For Mackie, InfoComm 2016 represents its first opportunity to show off its Mackie AXIS integrated 32-channel digital mixing system to integrators and many professional production folks – and the audio and recording manufacturer intends to make the most of it.
As production work becomes more critical across so many content-generating applications, Mackie sees the AXIS Digital Mixing System providing time-saving, customization and ease-of-use advantages to integrators.
Mackie AXIS is a modular system that’s Dante interoperability. It includes high-resolution screens and leverages its SmartBridge technology to handle up to three iPads. It offers 32×32 recording , a selection of DSP and, according to Mackie, boasts more features per price than any other digital mixer available.
CI chats with Mackie senior product manager Ben Olswang about AXIS:
On how Mackie AXIS is expected to improve workflow and speed at a reasonable price point …
When we started the project [of developing AXIS] we watched and listened to how people are mixing and noticed problems they’d run into. We discovered that you really have to step up into some very expensive products to get a lot of visibility and customization to how you want to work.
The entry-level mixers and the professional mixers that AXIS competes with have very fixed workflow. We really wanted to make it very flexible, so instead of having a centralized screen we have screens everywhere with a ‘label everything’ mentality. We think the more custom [the user can get] the better you’ll be able to navigate and use it.
It’s digital – you should be able to label everything! So it’s very user customizable.
On AXIS’ SmartBridge which handles up to three iPad devices …
In our research we noticed that one thing that differentiates entry-level from professional is the ability to work on multiple channels at once. The way it’s solved on the high end is with lots of built-in screens. How do we build that down and make it accessible? Well, people already have inexpensive screens available to them in the form of iPads.
We think it’s a huge benefit in workflow. You can have one iPad always on lead vocalist [for instance] while the other iPads are following your mix so you can always see the last few channels you worked with. We call it SmartBridge because there is basically a sensor under each iPad that knows when an iPad is in place and we can change functionality based on whether it’s wireless or not a workflow designed to switch seamlessly from how you want to work when you’re in front of a console to when you want, and need, to work wirelessly.
On why Mackie touts AXIS’ high-resolution screens …
It comes down to being able to have a lot of information and the higher the resolution the more you can fit on there. We take most advantage of that with channel icons and channel images. Having the resolution to be able to display an image and have it be recognizable is really important.
On why Dante inoperability is so important …
The benefits of a modular system are huge because you can place it where it needs to be on stage. So the modular system made sense from the beginning and we had to decide on the transport and Dante has become the de facto standard. It’s everywhere. We wanted our console to be on the audio network that everyone can speak. Because Dante is there built in you can send output signals from mixer to Dante-powered loudspeakers, amplifier [etc.].
On how Mackie intends to use InfoComm 2016 to educate integrators about AXIS …
We launched it at NAMM [2016] and will be shipping it just after InfoComm, so we’re making out big splash at the trade show. It’s the first chance to really get in front of a lot of commercial integration and professional production users at the show here in the U.S.
We’re doing so with a booth [C9745 ] really focused on AXIS. We’ll have six training stations and hands-on demos. People can talk to me and our product specialists as we present the mixer. They’ll have one right in front of them to get their hands on it. We really when people get their hands on it the experience is incredible. Our goal is to get in front of as many people as possible.
