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MOTU M4 USB-C Audio Interface Certified Open Box

4-in/4-out, 24-bit/192kHz, USB-C Audio Interface with 2 Preamps, MIDI I/O, LCD Screen, Hardware Monitoring, Loopback, and 6+GB of Free Content - macOS/Windows/iOS
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Item ID: M4d3
MOTU M4 USB-C Audio Interface
MOTU M4 USB-C Audio Interface

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This returned item is in excellent condition and perfect working order. Includes all original accessories. This item ships in its original factory packaging.

This item was thoroughly inspected by our factory-authorized service team and is backed by Sweetwater's exclusive 2-year warranty. The images shown do not necessarily represent the condition of this particular item.

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A High-quality Audio Interface That Won’t Break the Bank

Looking for a high-quality audio interface that won’t break the bank? The MOTU M4 fits that description to a T. This 4-in/4-out USB-C audio interface includes ESS Sabre32 Ultra DAC technology for top-shelf sound, along with optimized drivers that yield impressive low-latency performance. Two great-sounding mic preamps include individual gain adjustment and phantom power, while 1-touch hardware monitoring ensures smooth tracking. You’ll also benefit from convenient front-panel metering, by way of the M4’s full-color LCD. Podcasters will appreciate the built-in loopback functionality, which includes a mix knob for balancing your live input with your computer’s playback. Bus-powered for the ultimate in portability, the MOTU M4 packs a lot of performance into a compact, high-powered audio interface.

Related Videos: M4 USB-C Audio Interface

Best-in-class D/A, low latency, and ample I/O

Sweetwater and MOTU have enjoyed a long-standing relationship, due to MOTU's products offering our customers superb sound and solid performance. The M4 follows suit, packing top-notch sound, impressively low latency, and ample I/O into a single-rack enclosure. Renowned ESS Sabre32 Ultra DAC technology delivers 120dB of dynamic range, ensuring that the M4's analog audio quality can hang with the most impressive gear on the market. Optimized drivers yield round-trip latency as low as 2.5ms at 24-bit/96kHz with a 32 sample buffer. The M4 includes all of the essential connections, including two mic preamps, four DC-coupled analog outputs, and an ESS-driven stereo headphone output. MIDI I/O is also included.

Loopback functionality makes live internet streaming easy

If you do live streaming or podcasting, you’ll appreciate the MOTU M4’s loopback functionality. Loopback blends your mic or other input signals with the output from your computer, then sends the blended signal back to your computer. This enables you to record your computer’s output, along with the inputted material. The M4 also includes a mix knob for balancing your live input with your computer’s playback.

Hardware monitoring offers zero-latency operation

Latency can really take the mojo out of a performance — it’s a jarring sensation. That’s why the M4 includes 1-touch hardware monitoring. This feature enables all of the interface’s analog inputs to be routed directly to its analog outputs, resulting in zero-latency operation. This means that there is no delay between what you play and/or sing and what you hear in your headphones. The M4’s inputs can also be recorded simultaneously, allowing you to monitor with zero latency while tracking — a must for achieving a natural-sounding performance.

MOTU M4 Features:

  • 4-in/4-out USB-C audio interface
  • ESS Sabre32 Ultra DAC technology delivers 120dB of dynamic range and superb audio quality
  • Optimized drivers yield round-trip latency as low as 2.5ms at 24-bit/96kHz with a 32-sample buffer
  • Full-color LCD supplies convenient front-panel metering
  • 2 great-sounding microphone preamps with individual gain and phantom power
  • 1-touch hardware monitoring on all inputs
  • Loopback for live streaming and podcasting
  • Mix knob for balancing live input with your computer’s playback
  • USB bus-powered for the ultimate in portability
  • 6GB+ of free loops, samples, and 1-shots from industry-leading libraries
What is Certified Open Box Gear?

At Sweetwater, we're so picky that what we call "Certified Open Box" is actually better than what most music retailers sell as "new" gear! Our gear hasn't endured hundreds of people a week plunking away at all the keyboards, fumbling through Stairway to Heaven on every guitar or playing with every fader and knob on a mixer or control surface.

Certified Open Box (also known as a demo) means we’ve had it out of the box for our YouTube channel, displayed at events, tested in our studio, or maybe it was in a customer’s hands for a few days and isn’t ‘factory fresh’ as a result. Every Certified Open Box item we sell has Sweetwater’s 2-year Total Confidence Coverage™ warranty and has been tested and verified up to ‘new’ specs by our factory-authorized technicians to make sure it’s in perfect working order before we ship it to you.

