MOTU UltraLite AVB
The UltraLite AVB is an 18-input, 18-output audio interface with DSP mixing, wi-fi control, AVB audio networking and best-in-class analog audio quality for on-the-go mobile audio recording.
AVB Audio Interface, 24-Bit / 192 kHz, up to 36 simultaneous audio channels,
DSP Mixer, WiFi Web App Control (compatible with Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android),
Best-in-class analog audio quality
Performance suitable for the most
demanding situations
New for 2019, the UltraLite AVB now includes renowned ESS Sabre32™ DAC technology, delivering 123dB dynamic range and the same proven, award-winning audio quality as MOTU’s flagship 1248. Renowned drivers deliver rock-solid performance and industry-leading low latency.
Universal connectivity
Class compliant USB 2.0 plus audio over Ethernet
The UltraLite AVB connects to your computer with audio class compliant hi-speed USB 2.0 (compatible with USB 3.0 and iOS) for across-the-board compatibility now and in the future. Alternately, if you have a Mac running OS X Yosemite (10.10) or later, you can use a standard Ethernet cable for operation as an audio interface. Either way, the UltraLite AVB is compatible with all audio software.
DSP-powered mixing
Console-style mixing with 48 channels and 12 busses
The mixer in the UltraLite AVB is a complete departure from earlier models. In fact, it’s identical to the mixer found in MOTU’s flagship 1248 and 16A interfaces. If you know your way around a large-format mixing console, you’ll feel right at home. If you’ve ever wished to mix on a large console, the driver’s seat is now yours.
Modeled analog EQ and compression
Vintage processing with 32-bit float precision
British analog mixing consoles are renowned for their musical EQ profiles. The UltraLite AVB meticulously models these classic EQs to give you the very same, magical EQ response found on these coveted desks. Each input channel also provides a classic compressor with peak/RMS operation.
Groups and the Main Mix bus are equipped with MOTU’s Leveler™, an accurate model of the legendary Teletronix™ LA-2A™ optical leveling amplifier, known for its highly sought-after Automatic Gain Control (AGC) characteristics.
Web app control from any device
Control everything from your laptop, tablet and smartphone
The software that you use to control the UltraLite AVB doesn’t reside on your hard drive. It’s a web app served from the hardware itself. This means you can control the UltraLite AVB on-board DSP, mixing, device settings, and network audio routing from your favorite web browser on a laptop, tablet or smartphone connected by wire or Wi-Fi to your local area network. Use any web client on any platform – Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android – as long as it shares the same network.
Touch Console
The art of the mix on your touchscreen
Designed specifically for touchscreen operation, Touch Console™ delivers a whole new mixing experience. Access Touch Console from your tablet or smartphone to effortlessly control the powerful 48-channel mixer and effects in the UltraLite AVB. With large targets for your fingers, multi-touch operation and intuitive design, you can tap, swipe and pinch your way to a perfect mix, every time.
Stand-alone mixing with wireless control
Control everything from your iPad or iPhone
Connect an Apple Airport™ or other Wi-Fi router directly to the UltraLite with a standard Ethernet cable and control the UltraLite AVB’s powerful mixing and DSP effects from your smartphone or tablet, without a computer. Great for live sound mixing!
The UltraLite AVB network port introduces AVB Ethernet, the new industry standard developed by the IEEE for professional audio networking. Add a second MOTU AVB interface (1248, 8M or 16A) with a simple Cat-5e or CAT-6 ethernet cable.
The large backlit 128 x 48 pixel LCD lets you view all signal activity at a glance with detailed metering for all analog and digital I/O. Access hardware settings from a simple and convenient menu.
Quick Setup presets
Completely transform your MOTU interface with one click
The UltraLite AVB is so flexible, it can serve many roles — in the studio, on stage, and throughout an installation. The Quick Setup menu lets you instantly reconfigure the UltraLite AVB for many common situations, from operation as a standard audio interface to serving as a network “snake” from one location to another. Once a preset is chosen, you can easily customize the routing grid and mixer settings to further suit your specific needs — and then save your own custom presets.
