User Manual

CHAPTER
23
1
About Your MOTU AVB Audio
Interface
The 24Ai and 24Ao are hybrid USB2/AVB audio
interfaces with 48-channel digital mixers and AVB
Ethernet networking capability. They can operate
as audio interfaces for a computer, as stand-alone
digital mixers, as gateways to an expanded studio
system, as components of an extended AVB audio
network, or as capable hybrid devices performing
all of these roles simultaneously.
Together, they are designed to be a central
component of a modern, high performance
recording studio or live mixing platform. The
following sections provide a brief overview of their
main features and characteristics.
State-of-the-art A/D and D/A conversion
The analog section of each interface employs state-
of-the-art 24-bit DACs or ADCs, which deliver
analog recording and playback with remarkably
high dynamic range at sample rates from 44.1 to
192 kHz.
Complementary I/O configurations
Each interface delivers an exceptional amount of
analog and digital audio. In addition, the interfaces
are designed to complement each other, and
MOTU’s other AVB-equipped audio interfaces, to
deliver a wide range of I/O options; you can mix
and match several interfaces and operate them as a
unified I/O and mixing system. The following
sections provide a bird’s-eye glance of the I/O
configurations offered by each interface in the
MOTU AVB family.
Each interface provides a variety of analog and
digital interconnects, all active simultaneously,
designed to provide everything you need for a well-
equipped recording studio.
24Ai
72 simultaneous audio channels
24Ao
72 simultaneous audio channels;
Network I/O
Each interface is also capable of handling
additional 8-channel banks of network audio input
and output for an additional 96 simultaneous
audio channels.
Other MOTU AVB interfaces
The 24Ai and 24Ao are part of a larger family of
audio interfaces, summarized below, with
complementary I/O configurations.
1248
66 simultaneous audio channels
Connection Input Output
Balanced analog on 3x D-sub or 6x Phoenix 24 -
ADAT optical digital (at 44.1 or 48 kHz) 24 24
Total 48 24
Connection Input Output
Balanced analog on 3x D-sub or 6x Phoenix - 24
ADAT optical digital (at 44.1 or 48 kHz) 24 24
Total 24 48
Connection Input Output
Quarter-inch analog on bal/unbal TRS 8 12
Mic inputs with individual preamps on XLR 4 -
Hi-Z guitar inputs 2 -
Headphone output - 2 x stereo
ADAT optical digital (at 44.1 or 48 kHz) 16 16
RCA S/PDIF digital up to 96 kHz with SRC stereo stereo
Total 32 34