We have already reviewed the four-channel MOTU M4 audio interface, which surprised us with a high-quality and original stuffing and metering for all inputs/outputs with a full-color LCD. Today, we have a product from the same line, the MOTU M2, to review. This is the newest and most affordable audio interface from the American manufacturer. The main advantage of the interfaces is a quite noticeable jump in the quality of the filling, compared to cheap devices on the market. At the same time, MOTU's M2/M4 line can be called a strong simplification compared to the more professional AVB series, where there is a hardware effect processor and more advanced control functions in the menu on the screen. But M2/M4 inherited from the older expensive models ESS Sabre 32 ES9016S DAC, which gave high technical parameters, as well as excellent sound quality, felt by the ear.
We have already mentioned that MOTU's M2/M4 audio interfaces focus on high-quality DAC, low latency, and peak meters. We can also add that the unit has a relatively loud headphone amplifier powered by the OPA1688.
In the MOTU M4 review, we called the colored meters the biggest disappointment, as they showed incomprehensible but not peak signal levels and missed input overload. This time, a miracle happened. With the latest drivers and firmware, the meters worked like they should! That is, they displayed exactly the same as the peak meters in the recording programs. Finally, you can track overdrive directly from the peak meters! This is great news for MOTU M2/M4 owners everywhere.
So, before we get to the main part of our MOTU M2 review, let's examine this audio interface's specifications.
|
Best Price on MOTU M2 Audio Interface
Designed for musicians, producers, podcasters, and more, the MOTU M2 delivers outstanding audio quality, near-zero latency, and professional features - all in a sleek, compact package. |
Classic Package
|
These specifications are the same for both the MOTU M2 and M4. However, one very important thing to understand is that no pure line inputs exist in the younger M2 model. This means that inside the combo XLR/TRS connectors, the TRS inputs are only instrumental (guitar), without switching to pure Line mode. You can use them as line inputs, but the amount of distortion will be higher because the signal always goes through a preamplifier. To be fair, this is true of all budget interfaces, and the MOTU M2 is no exception. So if you need a clean line input to connect external preamps or effects, the M4 is your choice. Otherwise, if you don't really need a clean line input, the M2 is the way to go.
Let's disassemble the unit and analyze the internal hardware and circuit board. It's worth remembering that even if the internal hardware is similar, the sound can be very different. The quality is affected by too many things. And the power system, and the clock generator, and a lot of things that are not visible to the naked eye. It is better to go by the reputation and experience of the manufacturer. A big plus is that the device is both designed and manufactured in the USA. The board has a mark of the Virtex factory in Texas, where the circuit boards were assembled. This is a great argument for those who say, "everything is made in China these days; it does not matter which company/brand makes the audio equipment". - Based on our experience, there is still a very big difference in which company the device is made in.
Inside is the XMOS XU216 microcontroller, which handles the USB 2.0 bus and outputs digital data to the converter chips. A USB-C connector was chosen because it is more modern and robust, but only the USB 2.0 protocol is used inside.
Instead of the 4-channel AK5554 ADC in the senior model, the junior model uses the same 2-channel AK5552 ADC. The dynamic range is 115dB, and the Kg+noise is -106dB. These are not record-breaking figures, but they are higher than those of entry-level interfaces. The DAC is represented by the ES9016S with 124dBA dynamic range and Kg+noise -110dB. The manufacturer came close to the passport figures and provided 120dBA dynamic range at the output.
The headphone output is powered by an OPA1688 amplifier. It produces 50mW into 32 ohms at low distortion. Although these numbers seem a bit low for an amplifier, some cheap interfaces manage to reduce the output power by a factor of 10. Here, even with high-impedance headphones, the volume is quite sufficient, the 3.3Vrms signal sweep gives a pretty good sound in the Beyerdynamic 990 PRO without any audible problems.
Most modern sound interfaces have pretty good microphone preamplifiers. It's hard to surprise the user, but MOTU engineers managed to do it. A very interesting American microphone preamplifier, THAT 6263 with digital control combines a preamplifier, controller and ADC buffer. The gain range is from -8dB to +34dB. Apparently, there is an additional amplifier stage inside.
There is a useful Use lowest latency checkbox in the card panel that allows you to enable and disable an additional buffer to increase either speed or stability.
With this RTL option, the latency with a 64-sample buffer is 6.5 ms, which is very good. At 32 samples, however, the delay drops sharply to 4.5 ms. In 96 kHz mode, the results are even fantastic - less than 3 ms. Remember that a small buffer and fast signal speed are important for real-time signal processing, such as playing a MIDI keyboard or processing guitar sounds.
