• Project Mix--Practical Applications

  
  As reviewed by Parks on 9/27/2006

  I purchased the M-Audio project mix as an upgrade for my project/home studio's increasingly outdated Mackie VLZ-1202Pro and M-Audio Audiophile Delta 24/96. The Projectmix I/O has a lot of strong selling points, including 8 microphone preamps (4 more than it's closest competitor and big cousin, the Digi 002), Adat Lightpipe compatibilities, and Wordclock connections for those of you who might wish to upgrade to better converters. The Projectmix I/O also is stronger than the aforementioned Digi 002 in that it isn't as limited in the applications that it functions with. The piece was extremely easy to set up, and communicates well with Pro Tools M-Powered, which is the application I essentially purchased the piece for, and the microphone preamps sound at least as good, if not better than those on the Mackie that they were replacing. That being said, the Projectmix also has some less than satisfactory points as well. The first of which may be biased due to my previous experience with true analog hardware, in that it isn't exactly as simple to operate as a traditional mixer. For those that mix in the box (ITB) this may not be a problem, but for those of us who either cannot afford good plug-ins (and refuse to use the inadequate ones supplied with Protools) or have outboard gear from previous non-daw lifetimes, it may be difficult to incorporate them with the Projectmix, as it lacks the standard Aux and Insert jacks that all of us analog guys are used to. Besides that gripe, the Projectmix also has quiet monitor outputs, and isn?t as useful in communicating with Reason (although the Midi works fine, which is most important) and Adobe Audition, which I used for the better half of my early career. The ability to have access to 8 microphone preamps simultaneously and control Protools outweighs the cons however, as does the single connection via firewire, which makes remote recording and just general cable clutter much easier to deal with. I would also recommend that a user picks up a patchbay or two with this piece, as it can very easily become a fixture in the home studio, and having a patchbay might be the most important headache saver in any studio larger than two or four tracks.

  17 of 17 people found this review helpful.
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• M-Audio's Greatest Creation

  
  As reviewed by Producer 615 on 10/3/2006

  The M-Audio ProjectMix I/O is A great controller with motorized faders and Mackie Control support with an integrated audio interface that all connects via FireWire. It basicly does everything,Serves as Mission Control for your DAW based studio. The Project Mix gives you audio I/O, MIDI I/O, Word Clock, and mic preamps all seamlessly integrated into a slick, motorized-fader equipped control surface. It also serves as a compatible interface face for ProTools via M-Powered version 7 and above. Everybody who's professionally involved in music needs one of these, or Anyone sick of having to mix with a mouse or Anyone who wants an interface that supports every major DAW including ProTools. The Sound is Amazing, Not only do you have the quality of having control over multiple faders, EQ and plug-in parameters but it also, can help bring up the quality of your mixing as well, or at least make it more fun. What really makes this audio interface & control surface great is that it Performs excellent, and it costs less than some control surfaces that don't include an audio interface. Plus the layout is simple and not cramped, the buttons, knobs and faders feel great. Also, there is a instrument in as well as two headphone outs on the front of the unit,making easier to access. Basicly everything is great only one slight annoyance is that you have to turn the unit off and then back on to switch to different DAW modes (Live, ProTools, Logic, etc.). But as long as the application supports the Mackie Control Protocol you don't really need to make this switch.Also, you only get two LEDs for metering (Signal and Clip), but you can press the MTR button and the scribble screen becomes a high resolution meter. But Overall M-Audio has made an exquisite musical masterpiece for an incredible price. If you are looking for a control surface you will most certainly need to check it out! In My opinion its the best interface out there for its price.

  28 of 29 people found this review helpful.
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• All in one

  
  As reviewed by Umbrellah Entertainment on 9/29/2006

  The project mix I/O is the ultimate all in one solution for the home or project studio. I guess that is why m-audio called the project I/O. M-audio did the control surface/interface platform the best hands down. It allows you run Protools,DP5,Sonar,Cubase,Live and Logic- need I say more. Motorized faders,sturdy contruction,great I/O,LCD, and wonderful studio eye candy, c'mon you can't beat that at $1249.99.

  9 of 11 people found this review helpful.
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