Technical Specifications
| Sample rates | 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192 kHz |
| Mic inputs | 2 x XLR mic inputs Preamp gain: 0 to +60 dB (digitally controlled) |
| Analog inputs | 2 x 1/4″ hi-Z guitar inputs (front panel) 6 x 1/4″ TRS line inputs (balanced/unbalanced) Max level: +24 dBu (digitally adjustable -96 to +22) |
| Analog outputs | 8 x 1/4″ TRS line out (balanced, DC coupled) Max level: +20 dBu (digitally adjustable -4 to +20) 1 x 1/4″ TRS stereo headphone |
| Digital I/O | 1 bank (8 ch) of ADAT optical at 1x sample rates 1 bank (4 ch) of SMUX optical at 2x sample rates Switchable to stereo TOSLink (optical S/PDIF) |
| Total I/O | 18 inputs and 18 outputs (36 total) at 1x sample rates 14 inputs and 14 outputs (28 total) at 2x sample rates 10 inputs and 10 outputs (20 total) at 4x sample rates |
| Computer I/O | 1 x USB 2.0 audio class compliant USB 3.0 and iOS compatible 1 x AVB Ethernet (requires OS X Yosemite) |
| Computer I/O channels | USB 2.0 (44.1 to 48 kHz): 64 in/out USB 2.0 (88.2 to 96 kHz): 32 in/out USB 2.0 (176.4 to 192 kHz): 24 in/out AVB Ethernet: 16 to 128 in/out, depending on host computer speed |
| 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 (assignable) |
| Phantom power | 2 x individual +48V |
| Network I/O | 1 x RJ45 AVB/TSN Ethernet (100 Mbps) |
| AVB streams (8 channels per stream) |
3 in / 3 out @ 44.1 or 48 kHz 2 in / 2 out @ 88.2 or 96 kHz 1 in / 1 out @ 176.4 or 192 kHz |
| Front panel | 1 x 1/4″ TRS headphone output 2 x TRS hi-Z guitar input 1 x digital rotary encoders • main/phone volume 2 x digital rotary encoders • guitar input gain/power 2 x digital rotary encoders • mic preamp gain 4 x switches • (2) Pad and (2) 48V Phantom switch 128 x 48 pixel LCD for level meters / menu nav |
| Power | External 12-18V DC power supply 1.0A max • tip pos or neg |
| Dimensions and weight |
(width x depth x height, enclosure only) 8.6 x 7 x 1.75 inches 22 x 17.75 x 4.5 cm 2.5 lbs / 1.13 kg |
Mac System Requirements
- 1 GHz Intel-based Mac or faster
- 2 GB RAM; 4 GB or more recommended
- Mac OS X version 10.11 or later
- Available high-speed USB 2.0 or AVB Ethernet port*
- A large hard drive (at least 500 GB for recording)
- *AVB Ethernet audio interface operation requires OS X Yosemite
Windows System Requirements
- 1 GHz Pentium-based PC compatible or faster
- 2 GB RAM; 4 GB or more recommended
- Windows 7, 8 or 10
- Available USB 2.0 or 3.0 port
- Available Ethernet port for firmware updates
- A large hard drive (at least 500 GB for recording)
Web App Support
- Any web client platform: Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
- Any web browser: Safari, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Explorer, etc.
- Web client must be connected to the same network as the MOTU AVB interface by wire or Wi-Fi.
