Expert Sleepers ES-6

Hello,

I’m considering purchasing an ES-6 to expand my existing ES-8 inputs. I get that the two need to be connected at their respective boards in order for the ES-6 to function. At that point, however, can each be routed to the ADAT inputs of separate audio interfaces, or to a different bank of ADAT ins on the same interface; or does ES-6 need to be routed through ES-8 ADAT inputs directly.

I’m pretty sure this arrangement will work but thought I would ask as the ES line can sometimes be elusive to a full understanding of how they work together

Thanks in advance!

iirc you also need to connect the adat from the es6 to the es8 (as well as the ribbon cable)

"The ES-8 also has ADAT inputs & outputs. This could be used for example to expand the I/O count via an Expert Sleepers ES-3 and/or ES-6, or to connect a traditional audio interface to add, say, mic preamps or 1/4" line outputs (for example with the Behringer ADA8200). "

Thanks for your reply!

In my current understanding, I think that's true when ES-6 is connected to ES-3, as ES-3 doesn't have ES-8's internal clock (accessed via the cable), so clock is sent via ADAT. My ES-8 is connected to the ADAT I/O of my MOTU 624, and thus gets its clock from the MOTU which would, (I think) extend to a connected ES-6. Once the clock requirement is met, it's just a question of whether ES-6's output could go to another unit's ADAT.

The complete picture is ES-8 ADAT I/O goes to MOTU 624, and speculating that ES-3 output could go to ADAT-in on a MOTU 8A, which is in-turn connected to the 624 via Ethernet.

ok - complicated - and not sure it will work - if you go to modwiggler there's an Expert Sleepers sub-forum that Os monitors - maybe ask there

Good advice…thanks, will do

HI Broadpath

When I connected my ES6 to my ES8, I had all sorts of issues with the Mac defaulting to ADAT clock for the ES8. When I looked in Ableton the ins and outs from the ES8 and ES6 were not available to me. The workaround for me was to set the ES8 to internal clock which seems to have sorted my issue.

I have a UAD Apollo Twin, UAD satellite and Behringer ADA8200 and I think its my UAD Apollo that serves as my master clock.

Everything plays in time and works now with these settings, so I thought It might be useful for others reading this thread.

Thanks

Thanks, greenfly - good to see you had success for your setup, and thanks for your insights.

Are you using yours as a second interface with your UAD? I'm just going ADAT into the MOTU 624 and I honestly don't remember setting ES8 clock to internal under those conditions, but just establishing MOTU as ADAT master, and assuming ES8 hears and obeys.

I have the 8A on order as I need the additional inputs straight out- but haven't yet committed to ES6 until I work with connecting the two interfaces together and getting that stable (it's never as seamless as they make it sound, of course). I might even see how much I can use 8A's outputs to communicate with modular and VCV, etc.. since like your UAD, the I/O in the MOTUs is DC coupled.

Sometimes you never know how things will work until you start connecting cable - everything is just theory until then!

Are you using yours as a second interface with your UAD?

yes :) I have it as an aggregate device. I only use my UAD as glorified sound card really and I use their plugins so I don't have to use the MacBooks CPU.

I love the ES8 / ES6 combo mainly for piping audio and cv in out of the hybrid set up. Sometimes it takes me a while to set it up but once I have it all working its great to record stuff into Ableton.

In fact I've been looking at all the modulators in Bitwig and have started to re-evaluate whether I could downsize some of my eurorack set up.