One highlight at the Winter NAMM 2008 for live sound users was Digidesign’s debut of Mix Rack. Intended for small-to-mid-size venues, tours and installations, and compatible with all D-Show and D-Show Profile consoles, Mix Rack is a new, affordable hardware option for Digi’s VENUE systems, combining all stage, local audio I/O and DSP processing into a single 11-space rack.
“Many users want to access the power and flexibility of VENUE, but may have budget considerations or require a more compact solution,” says Robert Scovill, Digidesign’s market manager for live sound products. “Mix Rack addresses the needs of our growing user base while bringing the unparalleled capabilities of VENUE and Pro Tools to critical new markets.”
The base configuration in Mix Rack has two Mix Engine cards (expandable for more TDM plug-in processing), and an ECx Ethernet port for remote control. Audio I/O includes: 48 analog XLR mic/line inputs; 16 XLR analog line outs (expandable to 32); eight analog TRS line-level I/O (assignable as discrete I/Os or insert pairs); 2-track analog/digital (AES or S/PDIF) I/O; word clock and MIDI I/O; and an analog aux/com input.
Also included with the Mix Rack package is the latest D-Show Version 2.7 software, a just-released update that adds new functionality, such as improved cue workflow for monitor mixers, a top-level system lockout to prevent tampering in consoles that are located in public areas, real-time viewing of VCA automation tweaks and a comprehensive database for automatically updating plug-ins. Speaking of plug-ins, as a bonus, Mix Rack also ships with VENUEPack 3.0, a huge bundle of signal processing software having a retail value of $6,795.
Compatible with both D-Show and D-Show Profile consoles, Mix Rack supports full up to 64 tracks of record/play integration with Pro Tools—or 18 tracks with Pro Tools LE—and modular card slots allow various analog or digital outputs and Aviom A-Net personal monitoring options. The system is planned for release in the first quarter of 2008 as part of the D-Show Profile Mix Rack System, which offers the most affordable entry into the VENUE family at $39,995.
For more information, visit Digidesign’s VENUE Website at www.digidesign.com/venue.
Also, to watch Digidesign’s Robert Scovill talk about the future of digital mixing, click here.
