MOTU M4 4x4 USB-C Audio Interface Reviews

Before this I had a 2nd gen Scarlette Solo. In comparison, this thing sounds better, is easier to set the input level due to the bars in front, and is just overall more convenient. I love the headphone knob as I can turn it up when tracking guitars without blowing anyone out of the house with the speakers. However, I think my favorite feature(s) would be a tie between the 4 out on the back as the extra out makes reamping so ridiculously easy or the loop back audio feature that lets you record audio passing through your computer. It makes it super easy to grab a stereo track of anything, throw it in your DAW to transcribe and make covers of it. If this thing ever breaks I'm buying another for sure!

I have been through a fair share of audio interfaces over the years. I've always come back to my M4 though. The audio latency is practically nonexistent. There's more than enough gain. And the interface is intuitive.
Best of all, there's a power switch! I don't know how many problems have been fixed by simply turning the thing off and back on again: the cure for practically anything Windows-adjacent.

Perfect for my needs. No hassles.

Great portable audio interface for my laptop. Really light weight and I like that it has MIDI. The LCD meters are a plus. I was a little confused at first with the proper usb c cable to use and thought it was defective but realized I was trying to use a Thunderbolt cable which causes noise and dropouts. Bought a usb c charging/sync cable and it seems to work fine now.

I loved the M4 so much, I purchased another for live use - then upgraded to the M6 with no hesitation when I needed more analog inputs in my home studio. I cannot recommend this device enough.

I did some extensive research before I bought this and I have to say the research paid off. This audio interface is excellent in sound quality and latency. You would not be disappointed.

Previously I was using a GEN1 2i2 audio interface. When I bought the M4, hooked it up in my studio and played my reference tracks, I immediately heard the quality diffrence!

I use the M4 with Ableton Live and software instruments for praise and worship at church. I have Ableton set to 48Khz, 32samples and latency of 1.83ms. No issues... The M4 is a winner.

it's the best out there for the price

This is a fabulous piece of kit. Sounds superb. Plug-n-play on Ubuntu Studio 22.04 with JACK, though it defaults to sending audio to all four channels when using the PulseAudio bridge. This is not a problem for me, just an observation, as you can bring up the JACK connection graph and delete those connections. As of now, I don't even connect to Line Outs 3/4.

I have a Soundcraft 22MTK that I don't want to leave uncovered/powered up all the time. I wanted to have one piece of gear that allows me to run USB audio from a computer, and the Soundcraft, and send it directly to my power amp rack. I was a little concerned when I read a review saying that when powering the M4 up and down that there was a loud pop. While there is a transient, it is not a 0dbFS spike, and it's focused in the low mid portion of the spectrum. It is also modulated by the monitor volume knob. Doesn't seem like I'm going to blow any drivers with this setup. Big happy face.

So, my config: USB audio, Soundcraft on TRS Line-Ins 3/4 with stereo monitor, Mic Input 1 for teleconference, Mic Input 2 is free. The input/playback blend knob is how I mix/balance USB audio and the output of the Soundcraft. The headphone volume is independent from the monitor volume, so when I do a conference call, I turn the monitor volume knob down, then activate monitoring on mic 1, and there is no feedback/echo issue from my mains.

Note: On the M4 itself, you can't easily balance/mix microphone inputs and Line Ins 3/4 [fixed gain on 3/4]. If you need that, this is probably not the gear you're looking for.

This is not the cheapest option out there, but to my ear the headphone amp is excellent with ATH-M50x cans, and SnR and frequency response figures given by the manufacturer seem legit. See the various technical reviews out there for this product line, including Julian Krause, and audiosciencereview.com.

Listened to music all day with JACK configured to 48KHz / buffer size 64 / 2 periods / 2.67ms latency. NO Xruns on my older i7 laptop.

Very pleased. Recommend.

As an audio interface, I had no issues installing drivers and setting up the interface. Everything just worked.

I run my guitar through a pedal board with an amp/cab simulator, and I primarily practice at my home studio desk. I plug my board into an instrument level input and set the interface to send the input directly to my monitors. The big problem I used to have is telling whether the sound from my rig is being colored by accidentally pushing the interface too hard. I had to open a DAW and arm a track just to see if any saturation/clipping was happening in the interface itself. With the front panel on the M4, I can use a powered USB hub and the computer doesn't even need to be connected to practice guitar. I can just run my rig straight through to my monitors and use the front panel to be sure that my signal from the board is not peaking.

Sounds great with no hum or static.

Bought April 21, arrived April 26. This is a replacement to my 7-year old first gen Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and I have no regrets. Much better clarity, and I appreciate the additional inputs and outputs AND the LCD screen AND the bundled software and loops. Also very quick and easy to setup. I currently use it with Reaper and I love it.

The M4 exceeded my expectations. As a Linux user, I was wary of Presonus and Focusright due to driver requirements on Windows and Linux, and Audient and Motu advertised their products as being USB-compliant without requiring drivers. The M4 had much better I/O for my needs, and I went for it. It was absolutely the right choice!

Using the Motu M4 on Linux (Fedora 35 and Pop_OS 21.10+, both with Pipewire) have been nearly flawless. Sound output worked perfectly out of the box (the headphone DAC/amp quality is among the best in this price range). I use Reaper, and the only oddity I had to figure out is that by default, the two rear inputs are mapped to channels 4 and 5, rather than 3 and 4 (as one might expect for a 4-in, 4-out interface). I suspect this has something to do with either Reaper or Pipewire/pulseaudio treating the interface as a truncated 5.1 channel surround output. Regardless, the solution is simple: tell Reaper to use 5 input and 5 output channels, and use channels 4 and 5 where you'd expect to use 3 and 4.

The display on the M4 is incredibly helpful, as is the direct monitoring and mixing between instrument monitor and PC audio levels. Build quality is excellent, and it's great to have volume knobs for both monitors and headphones on the front. Very happy with the purchase.

Works great. Picked it up as a cheaper replacement to my id44 and it works just as well. The latency is waaay better and I have yet to have a problem with drivers unlike the audient, that only worked half the time in windows

I've used the MOTU M4 for three months now. I bought it because my old interface didn't support MacOS 12, and I bought it from Sweetwater because I anticipated first-setup bumps and I knew a Sweetwater tech would get me over them. Sure enough, the Macbook refused to "see" the M4, and MOTU tech support couldn't help me. A Sweetwater tech (I'm sorry I forgot his name) took control of my Mac and ferreted out the solution. The M4 has worked flawlessly in daily use since then. This interface is compact, smartly designed, has excellent sound, and provides enough inputs and outputs that a solo artist won't soon outgrow it. For the price, features and Sweetwater support, I definitely recommend it.

I was actually going to order a different i/o but my sales guru suggested I get the Motu M4. I am very please with this unit and it just so happened that there was a shoot out of units in this price range and it turns out that M4 had the best overall rating. Thank you David and Sweetwater for your advice. As usual it was the best. I wanted a small unit to travel with and this hit the mark.
thanks again,
Les Thompson
NGDB.
String Wizards

Bob I'm only doing this cause they said it would go to you. It works fine...absolutely every function is what I hoped. Thanks for getting it here quickly, Al the best George Shafnacker

This is the perfect solution for my internet radio station. It has the ins and outs I needed to interface with my analog audio mixer. The audio quality is excellent and I love the meters. They were the main reason I was looking at the M4. My only complaint is with their FAW software. It refuses to install on my pc. But I don't really need it so it's not a dealbreaker.

Well, it could be less expensive I guess...

Seriously, bought this to replace an aging Focusrite 2i4 gen1 that had become increasingly noisy and unstable. It's for a laptop, so I wanted something on the portable side(i.e. bus powered) but I also wanted some additional connection options. And because I do a LOT of playing along type stuff I wanted an easy to interface with direct monitoring solution.

Boy, am I happy with this thing. Even when I don't use the direct monitoring the latency is low enough to make it negligible. Good Windows drivers. And unlike my Focusrite 8i6, you can control the direct mix right from a knob on the front panel. Talk about buyer's remorse. Wish I had gotten this for my workstation as well.

Clear and crisp. Dead simple to set up. As the late Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel would have said: "Thumbs up, way up."

This is a great and relatively inexpensive device that lets you record (and playback) 4 channels of sound. It also includes MIDI IN/OUT ports. It comes with a copy of Digital Performer Lite if you don't already have a DAW, so that is convenient. I would recommend it!

