It was inevitable, really. Thanks to their ever-advancing horsepower and convenience, computers have become central to modern audio production. Yet no affordable mixing console to date has been designed to integrate seamlessly with today's varied audio and music production techniques-analog, digital or hybrid. So after more than two years of intense research and development at Mackie and SaneWave, we proudly introduce the digital desk of the future: the Mackie Digital X Bus High-Definition Digital Production Console.

A DIGITAL DESK WITHOUT COMPROMISE.

Developed to bring you features currently unmatched by digital consoles costing tens of thousands of dollars more, the X.200 and X.400 offer an upgradeable 192kHz-capable mix engine; dual 15" touch screens; 100mm Penny + Giles optical touch faders; onboard control of a variety of DAWs, including Pro Tools, Logic, and Nuendo; VST™ plug-in support; and streaming digital audio between the Digital X Bus and your Mac or PC via FireWire. Not to mention a full rear-panel card cage so you can configure the Digital X Bus's I/O to suit your studio's exact needs, now and in the future.

OPEN ARCHITECTURE & FULLY CONFIGURABLE I/O

The Digital X Bus's "modular" hardware architecture provides access to internal components simply by removing the rear panel of the chassis. And the Digital X Bus's full rear-panel card cage allows you to configure the console's I/O exactly as you see fit, without having to pay for I/O connections you'll never use. So, as the need arises, you can opt to add more RAM, swap or add I/O cards, and basically customize the mixer to your individual tracking and mixing applications. Importantly, the Digital X Bus platform allows all sample-rate related components to be upgraded, so you wont be left behind if or when new audio standards emerge.

STREAMING FIREWIRE I/O

It's the 21st Century, so we felt it was time for a console that could work seamlessly with FireWire-equipped Macs and PCs. When equipped with the optional FireWire card, the Digital X Bus can stream digital audio between any Mac OSX Core Audio or Windows XP and ASIO compatible DAW software. FireWire has the bandwidth to allow recording/playback of audio, effect send/returns, MIDI and control surface data streaming through a single connection, and the Digital X Bus supports the use of multiple FireWire cards simultaneously. So you can load up your laptop with the latest plug ins, for example, and stream away.

VST PLUG-IN SUPPORT

Speaking of plug-ins, with the Digital X Bus's extensive processing power, it is also the first digital console able to run select VST plug-ins internally. Currently, the Digital X Bus supports popular plug-ins from both Waves and Universal-Audio (via the UAD-1 DSP card, included in the X.400 model). Better still, all plug-in windows are displayed right on the Digital X Bus's built-in screens, just as they would be on your PC.

Features:

• Professional digital production console with selectable operation up to 192kHz
• Dual 15" touch-screen graphic user interfaces plus mouse control
• Firewire I/O option for streaming audio to/from desktop or laptop computers
• Twenty-five 100mm Penny + Giles motorized optical touch-sensitive faders
• Full channel processing package including pre and post DSP inserts, parametric EQ and dynamics section
• Mackie Control Universal Layer with built-in control for Pro Tools, Logic, Nuendo, etc.
• Support for select VST plug-ins, including the use of the Universal-Audio UAD-1 Card
• Full surround mixing and monitoring capabilities
• Floating insert points for accessing external processing equipment from any channel, aux, or bus
• Tape-style transport with memory location recall and weighted Jog/Shuttle wheel
• Comprehensive automation system with event editing and dynamic/scene automation
• LTC (SMPTE), MTC, MMC, and Word Clock sync
• Various metering options, including VU meter, full size meter bridge, and scalable metering ranges
• Full Control Room section including dual Phones, Talkback, Surround Level control and calibration to reference level
• Multiple USB 2.0 ports for connecting CD ROM drives, Flash drives, keyboard/mouse, or other add-ons
• Internal white & pink noise and variable tone generator with spectrum analyzer display

Click here for more information