Motu 8Pre-ES User manual

8pre-es

User Guide

™

Title Page

1280 Massachusetts Avenue

Cambridge, MA 02138

Business voice: [phone]

Business fax: [phone]

Web site: www.motu.com

Tech support: www.motu.com/support

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS AND ELECTRICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE 8pre-es (“PRODUCT”)

CAUTION! READ THIS SAFETY GUIDE BEFORE YOU BEGIN INSTALLATION OR OPERATION. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
COULD RESULT IN BODILY INJURY OR EQUIPMENT DAMAGE.

HAZARDOUS VOLAGES: CONTACT MAY CAUSE ELECTRIC SHOCK OR BURN. TURN OFF UNIT BEFORE SERVICING.
WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR OTHER MOISTURE.
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED

SERVICE PERSONNEL.
WARNING: DO NOT PERMIT FINGERS TO TOUCH THE TERMINALS OF PLUGS WHEN INSTALLING OR REMOVING THE PLUG TO OR FROM THE OUTLET.
WARNING: IF NOT PROPERLY GROUNDED THE MOTU PRODUCT COULD CAUSE AN ELECTRICAL SHOCK.

The MOTU product is equipped with a three-conductor cord and grounding type plug which has a grounding prong, approved by Underwriters' Laboratories and the Canadian Standards Association. This plug requires a
mating three-conductor grounded type outlet as shown in Figure A below. If the outlet you are planning to use for the MOTU product is of the two prong type, DO NOT REMOVE OR ALTER THE GROUNDING PRONG IN ANY
MANNER. Use an adapter as shown below and always connect the grounding lug to a known ground. It is recommended that you have a qualified electrician replace the TWO prong outlet with a properly grounded THREE
prong outlet. An adapter as illustrated below in Figure B is available for connecting plugs to two-prong receptacles.

Figure A Figure B

Grounding lug

Screw

3-prong plug

Grounding prong

Properly grounded 3-prong outlet

3-prong plug

Make sure this is connected to
a known ground.

Adapter

Two-prong receptacle

WARNING: THE GREEN GROUNDING LUG EXTENDING FROM THE ADAPTER MUST BE CONNECTED TO A PERMANENT GROUND SUCH AS TO A PROPERLY
GROUNDED OUTLET BOX. NOT ALL OUTLET BOXES ARE PROPERLY GROUNDED.

If you are not sure that your outlet box is properly grounded, have it checked by a qualified electrician. NOTE: The adapter illustrated is for use only if you already have a properly grounded two-prong receptacle. Adapter is not
allowed in Canada by the Canadian Electrical Code. Use only three wire extension cords which have three-prong grounding type plugs and three-prong receptacles which will accept the MOTU product plug.

IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS

1. Read these instructions. All the safety and operating instructions should be read before operating the product.

2. Keep these instructions. These safety instructions and the product owner’s manual should be retained for future reference.

3. Heed all warnings. All warnings on the product and in the owner’s manual should be adhered to.

4. Follow all Instructions. All operating and use instructions should be followed.

5. Do not use the product near water.

6. Cleaning - Unplug the product from the computer and clean only with a dry cloth. Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners.

7. Ventilation - Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

8. Heat - Do not install the product near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or another apparatus (including an amplifier) that produces heat.

9. Overloading - Do not overload wall outlets and extension cords as this can result in a risk of fire or electrical shock.

10. Grounding - Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding-type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong.

The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult and electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.

11. Power cord - Protect the product power cord from being walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against them. Pay particular attention to cords and plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit

from the unit.

12. Power switch - Install the product so that the power switch can be accessed and operated at all times.

13. Disconnect - The main plug is considered to be the disconnect device for the product and shall remain readily operable.

14. Accessories - Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.

15. Placement - Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket or table specified by the manufacturer, or sold with the product. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury

from tip-over.

16. Surge protection - Unplug the product during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.

17. Servicing - Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Ser vicing is required when the product has been damaged in any way, such as when a power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects

have fallen into the product, the product has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.

18. Power Sources - Refer to the manufacturer’s operating instructions for power requirements. Be advised that different operating voltages may require the use of a different line cord and/or attachment plug.

19. Installation - Do not install the product in an unventilated rack, or directly above heat-producing equipment such as power amplifiers. Observe the maximum ambient operating temperature listed below.

20. Power amplifiers- Never attach audio power amplifier outputs directly to any of the unit’s connectors.

21. Replacement Parts - When replacement parts are required, be sure the service technician has used replacement parts specified by the manufacturer or have the same characteristics as the original part. Unauthorized

substitutions may result in fire, electric shock or other hazards.

22. Safety Check - Upon completion of any service or repairs to this MOTU product, ask the service technician to perform safety checks to determine that the product is in safe operating conditions.

ENVIRONMENT, HEAT AND VENTILATION

Operating Temperature: 10°C to 40°C (50°F to 104°). The product should be situated away from heat sources or other equipment that produces heat. When installing the product in a rack or any other location, be sure there
is adequate space around the product to ensure proper ventilation. Improper ventilation will cause overheating and can damage the unit.

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK OR FIRE

Do not handle the power cord with wet hands. Do not pull on the power cord when disconnecting it from an AC wall outlet.
Grasp it by the plug. Do not expose this apparatus to rain or moisture. Do not place objects containing liquids on it.

AC INPUT

100 - 240VAC ~ • 50 / 60Hz • 0.5A max

Contents

Part 1: Getting Started

7 Quick Start Guide

9 8pre-es Front Panel

10 8pre-es Rear Panel

11 MOTU Pro Audio Control Web App

25 About the 8pre-es

29 Packing List and System Requirements

31 Software Installation

35 Hardware Installation

Part 2: Using the 8pre-es

55 Presets

61 Front Panel Operation

67 Working with Host Audio Software

75 Mixer Effects

83 MOTU Discovery

87 MOTU Audio Tools

103 Networking

Part 3: Appendices

111 Troubleshooting

115 Audio Specifications

117 Mixer Schematics

121 Updating Firmware

123 OSC Support

125 Index

iii

About the Mark of the Unicorn License
Agreement and Limited Warranty on Software

TO PERSONS WHO PURCHASE OR USE THIS PRODUCT: carefully read all the terms and
conditions of the “click-wrap” license agreement presented to you when you install
the software. Using the software or this documentation indicates your acceptance of
the terms and conditions of that license agreement.

Mark of the Unicorn, Inc. (“MOTU”) owns both this program and its documentation.
Both the program and the documentation are protected under applicable copyright,
trademark, and trade-secret laws. Your right to use the program and the
documentation are limited to the terms and conditions described in the license
agreement.

REMINDER OF THE TERMS OF YOUR LICENSE

This summary is not your license agreement, just a reminder of its terms. The actual
license can be read and printed by running the installation program for the software.
That license agreement is a contract, and clicking “Accept” binds you and MOTU to all
its terms and conditions. In the event anything contained in this summary is
incomplete or in conflict with the actual click-wrap license agreement, the terms of
the click-wrap agreement prevail.

YOU MAY: (a) use the enclosed program on a single computer; (b) physically transfer
the program from one computer to another provided that the program is used on
only one computer at a time and that you remove any copies of the program from the
computer from which the program is being transferred; (c) make copies of the
program solely for backup purposes. You must reproduce and include the copyright
notice on a label on any backup copy.

YOU MAY NOT: (a) distribute copies of the program or the documentation to others;
(b) rent, lease or grant sublicenses or other rights to the program; (c) provide use of
the program in a computer service business, network, time-sharing, multiple CPU or
multiple user arrangement without the prior written consent of MOTU; (d) translate,
adapt, reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or otherwise alter the program or
related documentation without the prior written consent of MOTU.

MOTU warrants to the original licensee that the disk(s) on which the program is
recorded be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use for a
period of ninety (90) days from the date of purchase as evidenced by a copy of your
receipt. If failure of the disk has resulted from accident, abuse or misapplication of the
product, then MOTU shall have no responsibility to replace the disk(s) under this
Limited Warranty.