I recently bought the ASM Hydrasynth and only had a meager Behringer 2x2 audio interface, so I was looking for something that let me plug in both my microphone and my synth at the same time. The MOTU M4 seemed like the perfect fit, and it absolutely was. The best part is that it did a couple other things that surprised me, first being SO much faster than my previous audio interface. My latency in Ableton Live went down by roughly 17ms (sitting at about 3ms now), which is absolutely lovely. The second thing is that the drivers for it allowed Ableton to play audio while still letting me hear audio from other sources (my previous audio interface didn't let me do that if I was using its drivers for my Ableton audio device, so I assumed it was just impossible regardless of the device I used).

Overall, extremely satisfied.

This little interface does what it's supposed to do. No complaints.
And Sweetwater's customer service was great, as usual. Thank you, Austin.

I bought this Interface as a result of positive reviews on Youtube (shoutout to Podcastage), with the sole purpose of driving an SM7b and a beta 58a (as a backup mic). I can happily report, albeit a bit belated, that it does an excellent job at this task. I should also note that it sounds incredible paired with a nice set of headphones. It has it's limitations, but unless you're an audiophile of the highest order, this will more than get the job done for just about any small/medium studio task you may assign to it. Keep in mind, it's four channels -- so, within those parameters, it's an incredible and well-built unit that should hold you over for the next 10 years, easily.

Couldn't be happier. I plugged it in, turned it on, and it works. I like that it doesn't have any weird gimmicks -- it does one thing and does it well.

I wasn't actually sure if I really needed an audio interface as I have some other gear that works as an audio interface including a Presonus mixer and an AxeFXIII, but was really looking for something more portable. The M4 does just what I was hoping plus more that I hadn't thought of until after I was using it....a really decent MIDI interface. I'm using it to record keyboard as well as e-drums as well, and it was a breeze to get it working. The unit itself looks amazing and I love that it powers up via USB-C directly from my Macbook Pro.

I bought this as a way to upgrade the quality of my mixdown process in Cubase and Wave Lab but now use it for recording, as well. The DAC chip used here is currently rated the best out there (DAC conversion and clock) and as a result, the audio quality is really fantastic. The unit itself is robust and solid, the 4 channels perform well, the mic input channels (1 & 2) sound clear and there is plenty of gain, no problem. Channels 3 & 4 are balanced line level inputs with a single (ganged) volume control intended more for stereo keyboards according to the manual. However, they can be used for mic inputs if you have an independent mic pre (or two) and also for line inputs. Also, they are also able to be set up for a 'loop back function' that - as I understand it - allows the user to record from YouTube or other computer sources easily. Haha, maybe someday I will sort this if I get curious. For now, I use it as a 4 channel interface. (I will add that Win10 finds these 'loop back' channels easily in it's channel listings.) The headphone out has plenty of gain, too, and also delivers a beautiful sound.

So overall, I am quite happy with the MOTU M4. However, there is a function I need from it for a process found in both Wave Lab and Cubase, it's an option to send a recorded track out from either program, process it externally, and send it back to the DAW. This involves the Steinberg External Effects connection found within the Audio Connections panel of either program. In Cubase (any version, including Cubase 11) it can be routed out and back, no problem; however, Steinberg has a 'ping' feature that assures that the interface latency is accounted for as the processed audio returns to the DAW. Cubase currently can't track this latency with the M4. I submitted a support ticket with Steinberg but there appears no easy answer 1 month later. Be advised. In WL (I use WLPro 11), the process doesn't work at all, using channels 3 & 4 for a SEND/RETURN path, as I do in Cubase, WL shuts down and needs to be restarted. Which is unfortunate because even if it didn't register a ping, at least it could be used to externally process a full audio track. At this point I have no idea whether this problem will be resolved in WL but they are aware of the problem. BTW, I contacted MOTU and they were very helpful. They confirmed it didn't work in Cubase but also linked a video showing that it worked in their Digital Performer DAW software. In simple terms, they put the problem in Steinberg's court and I guess that's where it should be.

So, I think this is a great DAW interface (at a super great price!) and I'm getting plenty of use from it. However, currently it's not 'perfect' at this time (December 26,2021) for ALL of the extended features in the DAWs of my choice, Cubase and Wave Lab. I still give MOTU Five Stars for this amazing interface.

Putting this out here hoping anyone with my specific issue can find it and know what to do. I had a crackling occuring loudly in channel 1 that was barely audible in channel 2. I would play with wires for hours with assumed intermittent success, before it would come right back. I swapped out XLR cables and USB cables, tried different USB ports. Everything I did seemed to fix it until the problem would come back.

The real issue: My interface sits on top of my desk. Mounted to the underside of this desk is my Asus RT-AX58U wifi router. I have determined that the 2.4 GHz radio band specifically causes this noise.

Moving the interface to the other side of the desk had varying degree of effect. I think it occasionally finds pockets within the waves that are smooth, but bumping it a hair pushes it back into a bad zone.

The solution/potential solution: I turned the 2.4 GHz radio on my router from high performance down to power saving and the crackle is gone. I also found that disabling the 2.4 GHz band entirely also works, but I have many devices that rely on it. I have not attempted to relocate the router to a different room, but I imagine this would also work as a fix.

TL/DR: WiFi can cause noise in audio interface.

All in all great interface and I've been using it for over a year now with no issues other than the above.

There's not a lot I can add to the plethora of other positive reviews. It was packed well and came with idiot-proof instructions. I downloaded the USBC driver for my new Mac Mini 2018 Intel without issue.
Installing the interface was as easy as plugging it in. I setup my Mac to use the interface by default - this took about 3 clicks to perform.

The unit itself is moderately weighed and felt like it was built well. No rattles or flexing noted. The LCD display is quite nice and the graphic is very smooth and accurate.

I've briefly used it on a demo project so far. The knobs/dials are easy to turn and have a bit of tension to them. They are not going to move unless you move them. They are quite accurate.

All the input/output jacks are solid and have no noticeable wiggle.

Using the interface with the USBC driver installed on Logic Pro gave me very good low latency. I had no issues recording my guitar and bass once I got my levels right. The headphone output is moderately powered and I had no issues driving my AKG cans. I didn't notice any major tone changes compared to my old Saffire 26 firewire interface. I didn't have to make any tone or EQ changes to maintain my tone. I might tweak my EQ a bit the more I use it, but the reality is that the preamps on the M4 are pretty much colorless. Adding gain was very silent and I noticed no unit-derived self noise while recording guitars through a Marshall amp.

I will admit that I didn't need to replace my old interface, but it wasn't supported any longer by the company under the latest Mac OS 11, which is what is installed on my new Mac mini.

I've always wanted a Mark of the Unicorn, ever since the mid-90's. Now I have one. I am happy to report the M4 works perfectly and I have had no issues at all with setup or function.

Mac Mini 2018, Intel i5
Mac OS 11.6 Big Sur
Logic Pro 10.6.2

Bought this mainly for the meter screen and the design. The sleek black case fits great with my setup up and has a pretty small foot print. The screen is very visible and clear even in a bright room. Very clean and low noise preamp compared to my previous interface, the Steinburg UR22C. Everything is looks and feels high quality. No complaints.

By the reasonable cost for this top-notch, all metal audio interface. I have owned a few in my 25 years of music, and MOTU always delivers quality across the board--sound, build, etc. While it's true plug and play to my 2019 iMAC running Catalina with no drivers to hassle with, MOTU does offer a low-latency driver if you wish to install. And a shout-out to my nearly 20-year-long relationship with sales engineer Paul Rowan, who always delivers stellar customer service, esp on the pro audio side, and always makes sure I get a few extra Atomic Fireballs in my candy bonus ;)

I bought Motu M4 last September 22, 2021 and arrived here at Antipolo City, Philippines last September 29, 2021. Comparing this with my Tascam Series 102i, Motu M4 is far more better in terms of sound quality. You can hear the details when listening to music especially orchestral music. It also has lots of gain even though it's usb powered. It's so easy to setup. Downloading and installing the driver to me less than 5 minutes. Also it's so easy to setup it up with my Cubase Pro 11. Thank you Sweetwater for your awesome service and to Jason Koon.

I was looking at getting a new audio interface to replace my Scarlett 2i2 second generation. I had purchased the 3rd generation but unfortunately couldn't work with the software and my hybrid setup. After significant researching and working with Sweetwater's sales engineers, I settled on the Motu M4 and have not looked back since.

