MOTU has introduced the 896mk3, its newest cross-platform FireWire interface with onboard effects and mixing. The features list includes eight XLR/TRS combo-style analog inputs with exceptionally high-quality preamps, true hi-Z guitar inputs, a total of 28 inputs and 32 outputs, 192kHz analog operation, signal overload protection, 32-bit floating point DSP for digital mixing and effects processing, two banks of configurable optical I/O, and much more. All I/O is routed to a new onboard 16-bus digital mixer driven by hardware-based DSP with 32-bit floating point precision. The mixer allows users to apply no-latency effects processing to inputs, outputs, or buses directly in the 896mk3 hardware, independent of a computer. Effects can even be applied when the 896mk3 is operating in standalone mode (without a computer) as a rackmounted mixer.
Effects include Classic Reverb, which 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, musical automatic gain control. The EQ section provides 7-band parametric EQ, modeled after those found on the legendary British analog console, with four filter styles to effectively cover a wide range of audio material. Lowpass and highpass filters are also supplied with slopes that range from six to 36dB.
