mackie onyx blackjack

[cutty]

does anyone have any experience with the mackie onyx blackjack interface with the newer driver (3.0) for windows?

apparently the hardware works well with mac, but in the past there has been some apparent problems when using with windows.

appreciate any input regarding the new driver - thanks

[Rudy4]

I've been using a Blackjack with my XP setup for a couple of years, no problems and rock solid. That doesn't answer your question, but hopefully the new driver is written with the same attention to getting it to play well with Windows.

[KenW]

I hear it is a real solid unit, but I did not get one because it will only do 44.1k and 48k on the sample rates.

[RodB]

I bought mine last year and have used it without issues on Windows 7 and Linux. Seems robust and straight forward to use.

[jamison162]

How does the Onyx interface compare to the Focusrite Scarlett series; preamp quality, etc?

[jamison162]

Any Mackie Onyx experience out there. Blackjack or Blackbird?

[steveh]

Originally Posted by jamison162

Any Mackie Onyx experience out there. Blackjack or Blackbird?

I had a blackjack for a short while because it was well-priced and I'd heard such a lot of fuss about the pres vs other makers, so I bought one.

Bottom line was that the pres were no better or worse than the pres on equivalent interfaces. I have an Aprogee Duet and they were certainly no better than those. My experience has been that integrated pres are all easily beaten by a dedicated mic pre, even something as modest as an M-Audio DMP3. That had far, far better fidelity than any interface with built-in pres that I've ever owned (Duet, Blackjack, Presonus, TC).

As far as a well-priced, stand alone interface goes, the Blackjack offers a lot. For me, on a Mac, it was rock-solid.

Cheers,
Steve

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by jamison162

Any Mackie Onyx experience out there. Blackjack or Blackbird?

SteveH hits the proverbial nail on the head when you're talking about the similarities of pres in "prosumer level" interfaces. I do feel that the built-in pres are perfectly acceptable to match most of the other componentry in the typical home studio. A chain IS only as strong as its weakest link, so adding a high dollar pre for desktop recording doesn't make sense for me. I own and use the Blackjack and my comments (especially the thing that makes the Blackjack stand out from the competition) is posted on my modest home recording page here:

http://www.bluestemstrings.com/pageRecording1.html