Our Moto M2 Review
This is likely to be one of the most non-technical reviews you’ll read about the Motu M2. I have however spent thousands of hours mixing and mastering with prosumer tools over the course of decades. If you find deep experience relevant, here’s what I have in layman’s terms.
If approximately $200 is your max budget, go for it. If you are a solo artist, go for it. If you have all the plug ins and pedals you need, go for it. If you don’t want anything getting in the way of your pre-established sound and tone, go for it. If you like crisp meters, easy functionality including an on off switch, go for it. That’s for starters.
Add to that a sturdy build with well-placed multi-ins including RCL/XLR each w/ monitor switch and separate gains, multi out RCL/RCA/Midi, all powered up by USBC.
I decided to purchase it when the Scarlett 2i2 Gen 4 came out. I wasn’t overly impressed with the design changes. And I’ve been a 2i2 advocate for a long time. I’ve mixed many a track on Gen 2, and really appreciated all the upticks in Gen 3 which was a superior upgrade in my opinion.
There were two realizations that came to me as I compared all the available choices once again. Some of the 2i2 features such as the “air” button, although well intended can sometimes have an adverse effect depending on the pedals you are running. It’s hard to know what else is going on in that model when your punching pedals in a performance.
I like simple. What I dial in on the pedal set is what I want, that’s what comes thru the amp, I want the same direct in thru the audio interface. Motu delivers here.
The meters. I’m very visual. Very. The meters are precise, professionally lit and well placed, not some obscure glow behind a knob (my first 2i2 Gen 4 ding, their meter design seems cheesy to me – a step down in my opinion).
So, let’s get to the sound of the M2 and some comparison. It was clear to me instantly that the M2 is superior in sound quality, clearness, quietness, and breadth than the Scarlett 2i2 Gen 3. No question about it. Most of the production on this site prior to 2024 is based on the use of Focus Rite interfaces. They do a great job. I’d be lying if I said they didn’t. It really all depends on what you want. That makes the rest of the review simple.
Considering that I was ready for a step up and willing to spend a few bucks more, it was great to realize that I didn’t have to spend more. I’ve been more than satisfied with the professional level results I’m getting from the M2, hands down. I can’t tell you how it compares to the 2i2 Gen 4 sound wise, I’m sure Gen 4 is very decent knowing Focus Rite as I do. I’ve compared the specs and they’re close. The M2 does push more juice to the headphone jack, which better supports the Sennheiser HD 650’s strapped to my head most of the day.
At the end of the day, the in/outs and overall design of the Motu 2 made the decision for me, and I’m not going back. The simplicity is perfect for the producer who already has their set up set in a way that makes them productive without getting bogged down in more learning curve.
Perfect if you are more the artist than the technician. Which is also the reason that the more expensive interfaces that have internal plug ins and require programming do not appeal to me. I can get clarity and tone without it. When you have a really clean mix, there's much less work to do on the back end.
Lou@CreativeMTrx