MOTU 1248 32x34 Thunderbolt / USB 2.0 Audio Interface with AVB Reviews

I upgraded from the Scarlett 18i20 and what a difference! I'm an average bedroom jammer with a fairly simple home studio with some outboard gear and primarily record metal guitars. The first thing I did was test old mixes and immediately noticed bad frequencies popping out that the 18i20 simply didn't reveal.
To verify I wasn't hearing things or that my ears didn't magically get better in one day, I set out to use the same amp and outboard settings and re record my last project, only this time with the 1248.

Setup:
My cab was triple mic'd running directly to the Motu XLR pres. All three channels eventually go through outboard channel strips for EQ. While I wish there was a way for people in my situation to bypass the interface pres while still using phantom power to enable you to simply convert mic level to line to DAW, to avoid double preamping, all I can do for now is minimize interface coloration. To do this I turn my source up (amp... too bad for the neighbors) to enable me to turn the preamp down. Fortunately the 1248 also allows you to control not only analog output but also input levels! From there I turn the input/output down when routing out to my channel strip forcing me to use the outboard channel strip's gain and output which effectively reduces coloration and replaces it with the outboard gear's coloration. While this is not a perfect technique, it does help and is made possible thanks to Motu. I use this method since I'm only one person and can't mix and track at the same time. Not only do I have an amp blasting feet away from me making it impossible to hear my monitors to mix but you also can't track while your monitors are on( in the same room) in the first place to avoid bleed through of your monitors to your mics! I use drum headphones to track to a click track, which works great, especially when layering guitars! Unless you have a control room or have settings you know work, this is the only method available for average home studios micing cabs that I found works best. It also allows you to tediously tweak channel strip EQ's after they've been recorded which is essential when using multiple channel strips for tone shaping - since each mic track will sound like s*** solo'd but when combined sound magical, unlike using a single mic where you're just making that one mic sound good.

Mixing:
The 1248 wasn't forgiving in those problem frequencies mentioned earlier. So I wasn't hearing things! It forced me to make the needed EQ corrections. In short, what sounded good on the 18i20 was noticeably bad on the 1248. More pleasing was that these fairly subtle corrections translated in a hugely noticeable improvement in the car stereo and after-market computer speakers!.. something I was not expecting, not that big of a difference anyway. There is also a clarity improvement from my previous unit, not only can I hear each guitar take better in a mix but even individual mics almost as if they were recorded separately especially the room mic. This new depth is really what helped me find those frequency build ups through my monitors.

The web app routing and mixing controls took getting used to. They're flexible, but not intuitive. To do something as simple as tracking with headphones while muting only the monitors isn't something you can do by ONLY the routing matrix in the web app(otherwise muting the monitors also mutes your headphones). In the web app you need to send your computer out to a MIX along with your mic's then route that signal back to your computer. This was something not covered in any tutorial. Routing for outboard processing was much easier and does not require a mix. Once you get the idea of how it works its not that bad. The flexibility is pretty amazing.

OS: Windows 10 with USB2


Cons:
*Routing learning curve
*No wireless connectivity to your router for firmware updates and connection for use of the wireless app feature.
*Cannot use internal DSP effects at 192 resolution
*DSP effects are not like traditional plugins and cannot be used in your DAW without an additional routing headache in both the web app and your DAW (why not use traditional plugins that run off the units DSP similar to the Antelope Orion?)
*Not able to use phantom power or dynamic mic while bypassing the preamp completely and just convert mic signal to line to record directly to DAW for later use of hardware. Although any extra coloration does seem minimal this issue needs to be addressed especially for home studio's in my situation where we are stuck with the recording technique mentioned earlier.

Overall, there are features I'll never use or make the most of but with audio quality alone it's worth the cost especially those costing over $1,000 more with identical specs.