When you buy a Certified Open Box item at Sweetwater, you get:
  • 2-year Total Confidence Coverage Warranty™!
  • Products inspected and tested by our factory-authorized techs, guaranteed to function like new (or better)!
  • FREE shipping on most items
  • Equipment that will MEET or EXCEED your expectations!

Click HERE to browse our current inventory of Certified Open Box equipment. Purchasing Certified Open Box gear from Sweetwater is a smart and safe way to save!

Resources

Audio Interface Buying Guide
Best Audio Interfaces for Your Home Studio 2022
Mar 14, 2022
9 Best Audio Interfaces Under $500 Shootout - Take a Listen!
Oct 26, 2020
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2019 Gear in Review: A Few of Our Top Picks
Dec 13, 2019
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Hottest New Recording Gear of 2019
Dec 10, 2019
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First Look: MOTU M2 and M4 Audio Interfaces
Nov 5, 2019
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MOTU M4 & M2 USB-C Audio Interfaces Overview
Nov 5, 2019

Warranty Info

Sweetwater's FREE 2-Year Total Confidence Coverage Warranty

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  • Get back to making music with the industry's fastest turnaround time
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Tech Specs

  • Computer Connectivity: USB 2.0
  • Form Factor: Desktop, Portable
  • Simultaneous I/O: 4 x 4
  • Number of Preamps: 2
  • Phantom Power: Yes
  • A/D Resolution: Up to 24-bit/192kHz (32 sample buffer)
  • Analog Inputs: 2 x XLR-1/4" combo (mic/line/Hi-Z), 2 x 1/4" (line)
  • Analog Outputs: 4 x 1/4" TRS, 2 x Dual RCA Stereo
  • Headphones: 1 x 1/4"
  • MIDI I/O: In/Out/USB
  • USB: 1 x USB-C
  • Software: MOTU Performer Lite, Ableton Live Lite, Bundled Loops/Sounds
  • OS Requirements - Mac: OS X 10.13 or later
  • OS Requirements - PC: Windows 10 or later
  • Bus Powered: Yes
  • Power Supply: USB bus powered
  • Height: 1.75"
  • Width: 8.25"
  • Depth: 4.25"
  • Weight: 1.55 lbs.
  • Manufacturer Part Number: 3140

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Reviews

4.6

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Great Audio Interface
The MOTU M4 4x4 USB-C Audio Interface was definitely a step up from my previous unit. And to have a sales engineer (Andy Miller) follow up with me after my purchase to check in and make sure I had all I needed to integrate the new device into my studio, demonstrates why Sweetwater is my go to.
Thanks guys!!
by Luis Hernandez from New Jersey on
Music background: Electronic Music Producer
Exceptional sound quality, to include recording and playback.

I purchased this after a focusrite I found at a thrift store broke on me. The focusrite, I like to describe as barely acceptable. The sound quality sucked, it was v2 which is arguably considered the worst generation of the Scarlett series. I wasn't willing to replace it because it did work, and anything else would be a major financial step up, but after it broke that was what I had to do.


I started researching what kinda Audio Interface I should get. I needed something that could pick up the warmth of my stereo analogue Moog Matriarch, with 4 inputs because I also play guitar and bass. I decided to buy the Moto M4 as it seemed to have really good reviews online, touting an exceptional preamp and headphone amplifier, and having exceptional, an exceptional DAC. After purchasing this, I started to hate that I ever thought a 2nd generation focusrite was ever an acceptable recording method. The focusrite made my Moog sound like it was a $ digital synth. It absolutely sapped all the warmth and richness of the analogue oscillators, and was also infected with digital noise. It had similar effects on my guitar and bass tones.


After a few days of testing this out, recording with ableton, and listening to my favorite music through it, I have to say. This is worth every single penny it costs.


I am blown away with the quality of the sound it records and outputs. Upon using this, I honestly probably would have paid $ for it if that was the MSRP. The build quality is awesome, and it has a ton of quality of life features like a power button and an LCD screen which is way cooler/useful in person that it seemed online. The line inputs on the back are great for hooking up a mixer, and the inputs on the front are great for guitars, mics, and bass. My headphones are a little power hungry but I can still get them to sound very loud so that is awesome.


