by bobby owsinski
While there has been a much needed evolution in the search for the ultimate surround mixdown machine, a dedicated unit still doesn�t exist that has truly become a standard. As a result, many engineers have recently begun to record back to a DAW for surround delivery. While this might work for some, not everyone is in the DAW camp yet, as some long for a dedicated recording device. Why? Well, how about the stability that comes with a dedicated box? How about the ease of use? How about never having to worry about system conflicts? How about a unit for people who are computer-phobic? These reasons speak volumes, and when you add these with many features that are also standard fare on software DAWs, you get the Mackie HDR-24/96, a dedicated hard disk recorder/editor that packs a powerful technical punch for a modest amount of money.
Overview
The Mackie HDR-24/96 is a dedicated 24-track hard disk recorder capable of operating at either 16- or 24-bit and sample rates of 44.1, 48, and even 96 kHz. The unit records directly to an internal 20 GB IDE drive, but is also capable of recording to a removable IDE drive that is intended as the primary means of backup (more on this later). The HDR has a variety of I/O options including analog, AES, TDIF, and ADAT, as well as built-in sync to all flavors of SMPTE, video blackburst, MIDI, or internal work clock, and communication to other recorders via a 100BaseT Ethernet port.
