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Mackie kicked off 2006 with an impressive presence at Winter NAMM in Anaheim with an array of groundbreaking new product announcements, an unbelievable lineup of celebrity guests and a jam-packed booth.
Products
Winter NAMM announced the official launch of 29 new and unique Mackie products for 2006 including the Quad EQ and Quad Comp/Gate digital signal processors, the M-Series Power Amplifiers, Satellite FireWire Recording System, S400 Precision Passive Loudspeakers and two new mid-format live sound consoles which join the ever-expanding Onyx family—the Onyx 24.4 and 32.4.
Presentations and Celebrity Guests
Mackie's talented and adored product specialists kept the booth full of engaged attendees enjoying the daily Desktop Production and DJ Mixing and Production presentations. The mind-boggling turntable skills of Mackie's own DJ Rocky Rock, West Coast King of the d.2, drew astonishing crowds every afternoon and four lucky NAMM attendees took home their very own Mackie d.2 DJ Mixer. Other special guest DJ's included French sensation, DJ Troubl' and the world's youngest DJ, eight year old DJ Yeah (www.akshenandyeah.com).
Special celebrity signings by the highly recognizable George Clinton, Buckethead from Guns n' Roses and the legendary Bootsy Collins had fans wrapped around the Mackie booth waiting for a chance to get an autograph from their favorite Mackie artist.
Awards
The Mackie Onyx 800R was named Best Hardware Value and Mackie Control C4 Best DAW Control Surface during the fourth annual Remix Technology 2005 Awards.
At the Electronic Musician 2006 Editors Choice Awards, the Mackie Onyx 1620 w/ FireWire I/O card was named Editor's Choice Mixer and the Mackie Onyx 800R Editor's Choice Preamp.
Music & Sound Retailer honored the Mackie Onyx as the Best New Mixer/Console award of 2005.
Tracktion 2 was also given the "Rated Excellent" award by Apple.
Look for more exciting things in 2006 from Mackie. For more information on the Mackie products that were presented at Winter NAMM, check out www.mackie.com
Mackie, in collaboration with Acuma Labs and SIA Software, is introducing the Quad Series of digital signal processors. The Quad Series processors combine high-quality 24-bit processing and stellar audio performance with intuitive and feature-packed user interfaces designed for serious live sound applications.
The Mackie Quad EQ is an innovative four-channel, 30-band digital graphic equalizer, which for the first time ever combines Smaart real-time analysis (RTA) and a sound pressure level (SPL) meter. It offers brilliant sounding 24-bit processing and Mackie's Adaptive-Q filters for extremely precise EQ adjustments. A highly accurate, easy-to-read front panel featuring 31 bi-color LED ladders allows the user to view RTA and EQ settings simultaneously. This allows the Quad EQ to provide instant visual reinforcement of EQ changes and their effect through the sound system to the engineer.
The Quad EQ includes a bundled SIA reference microphone for real-time frequency analysis and SPL monitoring, as well as a host of useful features like stereo linking of channels A/B and C/D, simultaneous A, B and C-weighted SPL meter functionality, a built-in Pink Noise generator, and professional XLR and TRS input and output connectors. Finally, 99 user-definable snapshots provide easy storage and recall of repeatedly used settings.
Quad EQ Features:
4-channels of digital 30 band, Adaptive-Q graphic equalizers
Variable High and Low pass filters on each channel
Built-in Smaart RTA (Real Time Analyzer) of input or mic signals
Simultaneous EQ and RTA display
A, B, and C weighted dB-SPL meter function
Built-in Pink noise generator
99 snapshots for instant recall of settings
Stereo Linking of channels A and B, C and D
Intuitive, easy to use front panel
Professional-grade XLR & TRS input/output connections
"Planet Earth" Power Supply (100-240VAC 50/60Hz)
The Mackie Quad Comp/Gate features four channels of compression/limiting and expansion/gating and delivers superior precision and dynamic control through a highly intuitive and responsive user interface. Digital technology offers several advantages over analog compressors, including much faster attack settings, and offering 99 user-definable and instantly recallable presets, which can come in handy during fast changeovers from one act to the next. Built-in key filters provide incredible accuracy for independent triggering of the compressors and gates based on desired frequencies, while a Key Listen feature allows users to monitor the specific frequency range of the key filter. Plus, the Quad Comp/Gate's "Auto" feature automatically monitors input transients and adjusts attack and release times to eliminate the all-too-common "pumping" effect typical of most compressor/limiters.
