Mackie Cracks The Digidesign Code

A dark, mysterious box arrived at Sonic Towers containing a ransom style note, a video and a brand new (yet to be announced) Onyx 820i Premium Analog Mixer with Perkins EQ and Firewire , plus what turned out to be a bit of a bombshell.

Also in the box was a boxed copy of Digidesign (or should that be Avid?) Pro Tools 8 M-Powered My initial thoughts were: What's that doing in there, they won't work together? But then the penny began to drop - I can be a bit slow sometimes.

What Mackie have done is written a driver - the Mackie Universal Driver V1.0, which appears to circumvent the ProTools/Digidesign hardware protection that ties Digidesign or M-Audio hardware to M-Powered software. Essentially they have cracked the code. This means that you can use the new Mackie Onyx i Series mixers as the audio hardware  component of a Pro Tools LE system, using it as the audio I/O, yes, that's right, you did read that correctly. I've not had a chance to extensively test this at the time of writing, but I intend to take a closer look.

There is no official word on this for now, so we'll have to wait "a few weeks". Mackie have yet to make an announcement. It is not clear whether this is sanctioned by Avid or not.

Now I've told you, I'm going to have to spend the rest of my life with a guilty conscience - coz I guess by now the dog will be pushing up daisies. But then, I never liked Chihuahuas...

More Information

• Mackie.com - Onyx iSeries not out yet

Is it legal?

Unless it is an agreement for a Pro Tools Mackie Powered, I see legal troubles for Mackie in the near feature...

31-Jul-09 10:15 AM

This is indeed a good question. I would imagine not, but I would also think that a company the size of Mackie would let this information out without some basis for it.

I am assuming that the two companies are in discussion

31-Jul-09 10:20 AM

Let the informed commentary and random guessing begin!!!

31-Jul-09 11:51 AM

They did it with M-Audio, so now they take over Mackie.

After all, the M in M-Powered could just as well be Mackie.

This, or they need a serious brandname that fits between M-Audio (not the best of reputations) and Digidesign.

Giving people choice and still make money of it!

31-Jul-09 01:41 PM

I had not seen the video before my first post. Now that I saw the video, all I have to say is WOW!!!

definately Mackie is not directed by dumb people, así que Pro Tools M Powered now works with some mackie gear!!!! I am now convinced!

I am sure the dongle will be still required... wow great move by the 2 companies. And great publicity... cheap and functional! I puts something to say in people's mouth, with ultimately is the best publicity!

31-Jul-09 04:12 PM

Wow great to see my old/colleague mate Woody's still up to his neck in Mackie lol!!! I would hope Mackie have an agreement, however they could be looking at the Apple/Psystar& itunes/Palm Pro cases and trying the same thing.... Good luck to 'em

01-Aug-09 04:32 AM

Lol, now that is funny vid, AVID should end the propriety interface boll*x ASAP, PT LE is going down the toilet as users demand more flexibility these days. Free the DAW from the hardware!!

01-Aug-09 01:40 PM

Mackie better starts to make their mackie controllers work with Logic 9.

03-Aug-09 03:05 AM

It has nothing to do with Mackie. It is Logic/Apple that need to tweak THEIR software. It's like asking ACER to make their LCDs work with a given computer if that computer company changed from the standard connector.

03-Aug-09 07:33 AM

Bout time!!! I hate Digi & M-audio hardware. I hope this becomes more of a trend & Avid drops their proprietary hardware philosophy!!!...or manufacturers just do it anyway. I don't really care. Good job Woody!

03-Aug-09 12:27 PM

Great! Tie 2 Bricks together and trying to make em' float!!!

Here's another 2 bricker Microsoft and Yahoo

06-Aug-09 07:21 PM

According to the Senior Sales engineer at Sweetwater, B. Lyons, this is NOT authorized and is reverse engineering.

Your move Digi....you bunch of commie Fu*ks.

17-Aug-09 04:08 PM

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