The Metric Halo LIO-8 mkIV is a precision USB audio interface and 8-channel A/D-D/A converter offering an advanced feature set and a hybrid DSP/FPGA processing system and hosting a powerful software package that includes over 100 zero-latency plug-ins.
This lightweight low-power single-rack-space unit supplies 8 line inputs and 8 line outputs, all on DB25 connectors. The versatile interface offers a 128-channel, 64-bus mixer, supports resolutions of up to 192 kHz, and offers MIDI I/O along with MHLink networking and SCP computer linking, making it well suited for use as a core studio component for tracking, mixing, and mastering.
The updated mkIV version of the LIO-8 mkIV offers a warm, open, and very detailed musical sound and uses an integrated relay mute on the analog outputs to eliminate clicks and thumps when powering up and down. Fully calibrated analog I/O levels ensure that round trips through the converters maintain consistent levels, while the latency has been reduced from 116 samples down to approximately 18. The power consumption and heat generation has also been greatly reduced, allowing users to conserve energy.
It’s All About the Sound…
A complete, modular, expandable Recording & Mixing Console with world-class converters, a studio full of outboard gear and a professional Atmos capable analog monitor controller.
Based on the Orpheus’ audio path and clock circuitry, Lyra is ideal for those who don’t require a large I/O count, but do demand the highest quality and most transparent AD/DA available. Integrated with a future-proof computer interface. To celebrate the release of MH Production Bundle v4, all new purchases of Metric Halo LIO-8 mkIV include a free MH Production Bundle v4 license in addition to the bundled hardware versions that run with zero latency on the DSP in the interfaces!
For over 20 years, Metric Halo sound has been beloved by musicians and audio engineers the world over. Our 4th generation mkIV analog and converter stages enhance the already world-class design of the LIO-8 to provide you with warm yet detailed, open & musical sound that captures and presents your work in its best light.
The mkIV features a full featured multi-source, multi-destination surround capable (up to 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos®) monitor controller with analog gain control and relay hard mutes.
Imagine having a large-format recording and mixing console in a 1RU unit. mkIV is just that — you will not be limited by this mixer.
MHLink provides an ultra-low-latency, ultra-high-bandwidth self configuring audio and data backplane between multiple MH units as well as a native Gigabit Ethernet interface to the computer.
Every mkIV unit includes a USB Class Audio interface that allows you to connect to any USB Audio host (Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows 10+, or Linux) without having to install a driver.
In an MHLink system, the USB port on each mkIV unit provides our unique “Satellite Computer Port (SCP)” capability. SCP gives you the ability to patch a satellite computer with full routing into the mkIV Mixer. On multiple unit systems, all SCP ports are available simultaneously. Integrate software instruments, sample players, client computers and mobile devices into your system without the need for additional interfaces or complicated clocking setups.
Any channel in the MIO Mixer can be routed to any output, including outputs sent back to the host or to an SCP port. Route audio between apps or computers without any additional software or an additional complex routing model.
mkIV features our custom hybrid DSP/FPGA processing system that provides massive amounts of processing and gobs of memory for high-precision fixed point mixing, cross-point interpolation, metering and routing as well as flexible, instantiable floating-point plug-in processing.
mkIV bundles over a 100 zero-latency hardware plug-ins, including the entire Metric Halo Production Bundle, the +DSP Bundle, the Make Believe Bundle and the Sontec MES-432D9D with no additional license fees or complicated licensing tools. That’s over $3100 worth of world-class plug-ins bundled for use on the LIO-8 mkIV DSP for free!
mk IV supports a variety of control surfaces giving you tactile remote control over mix, monitor, and recording.
Each mkIV unit includes an open EdgeBus Card slot. The EdgeBus Card slot allows you to expand your system with additional I/O without having to add a new interface.
mk IV allows you to store the full configuration of your multibox MHLink system into non-volatile memory so that the full configuration is automatically restored when the system powers on - without requiring a connection to the computer or MIOConsole.
Crosspoint routing and all I/O ports simultaneously active enables you to use the mkIV as a flexible format converter. Boot states allow you to program and set the unit for standalone format conversion
mkIV includes complete tracking DAW that supports Live, Take-based and Overdub recording workflows. Always available and completely integrated with the hardware. It launches instantly as part of MIO Console and it doesn't require any licenses or dongles.
