New Neumann MT 48 desktop USB-C audio interface

[Rudy4]

Anybody planning on picking up the new Neumann MT 48 USB-C audio interface?

This is a pretty spiffy piece of kit with quite a few cool and innovative features built in. The Sweetwater introduction video does a good job of presenting an overview.

The number of tiny details that they have packed in is truly amazing. An example of that is being able to cross-blend the headphone L/R outputs to create a more lifelike mix environment, most likely targeted at folks who want to mix with their headphones. That's just a single small feature, though.

The metal chassis is cleverly designed to color coordinate with your Neumann mics, too!



Vintage King also has a "Tracking with and First Listen..." video available:

https://vintageking.com/blog/2023/04/neumann-mt-48

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

Anybody planning on picking up the new Neumann MT 48 USB-C audio interface?

This is a pretty spiffy piece of kit with quite a few cool and innovative features built in. The Sweetwater introduction video does a good job of presenting an overview.

The number of tiny details that they have packed in is truly amazing. An example of that is being able to cross-blend the headphone L/R outputs to create a more lifelike mix environment, most likely targeted at folks who want to mix with their headphones. That's just a single small feature, though.

The metal chassis is cleverly designed to color coordinate with your Neumann mics, too!

Vintage King also has a "Tracking with and First Listen..." video available:

Humm call me a old guy skeptic but $1850 for a two channel mic pre interface ? I felt like they got the analog inputs and outputs numbers backwards (i.e I am thinking 4 mic pre's in and the two main outs would be more desirable) What home recordist is going to be using a second set of monitor's and what pro is not going to need more than two mic pre's ? juss thinkin' out loud here



Not doubt the pres are pristine and the converters are likely top notch
But for anything beyond a solo instrumentalist it seems a bit lacking and spendy ??

[Brent Hahn]

Originally Posted by KevWind

What home recordist is going to be using a second set of monitor's...

Forgive the derailment, but I think pretty much anyone can benefit from multiple monitor references. Right now I've got three stereo pairs of speakers and a Kloss Tivoli radio going.

[Gordon Currie]

Originally Posted by Brent Hahn

Forgive the derailment, but I think pretty much anyone can benefit from multiple monitor references. Right now I've got three stereo pairs of speakers and a Kloss Tivoli radio going.

As long as the train is derailed - Brent, I don't think you are the target market for this device. You have decades more experience than the average home recordist.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Brent Hahn

Forgive the derailment, but I think pretty much anyone can benefit from multiple monitor references. Right now I've got three stereo pairs of speakers and a Kloss Tivoli radio going.

Not a derailment so much as perhaps just not on the same set of tracks IMO..
And I do not disagree the mixing benefits of a second set of monitors would benefit anyone... BUT My point was I think in practical terms, it's likely only a very few home recordists at the most, are in fact going to opt for them.

[jim1960]

Unless I hear that something special has been done to earn the Neumann brand on that box, I'm a hard pass because it appears to be nothing more than a rebranded Merging Technologies Anubis interface.

[sdelsolray]

Originally Posted by KevWind

...
What home recordist is going to be using a second set of monitor's
...

A second set of monitors is not the only use for the line out channels 3 and 4. Coupled with the unit's line in input channels 3 and 4, one can connect hardware processing to it for tracking, mixing or mastering, such as a stereo EQ, compressor, mic preamp, etc., or a chain of several such devices.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by jim1960

Unless I hear that something special has been done to earn the Neumann brand on that box, I'm a hard pass because it appears to be nothing more than a rebranded Merging Technologies Anubis interface.

I think you are correct in your thought, but is that really a bad thing?

Once they partnered up then this box gets a huge boost in distribution and name recognition. It's not like you see the Anubis in a lot of the mass consumer catalogs and websites.

It could be a win-win situation for the partnership.

In any case I do like the features packed in the product, regardless of who actually makes it.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by KevWind

Humm call me a old guy skeptic but $1850 for a two channel mic pre interface ? I felt like they got the analog inputs and outputs numbers backwards (i.e I am thinking 4 mic pre's in and the two main outs would be more desirable) What home recordist is going to be using a second set of monitor's and what pro is not going to need more than two mic pre's ? juss thinkin' out loud here

Not doubt the pres are pristine and the converters are likely top notch
But for anything beyond a solo instrumentalist it seems a bit lacking and spendy ??

I suppose they probably figure that this is aimed exactly at the "home recordist" that's going to route a pair of external pres into input 3 and 4. It's priced slightly higher than a single mic in their mid-tier category of microphones; something like the TLM 103 (that doesn't get universal accolades for its sound...)

For me personally I think that there are a ton of home recordists that would be happy with 3 good mic pres. Once you get to the point of having more than one person actually using the interface then you're probably gonna want more than 4.