This interface has some awesome capabilities, especially the color LCD screen showing sound levels. Compared to the Focusrite,this has a lot of additional capabilities for future expansion at the same price point.

You can't go wrong with this audio interface if you're brand new to recording, to a full fledged professional musician.

I love it, perfect size for my needs, and it feels robust in my fingers. I really like the hardware monitoring as it gives me a realtime view of levels without having to check software for input.

Sounds amazing, the tech on this unit makes recording a breeze. Specifically, the mic preamps, super low latency, loopback, and one-touch hardware monitoring. I'm so glad I went for this model as opposed to another one I was considering.

The free samples are a bit… meh… and you have to create accounts with one or two of the providers, which is a bit maddening.

MOTU M4 Audio interface made steady, good ehough, works very well, without any problems. I hope it will be so.
Many thanks to MOTU. Also thanks SWEETWATER Team for good service. My does not made in USA. NO MATTER.

I love this interface! It does everything I need with crystal clear audio and rock solid stability. I use the M4 on my main workstation. One of my favorite features is the loopback recording option. I use it often when recording screen captures for my virtual vinyl videos. I highly recommend this little powerhouse. I have zero complaints.

Just enough features for home studio use: In 1&2 with Mic preamp; In 3&4 line level input; Headphone output. Front meter is very helpful. Sound is stellar. Software is easy to use.

I am new to Motu M4. first interface I have ever owned.
I am still learning Digital Performer Lite but it seems to work perfect.
Very easy to use and its a very nice that this comes with this interface.
Only issue I had was some how the Hardware Configuration switched back to Factory settings but once I fixed that it work perfect again. I very happy so far and would recommend this interface you can't beat the price.

Visual meters, full MIDI I/O, on/off switch, bus powered, solid build quality, A+

I needed another interface for church at my second church campus. I have an 828-es at the main campus and love it. The output chip,the ESS Ultra DAC converter used in the 828-ES can't be beat. I use Ivory Pianos and Omnisphere for Strings and pads. The 828-es uses the ES9106s DAC converter and the sound is incredible. I saw the MOTU add that said the M4 uses the same DAC as the 828-ES and I said yea sure. Why would you use an 8 channel DAC on a 4 channel device and one of the best converters used in their Interface. Then I saw an article at Audio Science Review web site that described the circuit in the M4 and it is indeed an ES-9106S output converter on the board. You can see it in the pictures of the board. 4 channels are used for the 4 outputs and 2 for the Headphones. 2 channels are unused. The sound I get on the M4 is very close to the 828-ES and I am extremely happy with this device.

If you are looking for a simple interface with excellent sound, great drivers for Windows (I didn't try Mac), and very basic mixing facilities, look no further. This is terrific. FWIW, my main point of comparison is an older and larger Focusrite Scarlett i18i20 gen 2, which is also a very good interface:

GREAT FEATURES OF THE MOTU M4
-----------------------------

* MOTU drivers just work, and the bus powering has worked on every machine I've tried. Just install the drivers, plug into USB and all the software and hardware just comes up as you'd expect, ready for use in your programs or for playing computer sound.

* Preamps seem to me easily competitive with the Scarlett's, but perhaps a little brighter. A pro might find advantages with either (or would buy something more expensive), but these are very nice. Full up gain is somewhat better than than on the Scarlett (which struggles a bit with low output microphones)

* This is a good unit if you want to do your level controls from the box itself. There are knobs for the main so-called "Monitor" level, which affects the main output sets, and a separate one for the headphone plug on the front. A third knob lets you set the mix of playback sound with direct monitoring of the inputs.

* With the MOTU driver installed, pretty much all Windows apps including Zoom, Skype and Reaper recognize the interface without trouble. (One exception noted below).

* The loopback feature is (almost) a gem. On the Scarlett, if you want to loop the computer's sound output back so you can record it, e.g. in a DAW, you need to physically connect an output to an input, which means going through lots of amplifiers and analog-digital conversions. The MOTU has this feature built in! Just select one of the loopback options for the input and you get far better quality more easily. No cables.

What's not as good as it could be
---------------------------------

* The main outputs on the back are your choice of 1/4 (balanced) and RCA (unbalanced). That's fine, but... the manual emphasizes that to use the 1/4 output jacks you need not a regular T/S cable but a TRS cable...the ones you think of for stereo headphones. It's not that the jacks are stereo...they are >balanced

Looking for a home studio level interface with 2-4 inputs can be a pain. Some don't put the headphone jack on the front, many don't have good meters and phantom power is typically all for not. I was a longtime Presonus user and I still use studio one but I wanted different features and low latency.

My favorite features are as follows.
+ Front mounted headphone jack
+ The meters are great and look and work well
+ Channels 1&2 have 48V and Monitor buttons at the channel level...
+ Build quality is very nice, steel body and the knobs are also metal and have a good weighted smooth feel so that you can
turn with 1 finger without them flopping around. Buttons also feel nice
+ The mix knob on the front is great if you are using hardware monitoring, many device have HW monitoring but they lock the
mix level. I prefer being able to dial in the balance of the input and output.
+ Lots of attention to detail... EX the rubber feet on the bottom of the unit are actually big molded strips that say Motu
and are held on by 2 screws.

I looked at both the M2 and M4 and for $... more you get the M4 with two line inputs more outputs and a mix knob on the front... and the M2 is only a 1/2 inch narrower so you aren't saving much space with the M2 Vs M4.

Either way the unit looks great sounds great and has a perfect set of feature at this price point. I hope they expand this line to more channels with added features like adat and such.

I've had the interface for a few weeks in a home studio. Paired it with two TZ Stellar X2 condenser mics. Connected to a newer Mac & DAW thru USB-C to C cable. No problem w' phantom power to the mics. Been recording my wife on acoustic piano (Kawai GS-30) for some Christmas projects. Very good quality. No problem keeping the system noise inaudible. Latency has not been a problem either. Really like the LED metering, on/off switch. Monitoring flexibility and headphone output more than adequate. Left channel 1 knob is slightly wobbly, but shouldn't be a problem w' care. Other controls are fine. Output connected to amp / Klipschorn corner speakers (had for a long time). The sound quality of the system is really outstanding ($220 + $400 for both mics) considering the price. We have MIDI keyboards, but haven't hooked those up yet. So little time. Highly recommended!

After exhaustive online reviews for introductory interface models, I purchased the MOTU M4 because they had superior specs compared to other name brand models, including best low-latency and noise level. The headphone amp is surprisingly good and powerful. Makes studio headphones really punch your brain if you want. Having a on/off switch is a bonus. And it comes with MIDI! The M2 model is just as good but I wanted the extra inputs and outputs for my situation.

Make sure you install the driver first (for Windows OS) before plugging in the interface. Then you just set your inputs and outputs inside your DAW settings, and you are ready to go.

I'm using mine with Reaper so I cannot comment on the included software since I never bothered to download it.

Great unit at an amazing price. Very portable and low latency. I use for portable recording and Focusrite Scarlett for studio. Comes with USB to C cord.

I usually don't write any reviews about any product, but the experience of buying Moto M4 at Sweetwater is impressive. The quality of this Audio Interface is almost the best I have ever used under $300.! If you have a home or small studio, M4 is the range you can refer to.

Just wanna say thank you Aaron and his team for helping me get this little monster to fulfill my wishes!Cheers!

I needed an audio interface with MIDI support and after doing some research I decided on the M4. This was my first time purchasing from Sweetwater. The M4 was out of stock at the time, so I placed the order knowing I'd probably have to wait a while. To my surprise, Jon Krempel from Sweetwater called within the hour to make sure I knew that the item wasn't in stock but should arrive soon. It was nice that someone actually reached out regarding my order.

The unit itself works great. I use it with an old Soundcraft Spirit mixer and an old Opcode MIDI patchbay for connecting all my gear to my Mac. I really like the easy to read level meters on the front panel.

For the first time I can play guitar on my computer and sounds awesome.

I was a little concerned that since this a fairly new device made/tested in the windows 10 era that I might have trouble with using this device on a windows 7 machine but it could not have been easier! (When you download the drivers make sure to use v4.0.84479 in the version history as any future updates will possibly not be compatible with windows 7). Was able to plug and play after downloading drivers and restarting, no fuss, even in my own DAW.

