Add a professional edge to your studio with the M-Track Eight from M-Audio. This eight-input USB 2.0 audio interface enables you to track large music ensembles, record the band, or mic an entire drum set with pro-grade audio components and a myriad of connections. M-Track Eight connects to your computer via USB 2.0 and easily integrates into your studio with its standard 1U 19” rack size. With a single USB cable, M-Track Eight creates a two-way audio connection with your Mac or PC, enabling you to record directly into your favorite DAW or playback audio to mix and master your tracks. Plus, Cubase 7 LE comes bundled with M-Track Eight for out-of-the-box music creation and gives you a powerful software environment to record, edit, and bounce down your songs. The included software suite also offers an impressive selection of plugin effects from Waves Audio to put a professional finish to your production: AudioTrack, Eddie Kramer Effect Channel, TrueVerb, L1 Ultramaximizer, and Manny Marroquin Delay.   Frequently Asked Questions   Does the M-Track Eight require software drivers? For an Apple computer running Mac OSX, no drivers are required. On a Windows 7 or Windows 8 computer, only one driver installation is necessary, found on the M-Audio Drivers/Updates page.    Will the M-Track Eight work with other DAW software? Yes! Virtually any Mac OSX or Windows Digital Audio Workstation software capable of using USB audio interfaces will work with the M-Track Eight.   Can I use an external microphone preamp or direct box with the M-Track Eight? Yes! When connecting an external mic preamp, direct box, or any other type of preamplifier to the M-Track, use a 1/4" TS or TRS type connector as this will bypass the M-Track Eight's internal microphone preamps. Only use an XLR type connection for microphones.    The LED lights on the front of the M-Track Eight do not light up all of the time. Have I set the levels properly? To achieve optimum input levels, adjust the input gain while the source (microphone, instrument) is receiving the loudest signal. For example, have a vocalist sing through the loudest section of the song. At this loudest point, you should see one or two green LED lights. Drums and other percussive sources may occasionally display the yellow light. The red light indicates the input gain is set too high.    What value does each LED segment on the level meters signify? The meters are calibrated relative to  0dBFS, which is the point of digital clipping. They values are approximately as follows:  Red: -0.5dBFS
Amber: -3dBFS
Green1: -6dBFS
Green2: -20dBFS   Which output on the back do I connect my speakers to? Connect your speakers or studio monitors to the MONITOR OUTPUT. This output will be controlled by the large MONITOR knob on the front panel. The other 8 outputs of the M-Track Eight are assignable from the outputs of your audio software (ex, Cubase LE7).   Are the inputs and outputs "Balanced" or "Unbalanced"? All inputs and outputs on the M-Track Eight can accept both balanced and unbalanced line connections. Note that only XLR and TRS type connectors carry balanced signals, while TS and RCA type connectors are always unbalanced.    The sound from my Mac is very quiet, even when I turn the M-Track Eight up all the way! Is this normal? Mac OSX has a separate, internal volume control. We recommend keeping this all the way up in your Mac's System Preferences > Sound > Output menu. On some Macs, you may also control the volume with the function keys on the keyboard.
  The M-Track Eight is very warm to the touch. Is this normal?  Yes.  The M-Track 8 will be very warm during normal operation, but will not burn the skin when touched. Preamps of this design and quality require a good deal of juice to operate (19V 2.37A in this case).    Further Technical Support Whether you are a customer or dealer, if you already own an M-Audio product, or if you just have pre-sales questions, the M-Audio technical support team is available to help! Visit the link below to connect with any of the following support options: online community support, phone support, email support.   Technical Specs All specifications are measured at 20,000 Hz bandwidth. Mic Inputs 1–8 (balanced XLR) Frequency Response: 20 – 20,000 Hz (+0.1 dB) Dynamic Range: 111 dB (A-weighted) Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 111 dB (1 kHz, +4 dBu, A-weighted) THD+N: 0.002% (1 kHz, +4 dBu, -1 dBFS) Preamp EIN: -132 dBu (max gain, 40 Ω source, A-weighted) -126 dBu (max gain, 150 Ω source, unweighted) Max Input Level: +12 dBu Sensitivity: -46 dBu Gain Range: 58 dB Line Inputs 1–8 (balanced 1/4” TRS) Frequency Response: 20 – 20,000 Hz (+0.1 dB) Dynamic Range: 112 dB (A-weighted) Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 111 dB (1 kHz, +4 dBu, A-weighted) THD+N: 0.002% (1 kHz, +4 dBu, -1 dBFS) Max Input Level: +16 dBu Sensitivity: -13 dBu Gain Range: 29 dB Instrument Inputs 1–2 (unbalanced 1/4” TS) Frequency Response: 20 – 20,000 Hz (+0.2 dB) Dynamic Range: 112 dB (A-weighted) Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 111 dB (1 kHz, +4 dBu, A-weighted) THD+N: 0.001% (1 kHz, +4 dBu, -1 dBFS) Max Input Level: +9 dBu Sensitivity: -21 dBu Input Impedance: 1 MΩ Gain Range: 30 dB Monitor Outputs 1–2 (differential-balanced 1/4” TRS) Frequency Response: 20 – 20,000 Hz (+0.1 dB) Dynamic Range: 112 dB (A-weighted) 110 dB (A-weighted, with Dim activated) THD+N: 0.003% (1 kHz, -1 dBFS) Maximum Output Level: +28 dBu +8 dBu (with Dim activated) Line Outputs 1–8 (impedance-balanced 1/4” TRS) Frequency Response: 20 – 20,000 Hz (+0.1 dB) Dynamic Range: 113 dB (A-weighted) THD+N: 0.004% (1 kHz, -1 dBFS) Maximum Output Level: +10 dBu Output Impedance: 51 General Power: 19 V, 2.37 A, center-positive Dimensions(width x depth x height): 19.0” x 5.9” x 1.7” Weight: 4.37 lbs