THIS LIMITED WARRANTY AND RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT IS IN LIEU OF, AND YOU
HEREBY WAIVE, ANY AND ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, BOTH EXPRESS AND IMPLIED,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE LIABILITY OF MOTU PURSUANT TO THIS LIMITED
WARRANTY SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE REPLACEMENT OF THE DEFECTIVE DISK(S), AND
IN NO EVENT SHALL MOTU OR ITS SUPPLIERS, LICENSORS, OR AFFILIATES BE LIABLE
FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
LOSS OF USE, LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE,
OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY THIRD PARTIES EVEN IF MOTU HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS
WHICH MAY VARY FROM STATE TO STATE. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE
LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE
ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

UPDATE POLICY

In order to be eligible to obtain updates of the program, you must complete and
return the attached Mark of the Unicorn Purchaser Registration Card to MOTU.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Copyright © 2018 by Mark of the Unicorn, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system,
or translated into any human or computer language, in any form or by any means
whatsoever, without express written permission of Mark of the Unicorn, Inc., 1280
Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, U.S.A.

LIMITED WARRANTY ON HARDWARE

Mark of the Unicorn, Inc. and S&S Research (“MOTU/S&S”) warrant this equipment
against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of TWO (2) YEARS from the
date of original retail purchase. This warranty applies only to hardware products;
MOTU software is licensed and warranted pursuant to separate written statements.

If you discover a defect, first write or call Mark of the Unicorn at [phone] to
obtain a Return Merchandise Authorization Number. No service will be per formed on
any product returned without prior authorization. MOTU will, at its option, repair or
replace the product at no charge to you, provided you return it during the warranty
period, with transportation charges prepaid, to Mark of the Unicorn, Inc., 1280
Massachusetts Avenue, MA 02138. You must use the product’s original packing
material for in shipment, and insure the shipment for the value of the product. Please
include your name, address, telephone number, a description of the problem, and the
original, dated bill of sale with the returned unit and print the Return Merchandise
Authorization Number on the outside of the box below the shipping address.

This warranty does not apply if the equipment has been damaged by accident, abuse,
misuse, or misapplication; has been modified without the written permission of
MOTU, or if the product serial number has been removed or defaced.

ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY
AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE LIMITED IN DURATION TO TWO (2)
YEARS FROM THE DATE OF THE ORIGINAL RETAIL PURCHASE OF THIS PRODUCT.

THE WARRANTY AND REMEDIES SET FORTH ABOVE ARE EXCLUSIVE AND IN LIEU OF
ALL OTHERS, ORAL OR WRITTEN, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. No MOTU/S&S dealer, agent,
or employee is authorized to make any modification, extension, or addition to this
warranty.

MOTU/S&S ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
DAMAGES RESULTING FROM ANY BREACH OF WARRANTY, OR UNDER ANY LEGAL
THEORY, INCLUDING LOST PROFITS, DOWNTIME, GOODWILL, DAMAGE OR
REPLACEMENT OF EQUIPMENT AND PROPERTY AND COST OF RECOVERING REPRO­GRAMMING, OR REPRODUCING ANY PROGRAM OR DATA STORED IN OR USED WITH
MOTU/S&S PRODUCTS.

Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of implied warranties or liability
for incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not
apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may have other
rights which vary from state to state.

MOTU, Digital Performer, AudioDesk, Mark of the Unicorn and the unicorn silhouette
logo are trademarks of Mark of the Unicorn, Inc.

Thunderbolt and the Thunderbolt logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S.
and/or other countries.

This equipment has been type tested and found to comply with the limits for a class B digital
device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates,
uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is
no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does
cause interference to radio or television equipment reception, which can be determined by
turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by any
combination of the following measures:

• Relocate or reorient the receiving antenna

• Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver

• Plug the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected

If necessary, you can consult a dealer or experienced radio/television technician for additional
assistance.

PLEASE NOTE: only equipment certified to comply with Class B (computer input/output devices,
terminals, printers, etc.) should be attached to this equipment, and it must have shielded interface
cables in order to comply with the Class B FCC limits on RF emissions.

WARNING: changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the
party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the
equipment.

Part 1

Getting Started

Quick Start Guide

Thank you for purchasing an 8pre-es! Follow these
easy steps to get started quickly.

1 Download and run the MOTU Pro Audio
Installer found here:

http://www.motu.com/proaudio

2 (Optional) For quick access to the 8pre-es from
your iPad or iPhone, download the MOTU
Discovery app from the Apple App Store.

☛ Your iPhone and iPad must be on the same

Wi-Fi network as your computer.

3 Connect the interface to your computer with a
USB cable (included) or Thunderbolt cable (sold
separately). If you have a Thunderbolt-equipped
Mac running macOS El Capitan (10.11) or later,
you can alternately connect the 8pre-es to the
Mac’s Ethernet port with a standard CAT-5e or
CAT-6 Ethernet cable (sold separately).

4 Switch on the 8pre-es.

■ You should now see the MOTU Pro Audio

Control web app in your browser, as shown on

page 12. If not, visit Appendix A, “Trouble­shooting” page (111).

■ For advanced network options, and device

discovery from any modern browser, see
chapter 12, “Networking” (page 103).

Mac

Windows

6 Choose a preset from the Quick Setup.

5 Open the MOTU Pro Audio Control web app by

doing one of the following:

■ Choose Open Pro Audio Control... from the

MOTU Discovery app menu (found in the Mac
menu bar or Windows taskbar as shown below).

■ Alternately, you can launch the MOTU Pro

Audio Control shortcut found on the Windows
desktop or in Start menu> All Programs> MOTU.

■ From your iPad or iPhone, launch the MOTU

Discovery app, and tap your interface.

7

8

8pre-es Front Panel

43 10

15 14 13

1. Choose mic inputs 1-4 or 5-8, for the bank of controls to
the right (2).

2. Individual preamp gain, switchable 48V phantom power,
and optional -20 dB pad switches for each mic input. Use
the bank buttons (1) to switch between inputs 1-4 and
5-8. The Precision Digital Trim™ knob provides 63 dB of
preamp gain. Turn the knob to see the gain adjustments in
the LCD. Push in the knob to lock the gain adjustment on
screen; press it again to unlock and dismiss.

3. This is the built-in talkback mic, so that you can use the
talkback feature (10) without using up one of the two mic
inputs. See “Talkback” on page 64.

4. Press the METERS button to cycle among several LCD
screen sets, which display meters for the analog inputs and
outputs, metering for all digital I/O, device settings and
the menu.

5. Push the MENU knob to enter the LCD menu. Turn it to
scroll through menu options. Push again to go into the
sub-menus, if applicable. To choose the current setting,

push MENU a third time. Use the BACK button to return to
the previous menu level. Push METERS to return directly to
the main screen.

6. The 8pre-es dual color LCDs display metering, device
settings and menu navigation. Press METERS (4) to cycle
among several screen sets or return home after menu
navigation. Use the MENU knob and BACK button for menu
navigation.

7. The MONITOR knob controls the volume of both the A and
B monitor output pairs, regardless of which one is currently
selected. To change the relative volume between the A and
B monitor outs, see “Monitor volume control” on page 64.
This knob also supports surround monitoring. See
“Monitor control for surround” on page 64.

8. Use the A/B monitor select buttons to switch your studio’s
primary stereo output between two pairs of studio
monitors connected to two pairs of 8pre-es line outs. You
can assign these output pairs as desired. See “Output
assignments for Monitor A and B” on page 63. To enable
both pairs simultaneously, push both buttons simultane­ously.

982 5 6 7 11 121

9. Push MUTE to silence the A/B monitor outputs (or surround
outputs).

10. Push TALK to speak to musicians located in a separate
studio room or isolation booth via the 8pre-es built-in
talkback mic (3). See “Talkback” on page 64.

11. Two independent HEADPHONE OUTPUTS with volume
control. As you turn the knob, the LCD provides visual
feedback with a volume meter.

12. POWER SWITCH: Thunderbolt, AVB, and USB are “plug­and-play” protocols. That means you can switch off the
8pre-es and turn it back on without restarting your
computer.

