Three new Thunderbolt/USB 2.0 Interfaces from MOTU. Just posted up on Sweetwater and the MOTU website. Info below taken from Sweetwater.


MOTU website Link:
MOTU.com - Products

MOTU 16A


If you're looking for a system that can meet the needs of a wide range of professional audio applications, then check out the MOTU 16A hybrid audio interface. With 16 balanced analog inputs and outputs, the 16A serves as an excellent conduit for your outboard microphone preamplifiers and other studio gear, and an additional 16 channels of I/O on ADAT optical ports provides you with plenty of expansion for multi-channel mic pres and more. Thanks to its Thunderbolt connectivity, latency is no hurdle for the 16A, though the onboard DSP mixer offers latency-free routing for monitoring and mixing. MOTU's AVB Ethernet lets you network multiple AVB interfaces to your 16A, and advanced capabilities even let you use it as a standalone, iPad-controlled digital mixer if you like.

MOTU 1248


There are tons of cool ways to use the MOTU 1248 hybrid audio interface, ranging from modest one-room studios to multi-room production houses or full-blown live-sound applications. However you put your 1248 to work, we're sure you'll appreciate its exquisite sound quality and extremely flexible I/O. In all, you get 32 inputs and 34 outputs, including a flexible 8 x 12 analog section. Four stellar MOTU preamps provide clean and clear amplification, and extremely high-speed Thunderbolt connectivity makes latency a total nonissue. Onboard the 1248 you'll find a powerful DSP mixer complete with effects, EQ, and dynamics. MOTU AVB Ethernet lets you network multiple interfaces to your 1248, and advanced capabilities even let you use it as a standalone, iPad-controlled digital mixer.

MOTU 8M


At Sweetwater, we've been recommending MOTU's 8-preamp, ADAT-equipped audio interfaces since they first became a thing - MOTU practically invented the format! So we were all a bit blown away when the groundbreaking MOTU 8M hybrid audio interface came out, and we're sure you'll feel the same way, when you get a look at what it's got going on under the hood. For starters, the 8M include eight magnificently clear MOTU preamps onboard, which each sport V-Limit protection to ensure clipping doesn't ruin your sound. And each of the 8M's combo inputs accommodate balanced line-level and unbalanced instrument-level signal as well, so you can comfortably hook up all of your gear. An additional 16 channels of I/O on ADAT optical ports provides you with plenty of expansion options too. Thanks to its Thunderbolt connectivity, latency isn't an issue for the 8M, and a standalone DSP mixer onboard offers routing for monitoring, mixing, and more.

Oh hell yes. Complete info is up on MOTU.com.

This looks awesome.

Half the price of the Orion.....

I still haven't figured out why there aren't more line-in only interfaces on the market.

Also half the quality of the Orion.

Dont kid yourself, MOTU has not the best converters nor drivers.

^ well let's hear one before writing such stuff.

I mean, that isn't really unlikely, but who knows...

But they're not even close to the worst, either.

Looking forward to checking them out.

Good things come to those who wait.

It was inevitable that more vendors would move to Thunderbolt compatibility.

Prices?????

Nice!

I checked the product specs out - they are employing the same converters technology as the recent high tire apogee stuff.

They'll likely not sound that good, but they got better and I'd be glad to pay for one or two of these units if the sound comes close to the apogee symphony's.

Yeah, I wouldn't think it would be of equal quality. My point was that it addresses a certain need/desire regarding functionality, at a much more accessible price point (I'm referring specifically to the 16A, here). I, for one, am pretty happy about the notion of not paying for preamps on a converter.

I'm sure if you were to sing the praises of the Orion, someone's gonna chime in to say that it's not as good as Metric Halo....and so on and so forth. We can all play that game, all day.

A potentially useful tool entering the marketplace at a cost/functionality ratio where there currently exists a gaping black hole? Yes, I am interested in that.

Especially considering the fustercluck that was USB 3. TB presents its own challenges as far as industry growth is concerned, but at least Thunderbolt products will actually work. (Knock on wood.)

