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From Our Research Team:

MOTU's Premier FireWire Interface!

MOTU re-invents their popular 896 interface with the 896mk3. With eight XLR/TRS "combo" style analog inputs with preamps, true hi-Z guitar inputs plus a load of digital I/O for a total of 28 inputs and 32 outputs, the 896mk3 is ready to be the centerpiece of your digital studio. Built-in effects bolster the feature set with the Classic Reverb, British-style EQ, and an emulation of the legendary LA-2A, which does amazing things to drum and mix busses. If you need a top-notch FireWire interface, check out the 896mk3.

MOTU 896mk3 at a Glance:

• Digital mixing
  
• Effects processing
  
• Overload protection
  
• Comprehensive metering
  
• CueMix FX software
  
• Comprehensive I/O
  
• Synchronization
  
• Expansion, drivers and AudioDesk

Digital mixing
The 896mk3 provides 28 inputs and 32 outputs in a two rack-space form factor. All I/O is routed to an on-board 16-bus digital mixer driven by hardware-based DSP with 32-bit floating point precision. The mixer allows for no-latency effects processing to inputs, outputs, or busses directly in the 896mk3 hardware, independent of the computer. Effects can even be applied when the 896mk3 is operating stand-alone as a complete rack-mounted mixer. Input signals to the computer can be recorded wet, dry, or dry with a wet monitor mix (for musicians during recording, for example).

Effects processing
The 896mk3's Classic Reverb provides five different room types, three frequency shelves with adjustable crossover points, shelf filtering, and reverb lengths up to 60-seconds. Two forms of compression are supplied: a standard compressor with conventional threshold/ratio/attack/release/gain controls and the Leveler, an accurate model of the legendary LA-2A optical compressor, which provides vintage and musical automatic gain control. Finally, the EQ section provides 7-band parametric EQ modeled after British analog console EQs, featuring 4 filter styles (gain/Q profiles) to effectively cover a wide range of audio material. LP and HP filters are also supplied with slopes that range from 6 to 36dB.

The 896mk3's flexible effects architecture allows users to apply EQ and compression on every input and output (a total of 60 channels), with enough DSP resources for at least one band of parametric EQ and compression on every channel at 48kHz. However, DSP resources are allocated dynamically and a DSP meter allows users to keep tabs on the 896mk3's processing resources. Each input, output and mix bus provides a send to the Classic Reverb processor, which then feeds reverb returns to mix buses and outputs, with a selectable split point between them to prevent send/return feedback loops.

Overload protection
An individual trim knob, 20dB pad switch, and 48V phantom power switch are supplied on the front panel for each of eight mic/guitar combo jacks on the rear panel, all eight of which are equipped with preamps and V-Limit, a hardware limiter that helps prevent digital clipping from overloaded input signals. With V-Limit enabled, signals can go above zero dB (where limiting kicks in) to as high as +12 dB above zero with no distortion due to digital clipping. Additional protection can be applied to the mic/guitar inputs by enabling the 896mk3's Soft Clip feature, which engages just before clipping occurs and helps reduce perceptible distortion.

Comprehensive metering
The 896 is well known for its comprehensive front panel metering, and the 896mk3 builds on this unique feature to further set it apart. 10-segment ladder LEDs are provided for every input and output. One 8-channel meter bank is dedicated to the eight analog inputs. Another 8-channel meter bank can display any input or output bank, which the user can quickly select with a convenient front-panel rotary encoder. Dedicated main out meters are also provided.

CueMix FX software
All of the settings in the 896mk3 are accessible from the programmable front-panel backlit LCD. Users can also launch the CueMix FX control software for Mac OS X, Windows XP and Windows Vista. CueMix FX is a completely new software front-end with attractive graphic mixing, graphic editing of parametric EQ and a convenient tabbed interface for quick access to all features in one window. Three separate tabs show inputs, mix busses (eight stereo busses), and outputs. Users click a "Focus" button on any channel or bus to edit its settings in another area on the right-hand side, which provides separate tabs for graphic editing of the parametric EQ, compression and other effects. Each channel displays a graphic thumbnail of EQ curves, compressor settings, and other channel specific parameters. There is also a section for talkback and listenback. CueMix FX can be operated side by side with any host audio software for Mac or Windows, and it can be controlled from the Mackie Control Universal Pro automated worksurface.

Comprehensive I/O
The 896mk3 allows users to connect a wide variety of studio gear, including microphones, guitars, synths, keyboards, drum machines, and effects processors. In addition to the eight mic/guitar preamp inputs, the 896mk3 provides two independent headphone jacks with independent volume knobs, one of which also controls the XLR main outs on the rear panel. This "master vol" knob can also be programmed to control any combination of outputs (analog and/or digital). For example, it can control monitor output for an entire 5.1 or 7.1 surround mix.

All analog I/O can operate at sample rates up to 192kHz (a total of eight analog inputs and ten outputs). Two optical banks provide 16 channels of ADAT optical at 48 kHz, 8 channels of S/MUX optical I/O at 96 kHz, or two banks of stereo TOSLink at rates up to 96kHz. The banks operate independently, allowing users to mix and match any optical formats. AES/EBU and RCA S/PDIF connectors also supply independent sets of stereo digital I/O.

Synchronization
The 896mk3 is equipped with Direct Digital Synthesis (DDS), a DSP-driven phase lock engine and internal clock source that produces imperceptibly low jitter characteristics (below the noise floor), even when the 896mk3 is resolved to an external clock source via either word clock or SMPTE time code. The 896mk3 can directly resolve to (or generate) time code via a dedicated quarter-inch time code input and output, without the need for an extra synchronizer.

Expansion, drivers and AudioDesk
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.

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 included AudioDesk workstation software for Mac provides 24-bit recording/editing and 32-bit mixing/processing/mastering.

MOTU 896mk3 Features:

• 28-in/32-out FireWire Interface
  
• CueMix FX - flexible 28 input/16 bus mixer with on-board DSP effects
  
• Front-panel control
  
• Stand-alone operation
  
• Eight rear panel combo jacks provide 1/4" or XLR mic input with phantom power and pad
  
• Clip protection
  
• Eight 24-bit/192kHz analog inputs and outputs on XLR jacks
  
• 16 channels of ADAT lightpipe, 8 channels of SMUX (96 kHz) or two pairs of stereo TOSLink
  
• 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 workstation software for the Mac
  
• 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

MOTU's 896mk3 is primed to be the centerpiece of your digital studio!

Specification Detail Manufacturer Part Number 4460