MOTUM2 USB-C Audio Interface

I speculated and researched over which audio interface to get for a long time, finally deciding my needs were perfectly suited for the Motu M2. I've been using it a couple of weeks now, and I'm really loving it. I didn't realize how helpful the included loopback feature would be for recording samples and backing tracks would be. Loving that feature. Also, being able to record at 48Hz is a game changer. Everything sounds so much better coming out of my Adam Audio monitors. Latency is well managed too. I'm having a great time playing and recording in Studio One 7 with it.Highly recommend!

Okay, if you're serious about your audio, whether you're a musician, podcaster, or just an audiophile, the MOTU M2 USB-C Audio Interface is an absolute game-changer. I was looking for something to clean up my recordings and elevate my listening experience, and this delivers in spades. The sound quality is pristine – crystal clear inputs and outputs, with incredibly low latency. It’s super easy to set up, plug-and-play almost. It feels robust and well-built, like a professional piece of gear should. If you're ready to upgrade your audio production or just want to hear your music exactly as it's meant to be heard, this interface is an absolute must-have. Worth every penny!

I almost returned this thing when I ran into an issue where apparently each channel only records lift or right, but not both. This wasn't the end of the world and easily fixed in post but I didn't want to deal with that unnecessary step every time. I googled and saw others asking but no one else came up with a good solution. Well here's the fix I did that worked.(This is for Windows only!!!)-Right Click Sound Icon (bottom right)-Select Sounds-Recording Tab-Set Default to "Loopback Mix"And that's it, you should be all set. If it doesn't fix immediately you might have to also disable the other options, but do 1 at a time to make sure you can still record.----REVIEW----I got this to record my mic for voiceovers. I use a Shure SM7B with a cloud lifter. This doesn't need a cloud lifter but I already had one from my previous setup so I decided to use it so it gives me more room for more gain because without the cloud lifter the gain was set all the way to full and it would barely peak. It didn't sound bad but with the cloud lifter I can set the gain more to the 60% full which gives me a lot of room to work with.I tested the mic with and without the cloud lifter, the cloud lifter doesn't hurt the quality at all, it sounds the same with or without but of course with the lifter the extra gain makes it a bit louder. Which sounds good with the SM7B. Maybe another mic would not benefit from this setup the same way. It's important to note that with the sound lifter you need the 48V powered on, without the sound lifter you do not with the SM7B.Once I figured out the fix to make it so the sound records both Left & Right side I have been very happy with the setup. I like the feel of it, it's made of aluminum and the the knobs are tight and feel quality (I saw another review complaining they were loose feeling), theirs must have been broken or something because mine feel very sturdy. I also really like the monitoring screen in the front. It just looks sorta retro but also modern at the same time. It really adds to the look on my desk. The only thing I don't like is that the XLR input is in the front. I hate the look of cables going out the front, you have this beautiful simplistic front fascia and then you stick your inputs there, I can't figure out why they'd do that. It was enough of an annoyance that I almost went with the Scarlett 2i2 4th gen. Because I liked how they had the inputs at the back. I like the meters of the Motu M2 more than those knob lights but not enough to sway me on its own. I really like how the 2i2 has the auto peak protection and air mode which was almost the reason why I ended up buying it instead of the M2. But ultimately the main reason why I chose the Motu M2 > the Scarlett 2i2 is the sound quality.At the end of the day, sound quality is all that matters. I watched a youtube video comparing the 2 and the sound clip of the M2 was much better than the 2i2. The M2 has more bass and a "follow through" when you speak. it sounds nice and is noticeably better.At the end of the day the Motu M2 has a simplistic design retro design that I love, I used 90 degree XLR input adapters to make the cable look better now that it connects torwards the back. I think it looks a little better than a cable just looping around. It's a fantastic sounding audio interface that's absolutely the best at it's price point.

I am a long time Focusrite user but decided to go a different route for my latest audio interfaces. The installation on both Mac OS and Windows 11 was quick and easy (easier on the Mac). There is no perceivable latency, recordings are perfect, no clicks, drop outs, etc. I do miss the Focusrite software, but I have hundreds of plug-ins, so so far I have not missed the Focusrite SW. I would certainly purchase it again.

I really liked the MOTU M2. The sound quality was genuinely excellent, super clean and clear. The build felt solid and well-made, and those color LCD meters were way more useful than I expected. I could glance at the levels and know exactly where things were, which made recording smooth and stress-free. I used it for recording music, and the ultra-low latency made the whole process feel incredibly responsive and natural.But I ended up returning it, and the reason was pretty specific. On Windows, it only shows up as one stereo input, so Mic 1 and Mic 2 can’t be used independently in the system audio settings. Inside a DAW with ASIO, it’s totally fine—you can split the channels no problem. But for things like Zoom or recording with separate software, I wanted to use one mic for music and another for video calls without changing settings every time. I use an isolation booth, and it blocks my face, so I need a second mic for things like meetings. This interface just didn’t let me do that easily.To be fair, this feels more like a Windows limitation than a problem with the MOTU itself. I just wish there was a driver or something that gave that flexibility. Otherwise, this is a fantastic interface, especially for music. It just didn’t fit the way I needed to work.