13. Push NET ID to display network settings for the device,
including its IP address.

14. Push MONO to sum each A/B monitor stereo pair to mono.
Push it again to return to stereo operation.

15. Push BACK to go back one level when navigating the LCD
menu.

8pre-es Rear Panel

2

7 6

1. The 8pre-es is equipped with an auto-switching interna­tional power supply.

2. These are standard BNC word clock jacks. Use them for a
variety of applications, such as digital transfers with
devices that cannot resolve to the clock supplied by their
digital I/O connection with the 8pre-es.

3. These two banks of ADAT optical “lightpipe” connectors
each provide 8 channels of 24-bit ADAT optical digital I/O
at 1x sample rates (44.1 or 48 kHz) and 4 channels at 2x
sample rates (88.2 or 96 kHz). They are disabled at
higher sample rates. Bank A can alternately operate as
stereo TOSLink (optical S/PDIF) connectors.

Note: you can choose independent formats for Bank A IN
and OUT. For example, you could choose ADAT for the
optical A IN (for eight channels of input from your digital
mixer, for example) and stereo TOSLink for the optical A
OUT (for a set of auxiliary speakers, for example).

31 5

4. The eight analog outputs are balanced, DC-coupled
quarter-inch connectors that can also accept an unbal­anced plug. They provide output for studio monitors,
surround monitoring, sub-mixes or any other desired
destination. The output trim can be adjusted from the
Device Tab in the MOTU Pro Audio Control web app
software. From the factory, outputs 1-2 serve as monitor
pair A for the front panel A/B monitor switching, but
monitor pair B is unassigned. See “Output assignments
for Monitor A and B” on page 63. For surround monitor­ing, connect your surround speakers to outputs 1-6 (or
1-8) and see “Monitor volume control” on page 64.

Note: the analog outputs are not cross-coupled. There­fore, when connecting them to an unbalanced input, use
a TRS plug with the ring disconnected. Not floating the
negative terminal will short it to the sleeve ground and
cause distortion.

4

5. These eight XLR/TRS combo jacks accept a mic cable or a
quarter-inch cable, balanced or unbalanced, from a
guitar or line level source. Use the front panel controls to
adjust individual preamp gain, 48V phantom power and
optional -20 dB pad for each mic input.

6. Connect the 8pre-es to the computer here via either
Thunderbolt or USB, using a standard Thunderbolt or
USB cable (one or the other, but not both). For details,
see chapter 5, “Hardware Installation” (page 35).

7. This AVB/TSN Ethernet port provides industry standard
IEEE 802.1 network connectivity to other network
devices. Examples include:

■ Another 8pre-es or any other MOTU AVB-equipped

audio interface, such as the 1248, 8M, 16A, 24Ai, 24Ao,
112D, Monitor 8, 828es, etc.

■ A standard Ethernet hub or Wi-Fi router (for internet

connection and communication with the web app
software).

■ A standard AVB Ethernet switch for high-speed, low-

latency, high-capacity audio connectivity to an AVB
audio network.

■ A recent-generation Mac (any Mac with a Thunderbolt

port) running macOS El Capitan (10.11) or later. This
allows you to operate the 8pre-es as an audio interface
over Ethernet.

CHAPTER

1 MOTU Pro Audio Control Web App

OVERVIEW

MOTU Pro Audio Control is a web app that gives
you complete control over the 8pre-es. If you have
several MOTU interfaces networked together,
such as the 8pre-es, 1248 and 16A, you can control
them all. If you are working with a large network
of many MOTU interfaces, you can access any
device on the network.

IT’S NOT ON YOUR HARD DRIVE

The MOTU Pro Audio Control web app is served
from the 8pre-es hardware itself, therefore it is not
an application on your computer’s hard drive.
Instead, access it from the MOTU Discovery app
(in the Mac menu bar or Windows taskbar), the
MOTU Pro Audio WebUI Setup shortcut
(Windows only) or through your web browser.

USE YOUR FAVORITE WEB BROWSER

The MOTU Pro Audio Control web app runs in
any modern web browser on any device connected
to the 8pre-es, either directly or wirelessly through
a Wi-Fi network. You can use any device you wish:
a desktop computer, laptop, iPad, tablet, iPhone or
smart phone. If it can run a web browser, it can run
the web app. You can use any browser you prefer:
Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc. The latest versions are
strongly recommended.

CONTROL FROM MULTIPLE DEVICES

You can run the web app on multiple host devices
simultaneously.

RUN THE INSTALLER, GET THE APP

Visit www.motu.com/download to get the latest
MOTU Pro Audio Installer and run it on your
computer to install the MOTU Discovery app,
MOTU Pro Audio WebUI Setup shortcut

(Windows only) and other software elements.
Visit the Apple App Store to install the discovery
app on your iPad or iPhone.

MAKE HARDWARE AND NETWORK CONNECTIONS

Connect your 8pre-es to your computer or laptop
with a USB or Thunderbolt cable. Make sure your
iPad, iPhone, tablet or smartphone is connected to
the same Wi-Fi network as your computer or
device, as explained in “Setup for web app control”
on page 40.

LAUNCHING THE WEB APP

To launch the web app, do any of the following:

■ Choose the 8pre-es from the MOTU Discovery

app menu (in the Mac menu bar or Windows
taskbar, as shown on page 7) or launch the MOTU
Pro Audio WebUI Setup shortcut (Windows only).

■ From your iPad or iPhone, launch the MOTU

Discovery app.

■ In your favorite web browser, type this URL:

localhost:1280. (This URL requires a Thunderbolt
or USB connection to the 8pre-es.)

■ If the 8pre-es Ethernet port is connected to your

Ethernet or Wi-Fi network, type the unit’s IP
address (see below) into your browser.

You should now see the MOTU Pro Audio
Control web app in your browser, as shown on
page 12. If not, visit Appendix A, “Trouble­shooting” page (111).

Obtaining the 8pre-es IP address

On the front panel of the interface, push the NET
ID button. The LCD now displays the unit’s IP
address, which should look something like this:

“IP: 192.168.1.209”.

11

DEVICE TAB

9

107 8 12

11

6

5

4

3

2

1

1. If you have two or more MOTU inter­faces, the Devices list lets you choose
the one you are currently controlling
with the web app.

2. See “Touch Console” on page 22.

3. The Aux Mixing tab lets you view
each aux bus, one at a time.

4. The Mixing tab gives you access to
the mixing and DSP in the interface.

5. The Routing tab displays a grid
matrix, where you can make direct
connections between inputs and
outputs, your computer, the mixer,
and network audio streams, if
networked interfaces are connected.

6. The Device tab has settings for the
hardware itself, such as analog input
and output trim.

7. Expands and collapses the sidebar.

8. Lets you create, save, recall and
manage presets for the 8pre-es.
These presets capture and recall the
complete state of the device (all
settings in all tabs).

12

9. Choose the desired sample rate.
Make sure your host audio software
is set to the same rate.

10. Click to rename the interface. To
restore the default name, delete the
current name.

11. The Quick Setup button prompts
factory presets used to configure
your interface for a specific applica­tion. See chapter 6, “Presets”
(page 55).

12. Click this device ID button to identify
the unit you are currently viewing
and controlling with the web app
software. The front panel LCD on the
hardware itself will flash the name
of the device, and its name will also
flash in the Device list (1).

13. If an update is available for your
device, and the computer you are
viewing it from is connected to the
internet, you’ll be notified here. Click
More Info to learn what’s new and
start the update process. Firmware
updating requires a USB or network

13

14

15

16

17

Windows only

connection to your computer. See
Appendix D, “Updating Firmware”
page (121).

14. Choose the clock source from the
Clock Mode menu. Your MOTU
device will resolve its digital clock to
this master source. See “Synchroni­zation” on page 41 and other clock­related topics on pages 42-44.

15. The Clock Status icon indicates that
the current device (1) is successfully
resolved to its chosen Clock Mode
source (14). If it cannot lock for some
reason, this icon flashes red. Check
your chosen clock source, cables, etc.

16. The Word Clock output on the your
MOTU interface can operate as an
OUT or a THRU. In addition, at higher
sample rates, it can either follow the
system clock or operate at the corre­sponding 1x sample rate. For details,
see “Daisy-chaining word clock” on
page 49.

17. If you have multiple MOTU inter­faces, one of them may serve as a
master clock source for the network.

MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP

Click the Become Clock Master button
to choose the current interface (1) as
the master clock source.

