Problem using Cubase with Expert Sleepers ES-10 and MOTU 8Pre USB

Hello! I’m having trouble getting my Expert Sleepers ES-10 eurorack module to work correctly with my MOTU 8Pre USB interface (via ADAT) and Cubase 14.

The large red LED on the ES-10 lights up, indicating a valid ADAT signal being received at the module input, and I can send audio from Cubase to the ES-10 outputs as expected. However, I’m unable to acquire the audio that is input to the ES-10 in Cubase. No signal comes through but I can see the ES-10 jack LED light up, indicating that there is a signal coming in.

I realize that it is a longshot looking for answers here, but I have a feeling that it is a Cubase routing issue. Maybe someone else has a similar setup? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

If I understand you right:

  • going outwards from Cubase is working well all the way round.
  • but coming back into Cubase is not working from the ES sending via ADAT to the MOTU.

I don’t have the same gear as you do, but have run a similar component setup in the past. This is how I’d try to troubleshoot:

First thing to check:
  • Do you have a 2nd ADAT (TosLink) cable connecting from the ES ADAT output into the MOTU ADAT input? ADAT is unidirectional cabling (unlike USB or FireWire which are both bi-directional cabling).
Second thing to check:
  • Are all 16 of the MOTU channels setup as Cubase inputs?
    • 8 for the analog inputs into the MOTU
    • 8 for the ADAT inputs into the MOTU from the ES
If still not working

If the above both seem ok, I’d try to prove to myself that the MOTU is getting the ADAT input correctly. Does the MOTU have some mixer software that allows you to see if it’s getting signal into the ADAT ports?

One final thing I can think of would be to confirm that the sync/clock settings make sense. i..e. that there’s only one master clock and not 2 or more devices configured to be a master clock.

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Thank you, Nico5. I very much appreciate the detailed reply.

Yes, you understand correctly.

I do have 2 ADAT cables going from the OUT to IN and IN to OUT on the ES and MOTU.

All 16 channels are set up as Cubase inputs.

I am not getting a signal from the ES in the MOTU mixer software (Cuemix). But I am getting signal for all 8 MOTU 8Pre inputs.

Sync/clock for the MOTU is set to internal. Not seeing a way to set the ES clock.

That would seem to indicate that it’s not a Cubase routing problem, but likely an issue of getting ADAT signal from the ES-10 to the MOTU?

So that’s what I’d try to pursue.

I’m happy to report that the issue has been resolved! I tested the same connections using a different MOTU 8Pre USB, and everything worked as expected. It seems that my other MOTU 8Pre USB might have a fault with its ADAT ports.