I use some small Focal computer speakers for monitors, and they were already impressive going straight into my Mac Mini. Connected them to the Motu M4, and these little things dig deeper for some bass I didn't know they could tap into, and I've had these for years. It's a solid box, doesn't feel cheap at all, the knobs are smooth, and not to mention the LCD meters is the icing on the cake. Well worth the money.

For years I used a Presonus FireStudio Mobile, firewire connectivity, Studio One DAW running on a Windows PC. It was OK. One day that died on me, and I wanted to try a USB based Audio Interface. I bought one of the least expensive units I could fine, and ended up with a Behringer UMC204HD. It actually ran fairly well for a USB 2.0 Interface. I also owned a Mac Mini, and wanted to transition to Apple for home recording, and knowing that Firewire was going away, I was looking for a USB C based Audio Interface. I was seriously considering another Presonus box, like a 26C, when MOTU came out with the M2 and M4. WOW! I was blown away with all the features, everything I wanted was in the MOTU M4. USB C interface, LED Meters for Input and Output Channels, on/off switch, 5 Pin DIN MIDI, and Line inputs. In use it's been fantastic. The MOTU DAC's are outstanding. The Line Outs really drive my JBL 305's. I highly recommend the MOTU M$

I had to wait for this thing to be in stock but so glad I waited! It's everything that it's reputed to be- and more.

First, it is build SOLID. Everything feels solid and professional. The LCD screen is something that you don't get on most other interfaces. Having control of the monitor and/or the headphone volume is really helpful. Very low latency and easy to record multiple tracks with.

One thing I wanted to do was to be able to get high quality audio on my DSLR as I shot. I can do that with the M4. While recording (I use Reaper) setting that so the M4 can monitor the sound (with or without in the record mode, but armed) I can go from my headphone jack right into the camera's audio input. If the level is set correctly I get camera ready video and high quality audio without having to do any edits. [I've since become better at recording both audio and video.]

The M4 is a great piece of hardware and I don't think anything touches it for the price.

Yep, saw this and read the reviews from Sweetwater buyers and decided to put it as my next purchase.
I really cannot afford Avid or the other top line DAW's, but Cakewalk has proved powerful enough for my studio.
I also need the MIDI I/O on this unit.
This allows me to budget for other needs in the studio, and Sweetwater is the best source.

I have the M4. Unlike some other devices, the drivers for this allow ASIO and windows audio simultaneously, which means you can play VST instruments through your DAW while listening to youtube tutorial or play mp3s outside of DAW. Other interfaces it's either ASIO or windows drivers which means a lot of messing about when changing between DAW and windows.

I had been using Focusright Scarlett interfaces for years and had been very happy with them. However, I've recently started using the Line 6 Helix Native plugin on my computer for recording, and was struggling to get my roundtrip latency down to a level where it didn't feel "spongy" playing with my guitar going straight into the interface, through the amp VST, and back to my monitors.

With the Scarlett, I could never really get it under 30ms. That isn't a bad figure for general recording purposes as your DAW normally handles the time offset when recording tracks. But for live playing via a VST, 30ms results in a tiny but perceptible lag between when you hit the strings and hear the sound. You can get used to it (it's like having your amp 30 or 40 feet away... playable, but just feels weird) but for more articulate work it threw off my sense of timing.

I'd read all the reviews about the MOTU drivers and performance, and even through I have an older PC (i7-4770) I thought it might give me some improvement.

I was not prepared for what I got. My roundtrip latency is under 5ms! I can actually push it down to 2ms and it's still stable, but I settled at enough buffer at 5ms so I don't have to worry about messing with the buffer if I have a big project in the DAW.

So the signal chain is guitar straight into MOTU M4, USB 3 into a 6 year old PC with an i7-4770 and 16gig of RAM, into Presonus StudioOne, through the Line 6 Helix Native VST, back out the MOTU and into my monitors... And it feels JUST LIKE I am playing through a real amp. Just incredible!

Specs are one thing, but to deliver in real life is another. MOTU for the win for this guy!

I upgraded from the presonus audiovox. My MOTU M4 sounds clearer and the distortion issue I had is gone. The leds on the front show you when you're clipping

The M4 is a great sounding unit as expected from MOTU, but for me the real beauty of this device is the brilliantly designed front panel. I used it at a gig with my laptop running Ableton Live and a synth. The little MON buttons allowed me to easily monitor the synth - before feeding through Ableton, and then turn off MON and only hear what is coming out of the laptop. Perfect! The big monitor volume knob (with tons of gain) is great, and the levels display makes it so easy to set your input and output levels. The M4 is a solid machine and a joy to use on stage, or anywhere!

awesome and affordable

I watched some demos when looking at new interfaces. Some reviews discussed wobbly build quality which made me pause on pulling the trigger. After more research I decided to get the M4. It's not wobbly. It works and sounds great. Nothing compares to it quality and feature-wise on the market today. There is also some negative material out about the M4 straining to do it's job using the M2's driver - nonsense. This is a solid, easy to use, portable, no-fuss, high quality interface.

Have had the M4 for about 3 weeks now.
So far has been a great upgrade to my Scarlett 2i2 gen 2 I started with about 3 years ago. Did the job at time. M4 has given me the I/O that I need for my hardware setup. Has been solid as a rock performance wise. Love u can monitor your 3-4 inputs! Preamps are strong and clean. Better signal at lower gain! Latency has been great, Scarlett for the price was nice 2 tho. 48v on each for channel!
Audio conversion so clear!
It's is what it says it is.
Best in class on all but preamp, and these pre's are nice 4 not being stand alone. Do not need external if u don't have one. Unlike Scarlett I felt. Not enough life. M4 will work.

The only slight nod I notice I think is the headphone out has 2 be turned up a hair more then Scarlett. But not enough to be worried, still plenty of gain.
Sound out speakers and headphones are improved.
Only wish the made M6 or M8 as I would have got one of those. I can't stop upgrading my studio gear!
Maybe patchbay next??
5 stars around!!!

Really worth the price, feature is good and my unit comes perfectly without any wobbly knobs or slots, I can say that the DAC is the best in the class.

Does exactly what I bought it for. Sounds good. Solid build. First time buyer with Sweetwater. This company has earned a life long customer.

I have only had it for a little over a week, but so far it's great. In fact, this is my dream audio interface: High quality DAC, built-in MIDI, ultra low latency, direct monitoring, metering display, per-channel phantom power control.

Installing their custom Mac OS driver decreased my latency even further to a ridiculously low ms, making playing VST instruments feel extremely responsive.

The preamps seems to also allow a lot of gain for my basic dynamic microphones.

The knobs are solid metal and feel really nice.

Note at first, I thought the headphone output was low, but then I realized, I needed to turn the monitor knob to the right. It drives the 250 ohm Beyerdynamic dt770 pro headphones great.

I have had a Motu M4 for 10 days, and so far, I'm thrilled. The ASIO drivers are solid, the build of the M4 is sturdy, and it works well with Cubase 10.5 Pro on Windows 10 Pro. I find the LEDs very useful. Registration and driver installation were easy.

A few subtle details: The unit has large rubber feet and does not slide around (yes!). The knobs all have a textured/rough surface and are thus easy to hold onto, even the small ones. All knobs move smoothly and there is no wobble.

The unit can record in 16 and 24 bit integer or 32 bit float. I have tried both 24 and 32 bits and there is no notable performance or memory difference with Cubase.

I primarily run the unit in 48KHz with 24 bit or 32 bits matching the majority of my orchestral VSTs. The M4 easily handles an orchestral template with 50 tracks and a buffer of 250 samples of 32 bit floats (just as a reference point, as this also depends on Cubase and the computer). I have my SE-02 connected to the line-inputs and it works as expected.

A subjective observation is that my LSRs sound substantially better with the M4 than my previous interface with far more clarity and separation.

I got this the day it came it out and it’s been great. Sold my 4i4 for this and IMO this is way better the biggest perk for me is the power switch being able to turn this on and off without disconnecting it is nice. The digital meters are very as well. It also sounds great would buy again anytime.

