MACKIE FOLLOWS A NEW AXIS
7 March 2016
Word on the street is that something ‘huge’ is coming from Mackie that will really expand its new Axis digital mixing system. If you’re unfamiliar with what Axis is, don’t worry, because Mackie is still piecing it together one bit and a time. You’re probably familiar with at least one of its component parts — the DL32R. The DL32R is the brains of the operation, and was once an iPad-only, wirelessly-controlled 32-input stage rack. You can check out our inital review here and our second take from our Tablet Mixer Roundup.
Mackie recently unveiled the second piece of the Axis puzzle — the DC16 control surface. It’s a bankable, 16+1 motorised fader hardware controller that puts physical buttons and faders under engineer’s fingers. It’s not about replacing the iPads though, as Mackie has managed some neat iPad integration tricks to make the whole system feel continuous. The Smart bridge holds up to three iPads, and keeps track of each one’s main state — which you can set in the preferences of an impending update to the Master Fader app. Undock each and play wirelessly to your heart’s content, then when you dock the iPad, it falls back into file.
Recently, Jason Tan from Mackie brought a prototype of the new DC16 to Australia and gave AudioTechnology a thorough walk through. You can watch the video below to get an idea of what Mackie’s been working on:
The DC16 isn’t the end of the line for Axis, it’s a point along a much longer journey Mackie is still on. We’ll have to wait and see what Axis Mackie travels down next.
More info:
Mackie: www.mackie.com
Australian Distributor: www.cmi.com.au
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