Company M-Audio presented its new USB audio interface M-Track Eight with 24 bits and 96 kHz work mode support, 8 inputs and dynamic range up to 113 dB. On its frontal panel there are : 2 combined XLR/TRS 1/4″ jack microphone/linear/instrumental Hi-Z inputs; screen, showing inputs signal levels with clip indication, volume controls for inputs 1 – 8 and instrumental work mode switches for inputs 1 – 2; phantom power +48 V enabling buttons; Direct Monitor work mode switch, monitor outputs volume control and TRS 1/4″ jack monitor headphones outputs ( 1 and 2 ) with channels selectors and volume controls. Additionally there are main outputs volume control knob, power button and mono mode and additional control buttons. On back panel of audio interface there are placed : USB port for connection to computer; power adapter input; grounding connector; monitor TRS 1/4″ jack analogue outputs ( 1 and 2 ); 8 analogue outputs of the same type; and 6 more combined XLR/TRS 1/4″ jack microphone/linear inputs.
All analogue inputs and outputs of M-Audio M-Track Eight can work in balanced mode, except of instrumental mode of first 2 inputs; analogue inputs are connected to Octane Preamplifiers. Microphone inputs have 111 dB dynamic range, 111 dB signal to noise ratio and THD+N of 0.002 %; for linear inputs these parameters are equal, accordingly, to : 112 dB, 111 dB and 0.002 %; and for instrumental inputs : 112 dB, 111 dB and 0.001 %. Monitor outputs have dynamic range of 112 dB and THD+N 0.003 %; linear outputs have the same parameters equal to 113 dB and 0.004 %, accordingly. Device draws 19 V and 2.37 A current, its body is made from aluminum, sizes are 483 ( width ) x 150 ( depth ) x 43 ( height ) mm and mass is 1.98 kg.
M-Audio M-Track Eight works in Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 via special drivers and in Mac OS X 10.7.5 and newer without additional drivers via Plug and Play, with support of ASIO 2.0 and Core Audio interfaces, accordingly. Through which it interacts with modern DAWs : Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER and others. With device programs DAW Cubase 7 LE and VST/AU Waves Plugin Bundle ( AudioTrack, Eddie Kramer Effect Channel, TrueVerb, L1 Ultramaximizer and Manny Marroquin Delay ) are supplied.
Package with M-Audio M-Track Eight contains : USB cable, power adapter, disks with drivers and programs, warranty card and user’s guide. Audio interface is aimed for professional work in large studios and has large connectors and functions amounts and high characteristics, its price at the time of appearance in shops will be according. For high quality sounds and music reproduction or work in small or medium studios there is ability to buy much cheaper entry and middle level USB audio interfaces of Steinberg, Behringer, Focusrite, Roland, ESI, M-Audio, Alesis and other companies production.
