MOTU 8A
Thunderboltâ„¢/USB3/AVB Ethernet audio interface with DSP and mixing
Mac & 
Win
$795.00
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
Technical Specifications
Sample rates 44.1,48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192 kHz
Analog inputs 8 x1/4" TRS line inputs (balanced/unbalanced)
Max level: +24 dBu (range -96 to +22)
Analog outputs 8 x1/4" 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 1bank (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 16inputs / 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 xThunderbolt 1 (Mac and Win)
Thunderbolt 2& 3 compatible
1 x USB 3.0 (Mac and Win)
USB 2.0 and iOScompatible (class compliant)
1 x AVB/TSN Ethernet (Mac only)
Requires OS X10.11 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 hostcomputer speed
Headphone 1 x1/4" TRS stereo phone (assignable)
Network I/O 1 xRJ45 AVB/TSN Ethernet (1 Gbps)
AVB streams
(8 channels per stream) 8in / 8 out @ 44.1 or 48 kHz
8 in / 8out @ 88.2 or 96 kHz
8 in / 8 out @ 176.4 or 192 kHz
Front panel 1 x1/4" TRS headphone output
1 x digital rotary encoder phone volume
5 x switches menu navigation
160 x 128 pixel RGB LCD for level meters / menu nav
Power switch
Power External 12-18VDC power supply
1.0A max tip pos or neg
Dimensions
and weight (widthx 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 X10.11 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 MOTUinterface by wire or Wi-Fi.
Included Software
MOTU Discovery App for Mac & PC (finds connected MOTUinterfaces)
MOTU Discovery App for iOS (available from Apple App Store)
MOTU Pro Audio Control web app (served from the hardwareitself)
MOTU Audio Tools (FFT, oscilloscope, X-Y plot, phaseanalyzer)
AudioDesk 4.0 for Mac & PC (separate download)
Operating Systems
For computer audio I/O: Mac OS X 10.8 or later; Windows 7 orlater
For web app control: Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
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