MOTU 848

MOTU 848 - 28 x 32 Thunderbolt/USB4 audio interface for Mac, Windows and iOS with mixing, effects and networking 

The 848 delivers everything you need to turn your computer into a powerful 24-bit/192 kHz digital audio workstation.

The 848 connects to a Mac, PC or iOS device with the included 40 Gbps USB-C cable (compatible with Thunderbolt 3/4, USB4, USB3 and USB2) for up to 256 audio channels (128 in and 128 out), depending on the host computer connection. Class-compliant firmware and reputable MOTU drivers work with all your favorite audio apps, delivering industry-leading, ultra-low round trip latency (RTL) performance less than 2 ms at 96 kHz with high-performance DAW hosts. USB audio class-compliant firmware allows connection to your iPad™ or any iOS™ device via USB-C or a standard camera connection kit (Lightning adapter, sold separately).

The 848 is equally well-suited for studio and stage. As an interface or standalone mixer, the 848 provides 28 separate inputs and 32 separate outputs, including four XLR/TRS “combo” mic/line/guitar inputs with individual gain/pad/phantom power and dedicated send/return inserts on inputs 3-4, 8 balanced 1/4-inch TRS analog (line-level) inputs, 12 balanced 1/4-inch TRS analog (line-level) outputs, two banks of 8-channel optical I/O, and two independent front-panel headphone outs. Renowned ESS Sabre32™ DAC technology delivers superb analog performance.

Connect all of your studio gear, including microphones, guitars, synths, keyboards, drum machines and effects processors. Record, monitor, and process all of these live inputs with no latency and no processor strain on your computer. Powerful 32-bit floating point DSP delivers 64-channel mixing with 64 inputs, 32 busses, and effects processing, including reverb, 4-band double-precision EQ, high-pass filter, gate and compression at all sample rates up to 96 kHz.

Use two Gigabit network ports to daisy-chain multiple units using standard network cabling, or add an AVB switch to build a network with multiple interfaces and computers with ultra-low network latency, even over long cable runs (hundreds of meters). Stream hundreds of audio channels among devices and computers on the network. The 848 is compatible with the new 16A (2025) and previous-generation MOTU AVB devices.

Take control of your recording sessions with talkback. Connect up to three sets of speakers and check your mixes instantly with A/B/C speaker select switching using front-panel buttons, along with mute and sum-to-mono buttons. Stream your sessions to the web with loopback channels and your customized mix of any 848 inputs.

After recording and mixing in the studio, take the 848 on stage for operation as a stand-alone mixer with effects. Control everything over Wi-Fi from the CueMix Pro™ app running on your laptop, tablet and smartphone.

From studio to stage, the 848 delivers exceptional sound quality, state-of-the-art operation and rock-solid performance.

• Industry-leading Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 audio interface.
• 28 x 32 full-rack unit with DSP, mixing, effects, and networking.
• Luxurious metering with a 3.9-inch 24-bit RGB LCD with precision metering for all I/O.
• Superb analog audio performance driven by ESS Sabre32 Ultra™ DAC Technology.
• Ultra-low latency and proven, high-performance MOTU drivers (~2 ms RTL with a 32 sample buffer @ 96 kHz).
• Universal connectivity with included 40 Gbps USB-C cable (compatible with Thunderbolt 3/4, USB4, USB3 and USB2).
• 60 simultaneous audio channels (28 inputs and 32 outputs).
• 4x high-performance mic/line/hi-Z guitar inputs on combo XLR/TRS.
• Individual preamp gain, 48V phantom power, -20 dB pad, phase invert, remote control, and dedicated send/return inserts for mic inputs 3-4.
• Measured -114 dB THD+N, 118 dB dynamic range and -129 dBu EIN on mic inputs.
• Flexible insert returns can operate as extra line inputs (when mic inputs are unused).
• 12x balanced, DC-coupled 1/4-inch TRS analog outputs with measured 125 dB dynamic range.
• 8x balanced 1/4-inch TRS analog inputs with measured 120 dB dynamic range.
• Two independent, programmable headphone outputs with volume control and source select.
• Precision boost for all analog inputs and trim (cut) for all analog outputs in 1 dB increments.
• 2x banks of optical digital I/O (16 ADAT channels at 1x sample rates) with optional stereo TOSLink on Bank A.
• DSP-driven 64-input digital mixer with 32 busses and DSP effects (reverb, 4-band EQ, gate, compressor & HPF).
• Signal routing and splitting with intuitive, virtual patch cords or routing grid to easily route any source signal to any destination.
• 2x Gigabit Ethernet ports support AVB daisy-chaining and networking with standard CAT-5/6 cables.
• 16x 8-channel AVB streams in/out (128 audio channels in/out) with variable stream size (1-8 channels) per stream.
• Wi-Fi control from CueMix Pro™ app on multiple mobile devices.
• Network management features (discovery and control for multiple devices on the network).
• Control room features include Talkback and A/B/C monitor select via CueMix Pro™ software.
• Word clock in/out/thru.
• DC-coupled TRS outputs can be used to control modular synthesizers from a host DAW using control voltage (CV).
• Support for 44.1 to 192 kHz sample rates.
• 1-rack U form factor built with rugged steel construction.
• USB audio class compliant for plug-and-play operation on macOS and iOS (no driver required).
• Loopback for mixing host software output with live 848 inputs for streaming and podcasting.
• Flexible front-panel metering with meter views for analog I/O only, digital I/O only and all channels.
• CueMix Pro™ app to control mixing and settings from your Mac, PC or iOS device.
• MOTU Performer Lite workstation software included.
• 100+ instruments (in Performer Lite).
• Over 6 GB of included free loops, samples and one-shots from industry leading libraries.