MOTU recommended a USBC/Thunderbolt3 to Thunderbolt adapter and then a Thunderbolt to Ethernet adapter.
It looks funny, but it forces it to use Thunderbolt, and the Ethernet adapter will appear under Thunderbolt in 'About this Mac' - Some third-party adapters may in the future connect via Thunderbolt rather than USB, but would have to be verified on a case-by-case basis. Since the present recommended solution looks a little funny, I hope one becomes available. Apple's new design of the new MBP itself is slim and sexy, but results is a bunch of silly looking adapters, just like the silly tangle of adapters I have to be able to power my new iPhone and listen to music at the same time. I hope this helps someone Posts: 2 Joined: Sat Oct 07, 2017 2:05 am Primary DAW OS: MacOS. For AVB on MacBook Pro only the 10Gb interfaces are genuine Thunderbolt 3 to Ethernet.
Motu 5 Port Avb Switch
All the USB-C to 1Gb Ethernet adapters or Ethernet ports on Thunderbolt 3 hubs show up as USB Ethernet and will not support AVB. The best and cheapest option is the Sonnet which uses the same exact 10Gb ethernet chip that is in iMac Pro so it has native macOS support and is compatible with 1Gb and 100Mb speeds. Their specs specifically say they support AVB. The Sonnet Solo 10G only has a single Thunderbolt 3 port.
The Sonnet Twin 10G has dual 10Gb Ethernet ports and provides two Thunderbolt 3 ports but is more expensive.
When operating as an audio interface, MOTU AVB devices can be connected to a Mac with USB or Thunderbolt (if available). With, and OS X El Capitan (10.11), a third option is available: AVB Ethernet. With affordable cable runs that can be substantially longer than USB or Thunderbolt, Ethernet allows you to position your MOTU interface much farther away from your Mac, across the room in a machine closet with other gear, for example, or in an isolation booth down the hall, near microphones and musicians. Using Ethernet frees up the USB and Thunderbolt port(s) on the Mac for displays and other devices. Ethernet also opens up your Mac to the world of audio networking, where you can connect multiple devices to create a unified network. You can then stream hundreds of audio channels over the network with very low latency, from any device or computer to any other. To use AVB Ethernet, all you need is a recent Mac (any Mac that has a Thunderbolt port on it) with Mac OS X El Capitan (10.11) installed.
Connect the network port on your MOTU interface to the Ethernet port on the Mac using a standard, high-grade (CAT-5e or CAT-6) network cable up to 100 meters in length. You can then use your MOTU device as a standard multi-channel audio interface with any Core Audio compatible host software running on the Mac. NOTE #1: this procedure requires macOS 10.11. Under macOS 10.10, 10.12 or 10.13, performance is unreliable (as explained in ), and we do not recommend direct AVB connection. Apple has been made aware of these issues in their AVB audio driver (it is part of macOS) and we hope to see improved performance in a future macOS update.
NOTE #2: if your Mac doesn't have an Ethernet port, you can connect your MOTU interface via Ethernet using a Thunderbolt-to-Ethernet adapter. Ethernet might be preferable over Thunderbolt because the Ethernet cable can be up to 100 meters long, using standard Ethernet cabling (which is very affordable). NOTE #3: USB-to-Ethernet adapters cannot be used because the Mac's USB chip set does not support AVB Ethernet. Connect your MOTU AVB interface Network port to the Mac's Ethernet port, or connect both devices to an AVB Switch and power it on. Launch the MOTU AVB Discovery app.
Motu Avb Switch Firmware
From the Settings menu (circled in red below), choose Launch Mac Virtual Entity, and from the sub-menu choose the Ethernet port to which your MOTU AVB interface is connected. It should now be checked. NOTE: Leave Media Clock Input Stream set to None.
(This setting can be used to sync the Mac to certain 3rd-party AVB devices that support Media Clock. This setting is not needed for MOTU devices.) Clocking In the example above, the 1248 is the clock master and the Mac is clocking to 1248’s Output Stream 1. You can also reverse this scenario, where the Mac becomes the master and 1248 clocks to Mac’s Output Stream 1.
NOTE: the Mac does not follow the web app's Become Clock Master button, so you must set the Mac's Clock Mode manually. AVB stream and channel counts Each MOTU AVB stream is a group of 8 audio channels. While testing is on-going, OS X AVB performance varies with different Mac models. Models such as the Mac Pro (late 2013) are able to handle 8 streams (64 channels) in and out simultaneously, for MOTU interface models that support 8 streams. (Check motu.com/avb for a summary of supported stream counts for each MOTU interface model.) For older Macs, we recommend one or two streams in each direction. Generally speaking, it is best to enable only as many streams as you need.
NOTE: When restarting your computer or MOTU AVB interface, Apple's Audio MIDI Setup will acquire the MOTU AVB interface as a Network Device. For proper operation, please uncheck the MOTU AVB interface(s) in Audio MIDI Setup Network Device Browser.