1. Why should I buy the D8B over other digital mixers?
A:
There are several reasons why the D8B is a superior
digital mixer when compared to other digital mixers:
UPGRADEABILITY
- The D8B is the first digital mixer that gets newer and
better with time. Because of its open-architecture design,
it can be upgraded via hardware and software indefinitely.
FAMILIARITY
- The D8B is the only digital mixer under $250,000 with
a true analog look and feel. Peripheral SVGA monitor, mouse,
and keyboard options provide a dual-interface control for
quick and easy access to all of the D8B's parameters and
makes the D8B extremely easy to use, without the assistance
of an external PC or Mac.
VALUE
- The D8B offers you an incredible value for your money.
It has features and capabilities that are comparable with
mixers that far exceed the D8B's price range.
EFFICIENCY
- Packed full of shortcuts and quick commands, the D8B drastically
minimizes the amount of time needed to set up a mix and
assign signal routing. You can perform more tasks in a shorter
amount of time and maximize your income potential.
SOUND
QUALITY - The combination of low noise, high headroom
analog circuitry, 24 - bit 128x over-sampling A/D converters,
and the extremely stable internal clocking makes the D8B
the best-sounding digital mixer in its class.
DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR,
POUND-FOR-POUND, THE D8B IS THE BEST BUSINESS DECISION YOU
CAN MAKE.
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2. If this is a 56-input, 72-channel mixer, why do I only
see 25 faders?
A:
The D8B is organized into four fader "banks" of 24 channels
each, which allows the channel strips to be used for more
than one signal channel at the same time. The channel strip
parameters (fader, mute, pan, send levels, etc.) will all
"snap" to the currently selected fader bank.
- MIC/LINE
- comprised of 12 microphone/line inputs and 12 line inputs
for a total of 24 dedicated analog inputs.
- TAPE
IN - comprised of 24 tape (or other recorder) return
inputs. These are labeled as channels 25-48, even though
they represent tape return inputs 1-24.
-
- EFFECTS
- comprised of the effect return channels, split between
16 internal effect returns and 8 external returns (fed by
the ALT I/O card slot inputs).
- MASTERS
- comprised of 8 virtual group faders, 8 dedicated MIDI
channels, and 8 sub bus master faders. The Master L-R
fader will always control the Main L-R mix level.
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3. What are the card cages on the rear of the console and
how do I use them?
A:
The D8B card cages are a perfect example of the "open architecture"
format of Mackie Digital Systems products. You can customize
your D8B for specific applications by providing the appropriate
cards for the card cages that give you the routing formats
and effects processing you need. These card cages allow
the D8B to get better and newer with time.
The
Tape I/O card slots are for routing signals to your
tape (or hard disk recorders) and returning those signals
back into the console. Any of the Mackie Digital Systems
Tape I/O cards can be installed into these slots.
The
ALT I/O card slot provides eight I/O capabilities
in addition to the three Tape I/O card slots (See FAQ
#4).
The
Effects card slots are used for internal parallel
effects processing. Either the MFX or UFX card can be installed
in these slots.
The
Sync card slot is for the D8B's clocking mechanism.
A standard sync card is installed in this slot at the time
of purchase, but you can install the Clock I/O card in this
slot.
See
FAQ #5 (below) for more information on
all the Mackie Digital Systems cards.
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4. What is the ALT I/O slot & how is it different
from the other Tape I/O slots?
A:
ALT I/O stands for Alternate input and output. This slot
can output any combination of auxiliary sends 1-8, sub busses
1-8, or the master L-R mix bus. Inputs to this slot will
appear on RET 1-8 channels on the Effects fader bank, which
are without the standard channel dynamics found on channels
1-48. This slot is the recommended I/O platform for bussing
signals between two (or more) cascaded D8B's (See FAQ
#6). Typical uses of this slot would be for digital
auxiliary sends and returns, sending a surround mix to a
multi-track recorder, bussing pairs of stereo sends to different
devices, or receiving auxiliaries or busses from a slave
D8B.
You
can use any of the approved Mackie Digital Systems Tape
I/O cards (See FAQ #5)
installed in this slot.
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5. Now that I know about the card slots, what cards are
available to install in these slots?