18. ( Windows only) Choose the Host
Buffer Size. Smaller values reduce
latency but increase your computer’s
CPU load. See “Host Buffer Size” on
page 32.

19. ( Windows only) Choose a Host
Safety Offset to fine tune host buffer
latency. See “Host Safety Offset” on
page 33.

20. The Input Settings section provides
gain settings for inputs and the
built-in talkback mic, plus phase
invert for the mic/guitar inputs. You
can also toggle the 48V phantom
power and -20 dB pad for the mic
inputs.

21. The Output Settings section lets you
adjust the trim for any outputs that
support it. Phones and Main outputs
provide full volume control. Analog
outputs provide calibration control
(-24 to 0 dB).

18

19

20

21

DEVICE TAB (CONTINUED)

30

22

23

29

28

27

26

Scroll down to view these additional
Device tab settings.

22. Configure the optical Bank A ports
for either 8-channel ADAT or stereo
TOSLink. At 88.2 or 96 kHz, the ADAT
setting supports 4-channel SMUX
format. See “Optical I/O” on
page 47.

23. Your MOTU interface can resolve to
SMPTE time code, also referred to as
LTC (Longitudinal Time Code), by
choosing LTC from the Clock Mode
menu (item 14 on page 12). From
the LTC Input Source menu (23
above), choose the analog or digital
input that is receiving the time code.
If you would also like to send time
code (LTC) to the computer, where it
will be converted to MIDI Time Code
(MTC) for resolving your DAW or
other software to MTC via macOS
Core Audio (a Mac-only feature),
choose an audio channel you are not
using for other purposes from the

Computer Channel for LTC-to-MTC
Conversion menu; otherwise, leave it

set to None. Choose the desired
frame format, or use the Enable
Format Autodetect to automatically
detect the frame format of the

incoming time code. When Enable
Jam Sync is turned on, your interface
will continue to operate under its
own clock and continue LTC-to-MTC
conversion, even after it stops
receiving time code. Click Stop Jam
Sync to exit this mode. For further
details about time code sync, see
“Syncing to SMPTE time code (LTC)”
on page 49 and “LTC-to-MTC conver­sion” on page 74.

24. Use these buttons to manually check
for and install updates for your
MOTU interface. For complete
details, see Appendix D, “Updating
Firmware” page (121). Updating
from a file can be done off line from
your computer, using an update
you’ve obtained through MOTU’s
web site or tech support depart­ment. The Check For Updates button
requires that the computer (or
device) you are using to view your
MOTU interface is connected to the
internet through a local network or
Wi-Fi. Updating from the internet is
easy and convenient.

25. Use Set Password to password­protect the interface on the
network. All settings are blocked,

except for aux bus mixing, as shown
above (25). This allows musicians to
access their personal monitor (aux)
mixes from their mobile devices,
while all other device settings
remain blocked. To clear the
password, log in and then click Clear
Password. If you forget the
password, you can clear it in the
Settings menu in the front panel LCD
(see page 63) with either the Clear
Password setting or by doing a
factory reset with the Factory
Default setting.

26. The System Information section
displays information about your
MOTU device, including the
firmware version and network IP
address.

27. Use Restore Factory Presets to restore
your MOTU device’s factory presets.

28. Click Reboot to restar t the interface.

29. Choose the outputs you would like
to use for the front panel monitor
controls (Monitor A/B switches,
Mute and Mono). You can also

24

25

control these functions here in the
web app with the controls provided.
See “Monitor controls” on page 63.

30. When the Computer Volume Controls
option is enabled (a Mac only
feature), the Audio MIDI Setup
utility in macOS provides volume
control for each output channel to
your MOTU audio interface. In
addition, the volume controls for
your Mac (on your computer
keyboard) will control the channels
you’ve designated for computer
output in Audio MIDI Setup, if any.
Be careful when toggling this
setting because sudden changes in
your computer volume can result.

MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP

13

ROUTING TAB

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The Routing Tab lets you route inputs to
outputs. Outputs are listed by row on the
left; inputs are listed in columns across
the top. Simply click in the grid to make
a single connection. Click and drag to
make multiple connections in one
gesture. To route a single input to
multiple outputs, make multiple
connections vertically in the same
column below the input. To mix multiple
inputs to the same output, you’ll need to
use the mixer (page 16) and the Mix In
bank in the routing tab (18).

1. In its collapsed form, (shown here),
the sidebar displays icons for each
tab.

2. Click this icon to view the Routing
tab, shown on this page.

3. Click here to show or hide the
sidebar.

4. Create, save, recall and manage
routing presets.

5. Locks the grid to prevent accidental
changes. Unlock to make changes to
the grid.

6. Outputs are listed in rows on the left.

64 8

7. When you make a connection, the

8. Inputs are listed in columns across

9. The From Computer input bank lets

10. AVB streams are 8-channel banks

7

source (input) signal is listed by
name here in the Source column,
just to the right of the output it is
being routed to.

the top of the grid, starting with the
physical inputs on the hardware
itself. In this example, the analog
inputs are being routed to the
computer over Thunderbolt (TB).

you route audio channels from your
host audio software to any output,
including AVB network streams or
the mixer, where you can mix
computer audio with local inputs.
Use Routing setup (item 26 on
page 15) to choose how many
computer channels are available.

that let you route audio to or from
other devices on the AVB network (if
any are connected) to local
hardware inputs and outputs. Use
the Routing setup tab (item #31 on
page 15) to configure how many
AVB streams you wish to work with.
If you aren’t working with network
audio, you can set the number of
streams to zero to hide them from
this grid (and the mixer).

9 10

11. These input streams are buses that
originate from the mixer, which
supplies the Main Mix bus, monitor
mix bus, seven stereo aux buses,
three stereo group buses, a reverb
return bus and postFX channel sends
(for sending processed inputs to the
computer or elsewhere). You can
route these mixer buses to any
outputs you wish (6), including
physical outputs, host software on
your computer, other devices on the
AVB network, or even back in to the
mixer (beware of feedback loops!)

12. Use this column to route the
talkback mic to any desired outputs.

13. Use these triangles to expand or
collapse groups of inputs. For
example, it might be convenient to
collapse banks that you are not
using at the moment.

14. Click a channel label to rename it.

15. Audio activit y indicators.

16. Here, the Main Mix bus from the
mixer is being routed to both
headphone outs, plus Analog
outputs 1-2 (the Monitor A pair).
The Monitor bus from the mixer is
being routed to Analog Outs 3-4
(the Monitor B pair).

11

17. Click the grid to make a connection.

18. The Mix In group lets you route audio

19. AVB output streams let you route

20. The To Computer output bank routes

21. These are the physical outputs on

22. Use these triangles to expand or

23. These indicate the outputs desig-

12

Click a connection to remove it. Click
and drag to make or break multiple
connections in one gesture.

to the 48-channel mixer.

any audio to other devices on the
AVB network.

any input to host audio software
running on your computer. Use
Routing setup (item 30 on page 15)
to choose how many computer
channels are available.

the interface itself.

collapse groups of outputs.

nated for A/B monitor switching
(item #29 on page 13 and item #8
on page 9).

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MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP

ROUTING SETUP

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4. Use the Routing Setup sidebar to
show and hide inputs and outputs in
the routing grid. You can also config­ure the number of audio channels
to/from the computer and network.

5. Use the check boxes in this section to
show/hide analog and digital inputs
on your interface (item 8 on
page 14). Hide banks you are not
using to simplify the grid to
conserve DSP resources.

6. Specify how many audio channels
you would like to be able to stream
from your computer (item 9 on
page 14). You can choose up to 64
channels each way, simultaneously,
over USB or 128 over Thunderbolt.

MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP

27. This sidebar tab shows and hides the
Routing Setup sidebar (24), which
lets you configure the routing grid
for your studio.

28. Use the check boxes in this section to
show/hide analog and digital
outputs on your interface (item 6 on
page 14). Hide banks you are not
using to simplify the grid and
conserve DSP resources.

