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Note: This product is discontinued. The information contained here is for reference only.

UltraMix™:

Pro automation for major creativity - at an affordable price - for Mac® or Windows®

Computers are great for intricate, repetitive tasks. Like sequencing, word processing, spreadsheets… and now mixdown automation.
Mackie's UltraMix® Universal Automation system lets you create, record, overdub, edit, store and recall complex fader moves and mutes. Gone forever are those desperate, "one last try" six-handed mixes at 2AM.

Basically, UltraMix automation is a way to automate various mixing tasks so they can be done quickly, efficiently, and by a normal human being with the standard two hands. Think of it as a tape recorder for fader and mute moves: UltraMix records and "plays back" any fader moves, mutes, or whatever it is that you create. When you play that mix back with your actual recorded tracks, UltraMix "superimposes" its moves over your originals. At any time you can change an UltraMix mix, and at any time you can play it back: next week, next year, in the year 2525. Your original recordings remain intact -- UltraMix lets you do all those involved fade-ins and mutes without damaging your original session.
UltraMix provides MIDI machine control for popular digital multitrack recorders and plays standard MIDI files from within the UltraMix Pro™ software. Just hit PLAY on the UltraPilot™ controller and let UltraMix Automute your entire song -- it's like having 34 high-quality noise gates that eliminate noise any time there's no music on a channel.
When you're through with your mix, it's saved on disk for recall -- tomorrow, next week, or next month. You can change it, "clone" it, or add new mix channels at any time.

The basic UltraMix system automates 34 channels -- 32 input channels and master Left & Right. So it's perfect for two CR1604-VLZs, or various combinations such as a CR1604-VLZ and an MS1202-VLZ, or two MS1402-VLZs, etc. In fact, you can automate other brands of mixers or any line-level input device, including effects processors, tone modules, and keyboards. And you can expand the system by increments of 34 channels all the way up to 130. Who knows, there may be a Mackie 8•Bus console in your future.

Our UltraMix universal automation system provides everything you need -- except a computer (Mac® or PC!), MIDI interface, and audio cabling -- to get started.
UltraMix Pro™ automation software. This powerful software ties all three components together, providing a wide variety of tools that let you edit your mix in ways not possible with ordinary mixing techniques. UltraMix ships with both MacOS® and Windows® 95 UltraMix Pro software.
To install the software from this site: Download, Unzip or Unstuff the PC or MAC download, then run the installation program. That's it. Refer to the installation instructions for more information.
Ultra-34™ automation interface. A rackmountable (two spaces) black box that looks amazingly like a patchbay. Actually, it is. But it also contains the gain cells that allow you to automate up to 34 channels. Add up to three more Ultra-34s and you can automate a whopping 130 channels. (Extra Ultra-34s are optional, of course.)
UltraPilot™ control interface. It looks like a pint-sized mixer, with 16 of Mackie's smooth-traveling 100mm log-taper faders, along with all the buttons you need to operate UltraMix from afar (or at least 25 feet, the length of the proprietary cable that connects it to the Ultra-34).

Computer minimum requirements:
Macintosh® or compatible: A MacOS®-equipped computer with 68030/040, 25MHz with Color Quick Draw support or a PowerMacintosh®, System 7 or later, and at least 8MB of RAM; Windows® 95-equipped PC: 486DX/66 or better, with 16MB of RAM.

Note: This product is discontinued. The information contained here is for reference only.

UltraPilot dimensions

Ultra-34 dimensions

What You Get

Control of up to 128 channels plus stereo mains of fader/mute automation

Compatibility with new Ultra-34 or existing OTTO-1604 systems

OMS 2.x-compatibility for seamless integration into Macintosh MIDI systems (also works with MOTU's FMS 1.2.x)

Ability to play back Standard MIDI Files (type 0 and type 1) from inside the program

8 color-coded subgroups for any or all channels

Multilevel event editor

Fader curve editor for custom fade-ins and fade-outs

On-screen metering for all channels

Up to 11 locate points

Multiple window views (1x, 2x, .5x) Transport control of all functions on MMC-compatible machines

Program changes

Automute function automatically mutes unused tracks

Fader level and mute events recorded separately

Solid and "glass" faders on each channel show actual gain cell level and controller position simultaneously

Trim mode merges data between previous and current mix

Null mode ensures seamless level transitions at "punch-in" points

Printout of studio track sheets

Hone a complicated mix one track at a time with every fader move recorded.

Clone your best fader moves and use them in other places in the mix.

Automute unused sections of your tape tracks or noisy MIDI sound modules.

Via automated mute or fader cuts, make a composite mix ("comp track") from the best moments of several tracks of the same lead vocal or instrument.

Save mixes for recall and editing at any time (great for mixes with music beds or "donuts").

Make six voiceover versions of a jingle mix -- and then easily make the inevitable nitpicky client changes three days later.

Step up to big league automation without breaking the bank.

Downloads

Macintosh® Software Installation Instructions: (.PDF 274k)

UltraMix Pro™ software for MacOS® (.HQX 1.2 MB)

Windows® 95 Software Installation Instructions: (.PDF 175k)

UltraMix Pro™ software for Windows® 95 (.ZIP 1.1 MB)

UltraMix manual and other downloads.