A:
Mackie Digital Systems has many different cards available
that allow you to customize your D8B for your particular
needs. The following four* cards are designed for the Tape
I/O and ALT I/O card slots, and each card handles
up to eight channels of I/O:
AIO•8
for balanced +4dBu (line level) analog signals.
DIO•8
for either ADAT™ optical or T/DIF
digital formats, available in 16-bit or 24-bit versions.
PDI•8
for AES/EBU formatted signals.
OPT•8
for ADAT™ optical format only
The
following two cards are designed for the Effects card slots
and are used for internal parallel effects routing:
MFX
(Mackie Effects) for reverb, chorus, mono/stereo delay,
and ping pong effects. One MFX card comes installed in the
D8B at time of purchase.
UFX
(Universal Effects)** supports third party plug-in effects.
This card is a universal DSP engine and comes with a t.c.
electronic™ reverb package at
time of purchase. Additional plug-ins can be purchased individually
and loaded onto this card for internal effects processing.
The
D8B comes with a standard clock card installed in the Sync
card slot at time of purchase that controls the mixer's
internal clocking mechanism. However, the Clock I/O
card is an available add-on if you need to slave the D8B
to an external word clock source. It is a super low-jitter,
vari-speed clock card that provides word clock I/O and pull-up/down
capabilities.
**
requires Version 3.0 of the Mackie Realtime OS, which will
be available in Q2 of 2000. Refer to the Mackie Version
3.0 FAQ sheet for more info on available plug-ins and new
features.
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6. Can I use two D8B's together and have them work as one?
A:
The D8B comes standard with a 10 base-T ethernet port, which
can be used to "cascade" two or more D8B's together. This
links the D8B's controls like fader bank switching, solo
logic, auxiliary selection, and cue controls. All signal
routing is done through the ALT I/O slots, which allows
you to bus eight channels of signals (which can be the auxiliaries,
sub busses, or the master L-R mix) from each cascaded console
back to the master desk. Two D8B's cascaded together give
you 48 dedicated analog inputs, 48 digital inputs, and 8
channels of auxiliary or sub bussing from the slave to the
master D8B.
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7. Why
are there 12 auxiliary send jacks and no auxiliary returns in
the jackfield?
A:
We have provided the ALT I/O slot as an auxiliary return
platform. Inputs to a Tape I/O card installed in this slot
will conveniently appear on the Effects fader bank as RET
1-8 (or channels 65-72). The ALT I/O slot can also be used
as your auxiliary sends as well.
When
using a digital Tape I/O card in this slot, the D8B allows
you to perform parallel effects processing to external processors
while keeping your signals within the digital domain.
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8. What kind of external MIDI control capabilities does
the D8B have?
A:
The D8B can be configured to be a huge MIDI controller.
All faders, pans, mutes, snapshots, and transport controls
can be assigned with continuous controller data, program
change messages, note on/off, and polyphonic after-touch.
It provides the ability to control multiple DAW's, lighting
boards, and other MIDI-controlled equipment right from the
console. In addition, the D8B receives MTC as its time code
base and exports standard MMC commands.
Version
3.0 will offer even more extensive MIDI assignment parameters
(See V.3.0 FAQ's)
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9. Can I load other applications or programs inside the
D8B's CPU unit?
A:
The D8B host CPU is only compatible with Mackie Realtime
OS and any other Mackie-approved applications and/or software
revisions.
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10. Can I hook the D8B into my PC or Macintosh and use it
with all my other programs?
A:
The D8B is designed to work as a stand-alone mixer with
it's own operating system. You can use the D8B in conjunction
with other computer-based systems for transferring audio
back/forth and syncing to word clock and time code, but
the Mackie Realtime OS will only operate inside Mackie Digital
Systems products.
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11. What kind of recording media would you recommend using
with the D8B?
A:
Whatever kind of recording media you want! The beauty of
the D8B is that it is fully compatible with any recording
media, whether it's an analog tape machine, a digital multi-track
recorder, or a computer-based DAW. It can be customized
for any conceivable application based on its open architecture
and ability to mix analog and digital sources together seamlessly
(See #2).
