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The main stereo outs include AES/EBU digital, S/PDIF coaxial, XLR balanced analog or RCA unbalanced analog. There are two automation packages available with all console functions under MIDI control or a separate computer/software combination. The large, backlit LCD displays all parameters and there's a jog/shuttle MMC transport controller with ten locate points plus full support of MIDI Time Code, Sony 9-pin and TASCAM Sync. As incredible as this console looks (see the photo on page 1), it works even better and is slick beyond words. TASCAM has more than two decades of experience building world class mixers, so you can bet all that knowledge has gone into designing
Carrying a list price of $9995, the new Mackie Digital 8•Bus also sports a sleek, futuristic profile (see photo above). Mackie always said they wouldn't "go digital" until they had a product that was up to their high standards, and this new mixer looks like it has the features and sound quality studio owners have come to expect from the company. In fact, the Digital 8•Bus operating system, Ultramix II, was designed by a software engineer who also happens to be a recording engineer and studio owner. After putting in countless hours in front of his "famous name" $500,000 automated console, he knew what worked and what could be improved upon. Once Ultramix II was a reality, the rest of the Digital 8•Bus was implemented by the same design team that produced some of Britain's most famous automated digital consoles. The result is a 48-channel console with integral meter bridge (no extra charge!), a built-in hard disk for storing all your automation settings and effects libraries, eight full megabytes of onboard RAM, and 24-channels of analog tape ins and outs. A DOS-compatible 3.5" disk drive is also included, allowing you to not only back up and recall any automation settings, but instantly access new DSP algorithms and future system upgrades, too. As you would expect, Mackie hasn't skimped on the mic preamps: there are 12 of them (all ultra high quality with phantom power, of course). You also get four-band parametric EQ, a dozen balanced Aux sends, ESAM II and MMC compatible transport with push-button and jog wheel control, plus SMPTE location display and even a joystick for full LCRS, 7.1 and 5.1 surround sound applications. Automation is extensive thanks to Ultramix II with recall of every single control — not
What may be this unit's hippest feature, however, is the built-in 33.6kb modem which allows you to download software upgrades and accomplish comprehensive auto-diagnostics via any phone line. Next up is the Ramsa WR-DA7 (see photo left). You probably didn't hear many rumors about this one, but it's quite a pleasant surprise. You're probably all aware of Ramsa's sister company, Panasonic, which has long been involved with recording digital audio in the form of superb DAT machines. And then there's Ramsa's remarkable high-end WR-DX1000 24-bit Digital Theater Console which, while not available here in the States, shows that this company has some serious experience manufacturing all-digital products. So let's take a closer look at this console. First of all, it carries a list price of just $5000, making it the second least expensive console in this group. The WR-DA7 has 16 analog mic/line inputs (eight XLR, eight TRS), the first eight of which have switchable 48-volt phantom power. Three expansion card slots allow for connecting the unit to recorders with ADAT Lightpipe, TASCAM TDIF or AES/EBU digital ins and outs. There's also a second set of 16 ins accessible when individual channel flip buttons are pressed above each fader, meaning you can access any configuration of 16 inputs from a total of 32 connections rather than only an upper or lower set — a very thoughtful design feature.
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