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Audio Interface

MOTU 112D Audio Interface

The MOTU 112D is a digital routing powerhouse that bridges virtually every digital audio format in a single 1U box: MADI (64 channels), three banks of ADAT (24 channels), and AES/EBU, all accessible via Thunderbolt, USB, or AVB networking. It is designed for complex rigs where multiple digital formats need to coexist, such as connecting a MADI-equipped console to Dante/AVB infrastructure or archiving to ADAT-based recorders. The 48-input DSP mixer adds flexible internal routing without touching the host.

Compare
Discontinued. MOTU AVB-era interface gone from major retail 2026-07 — superseded by the 2024+ line (828/16A TB4/848). Kept for owners; used-market staple.

Photos

Manufacturer product photography — the drawn faceplate stays true to panel layout; these show the hardware itself.

Photo: MOTU1 / 3
Documented outputs
44 destination connections
Required cable runs
1madi bnc
Rack space
1UBuilder checks available rail space
Power draw
30W40W documented maximum
Catalog estimate
~$2,495Use retailer rows for current price and stock

01 · What it does—and what that changes in your rig.

Product overview

Start with the payoff, then work through how it functions, where it fits, and the details that change a real build.

The payoff

Audio Interface decisions, organized around the whole rig.

The MOTU 112D is the digital format translator you reach for when your rig has to speak more than one language. In a single 1U box it handles MADI over BNC, AES/EBU on XLR, ADAT on optical, and AVB over standard Ethernet, while simultaneously connecting to a host computer via Thunderbolt or USB-C. That combination is rare. Most interfaces commit to one or two digital worlds; the 112D sits at the center of all of them, making it a natural hub for complex touring or fixed-install rigs where a MADI console, an AVB network, and a DAW-based playback system all need to talk to each other without a pile of format converters.

Documented outputs
44 destination connections
Required cable runs
1madi bnc
Rack space
1UBuilder checks available rail space
MOTU 112D Audio Interface — additional view 1
Photo: MOTU1U · 30W
Function

How it works in the path

At load-in, that port count becomes leverage. You can clock the whole system from the 112D's word clock output, feed a MADI split to a redundant console, pull stems from a laptop over Thunderbolt, and route monitor sends out over AVB to a remote stage box — all simultaneously, all in one rack space drawing at most 40 watts. The onboard 48-input DSP mixer means you can build internal routing that survives a laptop hiccup, which matters when you're the only thing standing between the band and silence. At 2.9 kg and 229 mm deep it fits without drama in a shallow pull-out rack drawer if needed.

Best fit

Where it earns its place in the rack

This unit is built for engineers who have already decided on a multi-format digital infrastructure and need one device to knit it together — a monitor engineer bridging a MADI split into an AVB IEM system, a playback operator feeding multiple console formats from one machine, or a systems tech consolidating a cluttered converter shelf. It is not the right call if you need analog I/O, even a single mic pre; the 112D is purely digital in and out. If your rig is straightforward — one console format, one DAW connection — a simpler interface will cost less and add less complexity. But if the cable run between your systems already reads like a format soup, this is the box that cleans it up.

MOTU 112D Audio Interface — rear panel
MOTU 112D Audio Interface — rear panelPhoto: MOTU
In the rack

Details worth deciding before load-in.

  • Make the 112D your system clock master and run word clock out to every other device in the rack — its BNC word clock output is there for exactly this, and having one authoritative source eliminates the sample-rate negotiation headaches that plague multi-format rigs.
  • If you're running AVB alongside MADI, use a dedicated managed switch between the 112D's two AVB ports and your network — consumer-grade switches won't honor AVB's precision timing protocol and you'll get glitches that are maddening to diagnose mid-show.
  • Map your internal DSP mixer routing before doors and save it as a standalone preset; if the host computer goes offline for any reason, the 112D can continue passing audio between its hardware ports without the computer in the loop, which is a useful emergency fallback to rehearse.
  • Label both BNC pairs clearly at patch time — MADI and word clock both live on BNC connectors and the connectors sit close together on the rear panel. A wrong patch under pressure at load-in will cost you more time than the label takes.

02 · Know the whole path before you buy.

Signal path

Learn the route as a block diagram: source, product function, transport, and destination. Select any block to see what enters, what changes, and what leaves.

Interactive block diagramAuto-looping · hover, focus, or tap to hold a stage
Port-type signalProduct functionSystem boundary
Follow one signal from source to destination

Each block answers the same three questions: what arrives, what changes here, and what leaves.

