Mackie Onyx 800R

The Mackie Onyx-800R is a set of eight microphone preamplifiers. It comes in a single space rack mountable casing and also features digital outputs. Each of the eight preamps has it's own XLR input, with the last two having 1/4" inputs in the front for plugging directly in. In addition to digital outs and ins, it also has optical outs. It can support up to a 192 kHz sampling rate or has support for external word clock syncing.

UTILIZATION

It's not hard at all to use the Mackie Onyx-800R once it's all set up, which also shouldn't be very difficult. Each of the eight preamps has it's own phantom power, high pass filter, and phase reverse buttons. You can also set each to four different levels of impedance and choose between mic/line for the two preamps where that applies. Lastly, of course each features it's own gain knob as well. The manual should have everything you need to know about the Onyx-800R if you have questions...

SOUND QUALITY

The sound quality of the Mackie Onyx-800R is a lot better than I was expecting it to be. A lot of these eight in one preamps come off sounding a bit digital and not full enough for my taste, but this one actually sounds quite good. I don't own it but have used it as extra preamps at a producer's home studio where I sometimes work. They're not the first preamps we use, but if we need extra for larger sessions we'll use this. It's not going to sound as good as something from API or higher end preamps, but it's deifnitely good enough to use in smaller home studios or larger ones as extra preamps to have around.

OVERALL OPINION

For the price I don't think you're going to find too many eight channel preamps like the Mackie Onyx-800R. It's not the cheapest way to get this amount of preamps, but considering the quality, sampling rate options, and digital connections available, it definitely offers up a plethora of options. I wouldn't get this as your primary set of preamps if you're semi-professional or professional, but for it's great as an extra set or a primary set for those who just have a demo/project studio...

Prampli converter 8 channels. See description of Previous notice.

UTILIZATION

Trs good configuration with all possible connections, except FireWire or Madi.
Small BMOL to gain pramp not linear trs.

SOUND QUALITY

Pramplis: Good pramplis in terms of price, but unlike the opinion prcdant we are still far from what it does best. I use Red pramplis Focus SERIES o even if the source moves away from the microphone is your exact cohrent, full and dynamic, it is not the case, the sound quickly becomes Triqui mtallique and slightly, but good considering the price ... otherwise excellent S / N and specially mentioned for the instrument between high impdance.
Conversion: A signal sent by Onix simultanment in bypassing the pramp (between online D-Sub) and an Apogee converter shows a conversion PSX100 plutt good in this price range, but inquiter it. Even if it is less linear in the management of the dynamics that Apogee he keeps a large dynamic range and you really have to send to saturate.

OVERALL OPINION

I've had a week and I did not test on many sources. What I like most is the conversion and between instruments. Good machine for the price, I advise those who make ® religion taken beyond the Stereo or complment. If pursuit of excellence view of the cot pramplis converters and stro premium spars, but if ... banco tight budget compared with the RME in OctaMic D (1000 euros ) which I do not know the efficiency ...
With the exprience I'll pay an Apogee Rosetta 800 or PRISM with a gallery of such pramp supplmentaires Amek Neve, GML, API, SSL and SPL Gainstation ect ... but with my ability I opt for the Mackie and I will do with ...

See doc technique.
The connection is sufficient for me.
1U rackmount.

UTILIZATION

Extremely simple, yet I have not yet grasped all the subtleties of AES EBU.
(I arrived in the digital world is new).

SOUND QUALITY

Transparent What is transparent?
I think this preamp suitable for voice, brass ... he has a personality but it seems not very colorful. It sounds Maxckie VLZ in quieter and more purpose in the medium.
The possibility to adapt the input impedance microphones gives results quite subtle even with modern microphones, not tape.

OVERALL OPINION

15 days.
What attracted me is the Swiss Army knife side.
No, just the RME OctaMic for excellent converters.
A Swiss Army knife of this sonic quality is not expensive.
We will see in a year or two, but now it's on.

8 channels of mic pre amps, with the MS decoder adapters 2 first entry and choice of four impdances diffrent, two DI inputs and tools, built-in converters up, in 24/192 AES EBU and SPDIF via Sub D25 in ADAT with BNC for word clock, there are also two other sub D25 to 8 I / O analog
48V power supply, phase and high pass channel and a line selector and three LEDs indicating the level between the floor of the channel.

UTILIZATION

Simple!

SOUND QUALITY

I find it good, sound rich enough, a report siganl / noise rarely achieved this award
against by the level conversion APRS output is often as super low, forcing the board in between station console or a digital trim.

OVERALL OPINION

8 channels P48V, Phase, High-pass
Conversion ADDA 24/192
MS decoder adapters
DI function
Line IN sym
Line OUT sym
BNC Sync
etc. .....

it is inconvenu want to compare it with a mono amp pr 5000 euros, 1000 euros but for the 8-channel converters 24/192 integr trs is well !!!!!!