I can't recommend this product enough, especially if you have analogue synths or expensive gear that needs a quality piece of hardware to pick up on the nuances, warmth, and richness of the sound.

by Alexis from New Jersey on
Music background: Hobbyist
Worthwhile In-Between of the M2 and M6 Even for Audiophiles

At first, I was shopping for a MOTU M2 but noticed that its next tier, the MOTU M4, was only slightly more. Curious of the differences, I didn't really find much outside of objective in/out functionality comparisons. Beyond the model's utilities, I hope this review helps those looking for the in-use differences that the MOTU M4 provides from the M2.


General Overview:

The unit overall met my quality expectations; full metal housing, knobs all feel smooth with no wiper noise, and no noise from connections. The monochromatic design of fully blacked out with white accents really pops without being loud among other gear. The USB connectivity is notably over USB-C so no worries on cable length or quality in the future as it's easily replaced. The drivers for Windows are not intrusive in any way and persists even if the unit is off which means you can safely turn off the hardware without worrying about Windows corrupting any sound drivers. Overall, it's a well-built unit that feels like a quality jump from budget interfaces that generally lack or struggle with the previous details.


Personal Use:

A detail I noticed that's loosely covered in the M2/M4's documentation is the separation of OUT 1-2 and OUT 3-4. OUT 1-2 goes to the jack at the front of the unit and OUT 3-4 goes to the outputs on the back of the unit. Naturally, the M6 has many outputs already but this detail goes a long way with the M2/M4. On the front, the big knob controls the back outputs and the smaller knob controls the front outputs, effectively giving you two separately controlled outputs (monitors, phones) with both models. However, the M4 also has rear line outputs that aren't affected by the front knob but still use OUT 3-4. This key detail is why I went for the M4 over M2; I run an amplifier (Schiit Magni Piety) from the rear line outputs effectively giving me three separately controlled outputs (monitors, amplified phones, phones). For those interested in using an amplifier with a MOTU, it's worth noting that the M2 doesn't have line outputs so the monitor output must be used and makes the front large knob redundant. The M6 also replaces the RCA connectivity with 6.35mm TRS so different amp patch cables is needed for that model.

Springing for the M4 (and perhaps M6) over the M2 means that you can run an amp without interfering with the monitor output. In an audiophile use case, this lets me easily A/B test gear as everything goes through the MOTU and has a dedicated volume knob. I put headphones into Amp>Line Out>OUT 3-4, in-ear monitors into Front Phones>OUT 1-2, and down the line I can add studio monitor speaker into Monitor Out>OUT 3-4. Currently, I have OUT 3-4 dedicated to my Sennheiser HD800 and OUT 1-2 as a general output for IEMs. The only inconvenience I've noticed from audiophile usage of the M4 is that monitoring the inputs only outputs to OUT 1-2 so if you wanted to pass in a reel-to-reel or record player into IN 3-4, you can't play it back to monitor/line unfortunately. This shortcoming (albeit makes sense in a musical application) is explicitly why I didn't spring for the M6 and settled at the M4.


If you simply want a single box to be your DAC, amplifier to low powered gear, and still have connectivity for an XLR microphone and such, the MOTU M4 slots in perfectly even if your purposes are leaning closer to audiophile than musician.


Additional Notes:

- I use the MOTU M4 completely fine with EqualizerAPO for Windows (LFX/GFX). Referring back to the drivers, I've never had issues with turning off/on the MOTU and EqualizerAPO configuration breaking. I suspect this is due to the persistent drivers I mentioned.

- The LCD screen on the MOTU can be somewhat distracting with how bright its backlight is despite mostly being black. I remedied this by applying some cheap dark window tint. This helped with the LCD harshness and potential astigmatism.

- Although the MOTU doesn't have a file format display like many audiophile DACs, the loopback feature of the MOTU can still help tell if your audio is properly outputting at your expected sample and bit rate through a spectrum analyzer like Spek. This also works on monitored inputs so, for example, I can test the quality playback of DAPs like my 5th Gen iPod Video which I could confirm downsamples to 44.1khz when playing 48khz files.

by Girafficonical on
Excellent small studio USBC audio interface
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
by DS from Hooksett NH on
Music background: Home Studio musician (former semi-pro)
Probably The Best Audio Interface
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.
by Lyndon Aguilar on
Music background: Music Professor and Jazz Pianist
See also: USB Interfaces, MOTU, MOTU USB Audio Interfaces, MOTU iPad/iPhone Interfaces