The MOTU 8pre-es is a 24x28 audio interface designed to provide versatile connectivity, DSP console-style mixing, and high-resolution audio for musicians and recording engineers in project studios, commercial facilities, home setups, and live stage applications. Packed with ESS Sabre32 Ultra digital-to-analog converters, it boasts a dynamic range of 123 dB and latency as low as 1.6 ms. The 8pre-es can be used at up to 24-bit / 192 kHz resolution with a host DAW or as a standalone mixer. It is compatible with Thunderbolt and USB on Mac OS X and Windows systems.

Its 24 inputs include eight XLR-1/4" combo jacks for mics, instruments, and line-level signal, as well as optical S/PDIF and ADAT ports. Among the outputs are eight 1/4" TRS jacks, two headphone outputs, ADAT, and S/PDIF.

Time code support is also on hand, as the machine converts SMPTE time code to MTC, then passes MTC on to any MTC-compatible host. The unit sports flexible monitoring thanks to its digital mixer, as well as a built-in talkback mic and front-panel talk button for communicating with your artists. The mixer is DSP-powered, offering console-style control over 48 channels, multiple aux buses and groups, and effects such as reverb, EQ, gating, and compression, and even LA-2A emulations.

Control the interface functions via a web app on a wired or wireless device. Additional power is unlocked via the supplied MOTU software package, which includes audio analysis tools and the AudioDesk digital audio workstation.