I'm new to home studio recording. Spent weeks researching options and couldn't find anything that I really wanted. When this interface was announced I decided to wait until it was available, and I am glad that I did. My wife bought it for me as an early Christmas present because I couldn't wait. Pretty much everything podcastage said in his review of the M2 is spot on, but my knobs and xlr ports are solid, no play at all. The pre-amp makes my cheap condenser mic sound so much better than the phantom power supply and onboard pc audio I was using before. So far everything I have used it for sounds crisp and clear. I'm using Reaper DAW and there was no problem detecting this interface. ASIO was simple to configure and all is well. I really don't have anything to compare this to besides onboard audio and pc connected devices. Even listening to music is better. The best way I can describe it is that all the sounds seem more isolated or separated perhaps for everything I hear now. Before this audio interface music, instruments, voices, all seemed to blend together more. Now I can hear them individually, really a strange experience for me since I haven't heard things that way before. To top it all off, the thing looks beautiful on my desk. The LCDs are bright but not overwhelming. LEDs in the buttons are not overpowering either. MOTU has a satisfied customer. Also, my first purchase from Sweetwater. They called my wife after she placed the order to let her know they were out of stock but had some coming in within a couple days and would have it here before Christmas and they delivered. Sweetwater will be my go-to for all things music from now on. Thanks for the positive experience.

I needed to replace my Apogee Duet Firewire, a beloved piece of gear rendered essentially useless by the latest MacOS update. I love build quality of Apogee devices, but I just didn't have the budget to support going for a new Apogee device right now. I stumbled across this newly released piece of gear from MOTU while looking at alternatives to Apogee, and the price point was just a no-brainer to try. The DAC components are on par with what Apogee produces, at easily 1/4 of the price. The device is by-default a USB audio class-compliant device - this means you don't *need* to install any drivers to have basic high-quality functionality. However, you can install MOTU-provided drivers to really drive a low-latency setup. These are simple, straight-forward, and work very well (Windows and MacOS).
Playback, recording, and front-interface functionality are all working great, and sound wonderful.
The build quality of the device is sufficient, though I miss the solid, smooth knobs on my old Apogee device. MOTU clearly couldn't spend $25.00 per unit on super-ruggedizing the unit and still be near the $200.00 price point. I'm okayh with this... it will live primarily on my desktop, not a gig-bag. Still, the case is metal, the ports are numerous and high-quality.
In/Out MIDI ports were a bonus that adds a lot of flexibility to my setup... I know USB MIDI generally works fine, but I have some older synths that don't have USB MIDI, and a MIDI chain can be a more straight-forward option.
Bottom Line, I think MOTU nailed this - they should sell a ton of these and have a lot of happy customers.

Made in the USA. Handsome little unit that works with my phone and pc.

I get great performance on both my Surface i5 and my big over clocked custom PC.

There is no software besides a simple utility to change sample rate and buffer. But I'm fine with that.

The only downside is that the gain knobs on the front are digital. So you do hear some stepping. Maybe all new interfaces are like that, but my previous experience was with an Octa-Capture and an Audient.

This, to my sad untrained ears, sounds as good as my old Audient id22. I haven't used the preamps as I'm either running line signals from samplers/synths or using an external preamp.

The M4 is my initial foray into MOTU products, despite having watched MOTU over the last decade from the fence. I am absolutely in love with this thing! It is solidly built and just reeks quality. The level of quality extends to the M4's most important function, which is sound quality. Sounds is clean, transparent, and appears unfiltered and without any bias, especially toward the high end of the spectrum, which I've notice a number of other vendors appear to be bumping slightly (i.e. Focusrite, Audient). I also have an Audient id44, which I also love; but it is anything but portable like the M4.

Three things immediately come to mind about this unit, not directly related to sound:

1. Solid feel -- everything is substantial and stable; no wiggling, no spotty finish, none of that. Even the knobs are machined and knurled aluminum, and they feel great when controlling them with your fingers.

2. Built-in level meters -- these are so much better than the halo indicators or the segment LEDs that are on other units. My Audient has segment LEDs, and I find them a little inaccurate and difficult to dial-in; not so on the M4, as you get an immediate visual representation of your signal and any clipping. Brilliant.

3. Bus powered with a power switch -- Excellent! I wish other vendors would adopt this feature.

I've been through my fair share of AD interfaces, but I finally think I've found one that checks all of the boxes and is simply fun to use. I'm thrilled with this purchase and look forward to learning more about the entire MOTU line.

Solid build, low noise preamps, simple to use.

Wanted a couple more inputs that I have on my older interface. Ran direct bass into channel 1, direct guitarist channel 2, mic via external preamp into channel 3, and immediately began recording. Direct monitor mix is very handy and adjustable. DI's get solid level at about 12 o'clock, pushed a little more for dynamic mic into M4's preamps, but plenty of signal and room to spare. Plenty of volume via headphone monitoring.

Metal casing, knobs and buttons feel smooth and solid - build quality is excellent.


The M4 seems like a great value for the money. I would recommend giving it a look if you're considering the other usual interface suspects with similar i/o and price-points.

Oh, and built in the U.S.!

Cons first:
- As stated, the 3/4 inputs are at a fixed gain, which can be a little limiting - they're also stereo only (without a DAW or some software mixing solution) for direct-monitoring. I'm alright with this since I'm hooking equipment that has good on-board output-level controls, but I didn't like it when I was hooking up my old Roland XP/JV sound modules, which are relatively low power and you can't do much about it.
- It would good to HAVE the option for these to use CueMix or whatever it's called these days. There are times when I would like to have the option for slightly deeper routing than the interface offers, like routing 3/4 direct out to outputs 3/4, which you can't do. (one of the only things my Focusrite actual does 'better' but there are caveats with the Focusrite too)
- I'd like the option to no ONLY be bus powered... I have an external synth that doesn't play 'nice' where noise is concerned whenever the M4 is plugged in; fine with other interfaces that aren't bus powered on the same system, all other things being removed from the power/USB chain - perhaps dropping a higher-powered hub into the mix would help

Pros:
- The front inputs, 1/2 have dedicated gain for each, and can also be decoupled from one another on the interface when direct-monitoring (mic on one, mono-synth on another, whatever), and in this configuration, both inputs have their own direct-monitoring button
- Direct monitoring is SO easy (for all offered inputs, and even the M6 is like this)... best implementation I've seen. It's just buttons on the unit, so no need for going to software mixers for this. I like this better than my far more expensive Focusrite setup.
- Headphone output is clean, if a bit underpowered.
- Plug-n-play, OR you can install drivers to give it a bit more stability at super-low buffer sizes. I sit @ 32 or 64 with the Mac drivers, and it's fine even with my most demanding of track counts and plugin/hardware-monitoring setups, which surprised me a little
- They look fantastic and they're tiny. The level meters are easy to read (better than my more expensive Focusrite's 'thrown-in-to-have-meters' meters)

I liked the one I got new so much I grabbed another one used when I ran across it.

Routing could be a little better to more-easily make use of the 3/4 outputs, but I'm not sure where they'd put that button... on the back maybe.

Would (and have) buy again, and recommend for those with a small'ish studio, or wanting to add some extra inputs to an existing setup (Mac: aggregate device goodness; probably a windows equivalent to this type of thing somewhere too).

I primarily use the M4 as my computer audio device. I also like to jam online with platforms such as Jamkazam and Sonobus. Low latency is important for this reason. In its current configuration, I have a mic in ch1, a bass in ch2, and a drum machine in ch3. My headphones are in the headphone jack and I don't have any other outputs. Here's what's to love: with my Alienware Ryzen 7 gaming laptop, I'm getting sub 4ms latency with the Motu native ASIO driver. The preamps are crystal clear, providing even output across the audible frequency spectrum. My favorite feature is the low noise. Most cheaper Audio IO devices produce some amount of humming. The Motu M4 is about as dead silent as I could have hoped for. I really like the UV meters. There were not a feature I cared about, but now that I have it, I'd probably miss not having it. It allows me to ensure that my input levels are in the Goldilocks zone.

I always hate going through software to make changes that should just be right there on the physical interface. This is what steered me away from the similar Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 Gen 3, and I fully believe I made the right decision. The built-in screen is incredibly helpful when setting up any audio inputs and/or outputs. Build quality is solid, and the power switch is a nice touch for a wholly USB-powered device. It sounds great through my monitors and headphones. Speaking of headphones, having the headphone output on the front panel is super nice as well, and isn't in the way of any controls.

My only minor gripe with it is the lack of useful bundled software, especially compared to the Focusrite 4i4. I don't really use audio loops that much so it would've been nice to see some plugins that didn't require you to download an entirely new DAW I'd never heard of before. That's a very minor complaint, though, because everything else absolutely rocks.

