MOTU
$199.95 Price may change
9 videosOliver Bisson
It USED to be a five star interface for me but now no matter what I do through troubleshooting drivers windows, I cannot get this to work on my Windows 11 PC now. The only way to keep my computer from crashing is by unplugging the thing. Before this it was one of my favorite pieces of hardware.
Matt K.
Audio interface is not bad and the LCD screen is nice to see if there's any background noise for the input. That said, that's about it. I'm not sure if I'm just spoiled and got a good audio interface off the bat, but I bought this to replace my old UMC 202HD paired with a SM7DB. Let me tell you this Motu, to my surprise sounds much worse. Less full and it is much quieter with more noise through the line. Even the nobs feel of cheap quality. I felt like I was being harsh so I had 2 other people listen to comparing samples from both with identical paragraphs. Everyone picked the 202 over the Motu.
I am genuinely not trying to write a hit piece, I am just legitimately surprised seeing the reviews on this and being very excited to finally step up from my Behringer, only for me to be left feeling disappointed. I am returning the Motu... :(
Taylor
I'm going to keep this short and to the point. You will not find a better interface in this price range. I use this interface to with an Electro-Voice RE20. No Cloudlifter needed. The sound quality with this pair is not even remotely comparable to the Blue Yeti I was using for about a year before this. I only need the gain at about 50%-75% to have perfect audio levels in OBS. I now use a completely dry audio signal with no processing and it sounds excellent! Glad I got this instead of the Focusrite 2i2/Cloudlifter/SM7B. Setup was easy as it's really just plug and play. Size is great and it fits neatly under my laptop. Appearance is better than any other interface in this price range because you have levels right there on the screen. No phantom power needed for my setup.
Guru Rider
I almost returned this thing when I ran into an issue where apparently each channel only records lift or right, but not both. This wasn't the end of the world and easily fixed in post but I didn't want to deal with that unnecessary step every time. I googled and saw others asking but no one else came up with a good solution. Well here's the fix I did that worked.
(This is for Windows only!!!)
-Right Click Sound Icon (bottom right)
-Select Sounds
-Recording Tab
-Set Default to "Loopback Mix"
And that's it, you should be all set. If it doesn't fix immediately you might have to also disable the other options, but do 1 at a time to make sure you can still record.
----REVIEW----
I got this to record my mic for voiceovers. I use a Shure SM7B with a cloud lifter. This doesn't need a cloud lifter but I already had one from my previous setup so I decided to use it so it gives me more room for more gain because without the cloud lifter the gain was set all the way to full and it would barely peak. It didn't sound bad but with the cloud lifter I can set the gain more to the 60% full which gives me a lot of room to work with.
I tested the mic with and without the cloud lifter, the cloud lifter doesn't hurt the quality at all, it sounds the same with or without but of course with the lifter the extra gain makes it a bit louder. Which sounds good with the SM7B. Maybe another mic would not benefit from this setup the same way. It's important to note that with the sound lifter you need the 48V powered on, without the sound lifter you do not with the SM7B.
Once I figured out the fix to make it so the sound records both Left & Right side I have been very happy with the setup. I like the feel of it, it's made of aluminum and the the knobs are tight and feel quality (I saw another review complaining they were loose feeling), theirs must have been broken or something because mine feel very sturdy. I also really like the monitoring screen in the front. It just looks sorta retro but also modern at the same time. It really adds to the look on my desk. The only thing I don't like is that the XLR input is in the front. I hate the look of cables going out the front, you have this beautiful simplistic front fascia and then you stick your inputs there, I can't figure out why they'd do that. It was enough of an annoyance that I almost went with the Scarlett 2i2 4th gen. Because I liked how they had the inputs at the back. I like the meters of the Motu M2 more than those knob lights but not enough to sway me on its own. I really like how the 2i2 has the auto peak protection and air mode which was almost the reason why I ended up buying it instead of the M2. But ultimately the main reason why I chose the Motu M2 > the Scarlett 2i2 is the sound quality.
At the end of the day, sound quality is all that matters. I watched a youtube video comparing the 2 and the sound clip of the M2 was much better than the 2i2. The M2 has more bass and a "follow through" when you speak. it sounds nice and is noticeably better.
At the end of the day the Motu M2 has a simplistic design retro design that I love, I used 90 degree XLR input adapters to make the cable look better now that it connects torwards the back. I think it looks a little better than a cable just looping around. It's a fantastic sounding audio interface that's absolutely the best at it's price point.
HSIAO KUANG CHE
S. Steele
The metal chassis, the large volume knob, large metering, the loopback function, the extremely clean and high headroom DACs, the on/off switch, the very good headphone output, amount of included software combined with the price, (most places sell the M2 for $149.00), make the MOTU M2 the best audio interface in this class. Only the SSL compares, but it’s $100 more!
I have several high end MOTU interfaces, but I can use the M2 for high end recordings because the preamps and the DAC are so good, (same DAC as their most expensive interfaces). The M2/M4 are among the quietest interfaces on the market. You can find several YouTube videos that measure the noise floor and dynamic range of the M2/M4 compared to similar interfaces and the M2 always ends up as the quietest or near the top.
The 8A sitting next to the M2 in my photo powers the 5.1 monitors, but I never use the 8A for its inputs. I always use the M2 for that, (mostly one or two microphones). If I need more inputs I’ll start using the 8A, which has 8 inputs.
