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8PRE-ES
Eight preamps. Brilliantly transparent.
52 simultaneous audio channels
24 inputs and 28 outputs, all independent
Connect all your studio gear, including microphones, guitars, synths, keyboards, drum machines, outboard processors and optical expanders. All I/O is available simultaneously.
Superb analog audio quality
Renowned ESS Sabre32 Ultra™ DAC technology
Renowned ESS Sabre32™ DAC technology delivers measured 123 dB dynamic range and the same proven, award-winning audio quality as MOTU's flagship 1248.
Redesigned mic channels
Cutting-edge components deliver ultra-transparent sound
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.
High-performance Thunderbolt and USB drivers for Mac and PC
Ultra-low latency and renowned rock-solid performance
Round-trip latency (RTL) performance as low as 1.6 ms at 96kHz over Thunderbolt™ with high-performance DAW hosts.
Universal connectivity
USB and Thunderbolt for Mac, PC and iOS
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).
Hi-speed USB 2.0
USB 2 audio class compliant
USB 3 compatible
Thunderbolt Technology
Thunderbolt 1, 2 and 3
compatible
AVB/TSN Ethernet
System expansion
and audio networking
iOS Connectivity
with USB
camera adapter
Control room features
Take control of your recording sessions
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.
DSP mixing and effects
Console-style mixing with 48 channels and 12 busses
A 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 8pre-es 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 8pre-es doesn't reside on your hard drive. It's a web app served from the hardware itself. This means you can control the 8pre-es 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 8pre-es. 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.
Solid metal chassis
MOTU interfaces are built to last
Like all MOTU interfaces, the 8pre-es aluminum alloy chassis is lightweight, yet incredibly sturdy and durable, and designed to withstand the rigors of the studio, stage, and tour bus. In a world awash with cheap plastic, the solid feeling of the 8pre-es metal exterior in your hands is a reassuring reminder that you are holding quality engineering and construction.
System expansion / networking
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.
Advanced Extras
The engineering behind the 8pre-es runs deep
to give your audio recordings the depth of quality they deserve
Two banks of optical
Two optical banks provide 16 channels of ADAT optical at 48 kHz, 8 channels of S/MUX optical I/O at 96 kHz or a single stereo TOSLink pair at rates up to 96kHz.
Time code support
Converts SMPTE time code (LTC) to MIDI Time Code (MTC) and passes MTC on to any MTC-compatible host software.
DC-coupled TRS outputs
Use the 8pre-es to manipulate sequence voltage-controlled modular synthesizers from a host DAW.
Balanced analog
8pre-es balanced I/O connections are well-protected against RF interference, AC hum, and other noise-producing environmental factors.
Two headphone jacks
Each headphone output can be programmed with the same or different mixes, with independent front-panel volume control.
Audio analysis tools
Includes an oscilloscope, real-time FFT, X-Y Plot, and graphic phase analysis.
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.
Connection | Input | Output |
---|---|---|
Analog (balanced 1/4 inch TRS) | - | 8 |
Mic/Line/Guitar inputs with preamps | 8 | - |
Headphones output | - | 2x stereo |
ADAT optical | 16 | 16 |
Total | 24 | 28 |
Technical Specifications
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/O | 1 x RJ45 AVB/TSN Ethernet (1 Gbps) |
Headphone | 2 x 1/4" TRS stereo phone (assignable) |
Phantom power | 8 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 • (2) Pad / (2) 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 | (width x depth x height, enclosure only, with rack brackets) 19 x 7 x 1.75 inches 48.3 x 17.75 x 4.5 cm 4.2 lbs / 1.9 kg |
Mac System Requirements
1 GHz Intel-based Mac or faster2 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 faster2 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, AndroidAny web browser: Safari, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Explorer, etc.