I got this for live applications and to have a quick mobile interface. The build quality is fantastic and the latency with the right drivers can be very close to a thunderbolt interface. Love the fact that it is usb c as that is the port of the future (or present really) and for a little desktop interface at this price range, I think it does fantastic. I also ran into an issue and was able to call and speak to an actual technician and resolve it which I find to be extremely valuable. Well done MOTU

I recently upgraded to this from the M2. Most of my review for the M2 holds true here, too, so I'm including my list of likes from that review below. Since this is basically just a bigger version of that, I want to focus the first part of the review on the differences.

-This has two additional inputs (which are only line level) and two additional pairs of outputs (also line level). It's an odd use case, but I'm using inputs 3-4 for my Nintendo Switch so that I can hear that and also my computer output (for Discord) at the same time through the same pair of headphones. It works extremely well for that purpose.
-The headphone output is a bit quieter than the M2. I have confirmed with MOTU that this is expected, but if headphone volume is a concern for you, that's something to consider.
-There is an input/playback knob. Personally, I could do without it as I suspect that it is at least part of the reason why the headphone output is quieter, but it's there if you like them. I have ended up using it since it turns out the Switch headphone out is fairly quiet and I have to crank up the headphone volume to hear it well, so if I don't want to blow out my eardrums with my computer audio, I turn it more toward the input side to turn down the computer. But I could also just turn down the volume on my computer, so... I've never really understood these knobs.
-Back on the subject of outputs, you can only monitor the inputs on outputs 1 and 2. This output is duplicated on the headphone out. The downside of this approach is that if I want to use an external headphone amp, I would normally want to send that out from outputs 3 and 4 since those are a fixed line level output, but if I do that, I can't hear the inputs. A small issue in the grand scheme of things, but it might be nice to have out 3-4 duplicate out 1-2 but at a fixed level.

The rest of these points are from my M2 review and they all apply to the M4, too.

-It uses USB-C. Yes, it's still not actually using USB 3, but the connector is sturdier and easier to come by these days, so it's nice to have.
-The preamps are clean, flat, and powerful enough to drive mics like the SM7b.
-The headphone amp is best in class for an audio interface and is on par (in terms of quality, not volume) with even some "audiophile" gear. It's possible that if you are using 600-ohm headphones or more that you might not have enough volume, but otherwise there are no issues.
-The meters are nice to have even if they're not essential.
-Independent phantom power for each input.
-Low latency ASIO drivers on Windows.
-The loopback feature is actually really useful for recording video calls. For example, I get together with friends once a week and I can record them, any music we're listening to, and my mic (to a different track if I want) with minimal effort.

In summary, this is the interface to beat if you want this arrangement of ins and outs. If you don't need the extra ins and outs, get the M2 instead. I really can't think of any good reasons to get any other 2x2 or 4x4 interface unless money is your main consideration (and even then, these aren't that much more expensive than the others).

First, wow. I have to admit I have been a fan of MOTU since getting to use the original 828 for recording "a few years back". Prior to owning this I primarily recorded all my tracks for myself and accounts using the IK Multimedia Stealth Pedal. I also had another active dual preamp interface which I thought was really good. When the M4 came out I knew it was time for a change, and it is a change for the better.
Sure, the MOTU M4 gives you some really cool eye candy with the full color digital meters. But that is only where the fun begins. It's USB-C connected, so with the right gear you can use it with a Phone or Tablet too. But wait, what's that? A power switch? I like that. Old school MIDI connections? Yeah, I'll take that. I have a small USB keyboard but being able to use my 76-key synth instead is a win.
All the control you want up front. The combo jacks work just fine with instrument or TRS 1/4 and XLR, with auto switching impedance. That was a pain on my previous interface.
Now, the important part.
CLARITY.
The output level from the M4 is clean, crisp, and loud. I thought the output from my previous device was really good. In addition to more output gain on tap it also has better definition in the mid frequencies (in the 800-2k range).
If you have another interface, you need to try one of these new M series. The Performer Lite software included is decent, and the access to loops and the current version of Ableton Live Lite probably pay for the interface alone.

The M4 is as good as advertised, and in some cases even better.

I bought this device right before global lockdown and was very lucky to receive it within a few days. I was very pleased with the simple packaging and solid build quality. It us more durable than it looks. My unit has taken a serious beating and besides a few scratches on one of the corners, you can't really tell. Besides the buttons and screen, everything is made of metal.

I didn't give it a full 5 stars because it came with one of the screws loose on the inside. I would usually return a unit if it rattled right out of the box, but the M4 was barely out in stores and the lockdown would have meant a long waiting time to have it replaced or repaired. Luckily I'm a bit of a gearhead, so I opened it up, found the screw and the matching hole, and screwed it back together in less than 5 minutes. When I turned it on, it worked perfectly. So no beef with MOTU.

I've used this unit in my home studio for recording vocals and guitar, as extra inputs on location whiles filming live concerts, and as an audio interface for my phone for Instagram live and zoom shows.

I used a USB-C to USB-C cable to connect the M4 to my cheap Samsung galaxy A20s and it was able to run two condenser microphones, both with phantom power, off bus power without breaking a sweat.

The preamps are clean and play nicely with outboard preamps, though it's also great on its own. The individual phantom power switches and a nice touch and so is the ability to link input 1 and two to be monitored as a stereo pair.

The monitor and line outs are impressive. They're clear and detailed, and a good boost for any decent pair of monitors.

So far I love this unit. It does all the things advertised and does them well. The drivers work without issue. This device should last as long as you want it.

I would recommend this to anyone who needs a pair of clean mic inputs and good converters in a portable bus-powered package.

I upgraded a Presonus USB96 to the motu for my audio interface. It has better drivers, more headroom and more ins and outs. The midi connections were a requirement, having two line ins is almost useful, and there are 4 lines out.
The device works well, except that there is only one volume knob of the outputs. There is a headphone volume, but as far as I can tell, every output is slaved to one volume control. You can't balance the output, you can't turn off the volume so that you can listen to a second pair of speakers to check different responses. I'm on the edge of returning it for an interface with that feature. The meters are nice, but pointless since the 4 out meters all have the same volume. The separate phantom power switches for each pre amp are nice too.

Pros:
- Good quality
- Good sound
- Nice features

Cons:
- XLRs not on the rear panel
- No easy way to use all outputs without a DAW

After a few weeks of deliberations between various interfaces, the MOTU M4 had arrived and I spent some time with the device.


INITIAL THOUGHTS:
A safe design that is sleek and smooth, but sharp to give it some minimalist 'pop'
Carries an unibody metal chassis (assuming it is a brushed aluminum) that encases the internals. It's not trying to grab my attention with a unique chassis design, which I prefer, as it doesn't look out of place when sitting on my desk.

Knobs have a smooth finish on the top and a knurled pattern on the sides for grip, which is my preferred knob.
The potentiometers surprised me quite a bit, as they have reasonable resistance when rotating each knob. You can really feel this resistance if you rotate quickly, whereas small, minute motions may give you a smooth motion that gives very little resistance.

Buttons are tactile switches which provide excellent feedback.
The part in which you touch feels like a gentle silicon, which took me back a bit. Great user interface/experience choice, MOTU.

As a Windows user, initial setup was interesting, as Windows didn't seem to detect the M4 as an class-compliant interface, but no worries as installing the MOTU driver was on the agenda anyway.
The driver itself is straight forward with installation and its small configuration availability.


CRITICISM:
LCD is a great feature of the M4, but I do desire some meter ballistics to have a sense of 'home' when looking at the screen. I would opt in for at least -20, -12 or -8 dBFS notches to give me a sense of where my levels are at.

The direct monitoring feature is killer, but the level changes when activating input monitoring is jarring. The overall level seems to be padded down, causing readjustments in headphone levels and the monitoring mix. I tend to increase headphone levels to find a reasonable mix, which causes a large spike in levels in the headphones once you turn monitoring off.


TIPS FOR POTENTIAL USERS:
Unique and ingénues option for MOTU's driver is the 'Sync Windows sample rate to device'
I recommend that you ensure this option is selected.

Pro-tip: Also ensure the sampling rate/bit depth of the MOTU is the same in Window's Sound Control panel under both Playback and Recording to avoid issues with input and output signals such as having no sound output, but have input levels (vice versa).

I've been using all kinds of interfaces / converters over the years, all the way back to the Digidesign 888 and original RADAR converters, to some of the latest stuff from UA, Lynx, Etc. The ESS Sabre converters used here are absolutely incredible and hands down beat any interface at twice the price.