01 · Source · selected
01 · Source

5 documented inputs

madi bnc + aes3 xlr

Arrives as
5 documented inputs
Connector
madi bnc + aes3 xlr
Signal
digital audio

03 · What this product asks of the rest of the system.

Compatibility

Treat connector names as the start of the check—not the answer. These are the boundaries that determine a complete working path.

Best fit · Audio Interface

Use it when 1U and 229 mm of depth fit the case.

Plan the companion path

Complete the path with upstream and downstream gear that matches connector, direction, signal type, protocol, and wiring standard.

Connector boundary

Documented connectors: madi bnc, aes3 xlr, RJ45, thunderbolt. Match connector, direction, and signal type—not shape alone.

04 · Every connector, grouped by job.

I/O ports

Switch the product view and the documented port inventory updates with it—hardware and data stay side by side.

Every connector, grouped by job.

Switch panels to keep the hardware view and the documented port list in sync.

Front panel
112DIDSEL48kInt
Rear panel
MOTU112D
All documented ports for MOTU 112D Audio Interface
PortPanelConnectorDirectionSignalChannels
MADI In (BNC)rearmadi bnc inputdigital audio—
MADI Out (BNC)rearmadi bnc outputdigital audio—
AES/EBU In 1 (XLR)rearaes3 xlr inputdigital audio—
AES/EBU In 2 (XLR)rearaes3 xlr inputdigital audio—
AES/EBU Out 1 (XLR)rearaes3 xlr outputdigital audio—
AES/EBU Out 2 (XLR)rearaes3 xlr outputdigital audio—
AVB Network 1 (RJ45)rearRJ45 bidirectionaldigital audio—
AVB Network 2 (RJ45)rearRJ45 bidirectionaldigital audio—
Thunderboltrearthunderbolt bidirectionaldata—
USB-Crearusb c bidirectionaldata—
Word Clock In (BNC)rearbnc inputdigital audio—
Word Clock Out (BNC)rearbnc outputdigital audio—
Power (IEC)rearIEC C14 inputpower—

Showing 13 of 13 documented physical ports. Scroll to review the remaining rows.

05 · Compare the decision, not just the price.

Alternatives

The rows are organized around fit, power, I/O, and system role so a cheaper unit cannot hide a more expensive workflow.

Compare
MOTU 112D Audio Interface
MOTU 1248 Audio Interface
MOTU 16A Audio Interface
MOTU 24Ao Audio Interface
Fit📐 1U📐 1U📐 1U📐 1U
Power⚡ 30W⚡ 30W⚡ 30W⚡ 25W
Weight⚖️ 6.4 lb⚖️ 6.4 lb⚖️ 6.4 lb⚖️ 6.0 lb
I/O🔌 13🔌 18🔌 11🔌 9
Estimate💵 ~$2,495💵 ~$1,999💵 ~$2,495💵 ~$1,995
Deep diveCurrent selectionFull comparison →Full comparison →Full comparison →

06 · Resolve the questions that can change the purchase or build plan.

Planning questions

Short, source-backed answers surface rack fit, power, cabling, and connection details before they become surprises.

How will the MOTU 112D Audio Interface affect rack fit and case depth?

It occupies 1U. Its documented depth is 229 mm.

How much power does the MOTU 112D Audio Interface draw?

Typical draw is 30W and documented maximum draw is 40W.

What connections does the MOTU 112D Audio Interface have?

13 documented physical ports, including MADI In (BNC), MADI Out (BNC), AES/EBU In 1 (XLR), AES/EBU In 2 (XLR), AES/EBU Out 1 (XLR), AES/EBU Out 2 (XLR).

Is the MOTU 112D Audio Interface discontinued?

MOTU AVB-era interface gone from major retail 2026-07 — superseded by the 2024+ line (828/16A TB4/848). Kept for owners; used-market staple.

07 · See this unit inside a real rack plan.

Builder preview

Placement is only the start. Builder checks space · depth · weight, power headroom, dependencies, and compatible signal paths around this exact catalog item.Open in Builder
112D Audio Interface positioned in a rack planA simplified plan shows the unit taking 1 rack units, with its documented connection path continuing to a planned destination.MOTU112DCONNECTED GEARnext signal destination1U · 229 mm deep

08 · Related gear, in the order you may need it.

Planning guides for audio interface systems.