Mackie Onyx12 12-Channel Analog Mixer with Multitrack USB and SD Recording
The Onyx12 is the premium end of Mackie's compact analog mixers: an analog desk with a full multitrack recorder built into it. Twelve channels, award-winning Onyx preamps, a British Style EQ borrowed from classic consoles, and a full-colour LCD for the recording and effects side.
- Award-winning Onyx mic preamps for ultra-clean, transparent, accurate recording.
- Perkins British Style EQ: an enhanced 3-band design based on the circuit used in classic 1960s and 1970s consoles.
- Multitrack recording via USB or SD card at up to 24-bit/96kHz.
- Powerful FX engine with customizable presets.
- Studio Command Interface with a full-colour LCD for control and metering.
- Bluetooth streaming for playback into the mix.
- QuickGrip side handles that make the desk straightforward to carry and load in.
- Studio and stage use: optimised for multitrack recording and for live sound, in a project studio or a mobile rig.
The Mackie Onyx12 is a 12-channel premium analog USB mixer built for people who record what they mix. Every element is aimed at working at a professional level, from the Onyx preamps to the Perkins EQ, and the recording path is part of the desk rather than a separate interface sitting next to it.
Onyx mic preamps
The Onyx preamps are the reason this range carries the name. They are designed for maximum studio-quality performance and record ultra-clean, transparent sound with a high degree of accuracy, which is what you want whether the source is a podcast voice, a live stream or a full band tracking session.
Perkins British Style EQ
The Onyx12 carries an enhanced 3-band EQ based on the same circuit used on classic mixing consoles from the 1960s and 1970s. Cal Perkins started from the Wien Bridge circuit topology behind those British desks, a design that trades some boost and cut capability for a wider, highly musical Q. After a great deal of maths, he specified capacitor and resistor values that returned an extra 6dB of control, giving plus or minus 15 dB, without excessively narrowing the bandwidth of the filters. In use it means greater filter control, minimal phase shift and the ability to pinpoint a specific frequency range.
Recording and effects
- Multitrack recording to USB or to an SD card, at resolutions up to 24-bit/96kHz.
- A flexible FX engine with presets you can customise and recall.
- A Studio Command Interface with a full-colour LCD to drive both.
- Bluetooth streaming for walk-in music and reference playback.
Living with it
QuickGrip side handles are a small detail that matters on a mobile rig, because the desk gets picked up and carried far more often than it gets configured. Between the recording path, the effects and the analog signal chain, the Onyx12 covers a home studio and a live show without a change of hardware.