This was purchased mainly for ITB mixing and some overdubs. I immediately noticed a wider stereo field, more depth and clarity, smooth top end, not a lot of artifacts. My personal favorite part of this box is the headphone DAC and amp. It's the same DAC that the main outs use, and it works with a wide variety of impedances. For example not only do my Westone in-ears sound good coming off this guy, but my 80 Ohm Beyer DT770 and 250 Ohm Beyer DT880s do as well!! If this meets your I/O needs it's incredible.

The preamps are super clean with lots of gain on tap. You'll still need a Cloud Lifter for some dynamic mics like the SM7b etc, but sounded great with an SE V7, Heil PR30, a 58, and a 57.

1 Complaint. When I initially hooked up the M4 and installed the MOTU drivers (you don't have to but there are benefits to this) I got tons of clocking and sample error noises. It was absolutely awful. Did some digging on MOTU support forums and apparently the M4 is very very picky about the USB cables you use. I was using a 10ft USBC -> USBC cable that had no issues with my previous interface. Once I changed over to a Samsung USB-C cable the issue disappeared.

Good Job MOTU! I'll look here first for the next interface I need.

Configuring my setup so I grabbed this M4 to work with my 14" MacBook Pro M1 max in a portable (Travel) rack. Surprisingly it works great with Monterey OSX using the usb-c connector. I needed an extra output to send a signal out to my Talkstar Talkbox which I also run with Apple's Mainstage when I perform live. The 4 outputs in the back are perfect for what I need. It's the perfect addition to my portable rig! So far NO issues!

If you are buying for use with your new MAC you may want to wait. If you are using just the interface "as is" and have a preferred DAW or plan to use only the included Ableton Live Lite.

A big feature for me is the loop back, which is not available for use in BIG SUR yet (MacOS 11), as it is a separate driver install. For podcasting this is an attractive element, allowing better fidelity recording the other side of a podcast conversation. This feature is one of three main reasons I purchased the M4.

The Performer Lite software (and its Digital Performer step up) are also currently awaiting compatible updates for BS and the new Apple Silicon M1 chipset.

I did a lot of research before buying the MOTU M4. I've had a 2nd Gen Scarlett Focusrite 2i4 since release in 2016. It remained remarkably stable, but I did accept that it was pretty much a middle of the road unit in terms of components and performance. Eventually, the volume pot on the main monitor mix started going bad, so my search began.

After browsing feature sets and general performance on preamps, noise levels, I ended up comparing the MOTU M4, Focusrite 4i4, the SSL 2+, and the Audient id14. Julian Krause proved to be an exceptional reviewer on all of these features on YouTube, and I came away very impressed with the M4's performance across the board. The preamps have quite a bit of gain with a relatively low noise floor, and the headphone driver is powerful enough for a wide range of impedance ratings (this was of particular concern for me because I wanted to push some 250 ohm Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pros).

I pulled the trigger on the MOTU M4, and I think at this point after about a full week of regular use I'm pretty happy that I did so. Here are my pros, cons, and recommendations if you are considering this audio interface:

PROS:
- Exceptional roundtrip latency performance at higher sample rates (probably 3-5ms depending on your system)
- Powers headphones quite well, from low impedance ATH-M50x to high impedance DT 990 Pro 250 ohm
- Useful and informative fader rendering for ins and outs on the built-in, front facing LCD screen
- Buttery smooth volume knobs
- Per-channel phantom power on Ch 1 and 2
- Per-channel monitoring on Ch 1, 2, and rear input 3-4 combined
- A dedicated monitor fader for mixing direct input and computer playback
- Easy to use loopback feature for streaming or resampling computer audio
- Low-noise performance for its price range (though still behind compared to higher price offerings like UAD)
- Clean, modern, and professional aesthetic
- Stable performance at

CONS:
- Proprietary drivers gave me a little pause, but work well with some caveats that I will mention below
- Setup is not plug and play like other units in its range
- Heavily reliant on a quality USB connection; audio dropped constantly using an AmazonBasics USB 2.0 extension
- I would recommend a high performance USB hub or direct high performance USB connection at the very least

RECOMMENDATIONS:
- Follow the setup instructions from MOTU to the letter
- If you have issues with playback sound dropping, connect directly to a high performance USB hub or your rig

OVERALL:
After fighting with my USB connectivity for the first few days (almost considering a return for the SSL 2+ which was my second choice), I ended up ditching my USB 2.0 extension and plugging this directly into my monitor which has a SS USB 3.0 hub built in. Performance is now exceptional and stable even at high sampling rates, with low buffers. I can monitor vocals with 3ms round trip latency while running a number of reverbs, autotune, and other FX. I am pleased with this purchase, ESPECIALLY for the price.

First the good: The Motu M4 sounds great. Audio quality is clear and crisp. I purchased the M4 vs the M2 to have the 2 additional outputs (see the bad below) to play audio from my computer to 4 studio monitor speakers connected via each of the 4 channel RCA outputs. USB power is a nice feature (see the bad below) and the on off switch is also a nice feature. However, when the M4 is connected to a computer to a USB port the on off switch is useless to me since I want the M4 to power on and off with my computer. The I/O ports themselves are nice and the RCA outs are a plus. The rotary dials are solid and smooth. The front LCD meter panel looks and works great and was one of the main reasons I purchased the Motu M4.

Now for the bad: These things are not deal breakers for me but they do take away from making this product excellent and instead make it just good in my opinion. The first problem is the M4 creates a loud speaker pop when it powers on when connected to USB from my computer. It pops with computer startup or when using the power switch on the back of the M4. All volume dials on the M4 can be turned all the way down and my computer volume can be fully down or muted and all connected speakers pop loudly when the M4 powers on. The speaker pop sounds like volume is set at 100% even though all audio output is muted on the M4 and my computer. The second problem is that the 4 channel outputs are not independently assignable to input. So, for example, if you want to listen to music from your computer and have two pair of speakers connected (4 speakers connected to all 4 speaker RCA outputs) you cannot map audio from your computer via USB input to the M4 and then from the M4 out to all 4 audio output channels simultaneously. This is an audio interface piece of hardware that should be able to take anything INPUT and map that to anything or everything OUTPUT. You can only map USB input to the M4 to channel 1 and 2 out or 3 and 4 out on the M4 and not both channel pairs out simultaneously from the same USB input. I contacted Motu support about this and they said the M4 does not support this. Big letdown for me since my old M-Audio products all supported this basic function I use. I now have channels 1 and 2 out split with RCA y cables to my 4 speakers which means I should have just purchased the M2 instead when it comes to actually having flexibility with outputs.

The meters on the front are super useful, The form factor is great, the sound of the preamps are really good, and the headphone amp is able to push my 55ohm cans decently.

My only grip with the unit, and why I knocked it one star, is the direct monitor control for the two backside Line Inputs only allows you to enable direct monitoring for both inputs or none. I only use one of the two line inputs on the back, so when I engage direct monitoring for the backside line inputs, I can only hear the source audio from one side. The backside line inputs were designed for a stereo pare, which is great, but if you aren't using both inputs, you will only hear the source out of one side of your speakers or cans. It's not a deal breaker but it would be nice if there were at least software that you could use to switch the direct monitor for the two backside line ins to a mono source instead of stereo.

To be fair, I could use either of the two front side mic/line inputs to resolve the issue because they both have their own direct monitor controls, but I have an expensive external preamp that is connected to one of the back Line Only inputs. I don't want cables hanging out of the front of the unit just to bypass the mildly annoying direct monitoring issue.

I bought this as an open-box item on Ebay from Sweetwater. The box has a DEMO sticker on it, so likely it was a store demo. It looks to be almost unused.

I like the build quality of the M4. Everything has a good positive feel. The gain knobs have a bit of give if you push them sideways, but I've seen much worse. The screen looks great and is nice for checking levels, though the color does flare badly if you touch it accidentally...but why would you. The knobs all have a very nice feel to them as they turn and the buttons are positive.

When I first hooked this up I was worried. I'm using it with a Mid 2015 MacBook Pro, 16GB RAM, and OS X 10.15.3 (Catalina). Monitoring sounded great, but recorded sounds in Garageband, from a condenser mic and guitar pickup tested through all channels, had a gravelly digital noise in them that was not good. It sounded like potentially a clocking issue. I installed the driver and restarted. After that the digital noise disappeared and the recordings sounded great. I can't be sure if just a restart would have solved the issue, but this does make me wonder how solidly "class compliant" this unit is. But, assuming that the drivers work into the future (MOTU, I hope you are listening, or I'll have to abandon you like I did AVID) it doesn't really matter to me.

