Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I was recently looking into ways of kicking my podcasting setup up a notch, and settled on the Mackie Onyx 1220i FireWire mixer. I'm extremely pleased with this decision.
Obviously you don't need something this fancy if you're just getting started. And indeed I've been producing my show, Otaku no Podcast, for almost 4 years using just a standard USB microphone. But I was beginning to outgrow that setup. Adding a co-host was one factor that pushed me to upgrade. Having each host on their own mic just sounds much better than having everybody crowd around one mic "jazz singer" style. But what really made me upgrade is dealing with group Skype calls. I have been using computer-based Skype call recording software until now, which worked well enough when I only had one other person on the line with me. But things quickly degenerated when I had more than one additional Skype caller. The way Skype call recording software works is that it puts you on one channel, and all other Skype callers on a second channel. Which is fine if you only have one other caller on with you. But if you have two or three (or more) people on a Skype conference call, then they all get mashed into one channel. Which means that, if one person coughs or sneezes while someone else is talking, or somebody's Skype connection goes haywire, or an ambulance/police car screams by in the background of someone's audio, you're in a world of hurt. There's just no way to edit around that.
What I really needed was a way to put each individual Skype caller on their own channel. Which meant that I needed a multi-channel mixer. The Mackie 1220i's four XLR mic inputs means that I can have up to four "live" cohosts, each on his or her own mic. But its two AUX buses means that, using a "mix minus" type setup, I can have two Skype callers each on their own channel. Mix minus means that the Skype callers can hear everybody else, both myself and my "live" cohosts as well as other Skype callers, but they don't hear an echo of themselves (which gets really weird and annoying). And all of these channels get sucked into my Mac where I can individually tweak or fiddle around with them to my heart's content. Finally I have a Zoom H4n solid state recorder plugged into the mixer's "main mix out," which serves as a backup recording in case the computer recording fails for some reason (it's been known to happen). This has turned out to be a very flexible setup, and the Mackie has performed like a champ. It's well built and rock solid.
Unfortunately, the way "mix minus" works is that you need one AUX channel for each Skype caller. So with this setup I can have up to two Skype callers. If I wanted more, I'd need to move up to a bigger board with more AUX buses such as the Mackie Onyx 1620i, which has four of them. Maybe next year.
Click Here to see more reviews about:
Mackie Onyx 1220i FireWire Recording MixerThe 12-channel Onyx 1220i delivers stunning performance in a size that is decidedly desk-friendly. Premium analog features like boutique-quality Onyx mic pres, smooth 60 mm channel faders and the proven tone-sculpting capability of Perkins EQ allows for performance that is unmatched in this category. The 16x2 built-in FireWire interface will simultaneously deliver all 12 channels, all auxes and the master L/R signal straight to your favorite DAW with zero routing. How easy is that? You can even return a couple of channels from the DAW right back into a channel strip for mix integration. It's easy, it's professional--it's the Onyx 1220i.
DAW-Friendly Doesn't Even Begin to Cover It Mackie-designed gear is more often than not the result of customer interaction and suggestion. After all, we are making gear for you. For years, our customers have been asking for the freedom to work with any DAW they choose. So when we designed the Onyx-i series, we took this suggestion to heart. We are very proud that Onyx-i mixers are more DAW-friendly than any other interface ever. Onyx-i mixers are qualified by Mackie for use with all major DAWs, including Pro Tools M-Powered 8* Logic, SONAR, Cubase, and more. Now, dedicated Mackie customers can enjoy using their Mackie mixer with the world's most popular DAW. And Pro Tools M-Powered 8 users now have a variety of new--and different--tools to use with their favorite DAW. It's a win-win situation.
*Pro Tools M-Powered 8 users will need to purchase the Mackie Universal driver upgrade available at Mackie.com.
Deep FireWire Integration The Onyx-i Series features deeper FireWire integration than any other mixer out there and offers immensely powerful routing capabilities:
Wet or Dry?--Every channel on the mixer can be routed pre or post EQ to the computer, allowing you to choose whether to implement "EQ to tape" or not.