29. The digital mixer in the 8pre-es
supports up to 48 channels at 44.1
or 48 kHz. At higher sample rates,
the maximum number of supported
channels is lower, due to finite DSP
resources. If you don’t need 48
inputs (or the maximum available),

you can lower the number here to
simplify mixer and routing opera­tion and conserve DSP bandwidth
for effects processing.

30. Specify how many audio channels
you would like to stream to your
computer (item 20 on page 14). You
can choose up to 64 channels each
way, simultaneously, over USB or
128 over Thunderbolt.

31. AV B is IEEE’s Audio Video Bridging
Ethernet standard for high­bandwidth, low-latency audio
streaming over Ethernet. If your
MOTU interface is connected to a
2nd MOTU interface through its
network port, or to an AVB switch for

access to an extended AVB network,
you can stream audio channels to
and from other devices on the
network. See chapter 12, “Network­ing” (page 103).

32. If you’ve activated one or more AVB
network input streams (31), connect
them to the output streams of other
devices on the network here. This is
how you route audio from the other
devices to the 8pre-es.

15

MIXING TAB

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The Mixing tab gives you full access to
the 48-channel mixer in the 8pre-es,
which provides a Main Mix bus, monitor
bus, three group buses, seven aux buses,
and a dedicated reverb bus. Use the
Device tab to configure how many
inputs you wish to work with (up to 48).
Use the Routing tab (page 14) to route
channels to the mixer inputs. Channels
can come from any source, such as the
physical inputs on the interface,
channels coming from the computer, or
channels coming from the AVB network.

1. Shows and hides the Mixer Setup
sidebar (3), which lets you show and
hide channels, channel strip
settings, effects, and the Legend (6).

2. The Mixing tab displays the mixer.

3. Use the Mixer Setup sidebar to show
and hide elements in the mixer.

4. Shows and hides all elements in the
section with one click.

5. Create, save, recall and manage
mixer presets.

6. This column is the Legend. It
provides labels and controls for

16

channel strip sections. The menu at
the top (5) lets you create, save and
manage entire mixer presets.

7. Mixer input channels.

8. This input channel has an EQ shelf
filter enabled.

9. This is Group bus 1-2. You can send
inputs to this group with their Group
send fader (25). Groups are sent to
the Main Mix with its main send
fader (24) or aux buses (19).

10. Group buses, the Main Mix bus, and
the reverb return bus are equipped
with the Leveler, a vintage compres­sor modeled after the Teletronix
LA-2A leveling amplifier.

11. The reverb channel strip provides
the reverb processor. Use the reverb
send on inputs or groups to route
them to the reverb bus, which can
then be mixed in with the Main Mix
or aux buses. Disable the reverb
processor to use it as an extra group.

12. The Monitor Bus can mirror the
output of any other bus, or it can act
as a separate Solo bus. See page 19.

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13. The Main Mix bus is the master fader
for the entire mixer. You can add EQ
and Leveler compression.

14. You can adjust aux bus output levels
here, or in the Aux Mixing tab shown
on page 17.

15. Click a name to change it, except for
the Main Mix, Monitor, and Reverb
busses, which cannot be changed.

16. Stereo toggle to switch channels
pairs between mono or stereo. Use
the other menus to manage channel
strip presets and to choose audio
sources and destinations for mixer
inputs and bus outputs.

17. Click the thumbnail EQ graph to
open the full-size, editable EQ graph
(Figure 9-4 on page 77).

18. The Dynamics sec tion provides a
conventional compressor for inputs
and the Leveler for output busses.

19. Reverb and aux sends.

20. Solo and mute. On the Monitor bus,
the SC button clears all solos.

MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP

21. Channel faders.

22. Choose the source for the Monitor
bus from this menu. It can mirror
any output bus or the Solo Bus.

23. When Follow Solo is enabled, the
Monitor bus switches to the solo bus
when any channel is soloed.

24. Main Mix sends.

25. Group sends.

26. See “Talkback setup” on page 64.

27. See “Talkback settings” on page 65.

28. ‘S’ lets you solo the group. ‘PRE’
toggles the sends between pre- and
post-fader routing, i.e. before or
after the channel fader.

29. Show/hide output buses here.

30. Show/hide all busses with one click.

31. Toggles metering to be pre- or post­fader.

32. Show/hide inputs here.

33. Show/hide all inputs with one click.

AUX MIXING TAB

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The Aux Mixing tab provides quick
access to the 8pre-es mix buses (aux
buses, groups and reverb bus), viewed
one at a time. Choose a bus in the On
Faders section (12) and then use the
faders to directly mix the send levels
from all mixer inputs, groups, and the
reverb bus.

The Aux Mixing tab provides touch­screen friendly operation. It is ideal for
mixing on mobile devices like tablets
and smartphones. It supports multi­touch operation. For example, you can
move multiple faders at the same time
with two or more fingers.

1. The Aux Mixing tab (shown on this
page) gives you access to the aux
buses and groups in the mixer.

2. Shows and hides the sidebar (3).

3. Use the sidebar to choose the aux
bus (or group) you want to mix (12).
You can also show/hide faders (16),

MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP

show/hide the sidebar fader (15), go
full screen (17) and toggle the
metering as pre- or post-fader (18).

4. These are mixer inputs (aux sends
from each mixer channel and
group). To include an input or group
in the aux bus mix, simply bring up
its fader.

5. This is a group fader.

6. This is the master fader for the
current aux bus being viewed (4).
You can show/hide it with the
sidebar fader setting (15).

7. Meters can be PRE or POST fader, as
determined by the PRE setting (18).

8. Pan controls for aux bus inputs.

9. Click the View Personal Mix button to
open a new web page that displays
only that specific aux mix or group.

10. Use this overview strip to scroll to
the channels you wish to see. You
can either drag the overview lens
(11) or tap anywhere on the
overview to jump immediately to
that section of channels. Output
buses are displayed on the far right.
Input channels are indicated by blue
background shading. The strip also
displays a thumbnail overview of all
channel meters.

11. The overview lens indicates the
channels currently in view. Drag it to
view other channels, or tap
anywhere on the overview to jump
directly to that location. You can also
swipe left or right anywhere on the
channels above.

12. Choose the aux bus or group you
wish to view in the window. In this
example, Aux 1-2 is being displayed
(13).

13. Shows the aux bus or group that is
currently being mixed with the
faders, e.g. “on faders”.

14. Tap the section title to show/hide it.

15. Shows/hides the Sidebar Fader (6).

16. Shows/hides channel strips (4) for
inputs and outputs. Use the menu to
check and uncheck the channels you
wish to view and hide.

17. Full Screen mode is available on all
platform s except iOS (where the
Discovery app is already full screen).

18. Toggles channel meters (7) to be
PRE or POST fader.

17

MIXER INPUT CHANNEL STRIPS

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To access a mixer input channel strip, go to the
Mixing tab (page 16), reveal the side bar (item
#3 on page 16), and show the input channel in
the Mixer Inputs section (item #32 on
page 16). To show and hide sections of the
channel strip, such as EQ or the compressor,
use the Controls section of the side bar (item
#3 on page 16).

1. Click the input channel name to change it.
Delete the current name to restore the
default name.

2. Provides hardware settings for inputs, if
any, such as preamp gain. If there are no
hardware settings for the assigned input,
this icon is grayed out. If the channel has
been assigned to an input on another AVB
device on the audio network, you can use
these settings to control it remotely.

3. Choose the source for the input channel.
You can also make this setting directly on
the Routing grid (page 14).

4. Create and recall channel strip presets.

5. Toggles the input between mono and a
stereo pair.

6. High Pass Filter with cutoff frequency.

7. Each effect in the channel strip (High Pass
Filter, Gate, EQ, etc.) has an on/off button
on the left and a preset menu on the right,
for managing presets that apply only to
that processing module. For example, you
can create your own EQ presets for the EQ
modules.

8. The Gate processor provides standard
attack, threshold and release controls.

9. The Gate indicator turns red when the
gate is engaged.

10. The EQ section provides four bands of
parametric EQ, each with standard Gain,
Frequency, and Bandwidth settings.

11. The High and Low EQ bands provide a
Shelf filter button for standard high and
low shelf filtering.

12. The thumbnail EQ Graph displays the
currently enabled EQ filters, if any. Click it
to open the full-size, editable EQ Graph
(Figure 9-4 on page 77).

