Mackie D8B and Cubase

[tmarkov1]

Greetings everyone. I am writing to the forum today to address something that I don't see a lot of people discussing online.

I just recently obtained a Mackie D8B (v3 software). Installed within the console are the Apogee Clock card, 2 Analog I/O cards and 2 Optical Cards. The TAPE I/O cards are configured as 1-8 analog, 9-16 optical and 17-24 optical. The ALT I/O also has an analog I/O. I also have the Mackie FX card installed.

I was looking for a permanent solution for my studio that would allow direct monitoring with DSP on each channel while at the same time allowing access to any and all of the hardware interface channels, both input and output.

In the studio I am running a Mackie Control Universal Pro as my DAW control surface, which works seamlessly with Cubase. My hardware audio interface is the RME Fireface 800. I also run a Mackie 1202 VLZ mixer as my over-all control room monitor matrix mixer.

The Mackie is my front end for all inputs to my software. The first 12 channels have Microphone preamps while the last 12 channels are line input only. Utilizing my Mackie 1202, I use the first 4 channels of this board, which have XLR mic and 1/4" line inputs. I use the direct out of these channels to address channels 13-16 on the D8B. I also have a PreSonus DigiMax D8 8 channel preamp for channels 17-24. The PreSonus has analog line-outputs for each channel. So, with these 2 outboard devices, I can bring a Mic into each channel of the D8B. I also have a random assortment of microphone preamps that can be patched into any open line input for more advanced tracking.

Within Cubase, I utilize templates for basic tracking. Generally I employ a standard channel setup with pre-assigned input and output routing to the DAW channels. For drums I generally start at channel 1 and pin-out the mics for drums as -> Kick, Snare Top, Snare Bottom, Tom 1, Tom 2, Tom 3, Tom 4, HiHat, Overhead L, Overhead R, Room L, Room R. Bass generally uses 2 channels, one for a Direct line, the other a Mic on the cabinet. Plus I have 6-8 instrument inputs. The rest of the inputs are generally spattered between Vocal mics, Talkback Mics, and occasionally random outboard processing. So with this in mind, I follow the standard "live sound" console setup. Drums first, Bass, Instruments, FX, Vocals. I also layout my channels within Cubase to follow channel for channel 1-24. Within the D8B, I can assign ANY analog input to ANY DAW channel. With the RME as my audio interface, I like having the choice of 8 channels of Analog Inputs and 16 channels of Digital Inputs. The Mackie Mic Pres paired with the Apogee clock sound very nice. My outboard Mic Preamps sound very good thru the D8B line inputs. Overall, the D8B analog-to-digital converters are outstanding. The RME Fireface 800 analog-to-digital converters are also pretty great. With this setup, I can choose either to use any combination of Mackie's A-D (then D-A) conversion to RME A-D, or simply stay within the Digital Domain using the D8B A-D and then route to the RME digital inputs. There IS quite a difference.

The other benefit I have of using the D8B with the RME is that I can assign cue mixes that I create within Cubase to the RME Analog and Digital outputs which return to the D8B's TAPE RETURNS (which I renamed, on the console, to Interface Returns). Pressing the TAPE RETURN (Interface Returns) button, I can assign, pre-fader, any stereo pair of the cue mixes I create within Cubase to the 2 headphone amplifiers built in to the console, with AUX 9-10 and AUX 11-12. Conversely, I can route channels from the DAW to the TAPE RETURN, and re-route the TAPE RETURN channel BACK to the DAW to OVERDUB DSP processing within the D8B.

The majority of the user online are looking for a DAW controller solution (d8bridge) or some MIDI Map for the faders. The d8bridge protocol is, in my opinion, broken because the software alone isn't enough to seamlessly integrate the D8B into a studio without some sort of button overlay, such as the Mackie Control Universal has. The buttons on the D8B are all reassigned to different functions that you simply need to remember. Most of the buttons are assigned to functions that are totally unrelated to the function name which is printed on the console face. Oh yeah - and its only available on PC systems. Not Mac. The D8B has every feature that I have ever wanted to have within my studio. 24 analog inputs and a mix of 24 analog and digital output returns, plus the DSP on each input (and return!!!). I can also, if I want, route any channel or group buss within Cubase (up to 24 channels) back to the Mackie and mix using the D8B DSP. The D8B is, in my opinion, the single best (and most affordable) audio matrix patch bay for the project studio. I also have the MIDI MMC and MIDI timecode assigned via the software (and the RME MIDI I/O) to the D8B so that I can use the transport control and time-display on the D8B.

I understand that this is a rather unconventional method of utilizing this console, since the majority of users use this console in conjunction with an Alesis HD or a Mackie HDR, or some Modular Tape Machine.

I hope that this information will help any of you that are looking to integrate the D8B into your studio setup.

[High C Double G]

Hi T,

I'll visit this later, looks like good stuff and welcome to the forum. It is a busy time of year and I am moving AGAIN!!

Don't like moving one bit - lots of letters on your first post and I can relate to that, if there are any old posts of mine still floating around on the Internet you will know what I mean!!!

Merry Christmas!
Happy Holidays!

Michael

[garrett21allen]

Hi michael

you are moving again. it been a while since you posted
or ether I have not seen your post. I was thinking you
just stoped using the d8b and whent on to something new
but its good to know your still around. moving anytime is bad
but at christmas time thats tuff and ruff. good luck hope its a while
before you move again. and you have a merry christmas michael

joe allen