MOTU UltraLite Firmware Update 1.1.5 – CPU Not Valid
June 23, 2007 on 3:50 am | In UltraLite, Updates | 22 CommentsHaving problems with your MOTU UltraLite 1.1.5 firmware update? The LCD shows “cpu not valid”? Do you want to fix the unit yourself instead of sending it over to MOTU? Do you want an asteroid to fall on their offices? Click here to read my exciting “do it yourself” story (which doesn’t work by the way – check out the udpate in the bottom).
I love my MOTU UltraLite FW interface – except one problem. When running games, sometimes the sound stops and instead I get static noise, crackles and pops on all channels. Sometimes it just comes back to normal after a few seconds, sometimes I need to restart the game and sometimes I even need to restart the interface.
Anyway, it was getting preety annoying lately. So I decided to try and troubleshoot the problem. I downloaded the newest firmware from MOTU’s website, version 1.1.5. The instructions said to hold the “cursor” knob while turning on the unit to get to the update mode. It didn’t work. Nothing happened. I checked on the site again to see if there was a readme file (which wasn’t in the zip file). There wasn’t any, but it said to hold both the “cursor” and the “page” knobs. I tried it this time, and it worked! The unit was in firmware update mode, but the firmware updater still cried about having no devices in update state. I tried turning it off and on in update mode for a few times, until finally Windows wanted to install some MOTU Audio drivers. I figured that maybe the update mode needs a different set of drivers so I click install. The updater was not ready to update so I clicked the button.
A note about the updater: it sucks. In case you touch anything while it updates, the progress bar stops to move and you have to guess that it’s still running by looking at the messages displayed on the unit’s LCD screen. After a lengthy update process, it told me that everything was ok and I need to power cycle the unit. When powering it on again, it gave me a “CPU NOT VALID” message and it came back into the firmware update mode. WTF. I tried turning it off and then on again a few times, but it didn’t change a thing. I figured something went wrong during the update process, so I tried googling about the error and how to solve it. Apparently, it’s quite a popular problem. There was a firmware downgrade available somewhere, but only for Mac, and since I have Windows XP it didn’t help me. Most people were advised to sent the unit to MOTU for replacement. Living in Israel makes the whole thing a lot harder so I tried to figure out how to fix it myself.
I tried installing the firmware again, but the updater gave me that “no devices blah blah” message, even though the unit was in firmware update mode. I tried turning it off to turn it on using the “page” and “cursor” knobs instead of getting there automatically after the “cpu not valid” message but it kept turning itself on immediately after turning it off. After fighting with it for about 2 minutes, I finally managed to turn it on using the knobs. This time it didn’t give me the “cpu not valid” message and I started the update process again. This time, the update was much shorter. Maybe 40-50 seconds for the entire thing, a lot shorter than the first time. It didn’t work. I tried doing it for the third time, but now the updater didn’t want to update even after starting the unit in the knobs update mode. After some reboots and attempts I couldn’t get it working. I even tried to change the FW port which the unit was plugged in to.
After getting totally frustrated, I tried reinstalling the drivers. I downloaded the new drivers (3.6.7.4) from the MOTU website (I already had them installed, so it actually wasn’t an update for me) and installed them. During the installation, the unit spontaneously turned itself on for some unknown reason, so I quickly turned it off again before we get to the drivers part of the installation. Once the installation was done, I tried running the updater again. Now it worked even though I was in the “cpu not valid” mode and not in the “cursor” and “page” knobs mode. Another lengthy update process, and now it worked! The unit powered up, gave me a “1.15″ message without any errors. I was really surprised because I didn’t expect it to work. I did some testing, and the sound worked, giving me a real “I’m lucky!” feeling.
Do you remember why I tried installing the new firmware in the first place? Well, it’s still giving me problems. I’m not sure whether I should cry or laugh. If anyone knows howto fix it, I’m listening.
Hopefully, people will find this page while googling and maybe they can fix their own units themselves instead of having to send it over to MOTU or try some downgrades. If anyone from MOTU is reading this – you should sack your QA team and stop writing crappy firmware updaters. I won’t buy any more MOTU gear in the future, that’s for sure.
Update – 2 days later:
I guess I was happy too early. It worked fine for 2 days then started making problems again. It won’t turn on giving the same “cpu not valid” message. Turning it off and on again sometimes helps. Sometimes I need to run the updater again, more than once. I called my shop, they agreed to give me a replacement interface until they can get me a new working UltraLite.
Update – 2.5 months later:
Finally got my unit back from MOTU. They sent me a brand new one with 1.1.5 already installed. Works perfectly.
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Yesh. Sounds like exactly the problem the guy that came in was having. Which is sad, because I really like MOTU. Their interfaces are of otherwise outstanding quality, plus they are one of the few companies that still care to provide built-in SMPTE decoding onboard with all their units to us folks with tape equipement. Yet, they can’t seem to pull it off as well on the software side.
Do post a comment to my post if you find a way to fix this issue as I have had numerous people contact me after I made my post asking me if I’ve found the solution, and I haven’t. Which is a good indication it’s an issue and not people plugging the thing into the wrong port or whatever. From what I know the guy who I met in the store just got a replacement from MOTU and that was it.
Comment by earpick — June 23, 2007 #
what exactly is MOTU and what it does ?
Comment by NEIL SEQUEIRA — August 27, 2007 #
MOTU stands for Mark Of The Unicorn. They are the manufacturers of the UltraLite audio interface (and other multi-in & -output audio interfaces), and Digital Performer sequencing software for audio & midi recording & other stuff.
Comment by Ms_B — August 27, 2007 #
I have so many fucking problems with my ultralite too. 3 days straight trying to get this shit to work, the fucking tech support guys are retards too.
