8M™
Thunderbolt™ / AVB Ethernet / USB audio interface with 8 mic preamps and DSP

This box contains everything you need to turn your computer into a powerful 24-bit/192 kHz digital audio workstation. As a “hybrid” audio interface, the 8M offers flexible connectivity to your computer via ultra-fast Thunderbolt™ technology or class-compliant, hi-speed USB 2.0, with 18 channels of pristine analog I/O, combined with 32 channels of digital I/O, for a total of 50 simultaneous audio channels.

The 8M is equally well-suited for studio and stage, with or without a computer. As an interface or standalone mixer, the 8M provides 24 separate inputs and 26 separate outputs, including eight XLR/TRS combo style mic inputs with individual preamps, eight balanced TRS analog outputs, two 8-channel banks of ADAT optical digital I/O, and a front panel headphone jack.

Connect all of your studio gear, including microphones, guitars, synths, keyboards, drum machines and even effects processors. Record, monitor, route and process all of these live inputs using the professional on-board digital mixer — with no latency and no processor strain on your computer. Apply hardware DSP-driven effects processing to inputs, outputs, and busses independent of your host computer. Add Classic Reverb™ with lengths up to 60 seconds. Further sculpt your sound with gating, 4-band parametric EQ, and vintage compression modeled after the legendary LA-2A™ leveling amplifier.

Add more MOTU interfaces as your needs grow, connected to a state-of-the-art audio network using standard AVB Ethernet switches and CAT-5e cabling, with near-zero network latency, even over long cable runs (several hundred meters). Record and monitor up to 128 audio channels in and out, simultaneously, to a host computer through Thunderbolt. Route hundreds of audio channels among multiple devices and computers on the network.

Control all DSP-based mixing and effects, device settings, and network audio routing using your favorite web browser running on your laptop, tablet or smart phone connected wirelessly or locally to the 8M audio network.

From initial tracking to final mastering, the 8M delivers superb sound quality, state-of-the-art operation, and reliable performance.

Feature highlights

• Superb audio quality — For example, the balanced TRS analog outputs produce 123 dB dynamic range and -110 dB THD+N (0.0003%) at -1 dBFS, Unweighted, 1 kHz.
• 50 simultaneous audio channels — Eight XLR/TRS combo inputs with individual preamps/pad/48V power, 8 balanced/unbalanced TRS analog outs, and 2 x 8-channel ADAT optical ports for 24 inputs and 26 outputs.
• Flexible mic/guitar inputs — Eight combo jacks provide balanced analog input, hi-Z 1/4” guitar input or XLR mic input with individual phantom power and pad.
• Precision Digital Trim™ — Digitally controlled analog preamp gain provides accurate adjustments in 1 dB increments from either the front panel controls or web app software, with the ability to save gain settings.
• V-Limit™ overload protection — Hardware-based input limiter on the mic/guitar inputs prevents digital clipping and distortion from overloaded signal levels up to +9 dB over zero.
• Universal connectivity — Connects to your computer with Thunderbolt or high-speed USB 2.0 (compatible with USB 3.0). Class-compliant firmware and Industry standard drivers work with any audio software.
• On-board DSP with mixing and effects — Flexible 48-input digital mixer modeled after large format mixing consoles, with 12 stereo busses and DSP effects, including reverb, 4-band EQ, gate, and compression.
• 32-bit floating point processing — The 8M's mixing and effects DSP engine delivers virtually unlimited headroom and the utmost in sound quality.
• Modeled vintage effects processing — Classic reverb. Compression modeled after the legendary LA-2A compressor. EQ modeled after British analog console EQs.
• System expansion and audio networking — Add a 2nd MOTU AVB interface (1248, 8M or 16A) with a simple Cat-5e ethernet cable. Connect up to five MOTU interfaces using a MOTU AVB Switch (sold separately). Build a network with multiple interfaces and computers using standard AVB switches and network cabling, with ultra-low network latency, even over long cable runs (hundreds of meters). Stream hundreds of audio channels among devices and computers on the network.
• Matrix routing and splitting — Flexible, matrix-style audio routing and splitting for any analog or digital input, computer channel or network stream to any other output, computer, or network device. Split any single input to unlimited multiple output destinations.
• 256 channels of network audio I/O for your host computer — Record and monitor up to 128 networked audio channels in and out, simultaneously, through the Thunderbolt connection to a host computer.
• Web app control — Control on-board DSP, mixing, device settings, and network audio routing from web app software running in your favorite browser on a laptop, tablet or smart phone connected by wire or Wi-Fi to your local area network.
• Stand-alone mixing with wireless control — Connect an Apple Airport™ or other Wi-Fi router directly to the 8M with a standard Ethernet cable and control the 8M's powerful mixing and DSP effects from your smart phone or tablet, without a computer. Great for live sound mixing.
• ADAT digital I/O — Connect outboard digital processors, digital mixers or other gear. 16 channels at 44.1/48 kHz or 8 channels at 88.2/96 kHz.
• Comprehensive metering — The large backlit 324 x 24 LCD lets you view all signal activity at a glance with detailed metering for all analog and digital I/O. Access hardware settings from a simple and convenient menu.
• AudioDesk — Includes AudioDesk workstation software with 24-bit recording, sample-accurate editing and 32-bit mixing and mastering.