Tech Specs

Technical Specifications

Sample rates	44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192 kHz
Mic/line/instr inputs	2 x XLR/TRS "combo" jacks Individual -20 dB pad and 48V phantom power Preamp gain: +74 dB in 1 dB increments 1 MΩ impedance on the line/instr inputs Independent balanced send/return inserts
Analog inputs	8 x 1/4-inch TRS line in (balanced/unbalanced) 2 x 1/4-inch insert returns function as balanced TRS line inputs (with no mic inputs connected) Max level: +21 dBu +20 dB digital gain on each input
Analog outputs	8 x 1/4-inch TRS line out (balanced, DC coupled) 2 x male XLR out Max level: +21 dBu 2 x 1/4-inch TRS stereo headphone (see below) 2 x 1/4-inch TRS sends (balanced, pre-converter)
Digital I/O	2 banks (16 ch) of ADAT optical I/O at 1x sample rates 2 banks (8 ch) of S/MUX optical I/O at 2x sample rates Bank A switchable to stereo TOSLink I/O (optical S/PDIF) 1 x stereo S/PDIF I/O on RCA (up to 96 kHz)
Computer I/O	1 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) Type C • USB2 compatible USB audio class compliant (no driver needed) 1 x IF-certified USB 3.2 Gen 1 C-to-C cable (2M) included Compatible with USB Type A (with a C-to-A cable, sold separately) Total USB audio channels: see "Total Audio I/O" below Round Trip Latency (RTL): ~2 ms (32 sample buffer at 96K)
Total audio I/O	28 in / 32 out (60 total channels) at 1x sample rates 20 in / 24 out (44 total channels) at 2x sample rates 10 in / 14 out (24 total channels) at 4x sample rates
MIDI I/O	1 x MIDI In 1 x MIDI Out/Thru 16 MIDI channels to/from computer host
Headphone	2 x 1/4-inch TRS stereo headphones Output impedance: <1Ω Max output: 14.4 dBu
Phantom power	2 x individual +48V
Foot Switch	1 x 1/4-inch foot switch input Mapping: pedal up/down to any host keystrokes
Sync I/O	1 x BNC Word Clock In 1 x BNC Word Clock Out/Thru Sample rates: all (from 44.1 to 192 kHz)
Front panel	2 x XLR/TRS combo inputs 2 x 1/4" TRS headphone outputs 2 x potentiometer • headphone volume 2 x potentiometer • mic/instr input gain 1 x potentiometer • menu navigation 1 x large potentiometer • main volume 12 x switches • (2) 48V, (2) pad, (6) control room, (2) nav 1 x 3.9-inch 480 x 128 pixel 24-bit RGB TFT display 1 x latching power button
Power	Internal 100-240V autoswitching supply 50-60 Hz • 0.5A max
Dimensions and weight	(width x depth x height, enclosure only) 19 x 12.25 x 1.75 inches / 48.26 x 31.1 x 4.44 cm 11 lbs / 5 kgs

System Requirements

Mac System Requirements	Intel Core i3 Mac or faster (including Apple silicon Macs) 4 GB RAM; 8 GB or more recommended macOS version 10.15 or later Available Hi-Speed or Super-Speed USB port A large hard drive (at least 500 GB for recording)
Windows System Requirements	Intel Core i3 PC (or AMD equivalent) 4 GB RAM; 8 GB or more recommended Windows 10 or later (x64 AMD/Intel only) Available Hi-Speed or Super-Speed USB port A large hard drive (at least 500 GB for recording)
Class-Compliant Support	USB audio class compliant for plug-and-play operation on Mac or iOS (no driver required)
Included Software	CueMix 5 MOTU Performer Lite Ableton Live Lite 6GB of loops and sounds from Big Fish Audio, LucidSamples, Loopmasters and MOTU

Analog I/O

	Connector Type	Dynamic Range (A-weighted)	THD+N (unweighted)	Max Level
Line Input	1/4" TRS, balanced, tip hot	120 dB	-114 dB (0.0002%)	+21 dBu
Line Output	1/4" TRS, balanced, tip hot	125 dB	-114 dB (0.0002%)	+21 dBu
Mic input	XLR, balanced, pin 2 hot	118 dB	THD+N: -114 dB EIN: -129 dBu	Max level: 0 dBu (without pad) Preamp gain: +74 dB
Phones	1/4", TRS stereo	118 dB	-110 dB (0.0003%)	Max level: 14.4 dBu Output Impedance: <1 Ohm

Compatible Mac Software

The 828 ships with standard Core Audio drivers for macOS for compatibility with virtually all Core Audio-compatible apps, including:

MOTU Performer Lite
MOTU Digital Performer
Avid Pro Tools (version 9 or later)
Apple Logic Pro
Apple Garage Band
Ableton Live
Presonus Studio One
Steinberg Cubase
Cockos Reaper
Native Instruments Kontakt
Waves stand-alone apps (and plug-ins, via compatible host)

