MOTU 828X Thunderbolt Audio & MIDI Interface can also connect to any computer with high-speed USB 2.0, which is USB 3.0 compatible, so if you don't have Thunderbolt yet, the 828x has you covered.

The new 828x provides all of the same features as MOTU's latest 828mk3 Hybrid interface, including hi-speed USB 2.0 connectivity to a computer host, but replaces FireWire with Thunderbolt, the new ultra-fast connectivity standard now found on today's current-generation MacBooks, iMacs, Mac Pro, and various laptops from leading PC vendors like Hewlett Packard.

Thunderbolt allows you to connect the 828x and other Thunderbolt-equipped peripherals to a laptop for a sleek, state-of-the-art desktop production system. Even with a high-performance hard drive or RAID, plus a large computer display, the Thunderbolt bus allows the 828x to easily stream 58 simultaneous channels of audio (28 inputs and 30 outputs) with plenty of bandwidth to spare for smooth, glitch-free operation.

Up to six devices can be connected to a Thunderbolt daisy-chain, with the 828x at the end of the chain. Thunderbolt is a plug-and-play protocol, so devices can be hot swapped, even while the host computer remains powered up.

• Thunderbolt connectivity — Compatible with Thunderbolt 1 and 2.
• Hi-speed USB 2.0 connectivity — Compatible with USB 3.0.
• 58 simultaneous channels — 28 inputs and 30 outputs, including two mic preamps with sends, 8 TRS analog in/out, separate main outs on XLR jacks, two banks of optical, S/PDIF, MIDI in/out, time code in/out, word clock I/O, and two front-panel headphone jacks.
• CueMix FX™ — High-powered DSP with mixing and effects on individual ins/outs. Includes classic reverb, modeled analog EQ, and vintage LA-2A compressor.
• Flexible mic/guitar inputs with preamps — Two front panel combo jacks provide hi-Z 1/4” guitar input or XLR mic input with individual phantom power and pad.
• Precision Digital Trim™ — Digitally controlled analog trim on all analog inputs (mic/guitar inputs + quarter-inch TRS inputs) provides accurate adjustments in 1 dB increments.
• V-Limit™ overload protection — Hardware-based input limiter on the mic/guitar inputs prevents digital clipping and distortion from overloaded signal levels up to +12 dB over zero.
• Front-panel control for stand-alone operation — Access any setting in your entire 828x mix directly from the front panel.
• Foot switch input — Connect a standard foot pedal switch (sold separately) for hands-free punch-in and punch-out while recording. Or map the pedal to any keystroke function in your host software.
• Direct Digital Synthesis™ (DDS) — DSP-driven phase lock engine and internal clock source produces imperceptibly low jitter characteristics (below the noise floor), even when the 828x is resolved to an external clock source via SMPTE time code.
• Time code support — Directly resolves to (or generates) time code via any quarter-inch input or output, without the need for an extra synchronizer.
• DC-coupled TRS outputs — Use the 828x with Volta™ (sold separately) to manipulate and sequence voltage-controlled modular synthesizers from a host DAW.
• Instrument tuner and audio analysis tools — Includes an oscilloscope, real-time FFT, X-Y Plot, and graphic phase analysis.