I've owned a Lynx Aurora 16 TB, Avid 192 I/O, and Antelope Orion 32, and Orion Studio, and this Motu 1248 sounds as good and in some cases BETTER than the interlaces listed.
The control panel software take a bit of getting use to, but once you get the hang of it, it's amazing the various routing and cue mixes you can make and SAFE.
I was a big skeptic, of MOTU, but I bought this with the condition a could return it, well I had a Orion Studio, and the MOTU at the same time, and every blind fold test I ran, with other people, they all choose the MOTU, now the difference IMO is that the MOTU sounds more focused,but the Orion, and a nice image, so it is really really close between the two, but when it came down to picking one the 4 deciding factors where:
1-Sound
2-Motu Thunderbolt works on Windows 10 and Mac OS X, and it's really rock solid
3-The control software was more flexible,and you can network
4-Finally the price, save yourself the $ difference, if sound is all your after, the MOTU sounds VERY good !

Sounds great, works great, elegant under the hood and tough on the outside. Not a huge footprint and plays nice with my older non-TB Mac. Recommended!

I got the MOTU 1248 as an upgrade from my 828Mk3 Hybrid. I use DP 8 for my DAW with various mic pre's and a bunch of plug ins (mostly Waves). I have been using this unit pretty consistently for the last few weeks and so far it has been great! It's very stable...I've yet to have a hardware crash. The Thunderbolt speed is awesome too. Very clean A/D and D/A converters. The main reason I got the 1248 was for the new mixer that MOTU has designed to go with it. It's by far my favorite part as I was never really a fan of Cue Mix. This new mixer is very intuitive and gives you so much flexibility for routing signal, mixing, and monitoring. It's basically a slick digital mixer in software form. It's also web-based so you can launch the mixer on your computer or mobile device and as long as you are on the same network any device will interface with your mixer and by extension your DAW. I haven't used the networking function with this interface as I work pretty independently and don't do much collaboration with other engineers (sadly enough). I am confident the 1248 will work very well with any major DAW out there but my only experience is with DP. I figure its best to keep the audio components "in the family". If you are looking to start a DAW studio or upgrade your current audio interface this one I highly recommend!

There are a few really good audio interface companies who have created sound advances over the past few years. My old audio interface finally started failing a few months ago, so I started reading up, ahead of the inevitable, on the latest products. I was interested in a Windows capable tool, with the latest adac technology, respectable preamp architecture, expandable and under 2000 dollars. Comparing that list, with each offering out there, and the new MOTU AVB product line came up. so - I decided to give it a go...

Being a very different architecture, there was a leaning curve to it.. I had to load new firmware, wrap my head around routing and the AVB architecture, get it to fit my needs with its broad flexibility, but it was worth it. With CAT 5 cabling throughout my house, every room became a recording session possibility and that's pretty sweet. Next, at 60 db, the mic pre's do a good job - clean, transparent. It's coverters are the same found in a unit costing many hundreds of dollars more. I use Sonar Platnum and while it's a pretty complex device, I had it installed and working well in under an hour.

I had a piece that I just mixed and mastered (I use that term loosely) so I simply took that work, re-output a new mix, and master. No tweeking. To my ears, there was a definite difference between the old 828mkII version, and the 1248 version. Wider stereo field, fine details came out., less smear. Much better. I then re-recorded the entire song sans vocals - drums - acoustic guitars - electrics - bass. I grew to like the large screen display, and relied on the BIG vu meters to dial in finer detail during setup. Then mixed, mastered (no change in the mastering tweeks to keep variations under some control) and compared the old and new versions. The 1248 preamps are definitely clean, and deliver a great value overall.

As of today, they do not have a Windows based Lightning driver. That's not a problem for me. The USB2 driver is fast, and can easily handle a small project studio like mine. I found that the web based server incorporated into the device pretty cool when hooked up to a wifi router. I can change my monitor mix in another room no problem.

I was on the edge about giving it a 4.5 instead of a 5 because I really wanted it to be completely plug and play, but you know what? Read up on the net out there. You'll find that MOTU's evangelists have been very active and truthful about what's in the product, it's direction and the like. With everything that's packed into this hardware, the superb sound on both ad and da converters, routing flexibility, AVB to add other units in, easy firmware updates, it really is worth a 5. Good job MOTU, and Lindsey at Sweetwater.