I think the whole point in the "band recording and first listen" at the Vintage King website is to explain how they get a bunch more inputs down using the interface, bringing in stuff on mono inputs 1 through 4 and stereo inputs on 5 through 12.

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

I think you are correct in your thought, but is that really a bad thing?

Neumann preamps have a sound and people have a right to expect that sound when they buy preamps labeled Neumann. That's why I said, "Unless I hear that something special has been done..." I'm not ruling out that some change was made to make those preamps sound Neumann-esque, but until I know that, this just feels like slapping a well-known name on something just to increase sales. If it's just a rebranding, it feels a bit deceitful to me. YMMV.

[min7b5]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

..An example of that is being able to cross-blend the headphone L/R outputs to create a more lifelike mix environment, most likely targeted at folks who want to mix with their headphones..[/URL]

That is a cool feature to have built in. Just incidentally, Good Hertz has a popular plugin for this purpose that I like a lot. https://goodhertz.com/canopener-studio/

[Brent Hahn]

Originally Posted by min7b5

That is a cool feature to have built in. Just incidentally, Good Hertz has a popular plugin for this purpose that I like a lot. https://goodhertz.com/canopener-studio/

If you work in your DAW by printing mixes to a Mix track (as opposed to Bouncing) you can drag the sides of your mix track in toward the center and monitor that. You can even have multiple copies of your mix track with greater or lesser degrees of mono-ness. Costs nothing.

[Brent Hahn]

Originally Posted by Gordon Currie

As long as the train is derailed - Brent, I don't think you are the target market for this device. You have decades more experience than the average home recordist.

I only have one pair of "serious" nearfields, everything else is cheap. And it seems to me that the newer you are to mixing, the more you can benefit from an alternate speaker reference. Or three.

Full disclosure: I have four because at a certain point I had a monitor controller with a ton of outputs, lots of speakers and amps, and a mid-week day with no day-job work and weather so bad I couldn't fire up the grill. But I do use them all -- especially the Kloss Tivoli. That thing, for me, is hugely inaccurate in a way that's just like the way the world is inaccurate.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by Brent Hahn

I only have one pair of "serious" nearfields, everything else is cheap. And it seems to me that the newer you are to mixing, the more you can benefit from an alternate speaker reference. Or three.

Full disclosure: I have four because at a certain point I had a monitor controller with a ton of outputs, lots of speakers and amps, and a mid-week day with no day-job work and weather so bad I couldn't fire up the grill. But I do use them all -- especially the Kloss Tivoli. That thing, for me, is hugely inaccurate in a way that's just like the way the world is inaccurate.

Good points. We, as "home recordists", most likely do use at least two pair of monitors, although it might take the form of mixing with our main monitors and then carting a mix off to listen to in the car or our kitchen stereo, etc.

A second set of "consumer" monitors would be nice to have so that back and forth way of checking mixes would be used far less.

As far as the cross-fades for the headphone mix is concerned, you can do it in the DAW, but part of the appeal of this interface is being able to control many of those features so you don't have to go back and forth between the interface and the DAW environment. The color LCD display looks to be pretty user-friendly for doing many of the things that might require using a plugin for in the DAW. You do have to remember this isn't targeted to someone who normally would just be doing everything in Pro Tools.

If the MT 48 had screen toggle button to display a secondary "recording" screen with transport controls and a few other things like track position on the display and a large capacity XDSC card you wouldn't even need the DAW for basic recording.

I'm guessing you'll see a lot more of that sort of thing in the near future and Neumann is probably dipping their proverbial toes in the water with this interface form.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

I suppose they probably figure that this is aimed exactly at the "home recordist" that's going to route a pair of external pres into input 3 and 4.

Do not misunderstand I am not saying that some home recordists might not be interested and well served ,, Or that it is not worth the price for what is it is .. I am simply saying that number % wise that even have external Pre's is going be pretty small
Same thing with external FX. Other than perhaps someone that has a small mixer from live PA use the large majority of home enthusiasts are going to have an interface only - For example I would speculate that the number of amateur participants on this record and the open mic forum's that have any external pre's or FX is less 10% or less .

For me personally I think that there are a ton of home recordists that would be happy with 3 good mic pres. Once you get to the point of having more than one person actually using the interface then you're probably gonna want more than 4.

I completely agree and why I routinely suggest a 4 mic pre - interface to those looking to both play and sing.

I think the whole point in the "band recording and first listen" at the Vintage King website is to explain how they get a bunch more inputs down using the interface, bringing in stuff on mono inputs 1 through 4 and stereo inputs on 5 through 12.

To be certain they were demonstrating the possibilities for someone that has the access to additional expansion units both analog and digital could use that for multi mic'ing again how realistic is that for the average home enthusiast ? Now I could be full of baloney and Neumann may do well with it , no doubt time and sales numbers will tell the tale