Free Digital 8*Bus Update Adds Over 30 Features
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V3.0 Screenshot
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October 3, 1999
Mackie Designs announced a major upgrade to their digital
console, the Mackie D8B. Dubbed "Version Three" (V.3.0), the new operating
system software features third party plug-in support, and includes third-party
plug-ins, many new surround sound mixing features, innovative networking capabilities,
and several new user-requested features.
In addition to supporting the Mackie effects (or MFX) card that ships with
every D8B, V.3.0 adds support for the new Mackie UFX digital signal processing
card based on the more powerful Motorola 56303 DSP chip. At the heart of D8B's
open architecture, the UFX, combined with V.3.0 software, allows insertion of
plug-in effects into common console signal paths, including mastering-type effects
for the L/R out and surround channels. With each UFX card capable of running up
to four independent software plug-ins at once, the D8B's four processing slots
allow up to 16 third party plug-in effects to be utilized simultaneously.
Underscoring V.3's distinction as a major upgrade is an impressive list of
plug-ins from leading effects companies including TC Electronic, Massenburg DesignWorks,
Drawmer, and Antares.
At the Mackie AES booth (972), TC Electronic unveils three D8B effects packages:
the TC2000 and TC FX effects bundles and a TC Reverb
package that comes free with each UFX card. Massenburg DesignWorks shows off a
new high-resolution, double sample rate mastering
EQ available for the D8B, Sonic Solutions editing system, and Sony Oxford(tm).
Drawmer introduces the first of two dynamics
packages for the D8B. Anatares, in a historic first, demonstrates its popular
Auto Tune(tm)real time pitch correction software
operating in a digital recording console.
Mackie's head of software development, Bob Tudor, stated "Our customers
are excited about being able to run such fine third party effects in the D8B.
We're very proud to be the first console manufacturer to offer customers effects
from the top talents in our industry... without forcing them to buy bigger patchbays."
Pointing out the difference between mixing with a mouse, Greg Mackie added,
"And it's great to be able to grab a knob to tweak effect settings and hear
the result immediately while viewing the changes on a big screen." That 'analog
console-like experience,' Mackie believes, makes a huge difference to veteran
mixers in particular.
New surround capabilities in V.3 include depth-of-center control (LCR mixing
with divergence), and LFE level control. Also included is the addition of the
new Dolby(r) 6.1 EX surround format, updated GUI, metering and panning functions
and improved LCRS and 7.1 mixing capabilities.
Further setting the D8B apart from digital consoles of any price is Mackie's
proprietary "MixLink"- new networking technology. In addition to allowing
cascading and remote console mirroring, it empowers laptops and other computers
to control any or all portions of a D8B remotely via standard Ethernet cabling
or wireless Ethernet.
V.3 also includes a large helping of additional features requested by the
fast-growing base of D8B users. Most notable of these are:
1) New key (sidechain) inputs for all 48 onboard dynamic processors featuring
20-20k parametric EQ for frequency dependent processing such as de-essing; 2)
"Faders-feed-tape" output-to-tape level control providing an alternative
to pot twisting; and 3) Time Offset (delay) per channel for managing delay and
phasing when utilizing external processors.
New "user-requested" features include the ability to reassign channels
to alternate D8B fader decks (Thanks, Mick Guzauski!), Multiple Undo List, Bus
Solo, support for Dolby EX, assignable MIDI Send commands on transport buttons
(REW, FF, STOP, PLAY, REC), Auto Punch mode, a 48-channel fader bank view screen,
and multiple direct outs per channel. Another unique features is a multiple surround
panner window including low frequency effects channel level control (how much
of a channel gets assigned into the effects sub).
V.3 of the Mackie Real Time OS Software will be available directly from Mackie
Designs in the fourth quarter of 1999 for free. It will also be bundled at no
extra charge with the UFX card. Third party Plug-Ins are also slated to ship in
the same quarter.
For more information, visit Mackie's web site at www.mackie.com. | 