Studio Quality Effects--All aux sends are routable to the computer, allowing you to utilize your computer as a powerful FX engine by implementing your favorite plug-ins in a live scenario.
Preserve Your Mix--Master L/R is routable to the computer for recording your analog mix. Burn and sell CDs of the mix at the end of the gig!
Mix Integration--Stereo return from the computer can be routed to either the control room for instant monitoring or to a stereo channel for mix integration.
Latency-Free Overdubs--Having a "real" mixer has its benefits. Latency-free overdubs are simple since you are using an analog mixer. No more wasted time dealing with the complicated "DSP" mixers commonly used on standalone interfaces.
TThe 1220i delivers seamless, routing-free FireWire connection to your favorite DAW. All channels, auxes and (of course) the master L/R are simultaneously available to your DAW--with zero routing. The Onyx-i FireWire connection has amazing bandwidth, and the 1220i takes full advantage.
Premium Analog Mixer When it comes to the high pressure environment of a recording session or live performance, you simply cannot beat the stability and reliability of an analog mixer. With features honed over 20 years of design by some of the legends in the industry, the Onyx-i Series mixers are simply the best sounding full-featured analog mixing boards available to the modern sound engineer.
The 1220i has a plethora of analog features that are sure to please. First off, there are four Onyx mic preamps which have been proven as some of the best boutique quality preamps available today. That is, without having to re-mortgage your house in order to pay for all the inputs you need. Then there's the Perkins EQ, which offers highly musical Q filter without sacrificing the precise control that Mackie EQs are known for. Four mono mic/line channels feature 3-band Perkins EQ with a sweepable mid and the additional stereo line channels have 3-band EQ. So, regardless of the type of signal you need to input, there is sure to be a channel with the right EQ for the application. Other analog tools include two aux sends with pre/post fader assignment, allowing for monitor mixes, effects loops or additional headphone mixes. There are built-in DIs on the first two channels for direct connection of guitars or bass and a dedicated talkback section with a built-in mic that lets you easily communicate with band members while on stage or recording. With all these proven, great-sounding analog features, it is easier than ever to create a memorable mix.
Smacks of Quality The Onyx 1220i offers a tremendous collection of professional analog features and extremely deep DAW integration, but it is so much more than that. The sleek, modern design might even tempt you build a museum quality display for your engineer friends to admire. Plus, since it's a Mackie, you can be sure that it is "built like a tank" and will survive years of abuse.
Any audio company can cram a bunch of inferior components into a chassis and, believe us, a lot of them do. This is never the case with a Mackie mixer. Everything about the Onyx-i Series smacks of quality, because only the most quality, high-end components are used throughout the entire signal path. At the front end, you have the pristine signal boost offered by the Onyx mic preamps, which will likely get routed through the legendary Perkins EQ. The signal then passes through a series of sealed rotary knobs, which keep dust and grime out of the potentiometer. Then your mix hits the summing bus, which has been custom-designed to offer the highest possible headroom while preserving the sonic quality offered by the aforementioned components. Maybe you assigned the signal to stream across the FireWire outputs. If so, they had the pleasure of passing through the high-quality Cirrus analog-to-digital converter on their way to your computer. Or maybe you were overdubbing and streamed your backing tracks from your DAW and integrated them into the mix. In that case, you can thank the ridiculously high-end AKM digital-to-analog converter for the immaculate quality of the playback. These converters are extremely high-quality and easily rival the most esoteric (and expensive) interfaces out there today. From start to finish, no matter how you use it, the 1220i offers the quality demanded by industry professionals.
Software Requirements:For PC
Microsoft Windows 7 32 / 64, Vista 32 / 64 RTM, or XP SP 2
Pentium 4, Celeron, or Athlon XP processor
512 MB RAM
For Mac
Mac OS X 10.4.11 – 10.6.2
G4 processor
512 MB RAM
Get 20% OFF
Click here for more information about Mackie Onyx 1220i FireWire Recording Mixer