Included Software
- MOTU Discovery App for Mac & PC (finds connected MOTU interfaces)
- MOTU Discovery App for iOS (available from Apple App Store)
- MOTU Pro Audio Control web app (served from the hardware itself)
- MOTU Audio Tools (FFT, oscilloscope, X-Y plot, phase analyzer)
- AudioDesk 4.0 for Mac & PC (separate download)
Operating Systems
- For computer audio I/O: Mac OS X 10.11 or later; Windows 7 or later
- For web app control: Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
Analog I/O Specifications
| Connector type | Dynamic range (A-weighted) |
THD+N (unweighted) |
Max level |
Trim range (in 1 dB steps) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line output | 1/4″ TRS, balanced, tip hot | 123 dB | -112 dB | +20 dBu | 24 dB (-4 to +20) |
| Line input | 1/4″ TRS, bal/unbal, tip hot | 110 dB | -102 dB | +24 dBu | 118 dBu (-96 to +22) |
| Mic input | XLR, balanced, pin 2 hot | 112 dB | -104 dB | +24 dBu (with pad) |
60 dB |
| Phones | 1/4″, TRS stereo | 112 dB | -94 dB | Max. 80 mw | 128 dB |
Compatible Mac Software
The UltraLite AVB ships with standard Core Audio drivers for Mac OS X for compatibility with virtually all Core Audio-compatible apps, including:
- MOTU Digital Performer
- Avid Pro Tools (version 9 or later)
- Apple Logic Pro
- Apple Logic Express
- Apple Garage Band
- Apple SoundTrack Pro
- Ableton Live
- Propellerhead Record & Reason
- Steinberg Cubase
- Cockos Reaper
- Native Instruments Kontakt
- Waves stand-alone apps (and plug-ins, via compatible host)
Compatible Windows Software
The UltraLite AVB 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 Digital Performer
- Avid Pro Tools (version 9 or later)
- Ableton Live
- Cakewalk Sonar
- Steinberg Cubase
- Propellerhead Record & Reason
- Image Line FL Studio
- Sony Vegas Pro
- Sony Sound Forge
- Sony Acid
- Cockos Reaper
- Native Instruments Kontakt
- Waves stand-alone apps (and plug-ins, via compatible host)
UltraLite AVB Feature Summary
18 x 18 USB/AVB audio interface with 36 simultaneous audio channels
2 mic inputs, 2 guitar inputs, 6 line inputs, 8 line outputs, headphone out and 8-channel optical I/O for 18 inputs and 18 outputs.
Best-in-class audio quality
117 dB dynamic range on analog outputs represents best-in-class analog audio performance for mobile recording.
DSP mixing and effects processing
Flexible 48-input digital mixer with 7 stereo aux busses, 3 group sends, access to eight network inputs, and DSP effects, including reverb, 4-band EQ, gate, and compression.
Modeled vintage effects processing
Classic reverb. Compression modeled after the legendary LA-2A compressor. EQ modeled after British analog console EQs.
Flexible matrix routing and splitting
Send any input to any output, or multiple outputs. Includes routing to and from the computer, plus any devices on the AVB network.
Stand-alone operation with wireless control
Connect an Apple® Airport™ or other Wi-Fi router with a standard Ethernet cable for wireless control of device settings, powerful 48-channel mixing and DSP effects.
Universal connectivity
Connects to your computer with standard AVB Ethernet or audio class compliant hi-speed USB 2.0 (compatible with USB 3.0 and iOS). Compatible with all audio software.
Web app control from any device
Control everything from your favorite web browser on a laptop, tablet and smartphone connected to your local Wi-Fi network.
System expansion
Add a 2nd MOTU AVB interface (1248, 8M, 16A, 24Ai, 24Ao, etc.) with a simple CAT-5e ethernet cable. Connect up to five MOTU interfaces using a MOTU AVB Switch (sold separately).
AVB audio networking
Build a network with multiple interfaces and computers using standard AVB switches and network cabling, with ultra-low network latency, even over long cable runs (100 meters point to point). Stream hundreds of audio channels among devices and computers on the network.
Comprehensive metering
The large backlit LCD lets you view all signal activity at a glance with detailed metering for all analog and digital I/O. Access hardware settings from a simple and convenient menu.
AudioDesk
Includes AudioDesk workstation software for Mac and Windows with 24-bit recording, sample-accurate editing and 32-bit mixing and mastering.
