MOTU and Mackie Announce Control Surface for Digital Performer
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Mackie Control and Apple Studio Display
(Click for a close-up on the Mackie Control) |
July 2, 2002
MOTU, Inc. and Mackie
Designs Inc. have co-developed a customized
automated worksurface for Digital Performer, MOTU's flagship audio
workstation software. Mackie Designs is manufacturing and marketing the
control surface, while MOTU has provided customized user interface design
and software engineering tailored specifically for Digital Performer.
The new control surface, dubbed Mackie Control, is a fully automated
touch-sensitive control surface for MOTU Digital Performer. "Digital
Performer users are going to enjoy unprecedented hands-on control of their
MOTU desktop workstation," said Jim Cooper, MOTU Marketing Director.
"We are very excited to offer Mackie Control for Digital Performer 3.1,"
said Keith Olsen, Corporate Director of Global Recording Product and Market
Development at Mackie. "With Mackie Control, Digital Performer users finally
have access to a high-quality, familiar, analog-style interface for their
world-class software."
Mackie Control provides nine 100-mm motorized touch-sensitive 1024-step
Penny & Giles faders for the latest in smooth, responsive automated mixing.
The unit includes programmable rotary V-Pots on each channel strip, along
with MUTE, SOLO, SELECT and REC/READY buttons. Dedicated assignment buttons
give Digital Performer users instant access to any mixing parameter on any
track, including EQ, dynamics, I/O settings and plug-ins. A large, backlit
LED strip provides a detailed, comprehensive readout of channel settings and
plug-in parameters. Dedicated channel- and bank-switching buttons provide
quick access to any track in a Digital Performer mix.
Transport, zoom, scrub and shuttle mode buttons, along with a large
ergonomic jog/shuttle wheel, provide complete control over Digital
Performer's main transports and zooming/locating features. Large red LEDs
provide instant, clearly readable visual feedback of the current location in
Bars/Beats or SMPTE frame time.
A lexan overlay jointly developed by the product management teams at MOTU
and Mackie provides customized labeling for many of Digital Performer's
latest mixing and editing functions. Special priority has been given to
recording, mixing and mastering features that match current-generation
dedicated mixing consoles, including track grouping and and five mix
automation modes. In addition, the MOTU design team has taken full advantage
of forthcoming new features in Digital Performer 3.1, especially Version
3.1's greatly enhanced track grouping features, convenient temporary track
groups, and enhanced transport modes, which link playback to the current
selection and memory bar settings. Custom drivers developed by MOTU provide
the most extensive, natural control of Digital Performer's advanced
real-time 32-bit mixing environment.
Mackie Control offers Digital Performer users the latest in affordable
high-performance control surface technology for their desktop MOTU studio.
Mackie Control is expected to ship Q3, 2002. Price will be announced by
Mackie Designs in the near future.
For more information, visit their web site at www.motu.com. |