Sweetwater's got all three units listed at $1495.

Ethernet streams routing is awesome

I'm in - looking to replace my PCIe based MOTU interfaces connected to my 2008 Mac Pro (downsizing and upgrading at the same time - going thunderbolt w/ a mini/imac/macbook pro ) - these look good. finally.

Was this even at summer namm, if not, I'm through building my anticipation for summer namm announcements, what a joke!!! Seems like Motu is taking the bull by the horns on this one, can't wait!!!

Hugely interested!

The networking is pretty dam impressive :


MOTU.com - Networking

Hi, I was just checking MOTU website for the spec of 828x, and they have an announcement of three new thunderbolt interfaces.

MOTU.com - Welcome to MOTU Audio

I don't see the price yet, and my guess is much more expensive than 828X (about $800) since they say 'high end'.

Interesting product for me is 16A, which doesn't have mic preamps. I think for the people who already have nice preamps, 16A is going to be the perfect interface.

There's a thread about these in the Summer NAMM sub-forum.

Sweetwater shows pricing of $1,495 for any of the interfaces and $295 for the CAT5 switch.

I'm all over these - finally I can retire the 2408 PCI systems that have served me so well for over a decade and plonk down for the new Mac Pro Cylinder.

We used the 424 card for years at the studio I worked at. Zero problems with the drivers. It was the most stable unit I ever used bar none. Used 2x2408 and 1x24io.

Converters didn't stop us getting radio play.

Really looks like some nice stuff!!

Yep, me too. Over the last ten or fifteen years I've had all three generations of 2408 systems, from PCI to PCIx to PCIe - three rigs at a time, and never one single click, pop, white noise blast, "interface not found" message, compatibility issue, or any other problem of any kind.

The MOTU stuff has been, by far, the most reliable and trouble-free audio systems I've ever used.

And, yeah… the converters have never been an issue for me either - but it's nice to see they're using the latest spiffy chips.

There are things I'd like to see in the future (Inserts, input source monitoring, midi learn of mixer and MCU control) but nothing that can't be implemented in a future software / firmware release. I really find the whole system quite impressive.
Just one thing is really disappointing (a game stopper for me and laptop users in general): Just one Thunderbolt input?? Come on! How am I supposed to daisy chain my Thunderbolt stuff? I am not going to buy a cylinder just for that.

This is great! If they would expand it with a smaller (on tour/gig) version and a headphone system over this Ethernet system it might be ideal for every situation.

Lots of studios using MOTU converters, the 24 i/o's and similar. Nobody is complaining.

Even then, if you have subjectively better outboard converters, record through those via the ADAT inputs and use it's analog I/O to dedicate your outboard.

Pretty much exactly what I'm looking for, bit expensive though. $1500 is a reasonable price if it performs well... no thunderbolt out, and I'm guessing it's not actually making use of thunderbolt speeds (not that it really needs to) if it's working alongside USB2.
Let's wait and hear it!

Exactly that! With what is being consumed out there, no need to micro kvetch about minor differences.

They use the same convertors the other big boys use.

^ not for sure at all.

They say they employ 32bit ESS sabre32 ULTRA's, which may be two different converters altogether, but Antelope doesn't wanna reveal what converter chips it uses, and Apogee only states "32 bit ESS sabre32", which is the collective name of a series of converters which contains 5 series of converters, each one containing 1 to 3 different converters, if you count only the DACs.
Double these numbers if you wanna include ADCs.
Thunderbolt i/o according to the MOTU website.
Thunderbolt is by design better than USB.
It's a peer to peer connection instead of a server-client one, it has less latency, it can carry a lot more current, and it has more channels, so while the interface might not use the full thunderbolt speed, using them over thunderbolt instead of USB will most likely improve performances.

If the 16A sounds at least as good as an Aurora, it will definitely meet the demands of many people at that price point, myself included. All I want is 16 analog I/Os for Pete sakes