13. The Compressor provides standard
controls for Threshold, Ratio, Attack,
Release and Gain. Normally, the compres­sor operates in Peak mode, where signal
peaks determine the input level. Engage
the RMS button to use RMS values (overall
loudness) for the input level. Engage Auto
makeup gain to compensate for any gain
reduction.

14. Input level and gain reduction meters for
the compressor.

MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP

15. The thumbnail Compressor Graph
provides a graphic representation of the
compressor, when enabled. Click it to
open the full-size, editable Compressor
Graph (Figure 9-6 on page 78).

16. Aux 1-2 send.

17. Pan for the Aux 1-2 send.

18. Solo/Mute. Mute affects all sends as well
as the main channel. Pre-fader sends are
not affected by Mute.

19. Move the fader to adjust level. Double­click to return to zero (unity gain) or -×.

20. Click the dB scale numbers to make the
fader jump exactly to that level. Click an
drag horizontally to jump consecutive
faders to the same level.

21. Click to type in an exac t dB level.

22. Channel pan. For mono inputs, double­click to center.

23. Main Mix Slider feeds signal to the Main
Mix. Slider is set to 0 dB by default, so all
channel strips are pre-routed to the Main
Mix bus. If a channel is being sent to a
Group (which will eventually be fed to th
Main Mix), drag the slider to -× so it is no
sent to Main Mix directly.

24. Group sends.

25. Makes the input the source for talkback.

26. See “Talkback settings” on page 65.

27. ‘S’ lets you solo the group. ‘PRE’ toggles

28. The input level meter (behind the fader

29. Clears all solos.

30. ‘S’ lets you solo the aux bus. ‘PRE’ toggles

31. This side bar, with the section labels in it,

32. Shows how much DSP power is being use

the sends between pre- and post-fader
routing, i.e. before or after the channel
fader. PAN enables pan for group sends.

handle, 19) can display either pre- or pos
fader levels. Toggle here.

the sends between pre- and post-fader
routing, i.e. before or after the channel
fader. The dots let you toggle the aux bus
between mono and stereo.

can be shown or hidden using the Legen
switch in the Controls section of the side
bar (item #3 in the Mixing tab on
page 16).

by the mixer hardware. To free up DSP
bandwidth, try reducing the number of
mixer ins, disabling channel effects,
reverb, etc. See “DSP Usage” on page 81
for more info.

MAIN MIX AND MONITOR CHANNEL STRIPS

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5

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To access the Main Mix and Monitor bus channel
strips, go to the Mixing tab (page 16) and scroll
the display to the right, beyond the inputs and
groups.

To show and hide sections of the channel strip,

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such as EQ or the Leveler, use the Controls
section of the side bar (item #3 in the Mixing tab
on page 16).

1. By default, the Monitor bus serves as a solo
bus. However, it can be set to mirror the
Main Mix bus, or any other aux bus, group,
or the reverb bus, in addition to monitoring
solo. Make this choice in the source menu
(14). Use the Routing grid (page 14) to
specify the output for the Monitor bus.

2. The Main Mix bus is the primary stereo mix.

3. Provides hardware settings for any assigned
outputs that have them. For example, if the
Main Mix bus is assigned to Analog Out 1-2
on the 8pre-es, you’ll see trim settings for
the outputs. This item is grayed out if there
are no hardware settings for output.

4. Use this output assignment widget to
choose the destination — or multiple desti­nations — for the bus. You can also make
this setting directly on the Routing grid
(page 14).

5. Use the preset menus to create save, recall,
and otherwise manage channel strip
presets for the Monitor bus and Main Mix
bus.

6. Indicates that the bus is stereo.

12

7. The four-band parametric EQ for the Main
Mix bus operates the same as described for
input channels (items 10 and 11 on
page 18), including High and Low Shelf
filter options.

8. The thumbnail EQ Graph displays the
currently enabled EQ filters, if any. Click it to
open the full-size, editable EQ Graph
(Figure 9-4 on page 77).

9. The Leveler provides specialized gain reduc­tion modeled after the legendary Teletronix
LA-2A Leveling Amplifier. For complete
details, see “Leveler” on page 79.

10. Mutes for the Main Mix bus and Monitor
bus.

11. Master faders for the Main Mix bus and
Monitor bus. Use the same techniques
described for input channel faders (items
19, 20 and 21 on page 18).

12. Click to route the talkback mic to the Main
Mix output.

13. When Follow Solo is enabled, the Monitor
bus switches to the solo bus when any
channel is soloed. NOTE: if an aux bus is
soloed, then the Monitor bus carries only
the soloed aux bus (any current channel
solos are excluded).

14. Choose the source for the Monitor bus from
this menu. It can mirror the Main Mix, any
aux bus, group, the reverb bus, or it can
serve only as a Solo bus.

15. The SC button clears all solos.

16. This mid-band EQ is currently disabled (and
therefore grayed out).

MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP

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AUX BUS CHANNEL STRIPS

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Aux buses can be used to create sub-mixes. An
aux bus can be assigned to any output in the
Routing grid (page 14).

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To access an aux bus channel strip, go to the
Mixing tab (page 16), reveal the side bar (item #3
on page 16), and then show the aux buses you
want in the Mixer Outputs section (29).

To show and hide the four-band EQ section of the
channel strip, use the Controls section of the side
bar (item #3 in the Mixing tab on page 16).

1. A stereo aux bus.

2. A mono aux bus.

3. Click this dot to toggle an aux bus between
mono and stereo.

4. The four-band parametric EQ module for aux
buses operates the same as described for
input channels (items 10 and 11 on page 18),
including High and Low Shelf filter options.

5. The thumbnail EQ Graph displays the
currently enabled EQ filters, if any. Click it to
open the full-size, editable EQ Graph
(Figure 9-4 on page 77).

6. Aux bus solo and mute.

7. Aux bus master fader.

8. Click to type specific value manually.

9. Click to route the talkback mic to the aux bus
output.

10. Click the dB scale numbers to make the fader
jump exactly to that level. Click and drag
horizontally to jump consecutive faders to the
same level.

11. A disabled EQ band.

12. Use these menus (hardware settings, output
assignment, and presets) in a similar fashion
as described for the Main Out bus (items 3-5
on page 19).

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MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP

GROUP AND REVERB CHANNEL STRIPS

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Group buses can be used to create a mix sub-group, which
is a set of inputs you wish to control together as a group.
Groups differ from aux buses in that they have aux sends,
a reverb send, as well as a Main Mix send. In addition,
group buses are equipped with the Leveler.

The Reverb bus is a special group bus that provides a
reverb processor. If you disable the reverb, the reverb bus
functions as a (fourth) regular group bus.

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To access the Group and Reverb bus channel strips, go to
the Mixing tab (page 16), reveal the side bar (item #3 on
page 16), and then show the desired Group buses or
Reverb bus in the Mixer Outputs section (29).

To show and hide the four-band EQ section of the channel
strip, use the Controls section of the side bar (item #3 in
the Mixing tab on page 16).

1. A Group bus channel strip. Click the name to rename
it. Delete the current name to return to its default.

2. The Reverb bus. If you disable the Reverb processor, it
can be used as a fourth Group bus. The Reverb
channel strip is twice as wide as other mixer channel
strips to accommodate the Reverb processor controls.

3. Group busses and the Reverb bus are always stereo.

4. The four-band parametric EQ module for Group buses
and the Reverb bus operates the same as described
for input channels (items 10 and 11 on page 18),
including High and Low Shelf filter options.

5. The thumbnail EQ Graph displays the currently
enabled EQ filters, if any. Click it to open the full-size,
editable EQ Graph (Figure 9-4 on page 77).

6. The Leveler provides specialized gain reduction
modeled after the legendary Teletronix LA-2A Level­ing Amplifier. For complete details, see “Leveler” on
page 79.

7. Sends to aux buses and, for groups, the reverb proces­sor.

8. The Reverb processor. For complete information, see
“Reverb” on page 80.

9. Main Mix sends.

10. Click to route the talkback mic to the group output.

11. Master faders for the Group and Reverb busses.

12. Mute and Solo.

13. Use these menus (hardware settings, output assign­ment, and presets) in a similar fashion as described
for the Main Out bus (items 3-5 on page 19).

MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP

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TOUCH CONSOLE

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The Touch Console provides touch­screen friendly access to the mixer. It is
ideal for mixing on mobile devices like
tablets and smartphones. It supports
multi-touch operation. For example, you
can move multiple faders at the same
time with two or more fingers.

1. The Touch Console tab opens the
Touch Console shown on this page.

2. Shows and hides the sidebar (3).

3. The sidebar shows the full names of
the other tabs and the Touch
Console controls at the bottom of
the column. Push (2) to collapse it.

4. If you accessed your MOTU interface
through the MOTU Discovery app on
your mobile device, you’ll see this
link, which returns to the Discovery
app, where you can access other
available MOTU devices.

5. A mixer channel. All channels (input,
aux, group, reverb, monitor and
main) function as described earlier
in this guide. The Touch Console tab
simply shows a different, more
touch-friendly view of the same
channels and controls.

6. Swipe left or right on any channel to
scroll the channel display.

7. The Sidebar Fader remains pinned to
the right edge of the window, as you
scroll the rest of the faders, so that it
always remains visible. For example,
you might want the Main fader here
at all times, although you can
choose any channel you wish from
the Sidebar Fader menu (24).

8. Touch here to access channel
settings such as hardware input/
output assignment, 48V phantom
power, etc. (item #14 on page 23).

9. Touch this channel EQ thumbnail to
access a large, resizable parametric
EQ graph and touch-friendly EQ
controls (item #3 on page 23).

10. Touch here to access the dynamics
processing for the channel in a large,
resizable graphic panel above the
faders (item #15 on page 23).

11. Touch here to mute/unmute the
channel. Glide horizontally to toggle
multiple channels in one gesture.

12. Touch Console supports multi-touch
operation, so you can grab two or
more faders simultaneously.
Double-tap the fader to jump to
unity gain or -∞.

13. Meters can be PRE or POST fader, as
determined by the PRE setting (26).

14. Tap the fader value to type the level
numerically.

15. Touch here to solo or unsolo the
channel. Glide horizontally to toggle
multiple channels in one gesture.

16. Channel pan controls.

17. Channel name. This is the same
name as shown in the Routing Grid
and Mixer tab.

18. Use this overview strip to scroll to
the channels you wish to see. You
can either drag the overview lens
(19) or tap anywhere on the
overview to jump immediately to
that section of channels. Output
buses are displayed on the far right.
Channels are shaded as follows:
inputs: blue, groups: yellow, reverb:
red, main/monitor: gray, and aux:
aqua. The strip also displays an
overview of all channel meters.

19. The overview lens indicates the
channels currently in view. Drag it to
view other channels, or tap
anywhere on the overview to jump
directly to that location. Or swipe
left/right on the channels above.

20. The On Faders section determines
what the faders are controlling: the
input faders or sends (aux, reverb,

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

group or main). This is similar to the
conventional “Sends on Faders”
feature found on hardware mixing
consoles. For aux and group sends,
choose the desired aux bus or group
from the menu.

21. Shows what is currently “on faders”.

22. Tap the section title to show/hide it.

23. See “Talkback settings in Touch
Console” on page 66.

24. Shows/hides the Sidebar Fader (7).
Choose the bus or channel fader you
wish to display from the menu, or
choose Hide. Choose Follow ‘On
Faders’ to make the sidebar always
display the bus fader for the
currently chosen On Faders bus.

25. Shows/hides channel strips (5) for
inputs and outputs. Use the menu to
check and uncheck the channels you
wish to view and hide.

26. Toggles channel meters (13) to be
PRE or POST fader.

27. The collapsed form of the sidebar,
including Full Screen mode (below
PRE), which is available on all
platforms except iOS (which is
already full screen).

22

MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP

TOUCH CONSOLE CHANNEL SETTINGS

2 3 4 6

1

12

11

5

13

7

8

9

10

Touch any channel setting (items 8, 9
or 10 on page 22) to access the
channel tab shown above.

1. The channel tab provides touch­friendly control over every
parameter on every channel.

2. The Settings tab (14) provides
basic channel settings for inputs
(items 2 through 5 on page 18)
and buses (items 3 through 6 on
page 19).

3. The Equalizer tab (shown)
displays a touch-friendly, re­sizable EQ graph with controls,
similar to those shown in
Figure 9-4 on page 77. Tap the
desired band across the bottom
(12) and adjust its controls to the
right (9) or simply drag its
control point (13). Use two
fingers to graphically adjust
bandwidth for parametric bands.

4. The Gate tab (15) displays touch­friendly controls for the channel’s
gate processing, as explained in
“Gate” on page 76,

5. The Compressor tab (15) displays
touch-friendly controls for the
channel’s dynamics processing,

MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP

as explained in “Compressor” on
page 77 and “Leveler” on
page 79.

6. The Sends tab (16) displays long­throw faders for all of the
channel’s available sends, includ­ing aux sends, group sends, the
reverb send and the send to the
Main Mix bus.

7. The channel name. Tap or click to
edit or rename the channel.

8. Tap the X to close the tab.

9. Settings for the currently
selected EQ band (12).

10. Drag this handle to resize the tab.

11. While the channel settings tab is
open, tap any channel to jump to
it.

12. EQ bands.

13. A dragable EQ band control
point. Use two fingers to adjust
its bandwidth.

14. Channel settings tab.

15. Gate and Dynamics tabs.

16. Sends tab.

14

15

16

23

TOUCH CONSOLE CHANNEL STRIP

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1. Tap to access the channel settings (item 14 on
page 23).

2. Tap to access the multiband EQ settings (items 9 and
13 on page 23).

3. Tap to access the dynamics processing for the
channel (item 15 on page 23).

4. This panel appears on the reverb channel only. Tap it
to access the reverb settings (item 13 below).

5. Tap to access the sends tab for the channel (item 16
on page 23).

6. Channel mute. Swipe horizontally to toggle multiple
channels in a single gesture.

7. Level meter can display audio levels before (pre) or
after (post) the fader (item 26 on page 22).

8. The channel fader. Double-tap to return to unity
gain.

9. Input faders have a blue trough. When using On
Faders (item 20 on page 22), which maps sends to
the channel faders, aux sends are green, group sends
are yellow, reverb sends are red and main bus sends
are purple. This gives your eye a quick reminder of
what the faders are currently controlling. These
colors are also reflected in the sends thumbnail (6).

10. Tap the fader value to type in a value numerically.

11. Channel solo. Swipe horizontally to toggle multiple
channels in a single gesture.

12. Click the channel name to change it. On a mobile
device, this name is for display purposes only. To
change it, tap the name in the channel settings (item
#7 on page 23).

13. The reverb processor (4). For details see “Reverb” on
page 80.

24

8

13

9

10

11

12

MOTU PRO AUDIO CONTROL WEB APP

CHAPTER

2 About the 8pre-es

The 8pre-es is a 24 x 28Thunderbolt/USB/AVB
audio interface with console-style 48-channel
mixing, DSP effects, wireless control, AVB audio
networking and very high quality A/D/A
conversion at sample rates up to 192 kHz for on­the-go mobile audio recording.

Powerful DSP delivers large console-style mixing
with 48 channels, 12 stereo buses, and 32-bit
floating point effects processing, including
modeled analog EQ, vintage compression and
classic reverb. Matrix routing lets you quickly
patch ins to outs, or split inputs to multiple
destinations.

The 8pre-es can operate as an audio interface for a
studio workstation (DAW), as a standalone mixer,
or as an auxiliary monitor mixing system in the
studio or on stage. The following sections provide
a brief overview of its main features and character­istics.

Comprehensive I/O

The 8pre-es provides a variety of analog and
digital interconnects, all active simultaneously,
designed to provide everything you need for a
well-equipped recording studio.

† The 8pre-es optical connectors support several
standard optical I/O formats, which provide
varying channel counts. See “Optical I/O” on
page 47 for details about optical bank operation.

All inputs and outputs are discrete. For example,
using a mic input does not “steal” an input from
the TRS analog I/O bank.

Network I/O

8pre-es is capable of handling four 8-channel
banks of network audio input and output for an
additional 32 channels of network I/O.

