MOTU 8A 16 x 18 Thunderbolt™ / USB3 audio interface with renowned ESS Sabre32 Ultra™ DAC technology

Equipped with renowned ESS Sabre32 Ultra™ DAC technology, the 624 has the same award-winning analog audio quality and proven performance as MOTU's flagship 1248 interface — packed into a mobile half-rack enclosure.

8A Features:

• Superb analog audio quality and high-end converters
• Renowned ESS Sabre32 Ultra™ DAC technology delivers 123 dB dynamic range and the same proven, award-winning audio quality as MOTU's flagship 1248.
• Ultra-low latency and proven, high-performance MOTU drivers
• Round-trip latency (RTL) performance as low as 1.6 ms at 96kHz over Thunderbolt™ with high-performance DAW hosts.
• Mobile operation and universal connectivity
• Connects to your computer with Thunderbolt™, super-speed USB 3.0 or AVB/TSN Ethernet for up to 256 audio channels (128 in and 128 out). Class-compliant firmware and Industry standard drivers work with any audio apps. Connects to iPad™ with a standard camera connection kit (adapter).
• 32 simultaneous audio channels
• 8 x 8 balanced analog, 8-channel ADAT optical and independent phone out for 16 inputs and 18 outputs.
• DSP mixing and effects processing
• Flexible 48-input digital mixer with 7 stereo aux busses, 3 group sends, access to 64 network inputs, and DSP effects, including reverb, 4-band EQ, gate and compression.
• 32-bit floating point processing
• The 8A'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.
• Flexible matrix routing and splitting
• Send any input to any output, or multiple outputs. Includes routing to and from the computer, plus any devices on the audio network.
• Stand-alone operation with wireless control
• Connect an Apple® Airport™ or other Wi-Fi router with a standard Ethernet cable for wireless control of device settings, powerful 48-channel mixing and DSP effects.
• Web app control from any device
• Control everything from your favorite web browser on a laptop, tablet and smartphone connected to your local Wi-Fi network.
• System expansion
• Add a 2nd MOTU AVB-equipped interface with a simple CAT-5e ethernet cable. Connect up to five MOTU interfaces using a MOTU AVB/TSN Switch (sold separately).
• AVB/TSN audio networking
• Build a network with multiple interfaces and computers using standard AVB/TSN switches and network cabling, with ultra-low network latency, even over long cable runs (100 meters point to point). Stream hundreds of audio channels among devices and computers on the network.
• Optical I/O
• Connect outboard digital processors, digital mixers or other gear. 8 channels of ADAT at 44.1/48 kHz, 4 channels of SMUX at 88.2/96 kHz or stereo TOSLink (optical S/PDIF) up to 96 kHz.
• Comprehensive metering
• The full-color 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 for Mac and Windows with 24-bit recording, sample-accurate editing and 32-bit mixing and mastering.

Ultra-low latency and proven, high-performance MOTU drivers

The best possible latency performance

The 8A delivers round-trip latency (RTL) performance as low as 1.6 ms at 96kHz
over Thunderbolt™ — and an astonishing 1.9 ms over USB — with high-performance DAW hosts.

Mobile operation and universal connectivity

Ultimate portability and flexibility

Connects to your computer with Thunderbolt™, super-speed USB 3.0 or AVB/TSN Ethernet — with support for up to 256 audio channels (128 in and 128 out). USB audio class-compliant firmware and high-performance, industry-standard drivers work with any audio apps. Connects to your iPad™ with a standard camera connection kit (adapter).

DSP mixing and effects processing

Console-style mixing with 48 channels and 12 busses

The 8A's full-fledged 48-input digital mixer delivers 7 stereo aux busses, 3 groups, access to 64 network inputs, and DSP effects, including reverb, 4-band EQ, gate and compression. If you know your way around a large-format mixing console, you'll feel right at home. If you've ever wished to mix on a large console, the driver's seat is now yours.

Modeled vintage effects processing

Vintage processing with 32-bit float precision

Classic reverb. Compression modeled after the legendary LA-2A compressor. EQ modeled after British analog console EQs. The 624's mixing and effects DSP engine delivers virtually unlimited headroom and the utmost in sound quality.

Flexible matrix routing and splitting

Route your audio anywhere with one-click ease

Send any input to any output, or multiple outputs. Includes routing to and from the computer, plus any devices on the audio network.

Web app control from any device

Control everything from your laptop, tablet and smartphone

The software that you use to control the 624 doesn't reside on your hard drive. It's a web app served from the hardware itself. This means you can control the 624's on-board DSP, mixing, device settings, and network audio routing from your favorite web browser on a laptop, tablet or smartphone connected by wire or Wi-Fi to your local area network. Use any web client on any platform — Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android — as long as it shares the same network.

Comprehensive metering

View all I/O activity at a glance — in full color

The full-color 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.

System expansion

Expand your system with more I/O and Wi-Fi control

Add a 2nd MOTU AVB-equipped interface with a simple CAT-5e ethernet cable.

Connect up to five MOTU interfaces using a
MOTU AVB/TSN Switch (sold separately).