In a
typical recording studio scenario, we recommend using the
dedicated analog channels (1-24) as the microphone and/or
line inputs from your sources, and then sending the digital
signals directly to some kind of digital recording format
so that the amount of A/D and D/A conversion is kept to
a minimum. Then, your recorded signals return to the D8B
through the Tape In fader bank for mixdown. This whole process
can be executed simultaneously.
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12. If I have four eight-track recorders, how can the D8B
handle the 32 channels of mixdown.
A:
We have designed the ALT I/O card slot (which can be equipped
with any of the Mackie Digital Systems Tape cards) to provide
eight extra inputs. These can be used for a fourth eight-track
recorder's returns, external auxiliary returns, or sub mix
returns from a cascaded "slave" D8B. Remember, the D8B has
a total of 56 inputs that can be used for any mixdown situation!
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13. Can I upgrade the D8B's processor and/or hard drive
for increased performance and capabilities?
A:
The Mackie Realtime OS was designed to work at 100% efficiency
while using less than 50% of the Pentium 166MHz processor's
capabilities. This means that upgrading the processor will
not necessarily make the D8B work any "faster" or "better".
Most
of the session and effect parameter files that are stored
on the D8B's internal hard drive require a very small amount
of memory. The 4.2GB hard drive is well equipped to handle
as many sessions and effect parameters as a user can generate.
We recommend backing up your files to either a floppy disk
library or an external hard drive/computer through the D8B's
networking protocol.
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14. How does the D8B handle surround mixing?
A:
The
D8B has a very easy-to-use surround matrix, which allows
you to position and automate every channel of audio in a
surround mode (LCRS, Quad, 5.1, and 7.1) by using the mouse.
All surround mixing is done through the eight sub busses
and you can bus a surround mix out digitally to an eight-track
MDM while you monitor the mix out of the dedicated analog
Sub/Surround outputs. With new Version
3.0 Depth of Center and Low Frequency Enhancement parameters,
the D8B offers a very powerful surround-mixing environment.
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15. What
kind of onboard automation comes with the D8B?.
A:
The D8B has dynamic, snapshot, and trim level automation
modes. Automation may be used in standard write-ready or
auto-touch configurations. All digitally controlled parameters
can be automated on the D8B, including EQ settings, surround
panning, auxiliary send/return levels, parallel effect parameters,
and more!
Automation
may be used in as simple a manner as making a rough mix
and adding a couple of dynamic moves in sync with time code.
Or, you can get a little more complicated by using automated
snapshots in sync with time code. What the heck, just go
hog wild and automate everything -- snapshot and dynamic
automation simultaneously!
All
automation moves are managed through a unique, offline Mix
Editor and are listed out in the Event List.
MIX
EDITOR - A graphic auto-scrolling interface that displays
all automated parameter moves as ramp and inflection points
that represent changes in those parameters synchronized
with time code. Moves can be edited either on- or offline
by cutting, copying, and pasting events between channels.
Expanded channel viewing, nudge tools, and time code locator
give you superior DAW-style automation editing control.
EVENT
LIST - A list and corresponding timecode stamp for every
automated event. Create new events or modify existing events
in a listed-out format for precise, exact automation moves.
Customize and organize the list by viewing certain parameters
for certain channels or everything at once.
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16. How do I handle different patching configurations with
the D8B?
A:
The D8B is designed to allow the engineer to route signals
from the touch of a button or the click of a mouse rather
than pulling out and inserting standard patch bay cables.
Once the D8B is installed in your studio, you can re-route
signals and change your bussing options right from the console.
Send different signals to different tape outputs, adjust
your sub bussing layout, and juggle different auxiliary
send and return configurations without ever using an external
patch bay. Signal routing assignments may be saved as a
snapshot configuration within a session, or as a session
itself. Routing assignments can also be dynamically automated.
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17. If the D8B is a 24-bit mixer, how can I get my audio
down to a 16-bit format for CD mastering?
A:
The D8B uses the Apogee UV22™
noise shaper as a tool to convert your 24-bit word length
down to a 16-bit format. UV22 helps maintain the dynamic
range of 24-bit audio in a 16-bit format by shaping the
noise floor to the level of audio and storing any noise
generated at 22kHz. The UV22 can be used on any of the D8B's
digital outputs, including all tape sends and master outputs.
In addition to its mastering application, the UV22 is very
handy for recording a session onto 16-bit multitrack recorders.
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