Overall the sound is excellent and the preamps do have quite a bit of gain which is nice.

Yeah I dunno what to tell you guys, it sounds amazing, has great features and when it works, I love it.

What makes me crazy is that it will just suddenly drop huge latency and needs a restart. This isn't even after a marathon production session either. Sometimes latency is just there on a fresh bootup. It's pretty embarrassing when I'm in a session and the vocalist is like 'There's major latency' and I go through the motions of checking what the problem could be and then finally get to the interface and that's what the problem is. At least now that I know that it's most likely the interface I can reboot. But it caused major issues on two particular sessions. All it required was a reboot.

This interface would sweep the floor with Focusrite if the driver didn't randomly crash all the time. Great headphone amp. Clear and build feels solid! also assembled in USA!

Support wasn't super helpful, but after searching, it's a common issue. Apparently, the mac drivers are bulletproof for this, though.

After owning the M4 now for close to a month, I've determined several things about it.

Pros:

- It sounds great. No complaints, very minimal if any audible distortion, at least compared to the UR22mkii I was using.
- Build quality is excellent. The knobs are painted aluminum, shafts feel pretty firm, while still turning easily.
- Headphone amp can deafen you and have enough gusto for hungry headphones. I like this.
- The looks are a big plus. The screen appears to be high refresh rate, and gives a good estimation of levels in detail.
- The I/0 was the biggest selling feature for me (big caveat explained in cons)
- Independent phantom power and monitor buttons for each channel right on the front? Hell yes.
- USB C power and low latency tracking. Handles lots of plugins pretty well. Not a chance you'll get 16 smp buffer, but 32 works awesome and doesn't hiccup unless you have a large project open.

Cons:

- Several hours spent configuring Windows and disabling things some people may not want to deal with in order to get it usable without major glitching and artifacts. This was very frustrating and is the Achilles heel of the M4. Perhaps this isn't an issue for Mac folks. I prefer Windows, and really hope this is resolved in a future update.

Sorry it's a long point to make here, but may be critical to your ability to use it. I found the M4 really hates high buffer settings when using system sounds and applications, but is ok inside your DAW. This means you have to switch back every single time you exit your session. You will also have to potentially disable USB root hub power saving mode in device manager, and similar options in the audio control panel, like exclusive app control. I even went into my BIOS. Never ever had to do this much work with any interface before it. To be clear, I experienced this glitching for at least a few seconds to a minute before it would go away and "catch up". Once all was successfully configured, and using anything below 1024 samples, it functions great. Really surprised about this issue from a brand like MOTU. Maybe there's a few things unique about the mark of the unicorn I'm not aware of.

- The outputs are tied to their separate external inputs, and loopback only. You can not output 1 signal through channels 1/2 + 3/4 to go through different speakers, or other audio gear. This may not be a big deal for you, but I was pretty bummed about that. Still learning about it, so I could be wrong, and there isn't any advanced software available for the M4.

Conclusion -

I love this interface and willing to accept it's idiosyncrasies for a while. The overall experience is great. All in all, I tracked with both mics and DI, and made an audible improvement to my music and workflow. Hopefully now it'll go the distance.

I bought an M2 and upgraded it to the M4 so that I could record voice and stereo audio from an older keyboard (if you're just recording voice and guitar, then the M2 is perfect). I actually like the display on the M2 better, because the meters are bigger and you can see them from a few feet away (on the M4 there are 4 meters on the same sized screen so that are half as wide).

It delivers great sound, but I do have two issues with both the M2 & M4. First, the Loopback feature doesn't work on a Mac. Second, the interface is flakey when I power it off and back on or when I restart my computer...it doesn't play any sound. The M2/M4 appears in my sound settings but there's no audio coming out of the speaker, of levels appearing on the screen. If I switch to internal sound I hear the audio fine. I Usually have to turn it off and on several times and restart my machine. This happened on both the M2 and M4, which leads me to believe there's a bug in Mac MSeries drivers I downloaded from Motu (since they both use the same drivers).

The device was very easy to install and works really well on my PC. THe big problem is how horrible the recording software it comes with is. The performance lite software just randomly crashes when trying to do tracks. Basically useless to me. I am running a very powerfull PC so it's not me. The MOTU itself is great. works just the way i hoped it would. Kinda bummed that now i need to buy good recording software (not cheap) to really get the full use of it.

Purchased this Feb 2021 and got good use out of it. But for the lase few months I have noticed static creeping in audio and now channel 4 go completely out until I restart and then over and over.... Love MOTU but will purchase something a little newer

I have loved this interface since I got one that worked. In a period of almost four months I ordered 4 Motu M4s (two from B&H, two from Sweetwater); returned 3; and, finally, got a 4th that has been working for almost a year now. I suppose this says something about Motu's QC; but I can't complain about Sweetwater's customer service, it's great.

PROs:
- loopback
- two additional Line Inputs
- the LCD display
- input monitor mix
- sound quality
- relatively low latency
- two 48V mic inputs

CONs:
- above mentioned QC issues
- increase in price--but no upgrade to the M4.

I still believe the Motu M4 is a good interface and it's a product I'd probably buy again. However, I would suggest that if you buy one, check it out completely as soon as you get it. Check all the knobs, buttons, inputs, and outputs and make sure they are working. Took me 4 units to get one that worked completely, but when it works, it is sweet.

I'm giving the Motu M4 3 stars because of the problems I had getting one that worked and the current price. I'll have to admit, however, that its price-to-performance ratio still makes this a good buy.

I purchased the M4 to use with my iPad (6th gen). I was unable to get the M4 to power on using an Apple Lightning to USB 3 Adapter (with Apple 12W charger connected to the charge-thru port). After a couple weeks of back & forth with MOTU support, it was determined that the M4 draws too much power to be used in this configuration.

It was eventually recommended that I use the M4 with a powered hub-- connecting both the adapter and the M4 to the hub for power. MOTU didn't specify, but you probably need a powered hub that provides 2.4A (12W) per port. The iPad can be connected either to the hub for power, or its own charger. The M4 has to go through the hub for power and to pass data to/from the iPad via the hub.

The M4 is a quality interface with great sound, nice features, good build quality, and low latency. If you plan to use it with your iOS device, be aware that you may need to buy a 2.4A/12W-per-port powered hub.

I took away two stars because this power issue is not mentioned in the system requirements or the manual. Users may waste time before realizing they have to purchase a powered hub. The lack of a secondary power input on the unit is a design flaw.

The interface has an issue under Windows that causes very short intermittent stutters on both the inputs and outputs after about an hour of use. Under Linux or Mac OS, I haven't had any stuttering issues. The feature set is the best in its price bracket, but if you need perfect reliability under Windows, look elsewhere.

The first one I received did not work at all. The second one was limping along and then my sales rep informed me I should use a powered USB hub, so I got one and everything went well for about a year. I purchased this unit because of the awesome meters, I really like seeing a level and not just a green/yellow/red light. To that extent this met my needs. Then after about a year of little use things started to happen like if you just bumped it a tad the unit would power down because the USB port is sensitive I guess? It acts like it's been unplugged and plugged back in 100's of times but this happened after THE FIRST time. This would happen when just plugging in a mic or instrument cable or unplugging the headphones, etc. Not violent shoving or smacking around, just regular use. It's not the USB cable, I've tried others. It randomly does not work, requiring a power cycle. It will half work like I get sound but the meters stop moving, so another power recycle. I've have 4 interfaces, three of them USB. This is the most unreliable by far. Would not buy it again.

Since day one there have been nothing but issues. Firmware updates freeze up, popping/clicking in software/computer monitoring and all attempts to get rid of it have failed. It's not always there but randomly appears. Does not play well with my mac. I think the issue in in motu's drivers that are supposed to improve latency. There are you tube videos talking about this same issue. No luck with motu's tech support either. My other motu products have been great. Not this one.

Used on and off for about 3 years (since 2021). Using a win 10 monster laptop, I'll get blue screen death after about 30~90 minutes of use - even with no activity (no sound playing, etc.). Just reliable random death. Reboot, fine for another 30~90 minutes until the next random death. Clockwork unreliable.