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MOTU 8pre-es Thunderbolt/USB2 8-Mic Pre Audio Interface
MOTU 8pre-es Thunderbolt/USB2 8-Mic Pre Audio Interface

MOTU 8pre-es Thunderbolt/USB2 8-Mic Pre Audio Interface

SoundPro Item: 102293
MPN: 8PRE-ES
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The MOTU 8pre-es connects all your studio gear, including microphones, guitars, synths, keyboards, drum machines, outboard processors and optical expanders. All I/O is available simultaneously.

Renowned ESS Sabre32™ DAC technology delivers measured 123 dB dynamic range and the same proven, award-winning audio quality as MOTU's flagship 1248. Eight transparent mic preamps deliver superb -108 dB THD+N, 118 dB dynamic range and -129 dBu EIN performance. Each mic channel has individual preamp gain, pad, 48V phantom power and digital remote control.

Connect to your Mac or PC with Thunderbolt™ or Hi-speed USB 2.0, with up to 256 audio channels (128 in and 128 out) over Thunderbolt. Or stream dozens of audio channels to and from your Mac over AVB/TSN Ethernet using a standard, affordable CAT-5e cable up to 100 meters long. Class-compliant firmware and industry standard drivers work with any audio apps. Connect to your iPad™ with a standard camera connection kit (adapter).

Take control of your recording sessions with the built-in talkback mic and front-panel talk button. Connect two sets of speakers and check your mixes instantly with front-panel A/B speaker select buttons.

MOTU 8pre-es Features

  • 24 inputs and 28 outputs, all independent
  • 8 mic preamps
  • High-performance Thunderbolt and USB drivers for Mac and PC
  • Ultra-low latency and renowned rock-solid performance
  • Console-style mixing with 48 channels and 12 busses
  • Touch Console™ mixing
  • Vintage processing with 32-bit float precision
  • Flexible matrix routing and splitting to route audio anywhere with one click
  • Control from your laptop, tablet or smartphone
  • Stand-alone operation with wireless control (no laptop needed)
  • Solid metal chassis
  • 8pre-es Thunderbolt/USB2 8-Mic Pre Audio Interface1
  • Sample rates 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192 kHz
  • Mic/line/instr inputs
    • 8 x XLR/TRS "combo style" mic/line/instr inputs
    • Preamp gain: 0 to +63 dB (digitally controlled)
    • TRS max level with pad: +17 dBu
  • Analog outputs
    • 8 x 1/4" TRS line out (balanced, DC coupled)
    • Max level: +20 dBu (digitally adjustable -4 to +20)
    • 2 x 1/4" TRS stereo headphone
  • Digital I/O
    • 2 banks (16 ch) of ADAT optical at 1x sample rates
    • 2 banks (8 ch) of SMUX optical at 2x sample rates
    • Switchable to stereo TOSLink (optical S/PDIF)
  • Total I/O
    • 24 in / 28 out (52 total) at 1x sample rates
    • 16 in / 20 out (36 total) at 2x sample rates
    • 8 in / 12 out (20 total) at 4x sample rates
  • Computer I/O
    • 1 x Thunderbolt 1 (Mac and Win); Thunderbolt 2 & 3 compatible
    • 1 x USB 2.0 audio class compliant; USB 3.0 and iOS compatible
  • Computer I/O channels
    • Thunderbolt: 128 in/out at 1x (44.1 to 48 kHz)
    • 128 in/out at 2x (88.2 to 96 kHz)
    • 64 in/out at 4x (176.4 to 192 kHz)
  • Computer I/O channels
    • USB: 64 in/out at 1x (44.1 to 48 kHz)
    • 32 in/out at 2x (88.2 to 96 kHz)
    • 24 in/out at 4x (176.4 to 192 kHz)
    • Sync I/O: 1 x BNC word clock in/out
  • Network I/O1 x RJ45 AVB/TSN Ethernet (1 Gbps)
  • AVB streams (8 channels per stream)
    • 4 in / 4 out @ 44.1 or 48 kHz
    • 4 in / 4 out @ 88.2 or 96 kHz
    • 2 in / 2 out @ 176.4 or 192 kHz
  • Headphone2 x 1/4" TRS stereo phone (assignable)
  • Phantom power8 x individual +48V
  • Front panel
    • 2 x 1/4" TRS headphone output
    • 2 x digital rotary encoders • phone vol
    • 4 x digital rotary encoders • mic/instr input gain
    • 2 x large digital rotary encoders • main vol / menu
    • 8 x small switches • (4) Pad / (4) 48V Phantom pwr
    • 10 x large switches • menu nav / A-B select, etc.
    • 2 x LCD (128 x 160) for level meters / menu nav
  • Power
    • International 100-240V autoswitching supply
    • 50-60 Hz • 0.5A max
  • Dimensions and weight (W x D x H, enclosure only)
    • 19 x 7 x 1.75 inches
    • 48.3 x 17.75 x 4.5 cm
    • 4.6 lbs / 2.05 kg
    • with rack brackets removed:
    • 17.25 inches (43.8 cm) wide
    • 4.5 lbs / 2.04 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 1/2/3, USB 2/3 or AVB/TSN Ethernet port*
    • A large hard drive (at least 500 GB for recording)
    • *AVB/TSN Ethernet audio interface operation requires OS X El Capitan 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 1/2/3 or USB 2/3 port
    • 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.
  • Included Software
    • Thunderbolt and USB 2.0 drivers
    • MOTU Discovery App for Mac & PC (finds connected MOTU interfaces)
    • MOTU Discovery App for iOS (available from Apple App Store)
    • MOTU Pro Audio Control web app (served from the hardware itself)
    • MOTU Audio Tools (FFT, oscilloscope, X-Y plot, phase analyzer)
    • AudioDesk 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

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