Quad Comp/Gate Features:
4-channels of 24-bit digital compression/limiting and gate/expansion
Custom algorithms developed by Acuma Labs
Individual per-channel gain reduction and output metering
Individual key filtering per comp and gate channels
99 snapshots for instant storage and recall of settings
Stereo Linking of channels A and B, C and D
Intuitive, easy to use front panel
Professional input/output connections (XLR & TRS)
Additional external side chain connections
"Planet Earth" Power Supply (100-240VAC 50/60Hz)
The new Mackie Quad Series will be available in Q2 2006 and will have a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $1199.99 and $999.99, for the Quad/EQ and Quad Comp/Gate, respectively. The complete Mackie product line is currently on display at the NAMM Convention in Anaheim, California, January 19-22. Mackie is located in Hall A, booth #6690.
Mackie introduced today its new M-Series line of power amplifiers. Designed to deliver high-efficiency stereo power with stellar audio performance, the M-Series is available in three configurations: the M-2000, M-3000 and M-4000, delivering 2000W, 3000W and 4000W of Class-H power, respectively, and making them the highest powered offerings in their price range.
The new Mackie M-Series amplifiers have been equipped with a host of features typically found only in much higher priced models including an ultra-reliable, high-efficiency design that utilizes two- and three-rail Class-H circuitry, as well as Mackie's proprietary Baker Clamp-based Fast Recovery circuitry to prevent harmonic distortion. M-Series amplifiers also benefit from Mackie's exclusive Adaptive Slewing technology that allows the amplifier to pass the fastest transient attacks—like a kick or snare drum—without the distortion associated with traditional Class H designs.
With up to 50-percent more output transistors than their competition, the Mackie M-Series amplifiers deliver increased power and better headroom, as well as resistive loading of all stages and fully complementary/differential design from input to output. The result is an amplifier with higher power and lower distortion than any other amp in its class.
To ensure that the M-Series amplifiers provide would provide faithful service in the most unforgiving conditions, Mackie engineers equipped them with the most advanced protection circuitry available, including thermal protection, output DC offset protection, input slew protection and extensive output stage protection and a robust, road-worthy steel chassis.
The new Mackie M-Series amplifiers will be available Q2 2006 and will have a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $899.99, $1099.99, $1299.99 for the M2000, M3000, and M4000, respectively. The complete Mackie product line, including the M-Series amplifiers, is currently on display at the NAMM Convention in Anaheim, Calif., January 19-22. Mackie is located in Hall A, booth #6690.
Mackie is using this year's NAMM Convention to unveil the newest members of it's evolving Onyx family the Onyx Premium 4-bus Mid-Format Live Sound Consoles. With the additions of the new Onyx 24.4 24-channel and Onyx 32.4 32-channel consoles, Mackie brings the innovative feature set and unequalled sound quality of their Onyx Series to the world of mid-format live mixers, effectively filling the gap between the Onyx Small-Format and 8-bus Onyx 80 Large-Format Live Sound Consoles.
"With each new Onyx introduction, Mackie establishes a new price/performance benchmark," stated John Boudreau, Mackie's Live Sound Product Manager. "With the introduction of the new Onyx 24.4 and Onyx 32.4, we're now bringing this winning formula to a market that we have successfully dominated for nearly a decade thanks to our award-winning SR24.4 and SR32.4 consoles."
The Onyx 4-bus Series mid-format consoles incorporate a host of new features like a full complement of Mackie's highly acclaimed, flagship Onyx preamps that combine greater fidelity, increased headroom and unequalled sonic performance with greater radio frequency rejection and wider dynamic range.
Additional Onyx 4-Bus features include a fully balanced signal chain for lower noise and wider frequency range, as well as Mackie's exclusive Cal Perkins-designed four-band EQ circuitry, renowned for its highly musical "British" sound and wider-range control.
Both Onyx 4-Bus consoles also feature a 6x2 matrix, 100mm Panasonic faders, and a fully assignable stereo compressor/limiter section built upon the high-quality THAT 4301 chip. This compressor/limiter features independent threshold, ratio and fast/slow attack controls, and can be assigned to the main output mix, Groups 1 and 2, or Groups 3 and 4.
