Home | Electric Guitar | Acoustic Guitar | Bass | Effects | Keys & Synth | Drums & Perc | Software | Computer | Recording/Live Sound | MIDI
|
127th AES Convention Coverage (New York, NY Oct. 9-12)
PRESS RELEASE
AES: Mackie Unveils dXb Production Console
October 16, 2003
Advertisement
Mackie took the wraps off of its next generation digital production console at the AES Convention in New York City. The Mackie dXb is a 96k/192k capable, 72 x 72 I/O matrix (36 x 36 at 192k) digital production console with dual integrated touch screens, internal DSP, powerful automation, control surface functionality as well as FireWire I/O option cards for streaming audio to/from a desktop or laptop computer. Development of the dXb was a collaborative effort between Mackie and Sanewave Inc., a Washington-based engineering and design company specializing in digital audio technology. Physically, the dXb includes 24 channel strips with 100mm Penny + Giles optical touch sensitive faders and two integrated 15-inch touch screens–one for each bank of 12 faders. These screens are the mixer's primary interface offering access to important functions like send levels, inserts, routing, dynamics processing, surround panning, metering, effects and much more. Also included is a tape-style transport with memory location recall and weighted Jog/Shuttle wheel as well as a padded armrest with built-in mouse pad and a control room section that allows for A/B monitoring, dual phones mixes and talkback. The dXb software has been designed for the precise response and intuitive operation more commonly associated with analog buttons rather than virtual ones. Both touchscreens and the mouse can be used simultaneously and operate independently–allowing users to select the best interface for the task at hand. Users can also run select VST plug-ins internally without the need for a separate computer and/or operate plug-ins in a desktop or laptop computer system and interface with the dXb via FireWire. The rear panel of the dXb features a card cage that can be customized with a variety of I/O cards including analog (mic or line level with remote controlled mic preamps), AES/EBU, FirewireFireWire (IEEE-1394a), TDIF and ADAT optical. Both a Sync Card (supporting Word-Clock and LTC) and Control Room Card (Nearfield and Main speaker outputs, phones, and stereo AES/EBU and SPDIF) are included. Fixed rear panel I/O includes Sony 9-pin, MIDI In/Out (MTC/MMC), FirewireFireWire (for external data storage), Ethernet and two USB host ports for connecting a mouse and/or keyboard if desired. The Mackie dXb will be available from select Mackie dealers in the second quarter of 2004 with a suggested retail price beginning under $20k depending on configuration. Key dXb features include:
Recent Mackie headlines
Similar Products at Musician's Friend
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