L

I used MOTU's Traveler since 2007, and I gained a lot of confidence in their sound, as well as portability/ease of use. I recently replaced it with the 1248. With improved D/A converters what can I say. My whole focus being a traveling recording artist is music studio quality in a box -- and MOTU certainly delivers. You will not be dissapointed in this unit, I promise you.

So I gave it a few weeks to make sure it wasn't my mind justify my new purchase, but I feel confident to leave this review now. This box is awesome!

Hardware: The unit feels sturdy. Made of a hard plastic. The knobs feel a bit wiggly, maybe a little weak, but racked up, it should be out of harms way. Mic cables pop into the pre-amps with an authoritative and affirmative click. Front panel menus are easy enough to navigate and being able to 'pin' a full size meter makes setting gain levels easy, even when from across the room. Being able to mute an output with a push of the knob is cool, but it is annoying that when muted, if you turn the knob instead of pushing the knob to unmute, it starts the gain from minimum rather than from where you were when you muted it. All jacks feel sturdy, and you can't beat the in and out provided with this guy.

Software: Definitely not quite as plug and play as I'm used to. Maybe if I had a bit more modern computer it would have been as simple as 1-2-3 like the MOTU website implies, but I had to dig for some older versions of the driver and such to get my computer seeing my 1248. Using a webpage (even though internet is not required) to access the internals seems weird, but cool for remotely controlling it. Latency isn't too bad. Running mine on USB, I can get it down to about 128 sample buffer with some small intermittent pops (maybe once every 30-60 seconds), and almost no discernible latency (about 8-10ms). Raising the buffer one step gives it rock solid stability, but a bit more latency (about 14ms). The routing matrix does take a bit of reading to get your head around it, but it's devised to be very functional in a lot of different situations. I haven't messed with the internal mixer yet, but seems like it will be pretty awesome for direct monitoring.

Sound: I definitely heard a difference. AD/DA imparts a fairly small impact on your sound, but when basically everything else in your chain is going in and out of it, you're going to want something of decent quality, and this delivers. I noticed right away, even with stuff I had mixed in the past, that the highs were extended yet smooth, the low end was tighter and more precise and I could differentiate mid frequencies better. That also meant my old mixes were exposed in all their lackluster glory, but you get the idea. The pre-amps are quiet and seem clean. I usually use outboard pres but I definitely wouldn't hesitate to use these if I needed to. Don't have the harshness or flabby bottom of some budget interface pre-amps.

All in all, I'm definitely happy with the 1248. I'm proud to have it as my studio's centerpiece

This is my fourth MOTU interface, and with each generation, MOTU has made good improvement. The 1248 is a leap far forward in my opinion. The Traveler mkIII that preceded it in my studio was a stable and versatile piece of gear that sounded very, very good - but, the 1248 is in another class altogether. It is just short of twice the cost of the Traveler, but It's clear that MOTU has decided in the AVB line to put the extra dollars into the audio performance of both input and output. There is an obvious improvement in the mic preamps, and the computer audio sounds superb through the main outs. The AVB web app that sets it up is a breeze to use, and it's cool that firmware updates can be made with the unit in place and connected via Ethernet. The 1248 should satisfy just about anyone who wants a Thunderbolt 2 interface. 1/2 star deducted for no Thunderbolt cable included. The 1248 can be connected via USB3, and that cable is included.

Got this interface yesterday upgrading from the 8Pre. Well worth the investment. I love the fact that this system is expandable. Well built, knobs feel rock solid (could be a bit bigger though), Screen is HUGE (viewing angle can be better), 2 headphone jacks independently assignable (GREAT), I/O and routing is awesome, Web App allows vast control possibilities. AVB using Yosemite works great (so far). Overall, Great box.

Have to give credit when credit is due. Yesterday I made 2 calls to MOTU Tech Support concerning the Web App routing screen. Within 3 rings the calls were answered by an actual tech guy, NOT an automated system. NIIIICE. The guys were very knowledgable and I was up and running in no time.