Key Onyx 4-bus Mid-Format Live Sound Console Features:
Premium Onyx Mic Preamps on all mono channels
Four-Band Perkins EQ
Six fully assignable Aux Sends with Pre/post switches, mute and AFL solo
Smooth, long-throw 100mm Panasonic Faders
Analog direct outs per channel
Two Dedicated Stereo Inputs
4 segment channel metering
Dedicated talkback section
6 x 2 matrix
Built in stereo compressor/limiter
The new Mackie Onyx 4-bus Series will be available Q2 2006 and will have a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $1849.99 and $2599.99 for the Onyx 24.4 and Onyx 32.4, respectively. The complete Mackie product line is currently on display at the NAMM Convention in Anaheim, Calif., January 19-22. Mackie is located in Hall A, booth #6690.
Mackie today offered a preview of the next generation in recording interfaces, the new Satellite FireWire Recording System. The Satellite FireWire Recording System is an innovative new approach to digital recording, featuring a two-part audio interface designed to get the best out of computer recording in both live and studio environments.
The heart of the Satellite System is the Satellite Pod, a sleek, portable two-channel FireWire interface that incorporates two of Mackie's acclaimed Onyx preamps, as well as 24-bit/96kHz A/D and D/A converters. Additional Satellite Pod features include dual headphone/control room outputs with individual level controls, two inputs, two outputs, and a rugged portable design.
A compelling feature of the Satellite System is the Satellite Base Station, which the Satellite Pod snaps into to provide AC power, additional I/O, talkback and monitor switching functions. By plugging the Satellite Pod into the base station, the Satellite System becomes a two-input, six-output FireWire audio interface with professional features such as an advanced routing matrix, built-in talkback microphone, advanced monitoring functions and surround speaker control.
The Satellite System's two inputs can be switched between mic, instrument or balanced line input sources, and its six-channel volume control provides for surround sound mixing. Its control room section provides for switching between two separate monitor outputs for multiple monitor speaker setups.
Both Mac and PC compatible, the Satellite System works with all ASIO and Core Audio compatible software. It comes bundled with a full version of Mackie's award-winning Tracktion 2 software, providing a complete out-of-the-box recording setup with professional features like a 64-bit high-definition mix engine, unlimited track count, ReWire and VST support, MIDI controller mapping, external synchronization, and integrated support for Mackie Control Universal and C4 control surfaces. Also included is a full set of Mackie's Mixing and Mastering plug-ins.
Mackie Satellite FireWire Recording System Features:
Innovative 2-piece FireWire Recording System for professional recording to Mac or PC
Dual Onyx mic preamps for superior sound quality versus competing interfaces
8 inputs (2 active at any time) for connection of microphones, line sources, and instruments
6 line-level outputs
24-bit/96kHz capable sound quality
Built in control room functions include talkback and A/B monitor switching
6-channel volume control allows for surround sound mixing
FireWire protocol for low latency real time recording
Satellite Pod can be bus powered for field use, or externally powered, for added convenience
The new Mackie Satellite FireWire Recording System will be available Q2 2006. The complete Mackie product line is currently on display at the NAMM Convention in Anaheim, California, January 19-22. Mackie is located in Hall A, booth #6690.
At this year's NAMM show, Mackie showed a new family of passive loudspeakers that utilize design techniques originally developed for large-format touring systems to deliver greater pattern control and sonic performance than is currently possible with traditional two-way loudspeaker designs.
"It's not that a narrow dispersion isn't a good thing, sometimes it's exactly what you need," commented John Boudreau, Live Sound Product Manager for Mackie. "However, many applications call for a much wider dispersion pattern than traditional two-way boxes can provide. This is why the technique of arraying multiple two-way boxes in larger venues is so common. It's the most efficient method of getting both effective coverage and great sound."
Boudreau continued, "With the S400 our goal was use design techniques originally developed for high-end touring systems to get both from one loudspeaker. And since EAW and Mackie are both part of LOUD Technologies, we had access to some of the best touring loudspeaker designers in the world. Tetrad Technology is the result of this collaboration and the S408 and S410s subwoofer are the first Mackie products to incorporate it."
About Tetrad Technology and the S400 Series Loudspeakers:
Tetrad Technolgy starts by replacing the single woofer found in traditional two-way Loudspeakers with four smaller 8-inch woofers, and then adds an unusually large horn in the center of the S408. The result is greater overall low-frequency driver surface area that can deliver more punch than a single 15-inch woofer and a horn that delivers far better pattern control in the upper mid frequencies.
Additionally, since four smaller drivers have a quicker attack (transient response) than a single 15-inch woofer, they can be made to deliver a much tighter and focused low-end with a great deal more impact. As such, this quad driver design is applied to both the S408, which features four 8-inch woofers, and the S410s Subwoofer, which features four 10-inch woofers.
