MOTU 16A Audio Interface — A Mix Product of the Week

New York, NY (April 4, 2025)—As data transfer speeds increase, you can count on audio interface manufacturers to take advantage of them. A case in point is MOTU’s redesigned version of its 16A audio interface, which just started shipping.

“The 16A is truly unique,” according to MOTU Director of Marketing Jim Cooper, “because it’s the first audio interface to deliver Thunderbolt 4 and USB4, both of which essentially tunnel PCI through the USB-C cable for very high-speed, extremely low-latency audio I/O. PCI audio is back, but with the plug-and-play convenience of USB-C.”

MOTU includes a 40 Gbps/240W USB-C cable in the box, and even if your computer doesn’t support Thunderbolt 4 or USB-4, the 16A is backward compatible with Thunderbolt 3, USB3 and USB2 (at lower speeds).

The 16A provides audio with dynamic range specs of 125 dB at the output and 120 dB at the input and ultra-low THD of -114 dB THD+N. The unit is capable of roundtrip latencies in the 2 ms range, depending on the sampling rate, buffer setting and performance of the host computer.

Connection-wise, the 16A offers 32 inputs and 34 outputs (counting the headphone out as two output channels). The analog I/O is all line level, consisting of 16 channels in and out and featuring DC-coupled 1/4” TRS connectors. Meanwhile, a pair of ADAT optical ports add the other 16 channels when running at 44.1 or 48 kHz, or eight channels of SMUX at 88.2/96 kHz. The unit also includes BNC Word clock I/O.

The 16A’s expandability goes beyond its ADAT ports. It’s also equipped with an AVB switch and two Gigabit Ethernet ports, allowing users to network up to seven additional 16As. Whether your system consists of a single interface or multiple units, you can control everything from your computer using MOTU’s free CueMix Pro software.

Sonible pure:deess Plug-In — A Mix Product of the Week

The CueMix Pro mixer includes numerous aux busses and main, reverb, monitor and solo busses. All the input and output buses include parametric EQ and a compressor. Each input channel includes a High-Pass Filter and a Gate. CueMix Pro also includes control-room features like speaker switching and talkback functionality.

Another highlight of the 16A is its metering, which consists of two 3.9-inch full-color TFT displays. Front-panel switchable options allow you to select custom meter configurations.

The 16A sells for $1,495. Find out more at MOTU.com.