Compatible Windows Software

The 828 ships with standard ASIO and Wave drivers for Windows 10 and 11 for compatibility with virtually all ASIO- and Wave-compatible audio apps, including:

MOTU Performer Lite
MOTU Digital Performer
Avid Pro Tools (version 9 or later)
Ableton Live
Cakewalk Sonar
Cockos Reaper
Image Line FL Studio
Native Instruments Kontakt
Presonus Studio One
Magix Vegas Pro
Magix Sound Forge
Magix Acid
Steinberg Cubase
Waves stand-alone apps (and plug-ins, via compatible host)

828 Feature Highlights

Next-gen 28 x 32 USB3 audio interface — Builds on 22 years of proven success as an industry-leading audio interface brand.
New 3.9-inch TFT display — The bright, 24-bit RGB LCD provides 480 x 128 pixel high-resolution metering for all analog and digital I/O, plus detailed status info and access to hardware settings from a simple and convenient menu.
Superb analog audio quality and high-end converters — Renowned ESS Sabre32™ DAC technology delivers 125 dB dynamic range. Support for all standard sample rates up to 192 kHz.
Ultra-low latency and proven, high-performance MOTU drivers — Round-trip latency (RTL) performance as low as 2 ms at 96kHz with high-performance DAW hosts.
Universal connectivity — Connects to your computer with 5 Gbps USB3 (compatible with USB2) for up to 60 audio channels. Class-compliant firmware and industry standard drivers work with any audio apps. Connects to an iPad™ with USB-C or a Lightning adapter kit (sold separately).
60 simultaneous audio channels — 28 inputs and 32 outputs, including two combo XLR/TRS mic/line/hi-Z guitar inputs with send/return inserts, 8 TRS analog (line-level) in/out, separate main outs on XLR jacks, two banks of 8-channel optical I/O, stereo RCA S/PDIF digital I/O, and two front-panel headphone outputs.
Advanced mic channels — Cutting-edge components deliver ultra-transparent sound with -114 dB THD+N, 118 dB dynamic range and -129 dBu EIN. Each mic channel provides individual controls for +74 dB of preamp gain, -20 dB pad, 48V phantom power, and phase invert. All settings can be controlled remotely from a computer or iOS device. Each mic channel includes a dedicated send/return insert (balanced) for outboard gear processing.
Flexible insert returns — When nothing is connected to the front-panel mic inputs, the two rear-panel returns function as additional line inputs with identical signal path characteristics as the other eight line inputs.
DSP mixing and effects processing — Flexible 24-input digital mixer with 8 stereo busses and DSP effects, including reverb, 4-band EQ, gate and compression.
Wi-Fi control — If the 828 is connected to a computer on your Wi-Fi network, you can control everything wirelessly from the CueMix 5 app running on mobile devices or other computers on the same network — even multiple devices at the same time. Manage access to the 828 with network discovery and password protection.

Precision boost/trim for analog I/O — Calibrate analog input and output signals in precise 1 dB increments. Apply phase invert individually to analog inputs.
Control room features — Control your sessions with front-panel "talk" button and "A/B" speaker select buttons to quickly compare your mixes on two sets of studio monitors.
Two flexible headphone outputs — With independent volume control, each headphone output can mirror each other, the Main Outs, any other analog output pair, any CueMix bus, or any USB output channels. Or you can create a completely customized mix for each headphone that includes live 828 inputs and built-in reverb.
Two banks of optical I/O — Connect outboard digital processors, digital mixers or other gear with 16 channels of ADAT at 44.1/48 kHz or 8 channels of S/MUX at 88.2/96 kHz. Bank A can optionally provide stereo TOSLink (optical S/PDIF) I/O up to 96 kHz.
Foot switch input — Connect a standard foot pedal switch (sold separately) for hands-free punch-in and punch-out while recording. Or map the pedal to any keystroke function in your host software.
MIDI in/out/thru — connect MIDI gear without the need for a separate MIDI interface.
Word clock in/out/thru — Supports all sample rates up to 192 kHz.
DC-coupled TRS outputs — Use the 828 to manipulate and sequence voltage-controlled modular synthesizers from a host DAW.
Loopback for live streaming and podcasting — Easily route computer output back to the computer, where you can mix it with live mics and/or guitar inputs from the 828 in your host software for live streaming or podcasting.
Guitar re-amping — Connect your guitar to the front-panel input, use CueMix's near-zero latency to loop to any output (with a re-amp adapter, if needed), and record both the dry signal and your mic’d up amp simultaneously. Then re-amp the dry signal later with different amps and cabs — or amp modeling plug-ins — to experiment with different tones.
CueMix 5 app — Control mixing and settings from your Mac, PC or iOS device.
Performer Lite — Workstation software with over 100 included instruments, dozens of effects and 6 GB of included loops to make music right away. Also includes Ableton Live Lite.