Description
Technical
Specifications
Inputs / Outputs
| Total inputs | 56 |
|---|---|
| Inputs / outputs | 56 inputs, 72 channels, 8 buses · Built-in Ethernet; optional AIO cards (analogue, ADAT, AES/EBU, S/PDIF, TDIF) + effects cards |
Processing
| Mix buses | 8 |
|---|---|
| DSP engine | Remote Pentium 166 MHz CPU (Mackie Real Time OS), 32-bit fixed-point DSP |
| Max sample rate | 48 kHz |
| Bit depth | 24 bits |
| Processing resolution | 32 bits |
| Channels | 56 inputs, 72 channels, 8 buses |
| Channel processing | EQ + dynamics simultaneously on all 48 channels · Parametric EQ + gate + compression on all 48 channels simultaneously |
| Conversion | 24-bit converters, 128× oversampling, Apogee UV22 dithering (optional Apogee cards) · 24-bit converters, 128× oversampling, 115 dB S/N (EIAJ) |
| DSP engine — details | Remote brain with 166 MHz Pentium CPU, Mackie real-time OS, SVGA output for external monitor · 32-bit DSP, >190 dB internal dynamic range |
| Effects and plug-ins | Built-in digital effects: reverb, delay, chorus |
| Modularity and expansion | Third-party plug-in support; regular software updates |
Surface
| Physical faders | 24 |
|---|---|
| Motorized faders | Yes |
| Touchscreen | No |
| Faders | 24 motorised 100 mm faders, full automation |
| Control surface | 100 mm motorised faders, transport jog wheel, mouse editing on external VGA monitor |
Recording
| Onboard recording | No |
|---|---|
| Recording | Built-in floppy drive and hard disk for session storage |
Networking
| Networking & protocols | ADAT / AES/EBU |
|---|---|
| Redundant PSU | No |
| Redundant networking | No |
Strip & details
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Rotate your phone to landscape for a better view of the strip.
Rotate your phone to landscape for a better view of the strip.
Rotate your phone to landscape for a better view of the strip.
Rotate your phone to landscape for a better view of the strip.
Rotate your phone to landscape for a better view of the strip.
Rotate your phone to landscape for a better view of the strip.
Software
Mackie Real Time OSProprietary real-time operating system driving the d8b's surface and mixing.- UAD Powered Plug-InsUniversal Audio's dedicated-DSP plug-in suite, first hosted on the d8b.
Other screenshots
Editorial & artists
Our take
History & design
The Mackie d8b (Digital 8•Bus) is Mackie's first digital console, produced from 1998 to 2005. It was the first to break the price/performance barrier of digital mixing, offering a complete, musical surface at a revolutionary price for its time.
Its architecture rests on a remote brain: a computer with a 166 MHz Pentium processor running a proprietary real-time operating system (Mackie Real Time OS), with an SVGA video output for an external monitor, a floppy drive and a hard disk. The surface handles 56 inputs and 72 channels across 8 buses, with parametric EQ, gate and compression available simultaneously on all 48 channels, plus built-in digital effects (reverb, delay, chorus).
The 24-bit conversion (128× oversampling, Apogee UV22 dithering) could be upgraded with optional Apogee converter cards and ADAT expansion cards. The d8b also served as the first host platform for Universal Audio's Powered Plug-Ins (the UAD engine), which made their debut on it.
Known as intuitive and 'analogue in spirit', the d8b remains a sought-after console, maintained by an active community long after production ended.
- Greg Mackie — Founder of Mackie
Links
Related consoles
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