Pattern control for the S408 was further enhanced when spacing of the four 8-inch woofers was calculated so that the polar pattern of the drivers matched the polar pattern of the horn at the crossover—both horizontally and vertically. This consistency is important because when sound radiates from a loudspeaker, listeners will typically hear the direct sound first; then they'll hear the energy that is reflected back from the room. If the low-frequency directivity is wide, and the high frequency directivity is narrow, there will be a lot more reflected low-end, which results in a "muddy" tone. Careful attention to detail has eliminated this anomaly in the S408.
The Big Horn:
Because of the smaller 8-inch drivers, the S408 is able to incorporate a large, central 75-degree x 40-degree horn. A big horn presents a friendly load impedance to the high-frequency device, which means lower distortion. And big horns offer better pattern control at lower frequencies than smaller horns—which is why they're used in large-format touring systems. Additionally, the large horn also eases the crossover transition from the 1.75-inch titanium compression driver to the 8-inch drivers. This allows the S408 to keep the crossover frequency low enough that the critical vocal and midrange frequencies are all reproduced by the horn. Put simply, the S408 sounds and projects better than any other portable PA speaker in its class.
Taken together, the spaced woofers and central horn allow for a horizontally and vertically symmetrical design. This means that the off-axis frequency response is the same on one side of the S408 as it is on the other. This is particularly useful when the S408 is used as a stage monitor. As the performer moves, the sound remains the same.
Top-Notch Construction and Versatile Array Options:
The S400 Series is comprised of the S408 Precision Passive Loudspeaker and the S410s Subwoofer. Both models features solid 18mm Baltic Birch plywood enclosures that are coated with wear-resistant textured black PVC vinyl paint. Both also incorporate weight-balanced carrying handles and integrated pole mounts. The S408 includes 12 integrated rigging points for flying and permanent installations. The S408's trapezoidal shape allows it to function in both traditional and stage monitor applications.
 A little faith can go a long way. Prodigy is now one of the world’s biggest acts, and main man Liam Howlett’s faith in a few key things is one of the magic ingredients that got them there.
There’s his faith in his music—music that consistently stays two steps ahead of categorization. In the span of three classic albums and a brace of smash hit singles over five years, Prodigy provides the soundtrack for a generation that launched itself with an illegal party—taking that raving sound to the rest of the world.
There’s his faith in the team around him—dancers, MCs, vocalists, friends—that gives his music the visual dimension to carry it to a global audience. Liam is striking enough at the helm of his on-stage audio workstation, but with the stage electrified even further by the presence of Prodigy performers like Keith Flint, audiences are universally ignited.
And then there’s his faith in a handful of professional music production tools. Modestly, Liam does not classify himself as an expert sound engineer, even though he’s written, produced, engineered and recorded the whole of Prodigy’s legacy himself–and mostly at home, in a series of textbook project studios. From bedroom to mansion, a few technological partners have never left his side, and one name is at the center of every decibel.
Liam first came across Mackie mixers in a music shop in Essex. Appealing naturally to a teenage MIDI music-maker living at home, the Mackie CR1604 mixer was procured, practiced, and put through its paces on the first Prodigy releases—including the epoch-making debut album Experience, in 1992. “The equipment we used in the studio then was the same equipment we used live, because we didn’t have enough money for both,” he recalls. “It all sat in flight cases in my bedroom. The first mixer was this really heavy, wedge-shaped thing—and was a real problem on the road. I checked out the Mackie mixers at my nearest dealer, and came across the 1604. Later on I realized just how good it really was, but to begin with I got it because it was a good price—and reading a lot of the magazines, it seemed to be the mixer that a lot of people were using for dance music.”
“When I got to grips with it at home, I realized that you could really push the channels and get good distortion.” And it helped push Prodigy’s second single, Charly, into the UK Top 3. Charly’s techno breakbeats defined the era, and at the same time transported Prodigy from the underground to the mainstream.
Liam’s sound continued to expand. Soon there were two more groundbreaking singles, One Love and No Good (Start The Dance), paving the way for the rockier energy of second album Music For The Jilted Generation. The mixing platform had stepped up a gear, too.