Whether you are on location, in the studio or the mastering room, the LIO-8 mkIV has what it takes for you to get the job done.
LIO-8 mkIV is built on Metric Halo’s core 3d Technology, so it interoperates seamlessly with all existing MH 3d interfaces.
Since it is amazingly flexible, expandable and future-proof by design, your system always scales to meet your needs. Each unit includes these hardware features:
By implementing all the functions of a complete end-to-end signal chain solution in a single package, the LIO-8 mkIV is able to provide unprecedented 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, even as it provides unprecedented 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 new mkIV design is eco-friendly and uses very little energy to provide its incredible performance and power. Even when every mic channel is powering a 48v phantom mic, the LIO-8 mkIV only consumes 25 watts, and without phantom uses less than 21 watts.
This low-power design allows the mkIV to run cool and stable. No noisy fans required.
The sound of an audio product is more than the the sum of its parts. You can’t simply look at the components used and determine how something is going to sound. Excellent audio requires careful attention to detail and the tuning of every element of the entire system; this includes the analog stages, the power system, the clock and the converter itself. As all of these interact with each other in nonlinear ways, it is the system that determines the performance, and not any of the individual parts.
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. Metric Halo mkIV sets a new standard.
It’s digital with soul.
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.
Monitoring is critical to the production process at every stage; you need to be able hear exactly what you are working on. Your monitor chain will be limited by the weakest link in the chain. The LIO-8 mkIV integrates a transparent digitally controlled analog monitor controller to ensure that you can connect directly to your reproduction chain without having to reduce the fidelity of your signal with an inferior monitor control system.
mkIV hardware includes a relay driven shunt mute circuit on all the analog outputs that prevents transients from getting into your power amps and speakers. The mute is designed to be completely out of the circuit under normal monitoring operations. It automatically protects your monitors during power cycles and sample rate changes.
The Monitor Controller in the LIO-8 mkIV provides sophisticated monitor control features that are only available in dedicated monitor controllers that surprisingly cost more than the LIO-8 mkIV.
In addition to all these high-end features, the MH Monitor Controller provides unique support for per-output-path configurable signal processing including EQ, Bass Management and protective limiting. Each output path can have its own signal processing, even if the paths share speakers. This allows you to configure alternate monitoring setups with one monitoring system (for example, you could configure the signal processing to provide a band-limited monitoring path or a path that lacks subwoofer reinforcement).
Each LIO-8 mkIV includes a high quality headphone amplifier with dedicated D/A conversion (which is the same quality as the primary D/As in the system), and digitally controlled analog gain control. So you don’t need to add a headphone amp to your system. By default the headphones are configured as a parallel Cue output multed from the Monitor Controller, but you can drive the headphones with an independent mix or you can make them an alternate output for the monitor controller.
In addition to monitoring the mix in your control room, multitrack production requires providing multiple output cues to performers, producers and/or broadcast feeds.
The Monitor Control in 3d is enhanced by a sophisticated Output Cue section that provides you with an arbitrary number of output controls. Each cue can be driven from any of the busses in the system, or it can be set to derive its input from the currently selected source in the Monitor Controller (MC).
Since each Cue can be driven by a separate mix bus from the mixer, they are perfect for routing and controlling independent headphone mixes for individual performers.
Cues can be configured to listen to PFL/AFL (or not). So for producers and engineers, the cue can follow PFL/AFL Solo in the mixer while performer and broadcast cues are unaffected by soloing.
Each cue has an independent output path which can be set to any of the MC supported output types. Each cue controller uses the MC engine for its control of routing, gain, delay and output graph processing, so it can do all the things the MC can do.
Cues form the basis of the routing points for Talkback and Listenback.
Talkback provides the ability to route a specific input to any sub-set of the cues in the system; it also allows you to control the amount that the Cue source signal is dimmed when talkback is active. The Talkback signal is mixed with the selected source.
Listenback provides the ability to route the source that the engineer is currently monitoring through the Monitor Controller to any subset of the cues in the system. This allows playing back a mix of the take to any or all of the monitoring cues in the system without having to re-patch.
For 3d and mkIV, we designed a new, retina-enabled, 64-bit, cross-platform console application: MIO Console 3d.
