More major NAMM news from MOTU -- their popular 828 FireWire interface is taken to the next level with the unveiling of 828mk3. Starting off its daunting feature set are ten channels of 192 kHz analog recording and playback with 16 channels of ADAT digital I/O and stereo S/PDIF. If that's not enough for you, double up with an additional interface or MOTU's very own 8pre Mic Input Expander.

The 828mk3 isn't just a one trick interface. It's just as comfortable on stage as it is in your studio, and it doesn't even need a computer to be useful. That's because the 828mk3 can be used as a standalone mixer that provides 28 separate ins and 30 separate outs -- dedicated XLR main outputs and a pair of headphone outs on the front panel so you can use a pair of pairs of headphones for monitoring.

All those ins also mean that you can connect pretty much any instrument or effects processor worth connecting for recording, monitoring, routing, and processing with the built-on CueMix FX digital mixer. Using this digital mixer takes a lot of the strain off of your computer, saving processing power and sidestepping latency issues from the get-go. In addition, you can use hardware DSP-driven compression, EQ, and reverb to any and every input and output without involving your host computer. Another safety feature is the 828mk3's signal overload protection, which will buy you an extra 12 dB of headroom above zero without any digital clipping or unwanted artifacts. In live settings, the on-board mixer operates as a stand-alone mixer where all mixing and effects parameters can be controlled with the backlit front panel LCD screen.

The 828mk3 is also like Type O blood in that its compatible with both Mac and Windows systems and any WDM/ASIO/Core drivers. If you're not using any software yet, and have made the choice to start your home recording quest near the top, you get AudioDesk workstation software for Mac with your MOTU.

The 828mk3 also includes two mic/guitar combo inputs on the front panel that are suited with high quality preamps and overload protection. Each of the inputs also has a 48V phantom power switch and a 20 dB pad switch. Also very notable are the toggle switches that select between the low-impedance XLR mic inputs and the high-impedance, quarter-inch guitar input jacks.

The preamps also provide 53 dB of gain, adjustable 1 dB at a time with the detented digital rotary encoder. It conveniently corresponds with graphic, numerical feedback on the front panel LCD. Though the digital control gives you knob turning precision, the gain adjustment itself is analog. That digital control works just the same for all of the rear-panel TRS inputs for maximum ease when matching levels. And through the CueMix FX software, all settings can be saved to disk to be recalled later for a practically unlimited number of configurations.

The mic/guitar inputs are also equipped with V-Limit, a hardware limiter that guards against digital clipping. Backing up V-Limit is Soft Clip, which engages just before clipping occurs to reduce distortion, softening the clip of course. I, personally, always carry a few clips on me for protection.

In summary, the key points behind the new 828mk3 are as follows:

• CueMix FX™ - flexible 28 input/16 bus mixer with on-board DSP effects, including reverb with sends/returns, plus EQ and compression on every input and output.
• 28 inputs / 30 outputs (at 44.1/48 kHz) - there's no channel sharing in the 828mk3; 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.
• Stand-alone operation - program your mixes at the studio and then bring the 828mk3 to your gig - no computer needed. Need to tweak the mix? Do it on site using the back-lit LCD and front-panel controls.
• Multiple CueMix FX mixes - for example, create different monitor mixes for the main outs and headphones. Or 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 plenty of gain.
• Mic/guitar instrument sends - add your favorite 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 192kHz 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 + quarter-inch 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. Mix and match formats between the two banks.
• Sample-accurate MIDI - connect a MIDI controller and/or sound module with no separate interface needed. MIDI I/O is sample-accurate with supporting software.
• Expandable - add additional interfaces for more I/O as your needs grow.
• Separate XLR main outs and front-panel headphone jacks, each with independent volume control.
• Stereo 24-bit 96kHz S/PDIF in/out
• Word clock in and out
• SMPTE in and out
• Includes drivers for Mac & PC, including ASIO, WDM, Wave, GSIF, Core Audio, and Core MIDI. Supports all popular Macintosh and Windows audio software.
• 100% compatible with all host-based effects processing in today's popular audio programs.
• Includes AudioDesk full-featured sample-accurate workstation software for the Macintosh with recording, editing, mixing, real-time 32-bit effects processing & sample-accurate sync.
• Plug-and-play operation with your Mac or PC via FireWire.
• 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 100-240V, 50-60 Hz autoswitching power supply.