AHHH! FEEDBACK - Motu Ultralite MK3

[illtrick]

I just purchased a Motu Ultralite MK3 on craigslist and I'm getting a horrible feedback / clipping problem. I feel like I've tried everything and now need the help of the experts.
The setup:
I'm using the Motu as my audio interface. Microphone in and monitor out via headphone jack.
Computer is a Vista 64 bit PC with plenty of resources and the newest versions of all the drivers.
The settings:
Ableton is set to use ASIO drivers. Input is configured to mic inputs. Output is configured to headphone outs (13-14). Latency is below 100ms.
To maximize input gain I've set the Input channel set to normal level. To avoid ear-bleeding distortion (think digital scream) Monitor is set to 1/8.
Motu is factory default. I’ve tried two setups - with and without Cue Mix running, same result.
Mic pads are set in center (-18db I think) and I’m using 48v from the Motu with no battery in the mic.
The Problem:
I either need to have my input channel set to super low and have my master at medium level, resulting in a low level recording (short waveform). Or set the master super low and then my input to normal to get a normal waveform and avoid ear bleeding distortion.
I feel confident that I’ve isolated this as an output problem because I can record perfectly fine sounds with the input gained the whole way and the master about –inf. Additionally I’m having the same loud problems with the cue out. The click track is deafening and distorted just the same until I turn that level nearly the whole way down (5% volume is about the loudest I can have it).
My theory is that somewhere along the way the output is being doubled. It has to be after the Motu because if I am just running Cue Mix I can crank everything to the max and find no distortion.
I feel like I’ve tried everything, even screwed with the windows settings to no avail. Please fire your questions off to me and any ideas to get this problem fixed!

[illtrick]

*bump*

[illtrick]

Please? Any ideas on this?

[jacob_ma]

not enough details, what os, what firewire card, what firewire chipset, what firmware on your ultralite

[illtrick]

I will have to wait unil later until I get you the info on the firewire card and chipset. However the OS is same as mentioned previously, Vista 64bit Ultimate. The firmware version on the Motu is the most current, 1.15, same with Cuemix.
I haven't heard or seen anyone with a similar problem yet. Any trouble shooting ideas would really help.
I'll post the firewire info later tonight. Thanks.

[illtrick]

The firewire card is a NEC Firewarden OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 Controller with Microsoft 6.0.6002.18005 driver. the driver is reported as the most current using the device manager drive update tool and I can't find anything more up to date on google.

This is a PCI card, I bought used so I don't know a whole lot. Everything else on the MOTU seems to be functioning ok, so I have trouble thinking it's the card. I actually went to best buy and bought a pci express firewire card to try another, but failed to ever get the computer to recognize it. So I returned that.

If there was just another gain knob between all of the inputs on ableton and the master I could turn it down and be happy.

[Dr. Zoiberg]

just check with cue mix that everything is setup correctly, the problem must be there.

[square_eyes]

Exactly the same problem here.

Total clipping and saturation on my main outs.

Have to have 'monitor' on next to nothing otherwise ear destroying gain distortion.

I was using this last night no problems, turned on computer today with zero config changes and now I can't get a clean sound coming out of my master 1&2.

Phones signal is fine though.

Anyone know what's going on?

Happy to list my specs, but it seems like a quemix thing as last night all was well. Have restarted the unit and my PC and changed USB ports.

Mark