Hi im thinking of buying Mackie onyx 1220 with firewire £500 uk pounds seems a good deal and i like what the desk is offering for the money

does anyone have experience or heard what they are capable of could sure do with some feedback before laying out the cash

Thanks Andy x

I have a 1220 with Firewire and I loved it...that is until I upgraded my OS to Leopard without checking out Mackie's site for compatibility (after 4 months of waiting they have a patch) but up to then it operated error free for 2 years. I love it....keep in mind that it is 12 channels in and 2 channels out....not that you can't do things like re-amp but the notion of analog summing or whatever is not going to do it without another 12 channel interface with analog outs.....Mackie has has another interface that isn't a mixer....same preamps....THAT would also be a good deal. The preamps are great (the first time I ever mic'ed something that I was happy with was with those) but, also be aware that the firewire out is Pre EQ , meaning that if you use it with the firewire option you won't be taking advantage of the Perkins EQ (unless you use the Recording Outs to something like an ADAT or Mackies HD 24 recorder, which is too bad because the EQ is really nice and musical). For what it is worth, out of frustration, I bought an Apogee Duet and MAN....the difference in converters are like night and day....Mackie's converters are quite nice but they don't come even close to Apogees. I pretty much record on or two tracks at a time anyway so the Duet is fine but if I was looking for multi channels I would look into buying a couple of the Apogee ensembles (worth every penny of the 2 grand US each....Mac only tho'). If you didn't live in the UK I would sell you my Mackie. I hope this doesn't put you off of the Onyx...it is a GREAT interface...it's just important that you know how it works an maybe look at one of the other Mackie interfaces more closely if the Onyx isn't exactly what you are looking for in a FW mixer. Stay away from the Alesis mixers....they are plagued with problems.

http://www.myspace.com/mortal_engines

Have a buddy that had one, with the optional FW card. After months of being jerked around by Mackie, changing FW cards, mixers, computers, et al, he finally have up on getting the FW interface to work with Digital Performer, sold the mixer, got a Presonus Firestudio and now everything works just swell.

If you're buying it for the FW I/O, don't.

Mortal - you're joking, right? The Firewire upgrade doesn't give you discrete 12 channels out?

That renders it worthless for multichannel recording...

No, only 2. It is 12 (4 mono and 8 stereo)in and 2 out. Kind of disappointing. But when you think about it, it is only acting like a standard mixer does. If you use it with the proper adapters with the Mackie HD24 you could make a true 12 in and 12 out. It wasn't exactly useless for mulichannel recording. You still could record 12 channels to your DAW. it's just that the notion of trying to use it for a mixdown would require it to thru another interface first and things like re-amping weren't exactly practical. What I have now better suits my needs. I would probably go either Apogee or RME for mulitchannel work in the future. Audiorulez is right as well. Mackie has, by far, the crappiest support on the planet. Thankfully I had no real issues to speak of but, I was real unimpressed when I called over there (after getting no reply to email) for a couple of basic questions on how to secure the FW card to the mixer chassis.

I've been lookin for a leopard patch for onyx 1220 forever, where can i find it???