Included Software
Thunderbolt and USB 2.0 driversMOTU 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 laterFor 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 | -108 dB | +20 dBu | 24 dB (-24 to 0) |
Line input | 1/4" TRS, bal/unbal, tip hot | 118 dB | -108 dB | +24 dBu | 118 dBu (-96 to +22) |
Mic input | XLR, balanced, pin 2 hot | 118 dB | -129 dB EIN | +24 dBu (with pad) | 63 dB |
Phones | 1/4", TRS stereo | 108 dB | -100 dB | Max. 80 mw | 128 dB |
Compatible Mac Software
The 8pre-es ships with standard Core Audio drivers for Mac OS X for compatibility with virtually all Core Audio-compatible apps, including:
MOTU Digital PerformerAvid Pro Tools (version 9 or later)
Apple Logic Pro
Apple Logic Express
Apple Garage Band
Apple SoundTrack Pro
Ableton Live
Presonus Studio One
Propellerhead Record & Reason
Steinberg Cubase
Cockos Reaper
Native Instruments Kontakt
Waves stand-alone apps (and plug-ins, via compatible host)
Compatible Windows Software
The 8pre-es 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 PerformerAvid Pro Tools (version 9 or later)
Ableton Live
Cakewalk Sonar
Cockos Reaper
Image Line FL Studio
Native Instruments Kontakt
Presonus Studio One
Propellerhead Record & Reason
Sony Vegas Pro
Sony Sound Forge
Sony Acid
Steinberg Cubase
Waves stand-alone apps (and plug-ins, via compatible host)
8pre-es Feature Summary
Superb analog audio quality and high-end converters
Eight transparent mic inputs deliver superb 129 dBu EIN with 118 dB dynamic range. Renowned ESS Sabre32™ DAC technology delivers 123 dB dynamic range and the same proven, award-winning audio quality as MOTU's flagship 1248.
New dual-LCD design
Two full-color LCDs display 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.
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.
Universal connectivity
Connects to your computer with Thunderbolt™, hi-speed USB 2.0 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 an iPad™ with a standard camera connection kit (adapter).
52 simultaneous audio channels
24 inputs and 28 outputs, including eight transparent remote-controllable mic inputs with individual gain/pad/48V, 8 TRS analog out, two banks of optical, word clock I/O and two front-panel headphone jacks.
DSP mixing and effects processing
Flexible 48-input digital mixer with 7 stereo aux busses, 3 groups, access to 32 network inputs, and DSP effects, including reverb, 4-band EQ, gate and compression.
32-bit floating point processing
The 8pre-es 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 AVB network.
Control room features
Built-in talkback mic with front-panel "talk" button and"A/B" speaker select buttons.
Precision Digital Trim™
Digitally controlled analog trim on all analog inputs (mic/guitar inputs + quarter-inch TRS inputs) provides accurate adjustments in 1 dB increments.
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.
New Touch Console™ web app control
Control everything from mobile-friendly web app software on any 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 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.
Two headphone jacks
Each headphone output can be programmed with the same or different mixes, with independent front-panel volume control.
Two banks of optical I/O
Connect outboard digital processors, digital mixers or other gear. 16 channels of ADAT at 44.1/48 kHz, 8 channels of SMUX at 88.2/96 kHz or 4 channels of TOSLink (optical S/PDIF) up to 96 kHz. Mix and match formats among in/out ports.
Time code support
Converts SMPTE time code (LTC) to MIDI Time Code (MTC) and passes MTC on to any MTC-compatible host software.
Direct Digital Synthesis™ (DDS)
DSP-driven phase lock engine and internal clock source produces imperceptibly low jitter characteristics (below the noise floor), even when the 8pre-es is resolved to an external clock source via SMPTE time code.
DC-coupled TRS outputs
Use the 8pre-es to manipulate and sequence voltage-controlled modular synthesizers from a host DAW.
Instrument tuner and audio analysis tools
Includes an oscilloscope, real-time FFT, X-Y Plot, and graphic phase analysis.
AudioDesk
Workstation software for Mac and Windows with 24-bit recording, sample-accurate editing and 32-bit mixing and mastering.
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