Will MOTU’s new 624 and 8A raise the bar for compact interfaces?
With Thunderbolt, USB3 and AVB, these two new units pack quite a punch
MOTU 624 and 8A Interfaces · Source: motu.com
MOTU 624 Interface · Source: motu.com
MOTU 8A Interface · Source: motu.com
Just in time for Christmas, MOTU have announced two new interfaces overnight. The 624 and 8A extend their current product line with two compact models harbouring some of their most interesting tech to date. These little half-rack units both have feature sets that pack quite a punch, and aren’t directly comparable to anything else on the market. There’s not much these little boxes can’t do, as long as AVB suits your requirements.
MOTU 624 and 8A audio interfaces
When you’re looking for a new audio interface there are so many factors to consider. These days it can come down to the smallest of features, such as mobile app control, or internal DSP power. What MOTU have been doing for a while now is packing their new products with virtually every option that’s available. Despite their smaller size, these two new interfaces are no exception. Both offer Thunderbolt and USB3 connectivity for low-latency recording and AVB as their chosen AoIP protocol. Perhaps the AVB decision won’t work for everyone, but there aren’t many interfaces that offer any form of AoIP yet, which is madness.
Both units feature ESS Sabre32 DAC convertors, which is the same technology as found in their flagship 1248 interface. I think MOTU are desperately trying to shake their reputation for building average converters, and unfortunately they are playing the “superb analog audio quality” card. The truth is that this generation can deliver an impressive 123dB of dynamic range on their analogue outputs.
Signal to noise
However, their noise-to-signal ratio specifications, which are more than acceptable considering their price point, are comparably average to what other manufactures are achieving today. At the end of the day, the results speak for themselves and I know there are many users who are very happy with the audio quality MOTU currently offer.
The 624 sports 2 mic inputs, 2 instrument inputs, 4 line inputs, 6 line outputs, 8-channels of ADAT and a headphone amp. The 8A has a similar channel count but presents 8 line inputs and 8 line outputs, along with the ADAT connection and headphone amp. The total channel count of the 624 and 8A are 32 and 34 respectively, once you include their AVB connection. Additional selling points, as with their other modern interfaces, are the on-board DSP power for ‘console-style’ mixing and effects processing, and the remote control via mobile device over WiFi.
More Information
For more information about the 624, visit the MOTU webpage here.
For more information about the 8A, visit the MOTU webpage here.
Shipping already, both these units have a recommended retail price of 795 USD. That seems quite fair for two products that promise some high performance with a good level of new tech.
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One response to “Will MOTU’s new 624 and 8A raise the bar for compact interfaces?”
“once you include their AVB connection” should be “once you include their ADAT connection”