MOTU UltraLite-mk4 Compact 18x22 USB2 Audio Interface with DSP, Mixing and Effects, 192 kHz

The latest in MOTU's award-winning UltraLite series, the UltraLite-mk4 is a USB audio interface with 40 simultaneous I/O channels (18 in, 22 out). It also delivers exceptional sound quality, new ultra-low latency drivers and expanded DSP for studio-grade mobile audio recording.

Superb audio quality
New for 2018, the UltraLite-mk4 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.

Ultra-low latency
New, optimized drivers for both Mac and PC deliver ultra-low latency performance. With a high-performance DAW such as Digital Performer, the UltraLite-mk4 delivers an astonishing round trip latency (RTL) of 1.83 ms (milliseconds) on OS X and 1.84 ms on Windows over USB (at 96 kHz with a 32-sample host buffer).

Built for studio and stage
Housed in a compact, aluminum-alloy enclosure you can take anywhere, the UltraLite-mk4 is equally well-suited for studio and stage, with or without a computer. As an interface or mixer, the UltraLite-mk4 provides 18 ins and 22 outs, for a total of 40 simultaneous I/O channels.

All the I/O you need
Connect all of your audio gear, including speakers, headphones, mics, guitars, synths, keyboards, drum machines, effects processors and even MIDI devices.

Large console-style mixing
Record, monitor, route and process all live inputs using the on-board 48-channel, console-style mixer, with no latency and no processor strain on your computer.

Modeled analog EQ and compression
Further sculpt your sound with 4-band parametric EQ featuring filter types carefully modeled after British analog console EQs. Choose between two forms of compression: a conventional compressor and the Leveler, an accurate model of the legendary LA-2A optical compressor that provides vintage, musical automatic gain control.

Advanced Extras
Analyze and scope your audio with advanced diagnostic tools, including a full-screen real-time FFT display, spectrogram "waterfall" display, full- featured oscilloscope, X-Y plot and phase analyzer.

Mobile recording and mixing
After recording and mixing in the studio, take the UltraLite-mk4 on the road with your laptop for mobile recording and live mixing.

Web app control from any device
Control everything from your laptop, tablet and smartphone
The software that you use to control the UltraLite-mk4 doesn't reside on your hard drive. It's a web app served from the hardware itself. This means you can control the UltraLite-mk4 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-mk4. 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.

Solid Metal Chassis
The UltraLite-mk4 aluminum chassis is lightweight, yet incredibly sturdy and durable, and designed to withstand the rigors of the studio, stage, and tour bus. In a world awash with cheap plastic, the cool touch of the UltraLite-mk4's metal exterior in your hands is a reassuring reminder that you are holding quality engineering and construction built to last.

Rack mounting brackets
Use included brackets and hex bolts to mount the UltraLite-mk4 on rack rails, as shown here with a companion MOTU micro lite MIDI interface.

Use the included jointer bracket to connect another MOTU half-rack interface (MIDI or audio). You can then mount them together in a standard 19-inch equipment rack.

The UltraLite-mk4 Mixer

Large console style mixing from your laptop, tablet or smartphone

48 channel mixing

A flexible, dynamic, scalabe mixing experience

With almost twice the DSP power of MOTU's award-winning line of "mk3" audio interfaces, the UltraLite-mk4 mixer provides up to 48 assignable input channels.

Aux bus mixing

Long-throw faders for aux sends
The Aux Mixing tab lets you zero in on a single aux bus and control send levels with long-throw faders, just like hardware consoles that let you temporarily "flip" aux sends to the channel faders...perfect for detailed mixing on any aux bus.

Monitor Mix / Solo Bus

Convenient dedicated monitoring
The monitor Mix is specifically designed for monitoring. It can mirror any other bus, or act as a solo bus for isolating all currently soloed inputs, aux busses or groups. You can, of course, create additional monitor mixes with seven available aux busses.

32-bit floating point processing

Virtually infinite headroom
UltraLite-mk4's mixing and DSP effects engine employs 32-bit floating point processing, which produces virtually infinite headroom for complex mixing and processing calculations, along with an infinitesimally low noise floor.

Modeled analog EQ
Precise and musical equalization

British analog mixing consoles are renowned for their musical EQ profiles. UltraLite-mk4 meticulously models these classic EQ curve to give you the very same, magical EQ settings found on these coveted desks. Four separate filters are available on every input, including optional low-shelf and high-shelf.

Classic reverb

An all-around verb with tails up to 60 seconds
UltraLite-mk4's Classic Reverb provides three frequency bands with adjustable cross-over points, predelay, spread and reverb lengths up to 60 seconds. Perfect for monitor mixes when tracking in the studio or for treating vocals during a live show.

Leveler

Finely crafted vintage compression
The Leveler is an accurate model of the legendary Teletronix LA-2A optical leveling amplifier, known for its unique and highly sought-after Automatic Gain Control (AGC) characteristics. The heart of the LA-2A is the T4 opto-coupler, a photoelectric device with almost magical (signal dependent) self-adjusting behavior that makes optical compressors the tool of choice for smoothing out just about any audio material.

Gate and HPF

Gating and high-pass filtering on every input

Each input is equipped with a standard high-pass filter and gate module for removing rumble, environmental noise, and other signal clean-up tasks.

Feature

18 x 22 USB audio interface with 40 simultaneous audio channels
2 mic/guitar inputs, 6 line ins, 10 line outs, phone out, S/PDIF digital I/O and 8-channel optical I/O for 18 inputs and 22 outputs.

Superb analog quality with ultra-low latency
Renowned ESS Sabre32 DAC technology delivers 123 dB dynamic range on analog output. New, optimized drivers deliver rock-solid performance and industry-leading low latency.

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.

Web app control
Control everything from your favorite web browser on a laptop or mobile device (table or smartphone) through a shared Wi-Fi network.

Universal connectivity
Connects to any computer with hi-speed USB 2.0 (audio class compliant, compatible with USB 3.0 and iOS). Compatible with all audio software.

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.

Compatible Mac Software

The UltraLite-mk4 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
Presonus Studio One
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-mk4 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
Cockos Reaper
Image Line FL Studio
Native Instruments Kontakt
Presonus Studio One
Propellerhead Record & Reason
Sony Vegas Pro
Sony Sound Forge
Sony Acid
Steinberg Cubase
Waves stand-alone apps (and plug-ins, via compatible host)