Tech Specs

Technical Specifications

Sample rates 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192 kHz
Mic/line/guitar inputs 2 x XLR/TRS "combo jack" mic/line/Hi-Z guitar inputs Independent preamp gain, 48V phantom power and monitor switch for each input
Analog outputs 2 x 1/4" TRS line out (balanced, DC coupled) 2 x RCA (unbalanced) analog out (mirrored) 1 x 1/4" TRS stereo headphone
Computer I/O 1 x USB-C (compatible with USB Type A) 2.0 audio class compliant
MIDI I/O 1 x MIDI IN 1 x MIDI OUT 16 MIDI channels to/from computer host
Headphone 1 x 1/4" TRS stereo phone
Phantom power 2 x individual +48V
Front panel 1 x 1/4" TRS headphone output 2 x XLR/TRS combo inputs 1 x potentiometer • monitor vol 1 x potentiometer • phone vol 2 x potentiometer • mic/instr input gain 4 x switches • (2) 48V and (2) MON 160 x 128 pixel full-colored LCD with input and output level meters
Power Bus-powered through USB
Dimensions and weight (width x depth x height, enclosure only) 7.5 x 4.25 x 1.75 inches 19.05 x 10.8 x 4.5 cm 1.35 lbs / 0.61 kg

System Requirements

Mac System Requirements Intel Core i3 Mac or faster (including Apple silicon Macs) 2 GB RAM; 4 GB or more recommended macOS version 10.11 or later (Optional driver requires 10.13 or later) Available USB port A large hard drive (at least 500 GB for recording)
Windows System Requirements 1 GHz Pentium-based PC compatible or faster 2 GB RAM; 4 GB or more recommended Windows 10 or later (x64 only) Available USB port A large hard drive (at least 500 GB for recording)
Class-Compliant Support USB audio class compliant for plug-and-play operation on Mac or iOS (no driver required)
Included Software MOTU Performer Lite Ableton Live 10 Lite 6GB of loops and sounds from Big Fish Audio, LucidSamples, Loopmasters and MOTU

Analog I/O

Connector type Dynamic range (A-weighted) THD+N (unweighted) Max level
Line Output 1/4" TRS, balanced, tip hot 120dB -110dB +16dBu
Mic input XLR, balanced, pin 2 hot 115dB -129dBu EIN +10dBu (at minimum gain)
Phones 1/4", TRS stereo 115dB -110dB +12.5dBu

Compatible Mac Software

The M2 ships with standard Core Audio drivers for macOS for compatibility with virtually all Core Audio-compatible apps, including:

  • MOTU Performer Lite
  • MOTU Digital Performer
  • Avid Pro Tools (version 9 or later)
  • Apple Logic Pro
  • Apple Logic Express
  • Apple Garage Band
  • Apple SoundTrack Pro
  • Ableton Live
  • Presonus Studio One
  • Propellerhead Record & Reason
  • Steinberg Cubase
  • Cockos Reaper
  • Native Instruments Kontakt
  • Waves stand-alone apps (and plug-ins, via compatible host)

Compatible Windows Software

The M2 ships with standard ASIO and Wave drivers for Windows 7, 8 and 10 for compatibility with virtually all ASIO- and Wave-compatible audio apps, including:

  • MOTU Performer Lite
  • MOTU Digital Performer
  • Avid Pro Tools (version 9 or later)
  • Ableton Live
  • Cakewalk Sonar
  • Cockos Reaper
  • Image Line FL Studio
  • Native Instruments Kontakt
  • Presonus Studio One
  • Propellerhead Record & Reason
  • Sony Vegas Pro
  • Sony Sound Forge
  • Sony Acid
  • Steinberg Cubase
  • Waves stand-alone apps (and plug-ins, via compatible host)

M2 Feature Highlights

  • 2-in / 2-out USB audio interface with studio-quality sound
  • Best-in-class audio quality driven by ESS Sabre32 Ultra™ DAC Technology
  • Best-in-class speed (ultra-low latency) for host software processing
  • Best-in-class metering for all inputs/outputs with a full-color LCD
  • 2x mic/line/hi-Z guitar inputs on combo XLR/TRS
  • Individual preamp gain and 48V phantom power for each input
  • Hardware (direct) monitoring for each input (mono or stereo)
  • Measured -129 dB EIN on mic inputs
  • 2x balanced, DC-coupled 1/4-inch TRS outputs
  • Measured 120 dB dynamic range on the 1/4-inch balanced TRS outputs
  • 2x RCA (unbalanced) analog out (mirrored)
  • 1x headphone out (driven by ESS converters) with independent volume control
  • MIDI in/out
  • Support for 44.1 to 192 kHz sample rates
  • USB audio class compliant for plug-and-play operation on Mac (no driver required)
  • Windows driver with 2.5 ms Round Trip Latency (32 sample buffer at 96 kHz)
  • Mac driver (optional, for 2.5 ms RTL@32/96 kHz and loopback feature)
  • iOS compatible (USB audio class compliant)
  • Driver loopback for capturing host output, live streaming and podcasting
  • Bus powered USB-C (compatible with USB Type A) with power switch (USB cable included)
  • Rugged metal construction
  • Workstation software included (MOTU Performer Lite 10 and Ableton Live Lite 10)
  • 100+ instruments (in Performer Lite)
  • Over 6 GB of included free loops, samples and one-shots from industry leading libraries
  • Kensington security slot
  • Two-year warranty