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From the Music PlayersNetwork forum...

Renaissance Man, says:

Love it more and Hate it more

"Mackie d8b console - More I use it, more I hate it. Everything else is fine, but I'm so frustrated with the automation. How am I supposed to ride the faders if they are so dull. I end up fighting with the faders throughout the mix session."




[This message has been edited by Leslie (edited 07-19-2001).]

Speaking of Mackie, i've been luring around there message board on the 2496 HDR. I've been trying to get the inside skinny on how it's holding up. A few have commented on the "sound" being flat and dull-muddy. Even the tech rep said you have to get used to the sound of it. Anyone here useing one and or heard anything done on it?

Actually the HDR2496 sounds great! I've used it with a DA7, D8B, and a DMXR100. now if you use it with analog consoles and cheap cabling, yes... it can sound not so desierable. I've not yet used it on our Euphonix CS2000 but I know it will sound fine on that too.

Brad Lyons
Sweetwater

But wait there's more...
Straight off of Mackie's own forum:

"Guys,
No posts .... no news on where the d8b is going ..... people still frustrated with major issues. Where have you heard that before?

1) Fader latency when switching fader banks.
2) VGA refresh rate at 60 Hz.

Come on Mackie what the hell is going on."



[This message has been edited by EWF (edited 07-20-2001).]

This is what I was trying to say in the Ideal marriage thread. DA7 + Radar = cool!

Adrian.

[This message has been edited by Adrian B (edited 07-20-2001).]

Brad said:
..."now if you use it with analog consoles and cheap cabling, yes... it can sound not so desierable."

Brad, if the recorder's reproduction is faithful to the source material, then it should sound fine with any console, subject to the actual console performance. As for cables, you'd have to work pretty hard to destroy the sound of a recorder with poor cables. After all, we're not talking 500-foot cable runs with tons of capacitance and loss.

If you use a crappy-sounding console, then, yes, everything you put through it will sound like crap.

So, if you meant to blame the console, then please be precise and blame the console, not the cables.

"I've not yet used it on our Euphonix CS2000 but I know it will sound fine on that too."

When you hear it, then you will know. Until that time, you're just guessing. I can guess just as well from 2000 miles west. Let us know if the sound is different on the Euphonix compared to the digital boards.

If your feeling is that "everything sounds better through the Euphonix," then it's because you like the characteristic sound that console imparts to everything. That doesn't really address the concerns about the recorder's sound. In order to be usable to a wide range of studios, it has to sound good through many consoles, not just a Euphonix CS2000.

Based on Jeremy's quote of people saying it sounds dull, perhaps the recorder has less-than-stellar D/A converters, so it doesn't sound as good with analog outputs as with digital outputs. Of course, those comments about the sound don't say what console they're using.

The tech rep said "You have to get used to the sound?" Assuming this is true, then it implies that Mackie is admitting that the recorder adds coloration to the sound. This would be unfortunate: like a colored preamp, if the color isn't what you need, you avoid it. This is easily done with a rack of different preamps from which to choose. But if the recorder colors the sound, what do you do?

I admit that, never having heard the unit, all of this is based on conclusions drawn from the messages posted here.

[This message has been edited by rick (edited 07-20-2001).]

Euphonix cs2000 is an analog console

hey andrew u said that the radar is now the price of the big mackies. is that with the converters and all that or just the radar? and r u talking about iz technologies or otari?
thanx,
jal
ps. if that does include the converters send me a link to where i can order one

Yes, I know the Euphonix is an analog console. Specifically, a digitally-controlled analog console.

And your point would be?

Brad said he thought the recorder would sound fine with the CS2000. Thought doesn't mean he listened to it.

Ok, let me apologize to Justin in advance...

I find it very difficult to trust a statement like:
"Actually the HDR2496 sounds great!"
when the statement is followed by a signature and the name of a retailer that sells (and spotlights) the very item in question. This bothers me.

Brad- if you are trying to be protective of Mackie’s sales, then don’t bother replying. If you *really* feel that the Mackie sounds great, then either be more subtle, more detailed, or take the “Sweetwater” out of your signature.

-Patrick

So the vibe is that the Mackie d8b and recorder is still needing some TLC???? Just woundering.

I'll take my DA7 & MX2424 any day over what I've heard from the Mackie combo.

The IZ deck is cool, though not as portable and more doe.

I was avoiding mentioning Brad's association with a retailer.

Brad was one of the early participants in this message-board, and at that time he was working at Caruso Music. His posts were often not objective, and he drew some flak from us and, if I recall correctly, his employer.

He's more subtle now than he was, but he's still got to tone it down some more.

Remember, Brad, just saying something "Sounds Killer" doesn't say much about how it actually sounds. Such statements merely make people think you're just a sales-weasel. You have good knowledge to share as a user of recording equipment---share this knowledge as a private party, and leave the salesman at the office.

Leslie,
I know this is off topic, but are you from the Oakland area?

Thanks

Jeff E

Guess what, I was kicked off Mackie's message board. I guess I was asking to many questions. I was polite, thanked them for there replies and didn't come off offensive in any way. If you want to see what I wrote check out Mackie.com, go there 2496 message board and read the post about (Is anyone really happy with the 2496?).

Wow, Mackie really has changed. Before the D8B, they were a happy go lucky lot. There tech support was great. I guess the stuff that happened with the D8B really wore them down.

I read the thread. It seemed like a pretty civil discussion. I think they made a big mistake, kicking you, a potential buyer off the board.