Studio Equipment Recommendations October 2013

Review: Turn your computer into a powerful digital audio workstation with eight mic inputs. Or add eight high quality mic/instrument inputs to your current system.

The 8pre audio interface delivers everything you need to turn your computer into a powerful 24 bit, 96KHz digital audio workstation. The 8pre provides eight microphone/instrument preamps with pristine 96kHz analog recording and playback, combined with 8 channels of ADAT optical digital I/O. Expand your system by connecting additional 8pres or other MOTU audio interfaces.

Use the included CueMix software to mix all 16 inputs from your computer. Eight channels of ADAT optical I/O make the 8pre an ideal companion for a digital mixer. Two ADAT lightpipe connections work together to support a full 8 channels of optical digital I/O at any sample rate up to 96kHz.

Connect all of your studio gear, including microphones, guitars, synths, keyboards, drum machines and even effects processors. Then monitor all of these live inputs via the 8pre's main outs or headphone jack - with virtually no monitoring latency and no processor drain on your computer. You can even create separate monitor mixes for the main outs and headphones. Control everything, including talk-back and listen-back, from the included CueMix Console software, just like a large studio console.

The 8pre includes a 16 channel MIDI interface. Simply connect the 8pre to your computer with any USB cable, and both MIDI and audio are ready to go. Connect any MIDI device, such as a controller keyboard, synth module, automated control surface or drum machine. Timing is sample-accurate with supporting software.

The 8pre provides cross-platform compatibility with Mac OS X (10.6 or higher), Windows (8/7/Vista) and all of your favorite audio software and host-based effects via WDM/ASIO/Core Audio drivers. Or you can use the included AudioDesk workstation software for Mac OS, with 24 bit recording/editing and 32 bit mixing/processing/mastering.

The 8pre is really two products in one. When it is not connected to a computer via USB, the 8pre functions as an eight-channel analog to digital (optical) converter. Connect the 8pre to your MOTU 828, 896, Traveler or even another 8pre via the optical lightpipe connection to add eight high quality microphone pre-amps to your system. Since the connection is digital, 100% pristine sound is maintained, down to the very last sample.