MIO Console features a high-impact, modern, flat design with scalable UI elements. With user-controllable color theming and extensive support for customizable interaction preferences, it is easy to tune the console to fit your style (and your eyesight). MIO Console also adds support for standard UI gestures including drag-and-drop for inserts and multi-strip control swiping.
MIO Console provides the UI to control the mkIV Mixer. This mixing engine is a full professional mixing console — not just an interface monitor mixer. It features multi-bus mixing, arbitrary routing, input and output multing, zero-latency hardware plug-ins, surround support, and headamp control. The Mixer removes the limits found in other interfaces by providing:
These features unlock mixing workflows designed for live and zero-latency cue mixing during tracking, while also enabling full recording and mixing with Session as a dedicated solution.
A unique feature of MHLink is that all Metric Halo interfaces work just as well as a group as they do individually. Mix and match LIO-8 mkIV with other 3d units to create a system that meets your needs for track count and preamp power.
Adding a unit to the system automatically increases the DSP power available, ensuring that your DSP always scales with your I/O.
Break your system up for small gigs, or combine units from multiple users to build a massive system when needed — just click to connect!
Every mkIV unit includes an industry standard USB-C port that provides a device port featuring 3 interface endpoints:
The Audio Class and MIDI Class endpoints support industry-standard protocols and allow the mkIV to be used with built-in drivers of any USB host that supports these classes.
You can transport audio and MIDI to and from computers running macOS, Windows 10 & 11, or Linux without installing a custom driver.
You can transport audio and MIDI to and from mobile devices (and embedded devices) that don't allow the installation of custom drivers, as long as the devices provide built-in Audio and/or MIDI class support. At present, iOS devices (including iPhone and iPad), Android devices (phones and tablets), and AKAI MPC have the appropriate class drivers included.
MIO Console 3d also controls the unit over USB, so you can connect your computer with a single cable.
Have you ever wanted to connect an iPad to your main studio system? How about dedicating an older computer you have laying around to running a VI or a Sampler? What about when a client or collaborator comes in with their laptop and wants to run audio into your system? With mkIV and SCP, you can just connect any of these devices right into your system without having to add another interface for that purpose.
mkIV supports explicit routing to and from the USB connector on any unit in the MHLink chain. When used in this way, the USB ports are referred to as Satellite Computer Ports.
This feature allows you to integrate audio from multiple USB host devices (computers, phones, tablets, MPCs, etc.) without purchasing additional interfaces. It automatically keeps your devices synchronized with your system and provides device-to-device routing as well as integrated mixing and processing.
You can connect a sampler running on another computer and directly mix its outputs with the rest of your sources. You can route directly between computers/devices or multi signals to multiple computers/devices — so you can set up a computer or an iPad as an effects rack or backup recorder.
You can integrate the output of multiple iOS instruments into your MHLink Mixer via the direct digital link, and you can record real-time performances by routing them to your main recording computer.
You can use the SCP functionality to integrate multiple computers (or iOS devices) into your MHLink mixing engine. Each USB port is available for connection with a USB audio host. The SCP USB source and destination categories in the routing selector popups allow you to select explicit USB channels to route to and from.
To use a USB port as an SCP port, simply connect the device to one of the USB ports on one of the units in your MHLink chain. Then on the device, select the USB interface of the connected 3d unit as the audio interface for the device, signal processing software, or DAW.
It’s as simple as that.
Have you ever wanted to route audio from one app to another? For example, maybe you want to capture a reference track from a streaming service, or you need to grab the output of your DAW (post analog processing) and capture it to your mastering app. Or perhaps you need to route some audio from a pro app to your teleconferencing software.
The mkIV mixer supports the computer and SCP ports as first-class routing destinations, which makes it easy for you to route any signal back to the computer or any of the SCP ports.
You can use this feature to route audio between apps on one computer, between different computers, or to mobile devices.
Since the routing points are built into the mixer, the signals you loop back to the computer can be outputs from the computer, any mix, or the output of any signal processing chain.
You can use this feature to capture masters, route between your DAW and teleconferencing apps, or between standalone VIs and your DAW.
LIO-8 mkIV includes a sophisticated digital signal processing engine that is only limited by your imagination. The mixing engine and audio router built into each unit is capable of mixing 128 inputs to 64 busses at all sample rates (up to 192k) with every gain interpolated on a sample-by-sample basis. This custom dedicated mix engine utilizes the equivalent DSP power of 30 of the SHARC DSPs that were used in our previous generation product (based on the 2d Card).
