At Winter NAMM 2011, MOTU will be debuting its 828mk3 Hybrid, a new and improved version of the 828mk3 audio interface that now features connectivity to Macs or PCs via FireWire or high-speed USB 2.0.

The 828mk3 Hybrid provides professional audio quality at samples rates up to 192 kHz, along with audio I/O galore: 2 mic / instrument "combo jack" inputs, 8 line-level analog inputs, 10 channels of analog output (with XLR main outs), 16 channels of ADAT optical digital I/O, stereo S/PDIF, and a stereo headphone output.

On the rear panel of the 828mk3 Hybrid, you have both FireWire A (400 Mbps) and USB 2.0 (480 Mbps) ports. For full-featured operation and low bus latency, you can connect the 828mk3 Hybrid to your computer using either format. According to MOTU, the FireWire jacks on the 828mk3 are Type B jacks, but they can be connected to any FireWire port on the computer (Type B, Type A, or miniature Type A) using any standard 9-pin-to-9-pin, 9-pin-to-6-pin, or 9-pin-to-4-pin FireWire cable.

Other feature updates include computer-controllable pad and 48V phantom power switches for the two mic inputs. The 828mk3 Hybrid includes all the features from the previous version, the FireWire-only mk3.

MOTU's 828mk3 Hybrid FireWire / USB audio interface features the following:

• Hybrid FireWire / USB2 connectivity
• CueMix FX: flexible 28 input / 16 bus mixer with onboard DSP effects, including reverb with sends / returns, EQ and compression on every input and output
• 28 inputs / 30 outputs (at 44.1 / 48 kHz): the mic inputs, S/PDIF I/O, headphone out, and main outs are all handled as separate channels
• Front-panel control: access any setting in your entire 828mk3 mix directly from the front panel
• Standalone operation
• Multiple CueMix FX mixes: create different monitor mixes for the main outs and headphones; add send / return loops for outboard gear with no latency
• Two front panel combo jacks provide hi-Z 1/4" guitar input or low-Z XLR mic input with phantom power, pad, and gain
• Mic / guitar instrument sends: add outboard EQ, preamp, reverb, or other processor to the two mic / guitar inputs, before the signal goes digital
• Clip protection: Mic / guitar input limiter prevents digital clipping and distortion from overloaded signal levels up to +12 dB over zero
• Eight 24-bit, 192 kHz analog inputs and outputs on balanced / unbalanced 1/4" TRS jacks
• Precision Digital Trim: digitally controlled analog trim on all analog inputs (Mic / guitar inputs and 1/4" TRS inputs) provides accurate adjustements in 1 dB increments
• Fine-tune the balance of your analog inputs and then save / recall trim configurations
• Flexible optical I/O: 16 channels of ADAT lightpipe, 8 channels of SMUX (96 kHz), or two pairs of stereo TOSLink
• Sample-accurate MIDI: connect a MIDI controller and / or sound module with no separate interface needed
• Expandable: add additional interfaces for more I/O
• Separate XLR main outs and front-panel headphone jacks, each with independent volume control
• Stereo 24-bit, 96 kHz S/PDIF in / out
• Word clock in and out
• SMPTE in and out
• Includes 32- and 64-bit native drivers for Mac OS X and Windows 7 / Vista / XP, including ASIO, WDM, Wave, Core Audio, and Core MIDI
• Supports all major Mac and Windows audio software
• Compatible with all host-based effects processing
• Includes AudioDesk full-featured sample-accurate workstation software (Mac) with recording, editing, mixing, real-time 32-bit effects processing, and sample-accurate sync
• Plug-and-play operation with your Mac or PC via FireWire or high-speed USB 2.0
• Front panel volume control for monitoring
• Stereo, Quad, 6.1, 7.1, and user-defined surround monitoring setups available
• Two front panel headphone jacks with independent volume controls
• Front panel meters or activity LEDs for all analog, digital, and MIDI I/O, plus SMPTE sync tach and lock LEDs
• Dedicated front-panel clock status LEDs
• International 100 to 240V, 50 to 60 Hz autoswitching power supply
• Chassis dimensions, excluding rack ears and front and back panel knobs and connectors: 19" x 7" x 1.75"
• Knobs and connectors extend up to 1/2" from front and back panels, adding 1" to depth
• With rack ears attached, fits standard 19" rack at 1U high

MOTU expects to begin shipping the 828mk3 Hybrid in the first quarter of 2011. For more information, visit motu.com.