When I received my M2, after tracking with it for a few days, I pulled all of my older generation interfaces out of my rack and they’re now retired. You won’t find a better 2 channel audio interface on the market for this price, period.
Can’t recommend the M2/M4 high enough. Even in 2022, it’s still the best in its class, and for its price. You’ll love this unit. Enjoy!
Palomio
The sound is good and look good
Googigo
Many people claim this is made in the US, its not, its made in China. Get the focusrite scarlett instead, at least it is not made in China.
Able
This interface is so clean, I couldn’t hear any noise from the motu m2. I had a focusrite 2i4 1th gen before, I noticed the difference immediately after I switched to the m2. The headphone out sounds much better in M2. I’m really glad I bought this interface.
Zach
I've been using my MOTU M2 for about 3 weeks, and it has not let me down. I use a Shure SM57 as my primary microphone to record vocals, and the preamps on this device have plenty of gain for it. If I max out the gain, the signal actually clips with a normal singing voice. The preamps were my biggest fear before buying this, but they have blown me away! I believe they have around +60dB of gain on them. Super low noise, also.
The meters on the front are incredibly handy. It's so nice to understand my signal health. It also allows me to compare my signal level with the output of other signals from my computer. Headphone amp is way more than what I need. I use ATX-M50x's and I use the monitoring with the gain set at about 25%. I accidentally dropped this device from about 3 feet the day I got it, and it survived with only a scratch. No operating issues at all.
I'm an intermediate musician/producer who does everything on headphones and with one microphone. If you're looking for a simple interface to record mics and listen to playback, this one will blow you away. It has everything I need, and I'm sure it'll be enough for the involved musician.
Barbara Coffin
This works great it’s great quality too just plug into the car Mac and start recording once you get the settings right in the computer
Mario
No tech needed. Plug and play worked perfect
Slam Thunderwood
Great build quality, sounds awesome. I use Logic with the Will Putney STL Tones pack and this really brings it to life. Genuinely surprised at the quality for the price!! Highly recommend getting this, especially from Kellards, as they shipped it out really fast
Joseph Dalcamo
Just based off aesthetics this is a great, however the model I received had this defective screen. I was so excited to use this as my Scarlett 2i2’s USB port was failing I overlooked this small defect and continued use. Now it’s been approximately 6 months since I’ve had this device and 3 months actually using the mic inputs and quality is beginning to suffer. I don’t know if I got a defective unit or this is normal with Motu Prodcuts. The reviews are so great but my experience hasn’t been.
Carlos Vargas
By far the best audio interface in its price range. The meters are what really make the M2 shine. My recordings now have that professional level quality I was looking for.
Mike "Sonic" Meengs
Decided it was long past time to upgrade my 18 year old Edirol UA-5. I did a lot of reading, and the MOTU M2 looked perfect for my small Windows 7 based home studio. Followed the installation instructions, and everything worked perfectly the first time! Knobs feel great, and the audio is smooth as silk!
If this product keeps on like it has so far, I can see me being very happy for a long time! It's absolutely perfect for my needs.
Five stars!
Pavel
In my opinion, this is the best that you can buy in this price category and Above.
First of all, I'm interested in listening to music. I also play guitar. And in the game. And in all these cases, I like this interface.
jMotion
Been using DP for more than a decade. This unit is perfect for advanced/modern production of programmed or single to dual instrument composition. Easy to use and works with older DP versions still 👍 Only 1 complaint is that the volume knobs are a little flimsy but original box keeps a safe transport. A+ recommendation to all DP users
Trung Le
My chain line is:
Shure SM7B -> Cloudlifter -> dbx 286s -> Motu M2
I keep getting a weird bursting effect on the Motu M2. I thought maybe something wrong with other stuff so I connect the microphone directly to the Motu M2, the effect still continues. I turn off my PC to see if there any interference but nothing change.
Is this normal for this interface?
I don't think there is any faulty on the XLR cables, I test them with my Yamaha AG03 before connecting the Motu M2.
——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ———
Okay so I figure it out the cause. DON’T PUT M2 NEXT TO OR ON TOP OF dbx 286s!!!!!
Steven Molina
Before buying this audio interface I bought a Focusrite Scarlet 2i2 3Gen, after a week I had the bad (or good) luck that it failed. A great interface, stable drivers (Win10Pro), extremely low latency, and much more gain and less noise than the focusrite. DACs sound super clean (this can be quite subjective, I know) but in general it works very well. I use a Rode Procaster that requires a significant amount of gain and this interface is able to take it to -3dB with the dial at approx 70% with the low background noise level that this means. The driver installation and operation was simple, just follow the instructions.
The dials and buttons feel great and in general the entire interface is very strong. The on / of switch seems somewhat insignificant and basic but I am very grateful that you bring it. I find it very practical to have a + 48V button for each connector and that you can perform mono or stereo monitoring controlled directly from the interface. The amphenol XLR inputs catch the connectors very firmly (I use Canare cables with Amphenol connectors). The construction of the entire interface is very solid.
I consider that in this price range it is a great purchase that can allow someone enthusiastic who wants to record high quality podcast or music in a more than competent way to obtain great audio quality. I understand professional people with more expensive equipment that want to compare with other studio equipment but it is not the range of use for which these types of interfaces are designed, although it could surprise many of the good quality it offers.
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