|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you haven’t noticed, there is a new trend in mixing. Mixers, much like computers, have become smaller, more powerful, and much less expensive. While you can still visit your local pro audio dealer and purchase a shiny new mixer for many hundreds of thousands of dollars, now you can go to that same pro audio dealer or sophisticated music store, and purchase a mixer with many, if not more, of the same features you’ve come to expect, and incredible sound, all at a cost of under $10,000. In my career, I’ve had the fortune of being involved with two ends of the spectrum. At Ocean Way Nashville, I used and very much enjoyed the Sony OXF-R3 "Oxford" digital console. The Oxford is a console that has been a true pleasure to work on for most of the engineers that have become acquainted with it. The sound of the console is amazing. It can be set up with almost as many inputs and outputs that you could think of using, and the automation is a true dream to work on.
If someone had the desire to learn a digital console, the patience to deal with software bugs (which you’ll find in any digital console), and around a million dollars that was just burning a hole in their pocket… I would recommend the Oxford as the console of choice. However; for the rest of us … Recently, I have had the pleasure of getting to know the Mackie Digital 8 Bus (D8B) console. While the D8B does not have the imposing, and sometimes intimidating, look of the Oxford, it does have many of the same features, plus some extra ones, all for a fully loaded price under $14,000 (about $986,000 less than the Oxford). Both consoles have all the automation features you could ever desire, both have plug-ins (GML in the Sony; GML, Antares, IVL, and more, in the Mackie), both have digital routing, and both have an extensive user management system that standard analog consoles can only dream of. The D8B even has a mix editor, which goes above and beyond the automation on the Oxford. Both consoles have two different and automatable parameters for EQ, but the D8B goes a step farther by also adding multiple parameters for compression and gating. Also, both consoles have a monitor display of all their major settings and functions. However, while the Oxford only allows viewing of one function at a time, the D8B has a comprehensive interface allowing the operator a view of all session parameters without having to move through numerous windows. Here’s a quick comparison of the major features available on the two consoles:
*with an additional console
Now, while this comparison is not fully comprehensive, I feel it gives a good representation of what is important to today’s audio professional. Obviously it is difficult to compare one of the most important features of a console, its sound, but as many professionals are discovering, the D8B holds its own with almost anything on the market. I am by no means offering that in a head-to-head contest the Mackie D8B can run circles around a Sony Oxford. In fact, the Oxford is an absolutely superlative console. The difference is that the D8B is a tool that can prove to be priceless for most professionals. All studios have unique needs, but if you’re looking for a digital console with amazing versatility, and you’re on a tighter budget than a "super-studio", the Mackie Digital 8 Bus could surprise you — just think what you could buy with that extra $990,000! Matt Thornton |
|
|
|
