MOTU Unveils the 10pre Audio Interface with Ten Mic Inputs and Thunderbolt/AVB Connectivity

MOTU has announced the release of the 10pre audio interface, a new rack-mountable unit that focuses on high channel count and flexible, modern connectivity, including Thunderbolt 4 and AVB networking. The interface is designed for studio environments requiring a significant number of high-quality microphone preamps and advanced routing capabilities. The 10pre is unique because it provides eight mic inputs on the back panel for rack installation, and includes two additional separate mic inputs on the front panel for on-the-fly connections during recording sessions. Jim Cooper, Director of Marketing at MOTU Comprehensive I/O and Advanced Preamps The 10pre features a unique array of ten mic/line/instrument (hi-Z) analog inputs, utilizing advanced preamp circuits that boast a 118 dB dynamic range and extremely quiet performance (-129 dBu EIN). The inputs offer up to +74 dB of gain and are intentionally neutral-sounding. Eight of these inputs (channels 1-8) are on the rear panel via XLR/TRS 'combo' connectors, allowing for a permanently wired setup. The remaining two identical inputs (channels 9-10) are conveniently located on the front panel for quick, session-based connections. For outboard gear integration, inputs 1 and 2 on the rear panel also provide dedicated send/return inserts. On the output side, the rear panel provides eight balanced TRS analog (line-level) outputs, which are equipped with ESS Sabre32 32-bit DACs, delivering a measured dynamic range of 125 dB. Notably, all line outputs are DC-coupled, allowing them to be used for manipulating and sequencing voltage-controlled modular synthesizers from a host Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Universal and Networked Connectivity The interface provides universal connectivity similar to MOTU's 16A and 848 units, connecting to Mac, PC, or iOS devices via a 40 Gbps Thunderbolt-compatible USB4 C-to-C cable, which is also compatible with USB3 and USB2. This allows for up to 256 audio channels (128 in and 128 out) and delivers a roundtrip latency (RTL) of less than 1.9 ms (at 96 kHz with a 32-sample host buffer). A second Thunderbolt port is included for connecting additional computer peripherals like a monitor or hard drive. For studio expansion, the 10pre features an integrated AVB switch with two Gigabit Ethernet ports. This enables users to daisy-chain up to eight compatible MOTU interfaces (like other 10pre, 848, and 16A units) using standard network cabling. Each unit can transmit and receive 128 audio channels to and from the network, providing hundreds of audio channels streaming among devices with ultra-low latency, even over long cable runs—a true benefit for larger installations, acting like an audio backbone. Other rear panel I/O includes: Two banks of 8-channel ADAT optical digital I/O (Bank A is switchable to stereo optical S/PDIF). BNC word clock I/O (with optional Thru). {PRODUCT-HEADER-33597-10pre}. Front Panel Control and Mixing The front panel features a large, bright 3.9-inch full-color TFT display for high-resolution metering of all I/O. Two independent headphone outputs are available, with fully-programmable source selection. The interface is driven by the same powerful 32-bit floating point DSP engine found in the 16A and 848, offering a 64-channel mixer accessible via the included CueMix Pro app for macOS, Windows, and iOS. This mixer provides 26 aux busses, plus main, reverb, monitor, and solo buses. All mixer inputs and output buses feature 4-band double-precision parametric EQ and a compressor at up to 96 kHz. Input channels also include a High-Pass Filter and Gate. The unit can be used for monitor mixing while tracking or for stand-alone mixing in live sound, with Wi-Fi control from an iPad or iPhone. Comprehensive routing is handled through CueMix Pro using intuitive, virtual patch cords or a detailed routing grid, allowing any source signal (analog/digital inputs, computer channels, mixer outputs, or network streams) to be routed to any destination, including the ability to split any source to multiple outputs. Control room features on the front panel include talkback, 'A/B/C' monitor select, Mute, and Mono buttons for quickly comparing mixes on up to three sets of studio monitors. Pricing and Availability $1595. The 10pre ships with the CueMix Pro App and low-latency Thunderbolt/USB drivers for macOS, Windows, iOS and iPadOS. It also includes the MOTU Performer Lite workstation software for macOS and Windows, plus 6GB of loops and sounds from Big Fish Audio, LucidSamples, LoopCloud, and MOTU. Read More