The most interesting features of the ASIO driver are the Loopback and Loopback Mix channels. These are virtual channels needed to send all sounds from inputs and outputs to the Internet.
The quality of the microphone preamps is very good. It seemed to us that the sound on the recording has a slight emphasis on the midrange frequencies, they come out a little brighter in the "presence" area. This has a good effect when connecting inexpensive condenser mics, giving them a livelier sound without the need for equalization in the 2 kHz range or saturation with plug-ins. The sound is immediately quite spectacular, but without being overly harsh or having any audible distortion.
We should also note that, like the MOTU M4, absolutely all of the M2's encoders are digital. The controls themselves have the same feel as analog variable resistors, but all parameters - input level, line output volume, headphone output volume - are changed logarithmically, in 1 dB increments, on both channels simultaneously. At the same time, the controls have no clicks like digital encoders, and the controls themselves have stops and marker of the current position. The advantage of this solution is that you can set the level of all input and output channels to exactly the same level. There will never be an imbalance between left and right channels at any level. This is simply a HUGE operational advantage!
The disadvantage is that you can't see the current volume level in dB and the gain in dB - there's nothing on the screen except for the peak meters. And these peak meters only show the digital signal level up to the knob, i.e. they don't depend on the current position of the line output knobs. It would be nice to have markings in dB, for example, next to the knobs, like on inexpensive mixing consoles. At least divisions of tens of dB. Unfortunately, there are no markings on the housing. There is no processing in the interfaces, neither low-cut filters nor equalizers. Everything is designed for further program processing in a DAW, by the way, light versions are included in the package.
In general, we feel like the MOTU M2/M4 is a trial version of the higher professional interfaces, the MOTU 624 and above, where everything is perfectly implemented and there are no such shortcomings. For example, on the MOTU 624, as soon as you touch the headphone knob, the screen immediately displays PHONE VOL -3.0 dB. Also, the flagship MOTU audio interfaces have a powerful hardware effects processor and control of the mixer and other things from the iPad, the ability to connect multiple units into a single system. So it's a whole different class of hardware. The MOTU M2/M4 is a pure 2-4 channel input/output for personal use. And that's a great credit to the manufacturer.
When it comes to the sound quality of the line output, the MOTU M2/M4 deserves a lot of praise. It is the clear leader in this price category. The sound is just wonderful. We connected our ADAM active monitors both to the TSR outputs and to the XLR inputs in the monitors, and the RCA outputs to the RCA inputs. In both cases the sound is very good. Good detail, wide open, no distortion. You get the feeling that MOTU has decided to reduce all features as much as possible, but to seduce the user with high-quality sound. The headphone output is also very good. Although it can't boast a record-breaking performance, it puts out about 50 mW, which is more than enough for most mass-market headphones.
Finally, we've reached the end of our MOTU M2 review, it's time to summarize the results. The American company MOTU has created two excellent low-cost products for musicians. For studio work, the M2/M4 has good preamps and ADCs that are better than entry-level units. Also note the good connectivity for both TRS and RCA. The peak meters have finally been corrected and no longer miss short peaks during recording.
The differences between the M2 and M4 are minimal. The outputs and microphone inputs are exactly the same, and even the PCB looks like an exact copy. The main question is whether you need clean line inputs. The M2 has no such inputs, only high-impedance guitar inputs. This means that the signal always goes through the preamp first, which will make the M2's TRS inputs sound inferior to a direct connection to the M4's TRS inputs. As we said, this is generally true of such inexpensive audio interfaces. Therefore, the M4 makes sense on its own. Also, only the M4 has a "balance control" between inputs and outputs when monitoring the signal directly. This control is only needed when recording a voice or instrument with a soundtrack. If you are mainly interested in the outputs, you can safely take the cheaper M2 model. If the main purpose of the interface is professional work, if you need reverb, DSP with effects, the ability to expand the number of channels, you should look at the more expensive MOTU interfaces. Do we recommend the MOTU M2 for purchase? - Absolutely, yes. The MOTU M2 fully justifies every penny spent on its features.
We hope you enjoyed our review of the MOTU M2 audio interface. Please feel free to leave your comments, questions, and suggestions in the section below. We will be happy to answer them all as soon as possible. If you already own MOTU M2 and have used it for a while, don't forget to share your impressions and tell us what you liked or disliked about this audio interface.
Pros
|
Cons
|
9.0
/10
Our Score
|
