The MOTU 8M is a high-performance audio interface that seamlessly integrates eight pristine microphone preamplifiers, 48-channel digital mixing capabilities, and advanced AVB audio networking, making it an ideal solution for both studio and live sound applications.
Each of the eight mic/guitar inputs is equipped with transparent preamps, offering individually adjustable 48V phantom power and a -20 dB pad. Users can control preamp gain directly from the front panel or remotely via the web app on a computer, tablet, or smartphone. The inclusion of V-Limit™ hardware limiters on all mic/guitar inputs provides protection against digital clipping, allowing signals to exceed zero dB by up to +9 dB without distortion.
The MOTU 8M employs state-of-the-art ESS Sabre32 Ultra™ converters, delivering an impressive 123 dB dynamic range on its balanced TRS analogue outputs. This ensures exceptional audio quality, capturing every nuance of the performance. The device offers ultra-low latency, with round-trip host latency measured at a mere 1.4 milliseconds over Thunderbolt at 96 kHz with a 32-sample host buffer.
Connectivity is versatile, featuring Thunderbolt technology that provides 256 channels of computer I/O (128 in and out), as well as high-speed USB 2.0 for broad compatibility with most laptops and desktops. The MOTU 8M is USB audio class compliant, ensuring seamless integration with various systems, including iOS devices.
The built-in 48-channel digital mixer is designed to emulate large-format mixing consoles, offering comprehensive mixing capabilities with seven stereo auxiliary buses, three groups, a reverb bus (which can serve as a fourth group), a Main Mix bus, and a separate Monitor bus that can function as a solo bus. Each input channel features modelled analogue EQ and compression, replicating the classic profiles of British analogue mixing consoles and renowned compressors.
For system expansion and audio networking, the MOTU 8M supports AVB Ethernet, allowing users to add additional MOTU AVB interfaces using standard Ethernet cables. This facilitates the creation of extensive audio networks with ultra-low latency, even over long cable runs, enabling the streaming of hundreds of audio channels among devices and computers on the network.
Control of the MOTU 8M is made convenient through a web app served directly from the hardware, accessible via any device with a web browser connected to the local network. This allows users to manage on-board DSP, mixing, device settings, and network audio routing wirelessly, providing flexibility for both studio and live environments.
The MOTU 8M combines high-quality microphone preamps, versatile connectivity options, comprehensive digital mixing, and advanced audio networking capabilities, making it a powerful and flexible solution for professional audio applications.
Mac System Requirements
- Intel Core i3 Mac or faster (including the new Apple silicon Macs)
- 2 GB RAM; 4 GB or more recommended
- Mac OS X version 10.8 or later
- Available Thunderbolt, USB 2.0 or AVB Ethernet port*
- A large hard drive (at least 500 GB for recording)
- *AVB Ethernet audio interface operation requires OS X Yosemite
Windows System Requirements
- 1 GHz Pentium-based PC compatible or faster
- 2 GB RAM; 4 GB or more recommended
- Windows 7*, 8 or 10
- Available USB 2.0 or 3.0 port
- Available Ethernet port for firmware updates
- A large hard drive (at least 500 GB for recording)
