Meshuggah's Recording of AJ or I in 2004

An increasing number of mid‑market digital recording consoles is now available, such as Yamaha's 02R, Tascam's D8000, Soundtracs' Virtua and Amek's Soho, to name but a few — and this is precisely the market sector Mackie are competing for with their new and long‑awaited d8b digital recording console. Although already shipping in the States, the d8b's arrival in Europe has been delayed longer than planned by the CE certification process. However, the approval tests are now nearing completion, and the d8b should be available by the time you read this.

When compared to the obvious competition, the technical design and implementation of Greg Mackie's new desk is rather different to most, and the operational ergonomics make this one of the most analogue‑like digital desks I have used to date. Although immensely powerful, the d8b is surprisingly intuitive to master, and I found myself tracking, overdubbing and mixing with little recourse to the Owner's Manual — a rare thing with many digital desks!

The primary function of the d8b is as a 24‑track recording console, and that is what this review will concentrate on, although the console obviously also has applications in the broader scheme of things including live sound, theatre, and post‑production work. The technology is impressive: 24‑bit converters, 32‑bit fixed‑point internal processing, 48 EQ and dynamics processors permanently available, and Apogee's UV22 dithering process, to name just a few of the highlights.