d8b (Digital 8-Bus)
1998 – 2005
Technical specs
| Channels | 56 (72 on mix) |
| Layout | Digital |
| Groups | 8 |
| EQ | Parametric + dynamics |
First affordable digital
32-bit Pentium CPU
Plug-in support
Mackie's first digital console — 56-input, 72-channel, fully automated digital mixer with a 32-bit Pentium-class CPU, EQ and dynamics on all 48 channels simultaneously, on-screen mouse-driven control (unusual for the era), built-in Ethernet, and third-party plug-in support. Priced far below competing digital consoles, it proved that full automation was not a luxury reserved for SSL and Neve owners.
Photos: Flickr / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · hanmaili / Pixabay (CC0)
Notable Recordings
- Late 1990s and 2000s independent productions
Studios
- Project and mid-tier studios worldwide