From MOTU

Aimed at serious musicians, creators, and podcasters, the completely redesigned MOTU 828 USB-C Audio/MIDI Interface connects to a Mac, Windows, or iOS device via lightning-fast 5 Gbps USB 3.1 with low-latency high-performance drivers to deliver 60 total channels of I/O and 24-channel mixing with onboard effects processing, including reverb, 4-band EQ and compression. The 828 features a refreshed front panel that offers an improved user interface and high-resolution metering.

Superb Analog Audio Quality and High-End Converters
  • Renowned ESS Sabre32 DAC technology delivers 125 dB of dynamic range and extremely low harmonic distortion, with support for all standard sample rates up to 24-bit / 192 kHz. Analog performance is driven by decades of MOTU engineering expertise in audio-interface technology.
Transparent Mic Channels
  • Cutting-edge components deliver ultratransparent sound with -114 dB THD+N, 118 dB dynamic range, and -129 dBu EIN. Each mic channel provides individual controls for +74 dB of preamp gain, -20 dB pad, 48V phantom power, and phase invert.
  • All settings can be controlled remotely from a computer or iOS device. Each mic channel includes a dedicated send/return insert (balanced) for outboard gear processing.

Universal Connectivity for Mac, Windows, iOS

  • Connect to your Mac, Windows, or iOS device with 5 Gbps USB 3.1 (compatible with USB 2), with up to 60 audio channels (28-in / 32-out). Class-compliant firmware means you can plug and play with Mac or iOS hosts, no driver needed. Industry standard high-performance drivers work with any audio apps.
  • Connect directly to your iPad via USB-C or a standard camera connection kit (Lightning adapter).

 

 

 

Ultralow Latency Performance
  • Optimized drivers for both Mac and Windows deliver renowned ultralow latency performance.
  • With a high-performance DAW such as Digital Performer, the 828 delivers an astonishing round trip latency (RTL) of ~2 ms (milliseconds) over USB (2 or 3), at 96 kHz with a 32-sample host buffer.

Bright 3.9" TFT Display on Front Panel

  • On the front panel, the bright 3.9", 24-bit RGB LCD provides 480x128 pixel high-resolution metering for all analog and digital I/O.
  • Get detailed status info and access to hardware settings from a simple and convenient menu.

60 Simultaneous Audio Channels

  • 28 inputs and 32 outputs, including two combo XLR/TRS mic / line / Hi-Z guitar inputs with send/return inserts, 8 TRS analog (line-level) in/out, and separate main outs on XLR jacks.
  • Two banks of 8-channel ADAT I/O, stereo RCA S/PDIF digital I/O, and two front-panel headphone outputs.

Hi-Z Guitar Inputs: DIY Guitar Re-Amping

  • Connect your guitar to the front-panel Hi-Z combo input, use CueMix's near-zero latency to loop to any output (with a re-amp adapter, if needed), and record both the dry signal and your miked-up amp simultaneously.
  • Then re-amp the dry signal later with different amps and cabs—or amp modeling plug-ins—to experiment with different tones.

Send/Return Loops for Both Mic Inputs

  • Each 828 mic input offers a dedicated analog send/return loop, allowing for both mono or stereo mic-channel outboard processing via fully balanced connections.
  • If nothing is plugged into a mic input, its return serves as an extra line input with identical signal characteristics to all other line inputs.

Two Independent Headphone Outputs

  • With independent volume control, each headphone output can mirror each other, the Main Outs, any other analog output pair, any CueMix bus, or any USB output channels.
  • Or, you can create a completely customized mix for each headphone output that includes live 828 inputs and built-in reverb.

Wireless Wi-Fi Control

  • If the 828 is connected to a computer on your Wi-Fi network, you can control all settings and mixing wirelessly from the CueMix 5 app running on mobile devices or other computers on the same network—even multiple devices at the same time.
  • Manage access to the 828 with network discovery and password protection.
DSP Mixing and Effects Processing
  • Flexible 24-input digital mixer with 8 stereo buses and DSP effects, including reverb, 4-band EQ, gate, and compression.

 

 

 

Control-Room Features: A/B Speaker Select and Talkback
  • Take control of your recording sessions with the front-panel talkback switch.
  • Connect two sets of monitors and check your mixes instantly with front-panel A/B select buttons.
  • Talkback uses any analog input (no built-in front-panel talkback mic).

Monitor Group for Surround Systems

  • Control your 5.1 or 7.1 surround speaker system with a single fader.
  • The MonitorGroup gives you the flexibility to choose any analog outputs you wish to control.

Loopback and Live Streaming

  • With two loopback channels, you can easily route computer output back to the computer, where you can mix it with live mics and/or guitar inputs from the 828 in your host software for live streaming or podcasting.

ADAT Optical I/O and Optical Expansion

  • Connect outboard digital processors, digital mixers, or other gear with 16 channels of ADAT at 44.1 / 48 kHz or 8 channels of S/MUX at 88.2 / 96 kHz.
  • Bank A can optionally provide stereo TOSLINK (optical S/PDIF) I/O up to 96 kHz.

S/PDIF Digital I/O

  • The 828's standard RCA S/PDIF input and output make stereo digital transfers a snap, with optional external clocking and support for sample rates up to 96 kHz.
  • Choose any source signal for the S/PDIF output.

CueMix 5 Monitor Mixing with Effects

  • CueMix 5 for Mac, Windows, and iOS gives you simple yet comprehensive graphic control over your mix with attractive graphic mixing, graphic editing of parametric EQ, and a convenient touch-friendly interface (on iOS) for quick access to all mixing features, digitally controlled trims, and other settings.
5-Pin DIN MIDI I/O with MIDI Thru
  • Connect MIDI gear without the need for a separate MIDI interface.
  • MIDI Thru mode lets you loop MIDI directly from IN to OUT, bypassing the computer (or with no computer connected).

