MOTU 8A

Thunderbolt™ / USB3 audio interface

with renowned ESS Sabre32 Ultra™

DAC technology

Equipped with renowned ESS Sabre32 Ultra™ DAC technology,

the 8A has the same award-winning analog audio quality and proven performance as MOTU's flagship 16A interface — packed into a mobile half-rack enclosure.

34 simultaneous audio channels

You get 8 x 8 balanced analog, 8-channel ADAT optical and independent headphone out for 16 inputs and 18 outputs. The optical ports also support stereo TOSLink (optical S/PDIF).

Superb analog audio quality and high-end converters

Performance suitable for the most demanding situations

Renowned ESS Sabre32 Ultra™ DAC technology delivers

123 dB dynamic range and the same proven, award-winning audio quality as MOTU's flagship 16A.

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 8A'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 8A doesn't reside on your hard drive. It's a web app served from the hardware itself. This means you can control the 8A 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.

Touch Console

The art of the mix on your touchscreen

Designed specifically for touchscreen operation, Touch Console™ delivers a whole new mixing experience. Access Touch Console from your tablet or smartphone to effortlessly control the powerful 48-channel mixer and effects in the 8A. With large targets for your fingers, multi-touch operation and intuitive design, you can tap, swipe and pinch your way to a perfect mix, every time.

Stand-alone operation with wireless control

No computer or laptop needed

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.

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.

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