MacOS Ventura and Motu Ultralite (FireWire) - replacement?

[adn_01]

Hi all;

Now, that the new MacOS Ventura (v13) is up, I have doubts again considering my Motu Ultralite. This is firewire only version, not hybrid, 24/96 and is working just fine. However, with every new MacOS incarnation I get system message, that "the drivers won't work with future system versions".

I had these before MacOS Sierra ( v11) Launched, that is, two major system versions ago. Still, the drivers loaded fine, no problems whatsoever with respectable latency of 2,7ms (32 samples buffer). Of course I connect the Ultralite via several adapters: thunderbolt to older thunderbolt, older thunderbolt to firewire 800, firewire 800 to firewire 400, firewire 400 to Ultralite. This "chain" of adapters works fine though.

Now with OacOS ventura I upgraded the system on my test machine with M1 processor as well as Intel and, well... the drivers for Ultralite did not load. I downloaded drivers for Ultralite Hybrid and my original ultralite launched fine. Again, latency 2,7 (RTL).

I wonder if this is time for an upgrade. Some time the interface will stop working and as far as my experience shows this will happen least expected time / place. As a replacement I chose Ultralite mk4 or 5. However, these are NOT bus powered - my original Ultralite is. I am allergic to cables of any kind, I do not need many ins and outs, so perhaps a simple (but bus powered!) Motu M4 would be sufficient? All that matters to me is seamless operation with mac systems (Logic PRO) with USB-C / Thunderbolt. Currently my main machine being Mac Studio on MacOS Monterey and an i7 Mac Mini just to host older, unsupported VST instruments.

Just need someone else's insight: stay with original Ultralite (considering the risk of a time when it stops working or becomes unstable with next upgrade), replace with Ultralite Mk5 or M4 as a sufficient solution...

[Weasel-Boy]

I was in the same boat. New M1 Max and an old UltraLite Mk3 (FW only). Used the UltraLite hybrid driver and an insane chain of adapters and it worked, for the most part, quite well. But every now and then it would glitch, requiring a reboot. I decided, I didn’t need the amount of I/O the UltraLite provides and switched to MOTU’s M2. At the time, I was considering an UltraLite Mk5…but MOTU couldn’t source the parts (chip shortages) and couldn’t deliver for almost a year…but the M2 was available. Works just fine, bus powered and a silver lining of an incredible lack of RFI/EMI noise when single pole pickup guitars are plugged in. I fully expect this thing to last a while.

[revvy]

.,.