Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)After an existing audio interface went bad, I ordered the Mackie Onyx 820i as a replacement (not from Amazon), setting out to love the thing. I did at first, but after noticing some limitations, I am exchanging it for a different setup. My biggest gripe is the low output to the DAW. At detent, the highest level captured in a waveform was -22dB. At full gain (firewire send is pre-fader, so gain is only option for adjusting level unless you route everything - and I do mean everything - through a preamp) I was capturing -16dB, regardless of instrument (this introduced a lot of noise when recording guitar). A follow up call to the vendor from which I purchased it revealed that other customers had noted the same characteristic. Some would argue that this is just fine when recording in 24-bit, but I'd prefer to make that adjustment on my own rather than having hardware make the decision for me. Gripe #2 - no control panel. The only setting you can adjust outside of the DAW software is buffer size.
Maybe this thing needs someone smarter than me at the wheel, but all the same, I'm going with a different interface.
Click Here to see more reviews about:
Mackie Onyx 820i FireWire Recording MixerThe feature-packed and performance-optimizing Onyx 820i is the most compact and desk-friendly version of the Onyx-i Series. With eight channels, three Onyx mic preamps, two aux sends, talkback, flexible control room routing and a variety of Perkins EQ configurations, there is plenty of analog goodness to go around. Plus, FireWire I/O lets you route all channels, auxes and the master L/R to nearly any DAW for recording and return a stereo signal to the control room or into a channel for mix integration. The 820i packs a big punch in a very small package.
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.
The flexibility offered by the 820i allows you to work faster and more intuitively than ever before. Imagine a world where your recording sessions run smoothly, every single time. Dream of a live sound mix that is both archived for history and simultaneously recorded multi-track for later mixing. No need to dream, the 820i is here.
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 820i has a plethora of analog features that are sure to please. First off, there are three 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. Two mono mic/line channels feature 3-band Perkins EQ with a sweepable mid, the stereo line channels have 3-band EQ and (talk about flexibility) a unique hybrid channel features 4-band Perkins 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 820i 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 820i 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 820i FireWire Recording Mixer
