Motu AVB/Thunderbolt refresh at NAMM show?

[Jazz67]

Waiting for a refresh of the AVB/Thunderbolt interfaces (1248, 828es, 16A, 8M...) to upgrade my old 828 mkII.
Thunderbolt 3, or even better USB 4.0/Thunderbolt 4, instead of Thunderbolt 2, has to be in 2022! (dreaming of a world without dongle!)
Is there any chance we'll get that at Namm show in june?

[mikehalloran]

No idea if MOTU will update their hardware to TB3. There’s no reason for TB4. We might see a USB4 rating on a TB3 device but it’s a meaningless marketing term only.

There is no need for devices to be TB4 unless they also function as hubs. TB4 ports on a Mac allow up to six TB3 devices on a hub or daisy-chain. With Windows, it allows the same plus full TB3 functionality.

The USB 4 spec allows manufacturers the ability to bring TB3 speeds to hardware without paying Thunderbolt royalties to Intel. MOTU might label TB3 devices USB4 in addition for consumers with Win/Android USB4 devices — if they ever exist. Apple may drop the TB label in the future to eliminate the Intel royalty but it may add to the considerable confusion over specs out there.

The few TB3 interfaces out there boast RTL (round trip latency) speeds about 50%–75% faster than the current “Fast USB 2” devices. It’s about the same as moving your ears about a foot closer to your monitor speakers when you do the math. The speed of sound is surprisingly slow and the speed of electricity in solid state devices can only get so much faster. “Fast USB 2” in 2019 was the major performance breakthrough for interfaces.

It will be good if MOTU does update their TB devices to TB3. No more adapters & daisy-chaining are the advantages; any speed increases will be seen on paper but will not be heard. I borrowed a Presonus TB3 interface for A/B testing before making the decision to go with my current “Fast USB 2”.

When the 828x came out, I asked why there was only one TB port when the FW and USB devices had two. I was told that the Intel royalty was enough that having a single port kept the price down.