MOTU 10pre

Connect all your studio gear, including monitors, headphones, microphones, guitars, synths, keyboards, drum machines, outboard processors, optical expanders, and more. All 26 inputs and 28 outputs are available simultaneously.

Optimized drivers for both Mac and PC deliver renowned, ultra-low latency performance. With a high-performance DAW such as Digital Performer, the 10pre delivers an astonishing round trip latency (RTL) of ~1.8 ms (milliseconds) over Thunderbolt and USB at 96 kHz with a 32-sample host buffer.

Daisy-chain the 10pre with up to six other Thunderbolt devices, all connected to your host computer with massive 40 Gbps bandwidth to easily handle hundreds of audio channels, 8K video, terabytes of hard drive storage, and more. Thunderbolt 4-compatible USB-C cable included (length = 2 meters).

Capture your recorded material in its truest, most natural form with -114 dB THD+N, 118 dB dynamic range and -129 dBu EIN performance. Each mic channel has individual preamp gain, pad, 48V phantom power and remote control from your computer or iOS device. Each combo jack alternately provides a 1/4-inch high-impedance TS guitar input for DI tracking and reamping.

Do you work with compressors and other outboard gear? Mic inputs 1-2 each offer a dedicated analog send/return loop, allowing for both mono or stereo mic channel outboard processing via fully balanced connections.

Control your 5.1 or 7.1 surround speaker system with a single fader. The Monitor Group gives you the flexibility to choose any analog outputs you wish to control.

Take control of your recording sessions with the front-panel talkback switch. Connect three sets of monitors and check your mixes instantly with front-panel A/B/C select buttons.

The 10pre is equipped with a 64-channel mixer designed just like a large format mixing console. The 64 inputs can take signal from anywhere: the physical inputs on the 10pre interface itself, audio channels from host software on your computer, audio network streams, or even mixer outputs. The mixer provides 26 aux busses, plus main, reverb, monitor, and solo buses. All inputs and output buses provide 4-band double-precision parametric EQ and a compressor. Additionally, input channels include a High-Pass Filter and Gate. In essence: capable and transparent mixing.

Using intuitive, virtual patch cords, you can easily route any source signal to any destination. Sources can be analog or digital inputs on the interface, computer channels, mixer bus outputs, or audio network streams from other devices on the network. Destinations include interface outputs, host software inputs, mixer inputs, or any other device (or computer) on the network. You can even split any single source (or stereo pair) to unlimited multiple output destinations.

For complex workflows that involve routing and splitting at scale, the Routing Grid provides a global "bird's-eye" view of all the connections in your 10pre system. Manage hundreds of audio channels quickly, at a glance. Check for signal with convenienct activity meters. Show and hide audio banks to customize your routing environment. Display destinations on either the right side or left side of the grid, as you prefer.

Audio networking has come of age, delivering a world of possibilities. The 10pre features an integrated AVB switch with two Gigabit Ethernet ports, allowing you to daisy-chain multiple 10pre, 848, and 16A units using standard network cabling. Alternatively, expand your network by connecting an external AVB switch to build a network with multiple interfaces, computers, and ultra-low network latency, even over long cable runs (hundreds of meters). Each 10pre can transmit and receive 128 audio channels to and from the network. Stream hundreds of audio channels among devices and computers on the network. The 10pre is compatible with previous-generation MOTU AVB devices.

Developed by the IEEE, Audio Video Bridging (AVB) is widely adopted across the pro audio industry, with no licensing fees required.

A point-to-point connection can run up to 100 meters with a standard CAT-5e or CAT-6 cable, or much longer with fiber-optic cables.

AVB network latency (from point to point) is fixed at 2 ms throughout the AVB network, even through 100-meter cable runs, daisy-chained devices, and AVB switches.

AVB streams are never interrupted by other network traffic to ensure continuous real-time performance.

AVB supports hundreds of audio channels over the network, even at high sample rates.

Just connect devices and go. No IT expertise required. AVB is a self-managing network protocol.

All devices resolve to a master clock with better-than-sample-accurate phase lock measured in nanoseconds.

Daisy-chain up to eight devices. Add one or more AVB switches to create a network that covers facilities of any size and configuration.

CueMix™ Pro is the consummate app for controlling everything in the 10pre, including device settings, signal routing and 64-channel mixing and effects. Available for macOS, Windows, and iOS, you can run CueMix Pro on multiple devices at the same time and access the 10pre wirelessly through Wi-Fi. As a 1722.1 controller, CueMix Pro can also be used to access AVB-related settings in 3rd-party devices on the network.

Control all settings and mixing from your host PC or from an iPhone or iPad running the CueMix Pro app. You can even use multiple iOS devices simultaneously.

The 10pre's balanced output connections are well-protected against RF interference, AC hum, and other noise-producing environmental factors.

Two optical banks provide 16 channels of ADAT optical at 48 kHz, 8 channels of S/MUX optical I/O at 96 kHz, with optional stereo TOSLink at rates up to 96kHz. Expand your 10pre with other optical gear, or use it as an optical expander.

Not using the optical I/O? Or any digital I/O? The 10pre provides customized meter views for analog I/O only, digital I/O only and other combinations to best support your workflow.

Each headphone output can be programmed with the same or different mixes, with independent volume control and source selection from the front-panel or CueMix Pro.

Easily route computer output channels — as many as you need — back to the computer, where you can mix them with live mics and/or guitar inputs from the 10pre in your host software for live streaming or podcasting.

All analog outputs are DC-coupled. This means you can use the 10pre to manipulate and sequence modular synthesizers from a host DAW using control voltage (CV).

Connect the 10pre to your Mac or PC and start laying down tracks with the included Performer Lite production software, plus hundreds of loops, one-shots and sounds from industry leaders Big Fish Audio, Lucidsamples and Loopmasters.Read more