FUCK MOTU
Comment by Anonymous — November 2, 2007 #
I have the same static noise on all channels when i use the ultralight in a daisy-chain with one or moor external hd’s. really annouying, since i’m a laptop musician an have only one firewire port…
Comment by 4ud10junk — December 21, 2007 #
Can anyone tell me what I have to do to “powercycle” my new MOTU Ultralite?
Comment by Pat O'Hare — March 12, 2008 #
Ok Guys,
I got the same problem, but I ve finally find a workaround (for me, don’t know if it s working for others)
1/ I downgraded my Ultralite to update 1.00.
2/ At the end of the downgrad, I DID NOT SWITCH my motu off.
3/ Then I launched the 1.15 update.
4/ At the end of the update (that take 20 minutes, really), I got a message error saying the firmware could not be verified, eroor blablab… would you try again.
5/ Then I CUT my AIRPORT CONNECTION OFF.
6/ relaunch the updater
7/ At the end , shut down the ultralite like asked in the installer window.
8/ And now, everything seems to work perfectly.
I dont know if all the step I have done are required to make this f&%%$%& sound card working but I suspect that there is some problems with the airport wireless connection.
I don’t want to test again but I encouraged some guy to try the update while the airport connection is cutted.
Hope it helps
FRanck
PS: sorry for my poor english speaking
Comment by franck — April 21, 2008 #
Update…
After a few try , I did get the ‘cpu not valid’ message again and more than this my dp crashed and crashed.
I decided to redo an update (1.15) whith immediately the airport connection shutted down. Then I do the dp update, the motu audio driver update, repared the autorisations, verify my disk and finally clean everything with onyx.
Everything was working but on one specific file, I had always noises (like clicks) and suddenly crash with DP. I finally decided to erase all the fade in this file and now everything is working fine. I have started and shut down my ultralite a lots of time and no more ‘cpu not valid’ message.
Hope it will be an issue for other
Comment by franck — April 21, 2008 #
In my experience, I could never get my MOTU to work on any PC. I ended up switching to Mac as a result (for Logic, too). And it works pretty good with v. 1.15 now, but still does the crackling crash sometimes, but it seems to be totally connected to the Airport. When I turn the Airport off, the MOTU Ultralite does not crash.
I couldn’t trust this MOTU Ultralite for spinning out, so instead I picked up a Presonus Firebox for DJing gigs on my laptop and then run Logic Reason on my iMac with dual monitors and have all my ins going into it since if it crashes it is only in studio not on a show. Kind of sucks for a $500. Card. By the way, MOTU tech support was useless and basically disdainful when I tried to get support for a PC.
Comment by Travis Winn — July 15, 2008 #
I am running Mac os x on a powerbook g4 and i am listening to some annoying noise when the ultralite is not recognized. The noise is coming from laptop’s firewire port. But another device i tried works fine with the laptop.
This, happens very often and i don’t know what to do. I am updated in everything and still the interface is working properly sometimes.
I contacted motu and they told me to contact my local distro bla bla bla…
Any ideas on what this might be?
I am freaked out .. missed already 2 gigs…..
Comment by Marc — July 19, 2008 #
Thank goodness, that I’ve found this report early.
I was just to go about upgrading my MOTU UltraLite.
The first effect was, that the upgrader says “There are no devices in update state. Please Turn on the device while holding down the Page and Cursor knobs”. –> The thing does nothing!
–> I’ve given up a ticket at motu support.
Respect for the report above!
Best regard from Germany.
That’s an international issue.
Comment by Walter Reif — November 3, 2008 #
Thanks for this – great idea.
Comment by ipicado — November 17, 2008 #
The reason you get clicks and pops is not due totally to the motu, but your firewire chipset in your computer.
Motu only really works with specific manufacturers of chipsets. Texas Instuments being the most usable one.
Stay away from ricoh chipsets. Not alot a laptop owner can do about it though.
Desktops can purchase PCI cards
Comment by trustme — November 20, 2008 #
Hi,
thx for your comment.
I’m having the same crackling problem you talked about and also wanted to run the firmware update.
Same problem here, updater can’t find the device.
So… as you said the problem still occurs although you made the update I’m thinking about going through all this trouble or leave it as it is.
Do you still experience the crackling now after they updated it to 1.1.5 ??
Comment by Wenzel — July 9, 2009 #
Прошу прощения, что ничем не могу помочь. Надеюсь, Вам здесь помогут другие.
Comment by Babul — September 7, 2009 #
I have had the same CRACKLING problem with my Ultralite and have received only scorn disdain and useless suggestions from MOTU back in the day when their tech support line wasn’t busy all the time. The answer is simple: DON’T WASTE MONEY ON AN ULTRALITE!
Comment by robit — September 11, 2009 #
Давайте знакомится, меня завут денис….а вас ?) JaWEB
JaWEB
Comment by JaWEBer — September 13, 2009 #
Hey guys, can anyone tell me how to “power cycle”
the motu
Comment by A.J — September 30, 2009 #
To Power Cycle, turn it off and on again
I couldnt work out what it was either! But googled power cycle and this came up, good old Wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_cycling
Comment by RR — October 8, 2009 #
ahaha))
Comment by порно видео — December 9, 2009 #
Hi, guys! Lets try to use 48.0 Khz or 96 Khz for audio!
Comment by Max Volkoff — February 21, 2010 #
hey guys, I just bought my ultralite mk3 and I have windows 7 so I dl the w7 64bit firmware and audio drivers from motu and I’m not sure how to put it in update mode it says hold down the page and cursor knobs but what are the “cursor knobs” and what does it say on the ultralites screen when its in the update mode. I’ve tried different combos and tried to install the update but it always says “no device in update mode” or something like that anyway any help to get this thing workin is much appreciated thanks
Comment by Anonymous — March 3, 2010 #