DC-Coupled TRS Outputs

  • All analog outputs are DC-coupled.
  • This means you can use the 828 to manipulate and sequence modular synthesizers from a host DAW using control voltage (CV).

Footswitch Input

  • Connect a standard foot pedal switch (available separately) for hands-free punch-in and punch-out while recording.
  • Or map the pedal to any keystroke function in your host software.
Other Features
  • Word clock in/out/thru supports all sample rates up to 192 kHz.
  • Latching power button that prevents inadvertent switching.
  • Built-in rack ears for improved durability.
  • Sheet-steel case with increased depth and heft.
Channels of I/O
28 Inputs / 32 Outputs
Maximum Sampling Rate
192 kHz / 24-Bit
Number of Microphone Inputs
2
Analog Audio I/O
2x Combo XLR-1/4" 3-Pin Balanced Mic/Line/Hi-Z Input
8x 1/4" TRS Balanced Line Input
2x 1/4" TRS Balanced Insert Input
8x 1/4" TRS Balanced Line Output
2x XLR 3-Pin Balanced Monitor Output
2x 1/4" TRS Balanced Insert Output
2x 1/4" TRS Headphone Output
Digital Audio I/O
2x TOSLINK Optical ADAT Input
2x TOSLINK Optical ADAT Output
1x RCA Coaxial S/PDIF Input
1x RCA Coaxial S/PDIF Output
Host Connection
USB-C (Class-Compliant)
OS Compatibility
macOS 10.13 or Later
Windows 10 or Later
Power Requirements
AC Input
Channels of I/O
28 Inputs / 32 Outputs
Built-In DSP
Yes
Maximum Sampling Rate
192 kHz / 24-Bit
Number of Microphone Inputs
2
Built-In Microphone
No
Input Level Adjustment
2x Knob
Signal Processing
Pad
Mic/Line/Hi-Z:
-20 dB (Switchable per Channel)
Gain/Trim Range
Combo XLR-1/4" Mic/Line/Hi-Z Inputs:
74 dB (in 1 dB Steps)
Digital Inputs:
20 dB
High-Pass Filter
No
Solo/Mute
Mute per Master
Connectivity
Analog Audio I/O
2x Combo XLR-1/4" 3-Pin Balanced Mic/Line/Hi-Z Input
8x 1/4" TRS Balanced Line Input
2x 1/4" TRS Balanced Insert Input
8x 1/4" TRS Balanced Line Output
2x XLR 3-Pin Balanced Monitor Output
2x 1/4" TRS Balanced Insert Output
2x 1/4" TRS Headphone Output
Phantom Power
48 V, Selectable On/Off
Digital Audio I/O
2x TOSLINK Optical ADAT Input
2x TOSLINK Optical ADAT Output
1x RCA Coaxial S/PDIF Input
1x RCA Coaxial S/PDIF Output
Host Connection
USB-C (Class-Compliant)
Host Connection Protocol
USB 3.1/3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi
USB (Non-Host)
No
Sync I/O
1x BNC Word Clock Input
1x BNC Word Clock Output/Thru
Network I/O
No
MIDI I/O
1x DIN 5-Pin Input
1x DIN 5-Pin Output
Expansion Slots
No
Other I/O
1x 1/4" Footswitch
Wireless
Wi-Fi
*Built-In
Performance
Maximum Input Level
Mic Inputs:
0 dBu
Line/Insert Inputs:
+21 dBu
Maximum Output Level
Line/Insert/Monitor Outputs:
+21 dBu
Headphone Outputs:
14.4 dBu
Impedance
Mic/Line/Hi-Z Inputs:
1 Megohm
Headphone Outputs:
< 1 Ohm
Dynamic Range
Mic Inputs:
118 dBA
Line Inputs:
120 dBA
Line Outputs:
125 dBA
Headphone Outputs:
118 dBA
Line Outputs:
125 dB
Digital AD/DA Converters:
125 dB
THD+N
Mic Inputs:
-114 dB
Line Inputs:
-114 dB / 0.0002%
Line Outputs:
-114 dB / 0.0002%
Headphone Outputs:
-110 dB / 0.0003%
EIN
Mic Inputs:
-129 dBu
Digital Audio
Sample Rates
44.1 / 48 / 88.2 / 96 / 176.4 / 192 kHz
Sample Rate Conversion
No
Bit Depths
24-Bit
Latency
2 ms at 96 kHz
Sync Sources
ADAT, Internal, S/PDIF, Word Clock
Audio Storage & Playback
Media/Memory Card Slot
No
Compatibility
OS Compatibility
Computer: macOS 10.13 or Later / Windows 10 or Later
Mobile: iOS Only
OS Compatibility
macOS 10.13 or Later
Windows 10 or Later
Processor Requirement
Mac:
Intel Core
Apple
RAM Requirements
4 GB
Mobile App Compatible
Yes: iOS Only
Power
Power Requirements
AC Input
AC Input Power
100 to 240 VAC, 50 / 60 Hz
Physical
Rackmount Size
1 U
Dimensions
19 x 12.25 x 1.75" / 48.3 x 31.12 x 4.45 cm
Weight
11.0 lb / 5.0 kg
Packaging Info
Package Weight
17.4 lb
Box Dimensions (LxWxH)
25.7 x 19.1 x 8.3"

Free 3-Year Warranty

Sound Pure stands behind our products. Free three-year warranty on this item. Coverage exclusions live in Terms & Conditions, Section 27.

Level of support and expertise that simply isn't available at big-box megastores. Read the warranty →

Returns

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