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Produttore : Mackie
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File Nome : 11-05_Onyx1640_ProAudioReview.pdf
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That said, the industry has changed since its introduction (and later revisions) and Mackie has seen the need to update this venerable design. Enter the new Mackie Onyx series, with a new microphone preamplifier and equalizer design and a FireWire recording interface option. Does Mackie’s new mixer live up to its esteemed predecessor? Features The Mackie Onyx 1640 mixer ($1,649) has 16 mono channels with new Onyx microphone preamps, four busses, six aux sends, four-band equalization, as well as stereo and mono master outputs. An optional FireWire card can be installed into the mixer, which allows the direct streaming of 16 inputs and two outputs of 24-bit/96 kHz audio. Like many competitive products (but departing from Mackie’s traditional USA-made products) the Onyx mixer is made in China. Each of the input channels features switch-able 48V phantom power, a low-cut filter (75Hz/18 dB per octave), input sensitivity (0 -60 dB range), EQ in/out selector, with shelving low-frequency EQ (80 Hz), sweepable low-mid EQ (100 Hz - 2 kHz), sweepable high-mid EQ (400 Hz - 8 kHz), and shelving high-frequency EQ (12 kHz). The auxiliary section features six aux sends which are all switchable between pre and post in the master section. Muting, panning controls, channel Fast Facts ■ Applications: Studio, live sound, sound reinforcement i Key Features: 16-channel; 4-buss mixer; 4-band EQ; two Dl inputs; optional FireWire interface card; balanced direct outputs for each channel ■ Price: $1,649 ■ Contact: Mackie at 425-487-4333, assignment, solo button, 60mm fader, and a three-led meter round out the channel strips. Additionally the first two input channels include a switchable DI input for instrument level instruments. The master section features six aux masters, four buss master faders, main stereo fader, control room source monitoring, headphone jack, metering, talkback functionality and microphone, and metering. An associated switch and LED are included for the optional FireWire card. The back panel includes microphone inputs and main outputs on XLRs, line, insert, and aux inputs, sub outputs, on 1/4-inch TRS connectors. Additionally, two DB-25 connectors offer balanced direct output of each input channel. The optional FireWire card ($519) slides into a back panel slot, and provides 1394 connectors. Incidentally, the FireWire card outputs the 16 output channels both prefader and pre-EQ, which is good for direct recording, but could be a serious limitation for other users. The FireWire card ships with a CD that includes Macintosh and Windows drivers, as well as Mackie’s Tracktion recording software. In Use I gave the 1640 a workout in my studio in both analog and digital modalities, using it to track projects as a front end in Nuendo 3.0 and the included Tracktion software, as well as mixing 16 tracks of previously recorded 2-inch analog material. Mackie traditionally has introduced each of their new preamplifier designs with great fanfare, heralding them as the sonic equivalents of multi-thousand dollar standalone preamps. While the new Onyx preamps sound good for a mid-priced analog console, they are quite honestly not the sonic equals of boutique standalone preamps as they still retain an electronic edge like many other “built to a price” devices. On the other hand, they do sound a bit better than the previous generation Mackie XDR preamps. The equalization section does offer a significant upgrade compared to previous Mackie designs, as it is much cleaner and less “hard” sounding (perhaps less phase shift) than the previous 1604 equalizers: in addition, they are more flexible with the addition of another sweepable band of EQ compared to the 1604. The overall sound of the console seems closer to sonic neutrality than its predecessor. The construction and parts quality of the Onyx 1640 were a different issue, however. Upon removing the mixer from the box a rattling sound (which ended up being a pair of small nuts floating around inside the mixer) was immediately apparent. The overall quality of finish of the metalwork also seemed sub-par for a Mackie product, instead much more rem-continued on page 52 > 48 Pro Audio Review - November 2005 Mackie Onyx 1640 Analog Mixing Console The Mackie Onyx 1640 is a versatile 16 channel/4-bus analog small-format mixer at the top of the Onyx line. An accessory FireWire card allows for connecting the mixer up to various Mac and Windows programs for computer control and mixing in software. In setting the channel gains with the gain trim pots, it was difficult to get repeatable consistent gain at the maximum setting. Further, the gains were a bit difficult to set to some desired value for the knob positions of half rotation to maximum rotation. Frequency response of a typical channel feeding the mic input at minimum and maximum gain is shown plotted in Fig. 1. The measurement was taken at the main outputs. Distortion of the Onyx 1640 was generall...