Each LIO-8 mkIV also includes a programmable DSP that supports the instantiation of arbitrary DSP processing plug-ins; this is used for insert processing in the mixer and for output processing in the Monitor Controller. LIO-8 mkIV includes over 100 plugins that you can use for low-latency monitoring, live mixing, or in production. The DSP in 3d has 1GB of DDR3 RAM available, so long delays and multiple reverbs are not a problem.
The +DSP license included with every unit provides Metric Halo’s unique Graph insert, which allows you to build your own signal chains with arbitrary phase-compensated routing between plugins; think of it as a DSP playground. You can insert a Graph in any insert slot in the mixer and as output processors in the Monitor Controller.
The 3d system enhances the processing engine included in each unit by routing between multiple units and utilizing the resources of all units attached via MHLink as one unified system. Your DSP and mixing resources are pooled. This allows you to seamlessly grow your system one unit at a time — all the way up to 128 channels of simultaneous input and output! All your inputs (including inputs from the computer) are available as sources in the mixer and monitor controller. All your outputs (including returns to the computer) are available as destinations for the mixer, monitor controller, cue system, and direct outs.
| Display | 2x Multi-Segment LED Meter |
|---|---|
| Channels of I/O | Analog / Digital: 8 Inputs / 8 Output at 192 kHz |
| Built-In DSP | Yes |
| Maximum Sampling Rate | 192 kHz / 24-Bit |
| Number of Microphone Inputs | No |
| Built-In Microphone | No |
| Input Level Adjustment | 8x Knob |
| Gain/Trim Range | Line Inputs, A/D Converters: -12 dB to +31.5 dB |
| Analog Audio I/O |
1x DB-25 Balanced Mic/8-Channel Input 1x DB-25 Balanced Line/8-Channel Input 2x 1/4" TRS Balanced Monitor Output 1x DB-25 Balanced Line/8-Channel Output 1x DB-25 Balanced 8-Channel Output |
| Phantom Power | No |
| Digital Audio I/O | 1x DB-25 AES3 Input |
| Host Connection | 1x USB-C (Class-Compliant) |
| Host Connection Protocol | USB 2.0 |
| USB (Non-Host) | No |
| Sync I/O |
1x BNC Word Clock Input 1x BNC Word Clock Output 1x 1/4" TS SMPTE Input 1x 1/4" TS SMPTE Output |
| Network I/O | 2x RJ45 MH Link |
| MIDI I/O |
1x DIN 5-Pin Input 1x DIN 5-Pin Output |
| Expansion Slots | 2x Network I/O Slot |
| Wireless | Proprietary Wireless |
| Frequency Response | 2.9 Hz to 64.7 kHz ±1 dB (at 192 kHz) |
| Maximum Input Level |
Mic Inputs: +20 dBu Line Inputs: +24.5 dBu |
| Maximum Output Level | Analog Outputs: +21.5 dBu |
| Impedance | Mic Inputs: 3.3 Kilohms |
| Dynamic Range | Mic Inputs: 118 dB (A-Weighted) |
| THD | DB-25 Mic Inputs: 0.0023% (at 0 dBu) |
| EIN |
Mic Inputs: -130.5 dB (150-Ohm Source) Mic Inputs: -133.25 dB (0-Ohm Source) |
| Digital Audio |
Sample Rates: Up to 192 kHz Sample Rate Conversion: On AES3 Inputs (Any Sample Rate) Bit Depths: 24-Bit Latency: D/A Conversion: 0.2 ms at 192 kHz (Input to Output) Sync Sources: Internal, MH Link via Ethernet, SMPTE/LTC, Word Clock |
| Media/Memory Card Slot | No |
| OS Compatibility | macOS 10.9 or Later |
| Power Requirements | AC/DC Power Adapter (Included), DC Input |
| AC Input Power | 100 to 240 VAC, 50 / 60 Hz |
| AC/DC Power Adapter | 100 to 240 VAC |
| Power Consumption | 20 W (Typical) 25 W (Maximum) |
| Rackmount Size | 1 U (with Included Hardware) |
| Dimensions | 17 x 13 x 1.7" / 432 x 330 x 44 mm |
| Weight | 6.0 lb / 2.7 kg |
| Manufacturer Part Number | 000-50047 UPC: 832081000712 |
