MOTU is known for its high-quality interfaces and converters in the mid-to-high price range. With its M series, however, the US manufacturer is venturing into the competitive interface price range of around 200 euros. The MOTU M2 is the two-channel variant of the M series USB interface and is designed to be extremely handy and light. The high-resolution display, which shows the input and output levels in detail, immediately catches the eye. Even so, the main focus of the MOTU M2 is not on fancy features or complex software, but solely on delivering excellent sound at an affordable price.
On the front, the MOTU M2 is equipped with two microphone inputs, which are designed as XLR/jack combo sockets so that both line-level and instrument signals can also be processed. The preamps deliver a maximum gain of up to 60dB. Of course, both channels can supply a microphone with 48V phantom power and the channels can be individually switched to direct monitoring. Two dual outputs are provided on the back, so that each channel has a TRS line out and an RCA. Finally, there is also a MIDI interface - the MOTU M2 does not require any frills at all.
The heart of the MOTU M2 are its ESS Sabre32 Ultra converters, the same ones found in much more expensive interfaces such as the Apogee Symphony. They offer a dynamic range and an extremely low level of background noise that has never before been available in this price range. And last but not least, MOTU has outdone itself with the USB driver: The driver enables a round trip latency of less than 2ms, which is incredible for a USB interface. You almost don't have to resort to direct monitoring anymore. The MOTU M2 is primarily aimed at musicians and producers who want an uncompromising sound without having to shell out a fortune.
The US manufacturer of digital audio hardware from Cambridge, Massachusetts, was founded in 1981 and since then has continued to generate attention for its sophisticated and innovative concepts. The company’s range includes USB, Thunderbolt, and network audio interfaces, MIDI interfaces, video hardware, and the popular MOTU Digital Performer DAW software. MOTU also developed “Mouse Stampede”, one of the first arcade games for the Apple Macintosh, in 1984. In short, MOTU represents good-quality, reliable products with a great deal of creativity and wit, which usually come at a very fair price.
La MOTU M2 est une interface vraiment polyvalente. Grâce à sa faible latence et à son son de bonne qualité, elle est idéale pour l'enregistrement de voix à la maison ou en déplacement. Mais la M2 est également fiable en live, par exemple lorsqu'il s'agit de reproduire des backing tracks et des instruments virtuels ou de faire passer un instrument en direct dans votre DAW. De plus, son grand écran lumineux attire tous les regards - une interface solide et efficace, réduite à l'essentiel. Il n'y a pas grand-chose d'autre à dire, si ce n'est que les performances sont particulièrement bonnes et le prix très correct, deux éléments à ne pas négliger.