LIO-8 MkIV Line-Level Digital Audio Processor

The LIO-8 is an eight channel mastering, mixing, and recording interface with high quality A/D and D/A converters. It also includes network interconnectivity with modular expansion of up to 128 inputs with exceptionally low latency and ultra-high bandwidth audio, clock and data over gigabit ethernet through MHLink.

Integrated Functionality
With all the functions of a complete end-to-end signal chain solution in a single package, the LIO-8 mkIV provides capability and quality in a lightweight, low-power, single rack space unit. This integration has significant benefits in the form of reduced setup time and greater reliability, reduced cabling, weight, power consumption and cost, while still providing flexibility and performance.

The MHLink routing and transport architecture allows you to build a system with units distributed up to 100 meters apart with no added latency.

MHLink's auto-configuration and hardware aggregation make it so the entire system appears to the host computer as a single unified interface. Audio, command and clock transport with up to 256 channels of audio (at 192k) is accomplished with light-weight, inexpensive, readily available Cat 5e cabling.

The mk IV design is eco-friendly and uses very little energy. Even when every mic channel is powering a 48v phantom mic, the LIO-8 mkIV only consumes 25 watts, and uses less than 21 watts when no phantom power is engaged. This low-power design allows the mkIV to run cool and stable with no noisy fans required.

Metric Halo Sound
The A/D/A converters in the LIO-8 mkIV are DC-coupled to the analog I/O stages so they introduce extremely low phase distortion. The D/A has no low-frequency filtering. The A/D converters have an extremely low frequency DC blocking filter that calibrates the input path and removes DC offset with minimal phase shift.

Every element of the design combines to give you a warm, open 3-dimensional sound that is highly revealing and yet totally natural.

Optional Preamps
The LIO-8 mkIV supports adding up to 8 channels of Metric Halo’s renowned ULN-R preamps in 4 channel blocks. These boutique preamps are famous for their pristine, low-distortion, completely unveiled sound.

The ULN-R preamp provides up to 90 dB of digitally-controlled analog gain in precisely recallable 0.5 dB steps. Each input supports independently switchable P48 phantom power.

The combination of the super transparent ULN-R preamp and Metric Halo’s exclusive insertable Character Component Modeling Processing provides flexibility and sound quality that’s unavailable on any other device. You can transition from a wire-with-gain pre to a gooey tube pre or anything in between; every input can have the right Character for the sound you want.

The preamp input path on the LIO-8 mkIV always has preamp gain control and has DC blocking for the phantom power, it also supports input levels of up to +20dBu with no fidelity reducing pads, so you can handle high SPL with sensitive mics as well as you can handle extremely low SPL with insensitive mics (like ribbon mics and low output dynamics) while maintaining ultra-low noise.

The high maximum input level of +20dBu also means that you can use the mic pre input path as an alternative line input path. This feature can be used with the monitor controller to access an additional 8 selectable analog inputs as external sources.

The LIO-8 mkIV input path features an integrated analog send (pre A/D converter) which allows the unit to be used as remote controlled analog preamp. MHLink connectivity and control means that your preamps can be really remote (up to 100m away from your control interface) when you need them to be.

The preamps also offer a send/return mode where the amplified signal from the preamp is sent to the analog send and the line input is used for the return to the A/D converter - this allows you to patch analog processing between the preamp and the converter. Finally, you can use the analog send to provide the pre-amplified signal to a backup recording or mixing system; this is a fully analog split that represents a true backup signal with no digital dependencies.