MOTU 896mk3 Firewire Audio Interface

Manufacturer's Description for MOTU 896mk3 FireWire Audio Interface

The all new 896mk3 FireWire audio interface delivers high-end performance, superb sound, innovative new features and enhanced standard features that remain unique. The 896mk3 provides eight channels of pristine 24-bit 192 kHz analog recording and playback, combined with sixteen channels of optical digital I/O, stereo AES/EBU, S/PDIF and separate analog main outs. Expand your system by connecting the 8pre mic input expander or other MOTU audio interfaces.

The 896mk3 is equally well-suited for studio and stage, with or without a computer. As an interface or standalone mixer, the 896mk3 provides 28 separate inputs and 32 separate outputs, including dedicated main outs on XLRs and two front panel headphone outs.

Connect all of your studio gear, including microphones, guitars, synths, keyboards, drum machines and even effects processors. Record, monitor, route and process all of these live inputs using the professional on-board CueMix FX digital mixer - with no latency and no processor strain on your computer. Apply hardware DSP-driven effects processing to inputs, outputs, and busses independent of your host computer. Add Classic Reverb with lengths up to 60 seconds. Further sculpt your sound with 7-band parametric EQ featuring filter types carefully modeled after British analog console EQs. Choose between two forms of compression: a conventional compressor and the Leveler, an accurate model of the legendary LA-2A optical compressor that provides vintage, musical automatic gain control.

When recording from the mic/guitar inputs, the 896mk3's signal overload protection gives you an extra 12 dB of headroom above zero with no clipping or harsh artifacts.

After programming the on-board mixing in the studio, unplug the 896mk3 from the computer and take it on the road for operation as a stand-alone mixer with effects. All mixing and effects parameters are adjustable using the front panel backlit LCD.

The 896mk3 provides cross-platform compatibility with Mac and Windows 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, with 24-bit recording/editing and 32-bit mixing/processing/mastering.

Expand your 896mk3 system and run it with all your favorite audio software.

Adding more I/O to your 896mk3 system
As with other MOTU FireWire interfaces, the 896mk3 supplies two FireWire jacks so it can be daisy-chained with additional MOTU FireWire audio interfaces or other devices.

The 896mk3 is also fully compatible with the 8pre, a single rack MOTU interface that adds 8 mic preamp inputs to the 896mk3. Because the 8pre connects to the 896mk3 via ADAT optical, its mic inputs are fully integrated into the 896mk3's on-board CueMix FX digital mixer.

Drivers and AudioDesk workstation software
The 896mk3 provides CueMix FX and drivers for Mac (OS X) and Windows (XP and Vista) for cross-platform compatibility with virtually all audio software via WDM/ASIO/Core Audio drivers.

The 896mk3 includes AudioDesk, the advanced workstation software for Mac OS X with 24-bit recording and editing, along with 32-bit mixing, processing and mastering.

896mk3 Clock and sync
The 896mk3 uses extremely accurate Direct Digital Synthesis(TM) for internal clocking and for resolving to external word clock or SMPTE time code sources. The 896mk3 can resolve directly to time code, with no additional sychronizer required.

Direct Digital Synthesis clock
The 896mk3 is equipped with Direct Digital Synthesis(TM) (DDS), a DSP-driven phase lock engine and very high frequency digital clock source that produces imperceptibly low jitter characteristics (well below the overall noise floor), even when the 896mk3 is resolved to an external clock source via either word clock or SMPTE time code. This technology represents the very latest in extremely high-performance, yet cost-effective digital audio clocking. DDS also allows the 896mk3 to maintain an extremely stable clock while resolved to incoming clock sources that have substantially more jitter than the 896mk3 itself.

On-board SMPTE time code synchronization
You can slave your 896mk3 system directly to SMPTE time code, without a dedicated synchronizer, via one of the 896mk3's analog input jacks. The 896mk3 provides a DSP-driven phase-lock engine with sophisticated filtering that provides fast lockup times and sub-frame accuracy.

SMPTE Console software
The included MOTU SMPTE Console(TM) software (for Mac OS X, Windows XP and Windows Vista) provides a complete set of tools to generate SMPTE for striping, regenerating or slaving other devices to the computer. Like CueMix FX, the synchronization features are cross-platform and compatible with all audio sequencer software that supports the ASIO2 sample-accurate sync protocol. zZounds is an authorized dealer of Mark of the Unicorn (MOTU) products.

CueMix FX(TM) - flexible 28 input/16 bus mixer with on-board DSP effects, including reverb with sends/returns, plus EQ and compression on every input and output.

28 inputs / 32 outputs (at 44.1/48 kHz) - there's no channel sharing in the 896mk3; the mic inputs, AES/EBU I/O, S/PDIF I/O, headphone out and main outs are all handled as separate channels.

Front-panel control - access any setting in your entire 896mk3 mix directly from the front panel.

Stand-alone operation - program your mixes at the studio and then bring the 896mk3 to your gig - no computer needed. Need to tweak the mix? Do it on site using the back-lit LCD and front-panel controls.

Multiple CueMix FX mixes - for example, create different monitor mixes for the main outs and headphones. Or add send/return loops for outboard gear - with no latency.

Eight rear panel combo jacks provide 1/4" or XLR mic input with phantom power, pad and plenty of gain.

Clip protection - input limiter prevents digital clipping and distortion from overloaded signal levels up to +12 dB over zero.

Eight 24-bit 192kHz analog inputs and outputs on XLR jacks

Flexible optical I/O - 16 channels of ADAT lightpipe, 8 channels of SMUX (96 kHz) or two pairs of stereo TOSLink. Mix and match formats between the two banks.

Expandable - add additional interfaces for more I/O as your needs grow.

Separate XLR main outs and front-panel headphone jacks, each with independent volume control.

Stereo 24-bit 96kHz AES/EBU in/out

Stereo 24-bit 96kHz S/PDIF in/out

Word clock in and out

Includes drivers for Mac & PC, including ASIO, WDM, Wave, GSIF, Core Audio, and Core MIDI. Supports all popular Macintosh and Windows audio software.

100% compatible with all host-based effects processing in today's popular audio programs.

Includes AudioDesk full-featured sample-accurate workstation software for the Macintosh with recording, editing, mixing, real-time 32-bit effects processing & sample-accurate sync.

Plug-and-play operation with your Mac or PC via FireWire.

Front panel volume control for monitoring. Stereo, Quad, 6.1, 7.1 and user-defined surround monitoring setups available.

Two front panel headphone jacks with independent volume controls.

Comprehensive front panel metering for all analog and digital audio I/O.

Dedicated front panel clock status LEDs.

International 100-240V, 50-60 Hz autoswitching power supply.

System Requirements
Mac OS 10.4.7 or higher

G4 1 GHz or faster

1 GB RAM

A optical disc drive for installation (via CD-ROM)

Recommend Specs
Multi-core/multi-processor G5 or Intel-based Mac

2 GB RAM or more