Build a network with multiple interfaces and computers using standard AVB/TSN switches and network cabling, with ultra-low network latency, even over long cable runs (100 meters point to point). Stream hundreds of audio channels among devices and computers on the network.

AudioDesk

Powerful audio workstation technology for Mac and Windows

Includes AudioDesk workstation software for Mac and Windows with 24-bit recording, sample-accurate editing and 32-bit mixing and mastering

Technical Specifications

 

Sample rates	44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192 kHz
Analog inputs	8 x 1/4" TRS line inputs (balanced/unbalanced) Max level: +24 dBu (range -96 to +22)
Analog outputs	8 x 1/4" TRS line out (balanced, DC coupled 5v) Max level: +20 dBu (range -4 to +20) 1 x 1/4" TRS stereo headphone
Digital I/O	1 bank (8 ch) of ADAT optical at 1x sample rates 1 bank (4 ch) of SMUX optical at 2x sample rates Switchable to stereo TOSLink (optical S/PDIF)
Total I/O	16 inputs / 18 outputs (34 total) at 1x sample rates 12 inputs / 14 outputs (26 total) at 2x sample rates 8 inputs / 10 outputs (18 total) at 4x sample rates
Computer I/O	1 x Thunderbolt 2 (Mac and Win)     Thunderbolt 1 & 3 compatible 1 x USB 3.0 (Mac and Win)     USB 2.0 and iOS compatible (class compliant) 1 x AVB/TSN Ethernet (Mac only)     Requires OS X 10.11 or later
Computer I/O channels	Thunderbolt (44.1 to 96 kHz): 128 in/out Thunderbolt (176.4 to 192 kHz): 64 in/out USB 3.0 (44.1 to 96 kHz): 128 in/out USB 3.0 (176.4 to 192 kHz): 64 in/out AVB/TSN Ethernet: 16 to 128 in/out       depends on host computer speed
Headphone	1 x 1/4" TRS stereo phone (assignable)
Front panel	1 x 1/4" TRS headphone output 1 x digital rotary encoder • main/phone volume 5 x switches • menu navigation 160 x 128 pixel RGB LCD for level meters / menu nav Power switch
Power	External 12-18V DC power supply 1.0A max • tip pos or neg
Dimensions and weight	(width x depth x height, enclosure only) 8.6 x 7 x 1.75 inches 22 x 17.75 x 4.5 cm 2.2 lbs / 1.0 kg

Mac System Requirements

• 1 GHz Intel-based Mac or faster
• 2 GB RAM; 4 GB or more recommended
• Mac OS X version 10.8 or later
• Available Thunderbolt, USB or AVB/TSN Ethernet port*
• A large hard drive (at least 500 GB for recording)
• *AVB/TSN Ethernet audio interface operation requires OS X 10.11 or later

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 Thunderbolt or USB port
• Available Ethernet port for firmware updates
• A large hard drive (at least 500 GB for recording)

Web App Support

• Any web client platform: Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
• Any web browser: Safari, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Explorer, etc.
• Web client must be connected to the same network as the MOTU interface by wire or Wi-Fi.

Included Software

• MOTU Discovery App for Mac & Windows (finds connected MOTU interfaces)
• MOTU Discovery App for iOS (available from Apple App Store)
• MOTU web app (served from the hardware itself)
• AudioDesk 4.0 for Mac & Windows (separate download)

Operating Systems

• For computer audio I/O: Mac OS X 10.8 or later; Windows 7 or later
• For web app control: Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android

Analog I/O Specifications

	Connector type	Dynamic range (A-weighted)	THD+N (unweighted)	Max level	Trim range (in 1 dB steps)
Line output	1/4" TRS, balanced, tip hot	123 dB	-110 dB	+20 dBu	24 dB (-4 to +20)
Line input	1/4" TRS, bal/unbal, tip hot	117 dB	-110 dB	+24 dBu	118 dBu (-96 to +22)
Phones	1/4", TRS stereo	108 dB	-100 dB	Max. 80 mw	128 dB

Compatible Mac Software

The 8A ships with standard Core Audio drivers for Mac OS X for compatibility with virtually all Core Audio-compatible apps, including:

• MOTU Digital Performer
• Avid Pro Tools (version 9 or later)
• Apple Logic Pro
• Apple Logic Express
• Apple Garage Band
• Apple SoundTrack Pro
• Ableton Live
• Propellerhead Record & Reason
• Steinberg Cubase
• Cockos Reaper
• Native Instruments Kontakt
• Waves stand-alone apps (and plug-ins, via compatible host)

Compatible Windows Software

The 8A ships with standard ASIO and Wave drivers for Windows 7, 8 and 10 for compatibility with virtually all ASIO- and Wave-compatible audio apps, including:

• MOTU Digital Performer
• Avid Pro Tools (version 9 or later)
• Ableton Live
• Cakewalk Sonar
• Steinberg Cubase
• Propellerhead Record & Reason
• Image Line FL Studio
• Sony Vegas Pro
• Sony Sound Forge
• Sony Acid
• Cockos Reaper
• Native Instruments Kontakt
• Waves stand-alone apps (and plug-ins, via compatible host)

 UPC: 839128006041