MOTU has begun shipping a completely redesigned version of its popular AVB-enabled audio interface. The new 16A offers 66 local I/O channels, a built-in 64-channel mixer with effects, 128 channels of AVB I/O, and modern connectivity options including Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4.
Connections and management
The front panel of the device has two bright 3.9-inch TFT color displays that show the signal level on all analog and digital channels. You can customize the display directly from the panel via the built-in menu. There is a headphone output with separate volume control and signal source selection – you can listen to any input or output, as well as mixer channels. By default, signals are selected in stereo, but the Mono button allows you to listen to a separate channel, duplicating it on both ears.
The rear panel features 16 balanced analog inputs and outputs (TRS 1/4″), two groups of ADAT optical I/O with 8 channels each, high-quality ESS Sabre32 DACs providing 125 dB dynamic range and -114 dB THD+N distortion, 1 dB adjustable I/O level control, Word Clock I/O (BNC) with pass-through capability, two Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 Type-C ports, two AVB Ethernet ports. The analog outputs support DC coupling, which allows them to be used to control modular synthesizers.
The device is based on ESS Sabre32 Ultra DAC technology, providing less than 2 ms latency at 96 kHz and a buffer size of 32 samples. The interface works with Mac, Windows and iOS, providing up to 256 input/output channels. Thanks to the built-in AVB switch with two Gigabit Ethernet ports, you can connect up to 8 16A devices into a network, giving the host computer full access to all channels. The network can be expanded via an external AVB switch.
Mixer, effects and routing
The built-in 32-bit floating-point DSP processor supports a 64-channel mix of physical inputs, channels from host programs, network streams and the mixer’s own outputs. All control is carried out via the CueMix Pro application, which includes:
- 26 auxiliary buses (aux),
- main, monitor, reverb and solo buses,
- four-band parametric equalizer and compressor on all inputs and outputs up to 96 kHz,
- high-pass filter and noise gate on each channel.
Talkback functions and switching between three pairs of monitors are also implemented – with A/B/C buttons.
— See also: 6 Essential Plugins for Vocal Producers in 2025 —
Flexible routing
CueMix Pro features an intuitive “virtual patch cord” system that lets you quickly route any source to any destination. Sources include: analog and digital inputs, computer channels, mixer outputs, and AVB network streams. Destinations include: interface outputs, computer software inputs, mixer inputs, and other devices on the network. A single source can be routed to an unlimited number of outputs.
Included in the box:
- CueMix Pro software,
- low-latency Thunderbolt/USB drivers for macOS, Windows, and iOS,
- MOTU Performer Lite workstation for macOS and Windows,
- 6GB of sounds and loops from Big Fish Audio, LucidSamples, Loopmasters, and MOTU.
The updated MOTU 16A is available now for $1,495.
