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Reader SurveyIntegrate Review — Mackie Designs Mackie Control Universal
Oct 1, 2003 12:00 PM, By Gary Eskow
Hardware device lends tactile control over DAWs.
In the last several months, we've examined how cost-effective it has become to build a high-powered digital audio workstation that can service the audio post needs of video production. Although Pro Tools and other hardware-based systems remain the preferred choice for audio post pros working in the upper echelon of the industry, no one questions the premise that the current generation of computers — and those that will follow in short order — have made host-based recording, mixing, and editing to picture a viable alternative, particularly for those on a budget.
First you chose the software that would serve as your main work area and learned how to record multiple tracks, edit various takes, and apply some DSP. In addition to the basic signal processors that come with all of the sequencer/recording platforms these days — including Nuendo, Logic, Sonar, and Digital Performer to name a few of the most popular — we also explored the Restoration Bundle by Waves. If you need to perform extensive surgery on damaged audio, you may have already purchased the Restoration Bundle or one of its competitors.
Next, we used the Spectrasonics line of plug-in instruments to show how the evolution of tools has reached a point where the non-musician with a good ear can begin to create rhythm beds, stings, and transitions. Now it's time to ask another question: Does your mixing style require a console with moving faders like the big boys use in the studio? If so, the Mackie Control Universal, a nine-fader control surface that interfaces with all of the major software platforms, including Pro Tools, is worth examining.
In the old days sound sources, recorders, and signal processors were all discrete and separate from one another. Tape recorders, patchbays, reverbs and other processors (and the console itself, of course) all required miles of cabling to communicate with each other. Things are so much simpler today! Of course, much-loved hardware devices — processors in particular — are still incorporated into many studios, but the miles of cabling are gone now that all recording and most processing occur within the computer.
The very nature of a mixing board, therefore, has changed drastically. This hardware no longer needs lots of physical inputs and expensive routing capability. The control surface may, in fact, have none at all. The Mackie Control Universal, for example, is simply a hardware device that gives you faders, pots, and buttons that take over the functions of your host software. How does it work?
The Mackie Control Universal communicates with your software-based DAW — I reviewed this piece using Digital Performer 3.1, via MIDI. This means that if you don't already own a MIDI patchbay, you'll have to purchase one. But don't worry, the MidiMan MidiSport, a 2×2 USB MIDI patchbay, costs only about $60.
Establishing communication with DP, which I run on a Mac G4 that has a 733MHz processor and operates under OS 9, requires setting up the Mackie Control as a MIDI device in Free Midi. This is a software application written by Mark Of The Unicorn, the company that wrote DP. Each software platform handles things a bit differently, but based on my experience with DP, getting the Mackie Control Universal up and running should take only a few minutes, on either a Mac or PC.
The Mackie Control Universal ships with Lexan overlays for each of the supported programs. These overlays can be laid loosely over the 39 buttons on the right side of the unit or permanently attached. Because each manufacturer addresses the Mackie Control Universal differently, its effectiveness depends on how well each company has written code. The basic Record, Fast Forward, Stop, Play, and Record buttons are large and easily accessible, and many of DP's more specific functions, including Slave to External Sync and Automation, worked well. But I found myself scratching my head when I tried to access some of DP's other functions. I couldn't add a Marker on the fly, for example, without having DP crash. Compounding the difficulty is the fact that the Mackie Control Universal ships with only a basic Quick-Start Guide designed to get you up and running. MOTU and other manufacturers are expected to release their own manuals, and unfortunately the only PDF relating to DP 3.1 that I could pull off of either the Mackie or MOTU site was an insufficient five-page document labeled a work in progress.
The Mackie Control Universal has one big advantage over the HUI, its grandfather — a master fader, which makes the surface feel like a real board. The Penny and Giles MIDI-controlled faders have a luxurious feel, and the 1,024 steps they provide yield a very smooth taper when riding the level of a track.
Any control surface — and most digital consoles — requires scrolling to reduce footprint and cost. Mackie has done an excellent job in this area. The left side of the surface is laid out like a traditional board. The eight individual fader strips have Record/Ready, Solo, Mute, and Select buttons directly above them, as well as a rotary pot. Upon startup this pot controls panning, but the Assignment section, which sits over the Main fader, lets you use them to control a variety of other functions. How the Mackie Control Universal works with some of DP's parameters, including the EQ package, was difficult to understand given the absence of a detailed manual. Operation with other parameters was immediately apparent.
The Fader Banks section of the surface makes changing banks of eight a breeze, and it's also possible to scroll through channels one at a time. The easy-to-read LED at the top of the unit lets you follow the tracks as you've labeled them in your host application. If you need more than eight faders, Mackie offers the Mackie Control Extender ($1,099). Cascading several Extenders lends the look and feel of a large studio.
I've been surprised over the last several years to see how many established music engineers have adapted to mixing with a mouse. However, as advantageous as it can be for music mixers to have multiple faders to grab onto, this functionality may be even more critical to the audio post engineer who has to paint a picture in sound that involves balancing dialogue, music, and effects on a moment-to-moment basis. For this reason alone, the Mackie Control Universal is worth considering. Coupled with the Automation modes — once the hallmark of widely expensive consoles but are now shipped with every software-based DAW — multiple faders yield a level of control over an audio post mix that is extremely attractive.
Although the Mackie Control Universal does give the user access to the editing parameters of the host software, this second critical area of workstation operation is still better handled within the application itself. A Pencil Tool, for example, is necessary for detailed work on a piece of audio, and there is no way to approximate it on hardware modeled after a console. A large monitor is also needed, so why not just work at your computer?
The Mackie Control Universal will live or die by its effectiveness as a mixing device. Although I have some questions about it after working with the Mackie Control Universal, these reservations are largely caused by the lack of a detailed manual. The unit's smooth feel and intelligent design make the Mackie Control Universal a logical consideration for any project studio owner who's looking to incorporate multiple faders into his or her workflow.
BOTTOM LINE
Company: Mackie Designs Woodinville, Wash.; (800) 258-6883 www.mackie.com
Product: Mackie Control Universal
Assets: 1,024-step faders offer a smooth taper and luxurious feel; well-organized layout and functional design despite small footprint.
Caveats: Insufficient documentation.
Demographic: Audio post engineers who want the tactile advantage of working with faders.
Price: $1,299
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