Thank you MOTU for your great software/hadware

MOTU user since 1997

I'm a big MOTU fan and have been using their gear for about 8years. I have two 1248s. I bought the first one before the Windows drivers were available. I used the first one initially as a stand alone mixer run from my iPad. When the windows drivers were available I bought a second one. So I'm now using both with the master on the USB and the second connected with an Ethernet cable. I do both stand alone mixing and recording with Cubase 8 Pro. There is plenty I/O and it is easy to access all the kit I use with plenty left for live recording. The graphic routing page allows you to find everything easily and allows multiple sub mixes etc. many more features than I currently need but flexibility to do just about anything you might want. Would have given 5 stars but I think the Windows drivers are lagging a bit behind the Mac version and lack a few features that will probably be added in the future. Overall I'd recommend the 1248 to anyone looking for pro features and performance that's still affordable for a home studio.

Sounds same or better than UAD Apollo. Better routing. Cheaper looking exterior but there is also more information on the screen especially on the mic pres.

No doubt the converters in this unit are nice. This is my third MOTU interface over the years and they keep getting better. You can tell the bulk of the money went into the guts of this thing as the exterior housing, knobs, etc feel like a children's toy for the most part. That aside, (and the fact that the posted instructional videos on MOTU's website finally got the Matrix clicking for me), this thing is a beast from a sound quality perspective.....and isn't that really what an audio interface is supposed to do well? Flexible in/outs and routings as well. Happy camper here in Boise!

Love the flexibility of this hardware, but alwyas have issues with the audio. If you put your laptop to sleep, basically have to restart the hardware unit. Does not know how to resync apparently.

Restart of the unit takes 45 seconds - 1 min, so makes this inconvenient. Not sure why this unit can't detect when sync is failing.

Switching the sync rate, ex 96000 to 44100 from UI in an attempt to resync audio, will crash applications like Maschine - either during normal operation, or perhaps when the unit is in this not synced zombie mode

motu 1248 - OSx Mojave - LogicX - Maschine.

Having owned several MOTU products, I've always found the brand to be a great value. However the converters in most of the MOTU interfaces to date have left a lot to be desired. The 896mk3 I owned had a mediocre DAC that made low end translation a challenge. The detail wasn't there and you can't mix what you don't hear. Transients and mids were smeared as well. The AVB line is a different story. These use Sabre32 DACs with DC coupled outputs. Input ADCs are Cirrus from what I was told. Clocking seems to be improved but could be better. I feel an external WC may improve performance but I haven't tested yet. I'd love to see jitter specs. The design is vastly superior to MOTU legacy products though. They really upped their game here. It may not be Symphony I/O quality, but the price is also 1/3 so consider it excellent value. Sound wise it competes very well in its class (Ensemble, Apollo) at lower cost. Also routing and AVB software are easy and full of useful features that make this an extremely flexible solution. Drivers have been stable but latency isn't quite as good as the Apogee Ensemble2. I blame the safety buffer MOTU always builds into their drivers though it isn't too far behind. The difference is about 30 samples which is 0.625ms at 48kHz- not awful but a driver update could really make it smoke. The rack hardware and knobs are a little plasticky and cheap feeling. I would have paid a little more for more a solid build. But it is an acceptable compromise for something that will stay in the rack. Way to go MOTU engineering team. Please design more in this direction in the future. I'll gladly pay for improved quality.

I bought this interface from Sweetwater a few years ago. It worked great... up until recently when the mic inputs stoped functioning. It was out of warranty but I'm fine paying to get my gear fixed if its still doing what it needs to do... I called MOTU and they helped me diagnose a hardware problem. I asked if there are authorized repair centers or if I can send the unit in... that's when I found out about MOTU's unique attitude about their equipment. Once it's out of warranty, it's dead to them. They do not have authorized service centers and they do not do repairs on out of warranty gear themselves. But the kicker is, they often won't ship parts to service centers. I can only find ONE shop in all of Los Angeles that will look at it... but only with the caveat that MOTU may make it impossible to repair it. NEVER EVER buy MOTU again.