Mackie Onyx 1220 (+fw card) Q's

[tonymead]

Hi there.

I am thinking about buying a Mackie Onyx 1220 (+ firewire card) and have a few questions if anyone can oblige. I currently use Sonar but may swap to Tracktion as it's included with the FW card.

I Currently have a Presonus Firebox.

So..

1. Do the A/D D/A converters and Preamps match up to the Firebox.
2. Does the mixer support automation and will it remember settings (vol, eq, pan etc..) when re-loading a project.
3. Midi - didn't see an option for this, did I miss it and if not what would be my midi options (simple requirements, just a keyboard triggering VST's + samples).

and finally any general thoughts on the sound quality/eq etc.

Thanks a lot

Tony Mead

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Premptive warning: I have not actually used an Onyx in any live-fire exercises, but I have read up on just about anything printed I could find on them and played with one a bit in a showroom situation. I have had experience with the PreSonus FirePod in real-world experiences. So take the following as a fairly-educated, but not fully-authorative response..not to mention one with some subjective opinions that others may rightly disagree with:

1.) I believe the converters in both directions on the Onyx will at the very least meet the quality of the Presonus Firepod, and in reality will surpass the Presonus for many applications, especially in the A/D direction.

2.) The mixer is really just an analog mixer and not a DAW controller. The FW interface just provides converters and digital pathways for sending the multitrack signals to your PC and for sending a stereo monitor mix back from your PC to the mixer. The mixer does not include programmable automation for it's faders, nor can the DAW software control it in any way. All "automation" is done via mixing in your DAW software just as you do now.

3.) Again, the Onyx mixers are really just analog mixers. To my knowledge they have no MIDI or other digital signal routing capability beyond what was described above.

4.) I think the Onyx mixers are the best prosumer mixing products Mackie has released yet. The Onyx preamps are their best yet; they are no Avalons or Apogees, but they are a step above most mid-level prosumer preamps and, I think, probably contenders for the first or second best mixer-supplied pres in the class/price range.

The new EQs on the Onyx mixers are not bad, either. Again, nothing to declare a national holiday over, but much closer to an "Allen & Heath" feel than most.

My biggest problems with the Onyx are, first, the high price they charge for the FW option (granted, that includes the A/D/D/A circuitry, but still, there's a whole lot of fat in that price).

Second, the fact that it's a "halfway" or "hybrid" step. With the FW option it's more than just an analog mixer, but its still not an actual digital controller and it still doesn't provide the same bandwidth back out of the PC that it does into the PC. I'd personally prefer to go all the way and get one of the new generation of digital mixer/DAW controllers like the Tascam 3200 or something like that.

But for now those digital mixer/daw controller combos also cost a few bucks more. For those on more of a budget than that, who can't wait for the DM/DAW explosion next year, or who simply want to mix in the analog domain, the Onyx is a very nice way to go.

G.

 

[tonymead]

Thanks for the info Glen, really well presented. I suppose I was looking for the Onyx to be equally as much a controller as well as an analogue mixer which is a shame as the rest of the features sound more than good enough for my needs.

Thanks again

Tony.