An Analog 8-Bus continued Liam’s relationship with Mackie. Poison notched up as Prodigy’s ninth consecutive Top 15 single, the royalties were piling up, and Liam found he could book any studio he wanted. But he didn’t. The third album, Fat Of The Land, entered both the UK and US charts at Number One in July 1997—yet Liam had held on to his home-grown values. “We spent time in a commercial studio, but it couldn’t capture the same vibe. In fact, we made all the tracks for Fat Of The Land on the Mackie 8·Bus, and then we tried to go into the studio to mix. But we ended up back at my place, and I did the whole thing on the 8·Bus.”
In particular, the incendiary single Firestarter, and its platinum sequel Breathe, prove the point better than anything. “People are always coming up to me and asking how I got so much attack into Firestarter, and it was largely down to the way you can push those Mackie channels. The mixer was the key to that sound.”
Fat Of The Land went on to sell 10 million copies worldwide, and Liam has upgraded from analog to digital by acquiring Mackie’s Digital 8-Bus console. “I’ve been experimenting a lot with the D8B’s morphing feature,” he reveals. “Especially on bass sounds. I’ve actually used it on a few underground vinyl releases, which I put out under a pseudonym. I won’t tell you what they are—that would spoil the vibe…”
Morphing allows you to smoothly change from one EQ setting to another. When you’re ready, you can trigger the console to transmogrify from one setting to the other, changing each detail bit by bit in a sweep. And you can vary the time it takes to do this from a split second to a slow, writhing morph over 8 or 16 bars. Unlike a cyclical effect, like flanging, each parameter manipulation is unique and completely dependent on the user’s imagination.
As a very hands-on, vibe-driven musician, Liam executes his morphs manually, rather than by automation—although the feature is available via automation too.
Liam also experiments with the D8B’s own impressive suite of third party plug-ins as well, which include analog modeling effects from Acuma Labs, parametric EQ from Massenburg, TC Electronic’s TCFXII reverb, and a dynamics package from Drawmer that encompasses gating, compression, limiting and expansion. “The Acuma stuff is great to play around with and experiment as you’re developing ideas.”
For nearfield monitoring, Liam has consistently stuck with the pair of Mackie HR824s that he picked up when they first appeared in 1996. In fact, they were the monitors on which Fat Of The Land was mixed—marking out a telling juxtaposition between the compactness of the speakers and the gargantuan impact of Richter-tickling single, Firestarter. “I love the Mackie nearfields,” he says. “I even had an extra pair to go with some decks I had set up, so I could get a really accurate reference to vinyl. I can go into another room and get that perspective immediately.”
The ‘90s will go down as the era in which bedroom musicians became very, very successful. They may even go down as the First Age of Mackie. But they will certainly be remembered for Prodigy, who became a big noise in the world with a little help from some friends.
Ed Greene is an industry veteran who has been mixing sound for nearly 50 years. He is also a dedicated Mackie Digital 8•Bus (D8B) user. Most of Green’s recent work has been focused on broadcast sound engineering for high-profile live events. If you have ever watched the Grammy, Oscar or Emmy awards, you’ve probably listened to Ed’s work.
Recently, Ed was asked by producer and long-time associate Don Mischer to help bring the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City to more than 3 billion viewers and listeners around the world. Greene, who will also be mixing the closing ceremonies, provided the world audio feed to all of the radio and television networks braodcasting this event globally.
At the center of Ed’s audio arsenal for the Olympics is his trusted Mackie D8B. “This kind of show is commonly mixed on consoles that sell for as much as $300,000,” explained Greene. “But Mackie’s digital console is extremely operator friendly and offers equal performance and stability for less than $11,000!”
Greene continued, “The D8B is truly a great sounding desk. I had originally set it up just to run the rehearsals, but it sounded so great and worked so well, that I decided to leave it connected for the whole ceremony. I fed the entire broadcast through the D8B and it worked flawlessly for the whole event. It’s one of my favorite desks ever!”
For the Olympics, everything from music and live vocals to dignitary speeches and audience response was sent though the D8B to a massive global audience. Also on hand was a Mackie 32•8 analog console. Green explained, “The 32•8 provided several auxiliary sources—I had a number of production mics connected to it. I also used it for metering. Like the D8B, the 32•8 worked perfectly and sounded fantastic.”
On February 24, Don Mischer and Ed Green will collaborate again to bring the closing ceremonies to an anticipated 3.5 billion people. The closing line-up will include performances by NSYNC, Bon Jovi, Christina Aguilera, Harry Conick Jr., Charlotte Church and Josh Groban among others. Green’s trusted D8B will be there too. “I plan to use the same setup for the closing ceremonies,” explained Green. “It’s wonderful! Such a pleasure using that console."
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