Easy-to-use controller that'll make your recording system a breeze to run.
The Mackie Big Knob Studio Command System is a simple yet powerful desktop audio control center. It lets musicians and engineers get right to the business of making music in 4 major ways: level control, studio monitor selection, input source selection, and talkback and headphone control.
Precise Level Control
Using a big, convenient volume knob, Big Knob lets you adjust volume levels the way our ancient audio ancestors did, with a simple, intuitive knob, not with a mouse and screen. The end result is greater precision and faster level adjustments.
Monitor Selection
When it comes to mixing, pros know it's best to get a second, and third, opinion. So Big Knob lets you quickly switch among 3 pairs of studio monitors, 2 studio monitors and a subwoofer, or studio monitors and a home stereo, or any other combination of powered speakers.
Source Selection
On the input side, Big Knob lets you connect up to 4 stereo input sources at once. This means you can simultaneously connect to your computer/DAW outputs, CD player, cassette deck, and even a turntable using the premium onboard RIAA preamp. You can even connect keyboards, guitars, drum machines, samplers - anything you'd like to hear - through your monitors. This makes Big Knob great for comparing your mixes-in-progress to your favorite CDs, for archiving your old LPs, jamming along to your favorite tune, and lots more.
Talkback Section and Headphone Control
With its built-in talkback mic and spring-loaded activation switches, Big Knob lets you quickly communicate with musicians in both the studio and tracking room - no more hand signals through the glass! Big Knob also sports 2 high-powered headphone outputs with a discrete headphone mix bus, solving the communications needs of most computer-based studios.
All the Right Connections
Although its shiny silver knob is a head-turning feature, Big Knob's rear panel is equally impressive. There you'll find 3 distinct Monitor outputs with individual level control, 2-Track A and 2-Track B stereo outputs with level selection switches, a DAW stereo output for your computer, a Studio output with level control, a Phones Mix input with level selection switch, 2-Track A and 2-Track B Stereo Source inputs with level control, a DAW Mix input from your computer with level control, and even a Phono input with level control for direct connection to your turntable.
Sound Quality
Because Big Knob plays a crucial link between recording output(s) and studio monitors, Mackie has placed the utmost importance on pristine, no-compromise sound quality. For this reason, Big Knob features ultra low-noise op amps, extremely low-tolerance components and state-of-the-art surface mount technology. All of this ensures superb sound in critical listening environments and long-term reliability - even under daily, and nightly, studio use.
Applications
Big Knob is perfectly suited to a range of applications beyond desktop music making, including home stereo systems, keyboard/guitar rigs, high-end multimedia systems, archiving LPs to CD, classrooms and boardrooms, and more.
Posted by Isthisthingon from Whocares, USA on Jun 21, 2008
Experience w/product: I own it
Reviewer's Background: Producer/Engineer/Musician
Reviewer's Play Style: Most of them and a few others
Metal construction (accpeting the push buttons/rear gain knobs). This is one of those utility units that many (me included) may hesitate to spend the money on, but will likely find it worth the tag. It's more than a handy afterthought, I use it everyday. Very little degrade or color, not signifigant enough to present a real impact on mix and monitor to my ears. Unity seems spot on, or close enough not to matter. With A/B, I can't quite place it in the spectrum, maybe a tiny mid bump(?) Typical Mackie or maybe it's my interface/gear. Either way, with a couple quick gain tweaks, it has not effected my mixes or generated fatigue in two months of heavy use. It's a workhorse filling in an elusive puzzle piece for DAW project studios in a compact package, with extras for the creative engineer. Talkback, with level and two seperate sources is great...I mean great to have. Looks nice on the desk too, you can't escape tapping into the conversational humor of the name, everyone does eventually. Overall I'm happy, there is little not to like here.
Overall
Quality
Features
Value
Well Built, Extremely usefull
Posted by Dreymark from Londonderry, NH on Feb 16, 2007
Experience w/product: I own it
Reviewer's Background: Home Recording Hobbyist
Reviewer's Play Style: Rock , Pop, Classical, Country etc.
I use the Mackie Big Knob between my main monitor outs of my DAW (E-MU 1820M) and a combination of small powered studio monitors (PM5s), a Hi/Fi amp/large speaker combo and a small set of chepie speakers for comparisons.
Seems like it's built to last (one piece of info that wasn't readily apparent - the knobs are not plastic as one might guess looking at the picture, but appear to be cast aluminum. A big plus in the quality/durability dept)
Lots of i/o (but never enough ;)
The 2 built in h/p amps with separate h/p buss is a nice addition to the studio (saves me from having to buy a headphone amp to expand the single out on the 1820).
I was using a patch panel to reconfigure i/o for the studio, but having the Big Knob makes things MUCH easier and more convenient. Being able to switch monitors on the fly - or run simul - makes A/Bing much more effective.
Not to mention the big convenient volume knob (How did I live with out that?) Man was not meant to control volume with a mouse! And since my DAW consists of 2 computers I can now monitor both on the same set of monitors without tying up i/o on the DAW (unlike some of the competition, the Mackie allows monitoring from multiple sources simultaneously)
I'm lovin' it and I'm only using half its capabilities at this point. The only way I can really mark it down is that it doesn't do surround (but then neither does anything else for less than 3x the price)
If you don’t already have – or plan on getting -- a mixer with an extensive monitoring section, Get it, you’ll wonder how you got along without it.
Overall
Quality
Features
Value
This unit has plenty of good features...
Posted by The Dude from Santa Cruz, CA on Nov 28, 2006
Experience w/product: I own it
Reviewer's Background: Recording Engineer (Hobby)
Reviewer's Play Style: Indie, Alt Country
This unit has plenty of good features and is insanely easy to use. A couple of drawbacks: All 1/4" ins & outs. No XLR's.
The sound is not completely accurate but is still not bad. In this price range I'm not aware of anything better.
Overall
Quality
Features
Value
Cut down on mixing Time and more
Posted by danielmann01 from Dallas, TX on Nov 15, 2006
Experience w/product: I own it
Reviewer's Background: Semi-Pro 30 years enjoying music
Reviewer's Play Style: Soft Rock, R&B, Jazz
The Mackie BIG KNOB is Great product. Go buy it if you are tired of moving cables around and waiting time and sometimes can affect creativity flow. I gave them a 9 cos any product can be improved somewhat. On this this, I dont know what improvement it needs. but I still give a 9. :)
Overall
Quality
Features
Value
The best piece for my digi002R
Posted by J Bras from Charlotte, NC on Dec 16, 2005
Experience w/product: I own it
Reviewer's Background: Producer/DJ/Artist
Reviewer's Play Style: Pop, Rap, R&B, Alternative Rock, Reggaeton...
I am glad to see that Mackie understands the needs of people who have home or small studios. You would think that DigiDesign would have included these simple functions on the Digi002, and you would think Mackie would have also put these functions on the Mackie Universal Control. But this piece now allows me to do the simple things I have so desperately need to do. Like "talk back", now I don't have to rig up any head phones or scream thru the walls. I simply love this piece, it is a perfect combo with my Digi002R.
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