MOTU is now shipping the OctaLite, a half-rack USB-C audio interface priced at $849.95 that packs eight mic/line/instrument inputs with onboard DSP mixing, effects and ADAT optical expansion into a compact enclosure.
According to audioXpress, the unit supports macOS, Windows and iOS at sample rates up to 192kHz, using ESS Sabre32 conversion and Burr-Brown op-amps. Two XLR/TRS combo inputs sit on the front panel and six on the rear, each offering individual phantom power, a 20dB pad, polarity inversion and up to 74dB of preamp gain.
MOTU marketing director Jim Cooper characterized the OctaLite as the only interface on the market offering eight mic preamps in a portable half-rack unit. The company positions it against Focusrite’s Scarlett 18i20 and Audient’s EVO 16, both of which also provide eight mic preamps and optical expansion, while noting its smaller footprint and standalone operation as differentiators.
The interface functions as an optical expander for ADAT-equipped mixers or interfaces, pairing naturally with MOTU’s UltraLite-mk5. Optional brackets allow two OctaLites to occupy 1U rack space, placing sixteen mic inputs in a single rack unit. DC-coupled balanced outputs enable control-voltage generation for modular synthesizers. Bundled software includes MOTU Performer Lite, Ableton Live Lite and 6GB of loops and sounds.
For more information, visit audioxpress.com.
