When Mark of the Unicorn (now pretty much universally known as MOTU) first showed us their 2408 behind closed doors back in early 1998 and then told us the price, our jaws dropped on the floor. (A few of us are still applying facial cream to heal the stretch marks.) No computer-based recording system had ever come close to this much input and output anywhere near this price.
The truly amazing thing is this: Now, more than two years later, the 2408 still remains unchallenged in price-to-performance, bang-for-the-buck or what we simply call "outstanding value" here at Sweetwater. The 2408 is still one of our most popular products, surpassing even the success of the ADAT and other music technology hall-of-famers. And that's a truly remarkable position to hold in an area of music technology that has been absolutely exploding.
The birth of an entire product line. In fact, MOTU has been doing some "exploding" of their own this past year. They've extended the 2408 into an entire line of recording systems to fit just about every budget and operating scenario, starting with the 1224, with its stunning balanced 24-bit analog I/O and AES/EBU. Then they added the 24i with 24 balanced 24-bit analog inputs in a single rack space (yikes!)- it's the perfect system for you if you're interested in consolidating your entire studio onto your computer desktop. Just get all your audio into the computer and then record, edit, mix, process and master it in the "virtual studio" on your computer screen.
MOTU then followed up with the 308, the "all digital I/O" that provides 8 channels each of S/PDIF, TOSLink (optical S/PDIF), and AES/EBU. Finally, we've been told that MOTU will soon ship the most ambitious, high-end system yet: the 1296. (More on this exciting development later in this article.)
As you can see, MOTU has not been content to sit on their laurels and the phenomenal success of the 2408. Instead, they've been busting their - ahem! - "you-know-whats" to release five new systems in the span of about 18 months. If you're recording audio with a computer - Mac or PC - at least one of these new MOTU systems is most likely to fit your needs like a glove - at a fantastic price.
The "stealth update" we'll never forget. Amidst all of these fast and furious product releases, MOTU then pulled one of the most memorable "stealth" updates we've ever encountered in our long, illustrious history here at Sweetwater. A short while ago, yet another massive shipment of 2408s arrived at our bustling warehouse, but we soon noticed that the labels on the boxes were a wee bit different: They all had the familiar 2408 logo, but there was this small, inconspicuous "mkII" at the end. Hmmm...
"Mark II?" we asked. A few quick calls and sure enough, MOTU confirmed that they have replaced the original 2408 with the incredible new 2408mkII - at the same incredible old price! And with no fanfare. No lavish tradeshow release parties. No trips in corporate jets to secluded South Pacific Islands (oh darn). The new 2408mkIIs just quietly appeared on our loading dock. Ho hum, just another great technological advance at no extra charge.
More features for the same price! So you want to know: Why is the new 2408mkII even better? First of all, it has all of the original 2408's great features, including three banks of ADAT optical, three banks of TASCAM TDIF, 8 channels of analog, S/PDIF, 24-bit recording capability, sample-accurate sync, the ability to expand, industry wide compatibility, etcetera, etcetera.
But the 2408mkII has an updated analog section. The A/D and D/A converters have all been upgraded from clean 20-bit to super clean, incredibly detailed 24-bit converters for full 24-bit analog recording. MOTU says that they were able to pull this off and still maintain the same price point because of significant price-to-performance advancements in converter technology in the short period of time since the 2408's original release. The signal-to-noise ratio of the 2408mkII's analog ins and outs is now an astounding 105dB - more than good enough for album-quality, broadcast-ready audio.
But in their own typical fashion, MOTU didn't stop there. They also upgraded the analog connectors from unbalanced RCA connectors to fully balanced, +4dB quarter-inch TRS connectors for fully professional operation. And the 2408mkII is more flexible, too, because you can configure the inputs to be either +4 or -10dB for unbalanced input sources, such as synths, sound modules, and other common unbalanced studio signals. You can even configure each input individually to suit your exact needs. If you need further gain, you can boost input levels via the 2408mkII's (included) CueMix console software, which can add 6 or 12 dB of boost per channel via software.
MOTU also added another small, but crucial feature: The headphone volume knob on the front panel now also controls the 2408mkII's quarter-inch main outputs on the rear panel. In our view, this is the final feature that allows you to build a completely "mixerless" studio. Just connect your main studio monitors to the main outs of the 2408mkII and you still have a volume knob to grab quickly when the phone rings. Connect all the rest of your gear to the other ins and outs and do all your mixing in Digital Performer or AudioDesk. Very slick!
Sneak Preview: The MOTU 1296. We're already reserving space in a future issue of Sweet Notes to give you a thorough run-down of MOTU's "Next Big Thing," the 1296 System. But we're so excited about it, we just had to give you a quick peek here. The 1296 is MOTU's foray into 24-bit / 96 kHz audio recording. It's a two-rack space interface clearly designed for the demanding high-end professional. Even if you're one of those hardened skeptics who scoffs at the idea of doing multitrack recording at 96K, the 1296 is just as appealing at 44.1 or 48 kHz.
As you might already have figured out, the "96" in the name "1296" stands for 96kHz recording. The "12" stands for 12 channels each of balanced 24-bit analog input and output on XLR connectors. MOTU equipped the 1296's isolated analog I/O circuit board with the latest generation state-of-the-art 24-bit "enhanced multi-bit" 128x oversampling 96 kHz A/D and D/A converters. The A-weighted dynamic range is an astounding 117 dB for the 12 inputs and 116 dB for the 12 outputs. the audio workstation software included with every MOTU core system. And the 1296's ASIO and Wave drivers ensure full compatibility with any ASIO/Wave compatible audio software that supports 96kHz recording.
Add 96kHz recording to your MOTU system. But here's perhaps the coolest and most significant feature of the 1296: It plugs right in to MOTU's current systems. If you own a 2408, for example, you can connect a 1296 interface directly to one of the three AudioWire sockets on the PCI-324 card. Unlike some other manufacturers, MOTU has given us the opportunity to go 96K without trading in or retiring even one cent of our initial MOTU investment!
Even if you're still just thinking about going 96kHz, you don't have to buy the 1296 right now. You can purchase a 2408mkII, 1224, 24i or 308 today and make the jump to 96kHz later on when the time is right for you. It's always nice to go with a system that gives you a sense of flexibility and peace of mind, rather than buying into a closed system that has no expansion - or sticks you with a costly upgrade path. And MOTU interfaces are tried and true, bullet-proof solutions. We've sold countless systems to people just like you. So call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer now to discuss how the 1296 system (or any other MOTU product) will probably fit your specific needs.