Other MOTU interfaces

The 8pre-es is part of a larger family of audio
interfaces that offer complementary I/O configu­rations. For details, visit motu.com.

Universal connectivity

The 8pre-es can connect to a computer with
Thunderbolt or hi-speed USB 2.0, which is
compatible with USB 3.0. It is USB audio class­compliant, which means that it is iOS compatible
(with a camera connection kit) and does not
require driver installation for USB connection to a
computer.

Connection Input Output

Quarter-inch analog on bal/unbal TRS - 8

Mic/guitar on XLR/TRS combo 8 -

Headphone output - 2 x stereo

ADAT optical digital† 16 16

Total 24 28

Alternately, the 8pre-es can be connected to the
Ethernet port on a recent-generation Mac (any
Mac with Thunderbolt on it) running Mac macOS
El Capitan (10.11) or later for audio interface
operation through AVB Ethernet.

Mic/guitar inputs with preamps

The eight rear-panel mic/line/instrument inputs
are equipped with preamps and “combo” XLR/
TRS jacks, which accept XLR microphone inputs
or quarter-inch line/instruments inputs.
Individual 48 volt phantom power and a -20 dB

25

pad can be supplied independently to each mic
input. The Precision Digital Trim™ knobs on the
front panel for each mic/instrument input provide
up to 63 dB of boost in precise 1 dB increments.

Flexible analog I/O with Precision Digital Trim™

All quarter-inch analog outputs can accept either a
balanced or unbalanced plug. The quarter-inch
outputs are DC-coupled, so they can be used for
CV control output.

Equipped with renowned ESS Sabre32™ DAC
technology, all analog outputs offer 32-bit trim in
the DAC, also adjustable in 1 dB increments. You
can save your trim configurations as a preset for
instant recall.

On-board DSP with mixing and effects

8pre-es is equipped with a powerful DSP engine
that drives both an extensive routing matrix and a
48-input digital mixer with 12 stereo buses and
effects. The mixer offers familiar operation
modeled after large format mixing consoles.

32-bit floating point processing

All of the mixing and effects processing in the DSP
engine is handled with 32-bit floating point
calculations, to maintain and deliver virtually
unlimited headroom and the utmost in sound
quality.

Modeled vintage effects processing

Effects include “classic” reverb, compression
modeled after the legendary Teletronix LA-2A
compressor, and 4-band EQ modeled after British
analog console EQs.

AVB/TSN system expansion and audio
networking

AV B stands for the IEEE 802.1 Audio Video
Bridging Ethernet standard for high-bandwidth,

low-latency audio streaming over Ethernet. You
may also hear AVB referred to as AVB/TSN or
simply TSN because the IEEE is in the process of
renaming the standard to Time Sensitive

Networking to accommodate the expanding scope
of the specification to applications beyond audio
and video.

The AVB Ethernet network port on the 8pre-es
lets you add a second AVB-equipped MOTU
interface using any standard CAT-5e Ethernet
cable. You can network up to five MOTU
interfaces together using a MOTU AVB Switch™
(sold separately), and then run them as a stand­alone network or as an extended bank of I/Os for
your computer-based production system (or
both). You can even connect multiple computers,
each with full access to all devices on the network
(including the other computers).

With additional standard AVB switches (from
MOTU or other brands) and standard Ethernet
cabling, you can build an extensive AVB audio
network. The entire network operates with near­zero network latency, even over very long cable
runs. MOTU’s AVB implementation allows you to
stream hundreds of audio channels among devices
and computers on the network with guaranteed
Quality of Service (QoS), prioritizing audio
streams over less important traffic.

Matrix routing and multing

The 8pre-es provides completely flexible matrix­style audio routing and multing. You can route any
analog or digital input, computer channel, or
network stream to any other output, computer, or
network device. You can also mult any single input
to unlimited multiple output destinations.

Web app control

You can control the 8pre-es on-board DSP,
mixing, device settings, clock/sync settings and
network audio routing from the MOTU Pro
Audio Control web app software running in your
favorite browser on a laptop, tablet or smart
phone. Multiple devices can be used simultane­ously on a shared Wi-Fi network to access any

26

ABOUT THE 8PRE-ES

audio interface settings. Optional password
protection prevents unauthorized access from the
network.

Stand-alone mixing with wireless control

If you connect the 8pre-es to an Apple Airport or
other Wi-Fi router with a standard Ethernet cable,
you can control its powerful mixing and DSP
effects from your smart phone or tablet, without a
computer — great for live sound mixing from your
iPad, tablet, or other wireless device.

ADAT digital I/O

The 8pre-es provides two 8-channel banks of
optical digital I/O. Connect outboard digital
processors, digital mixers or other gear: 16
channels at 44.1/48 kHz or 8 channels at 88.2/96
kHz. Alternately, the Bank A optical ports can be
independently configured to support stereo
TOSLink (optical S/PDIF). The banks operate

independently, including input and output,
allowing you to mix and match any optical
formats. For example, you could receive four
channels of 96 kHz S/MUX input on Bank A
while at the same time sending 96 kHz stereo
optical S/PDIF (“TOSLink”) from the Bank A
output.

On-board SMPTE synchronization

The 8pre-es can resolve directly to SMPTE time
code from any input, without a separate
synchronizer. The 8pre-es provides a DSP-driven
phase-lock engine with sophisticated filtering that
provides fast lockup times and sub-frame
accuracy.

Word clock

The 8pre-es supports standard word clock
synchronization at any supported sample rate.
When the 8pre-es is operating at 96 kHz, it can
generate word clock output at either 96 or 48 kHz.
Half-rate output is supported for all high sample
rates (from 88.2 to 192 kHz).

Full-color dual-LCDs

The full-color dual-LCDs display all signal activity
at a glance with vivid, detailed metering for all I/O.
You can access many hardware settings directly
from the front panel.

Two independent headphone outputs

The 8pre-es front panel provides two independent
headphone jacks with separate volume control.
You can program each phone output to mirror
another set of outputs or act as its own
independent output.

Control room features

Control room features include a built-in talkback
mic with front panel “talk” button and “A/B”
monitor select, mute and sum-to-mono buttons
for the main outs. Surround monitoring is also
supported for both 5.1 and 7.1 surround.

Rack mount or desktop operation

The 8pre-es is housed in a sturdy, metal-alloy full­rack enclosure. Rack mounting brackets can be
removed for desktop or mobile operation.

AudioDesk

AudioDesk is a full-featured audio workstation
software package for Mac and Windows that is
available as a free download for you as an 8pre-es
owner. Visit motu.com/download to obtain your
copy. AudioDesk provides multi-channel
waveform editing, automated virtual mixing,
graphic editing of ramp automation, real-time
effects plug-ins with crossfades, support for many
third-party audio plug-ins, sample-accurate
editing and placement of audio, and more.

ABOUT THE 8PRE-ES

27

28

ABOUT THE 8PRE-ES

CHAPTER

3 Packing List and

System Requirements

PACKING LIST

The 8pre-es ships with the items listed below. If
any of these items are not present in the box when
you first open it, please immediately contact your
dealer or MOTU.

■ One audio interface

■ USB cable

■ Power cord

■ User guide

■ Product registration card

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

■ A 1 GHz Intel-based Mac or Pentium-based PC

(or compatible). Faster CPUs are recommended
for best performance.

■ 2 GB RAM; 4 GB or more recommended.

■ macOS 10.8 or later; Windows 7 or later; for

operation as an AVB Ethernet audio interface,
macOS10.11 or later is required, running on a
recent-generation Mac (any Mac with a
Thunderbolt port on it).

PLEASE REGISTER TODAY!

Please register the 8pre-es today. There are two
ways to register.

■ Visit www.motu.com/register

OR

■ Fill out and mail the included product

registration card

As a registered user, you will be eligible to receive
technical support and announcements about
product enhancements as soon as they become
available. Only registered users receive these
special update notices, so please register today.

Thank you for taking the time to register your new
MOTU products!

■ Available Thunderbolt or high-speed USB 2.0

(or 3.0) port.

■ A large hard drive (preferably at least 512 GB).

29

30

PACKING LIST AND SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS