Mackie Designs Inc. Announces a Strategic Alliance
(Mackie | Posted 2001-12-27)
Mackie Designs Inc. (NASDAQ: MKIE), a leading manufacturer of professional analog and digital audio products and Universal Audio Inc., developers of classic analog recording equipment and advanced digital signal processing tools, today announced a strategic partnership in which Mackie will market and distribute a series of cutting-edge DSP-based software tools developed by Universal Audio.
"We have a strong relationship with Universal Audio and have been unduly impressed with their innovation and engineering expertise," stated Jamie Engen, Chief Executive Officer at Mackie Designs Inc. "We believe that by combining Universal Audio's engineering talents with Mackie's marketing and distribution capabilities, we will be able to provide even more useful and inventive tools to our customers while further solidifying Mackie's position in the digital recording arena."
Bill Putnam, CEO of Universal Audio stated, "We are very proud and excited to enter into this strategic relationship with Mackie. We believe that Mackie's leadership in marketing, distribution and customer reach in the audio markets is the perfect complement to promote and distribute Universal Audio's DSP-based technology worldwide."
The first Universal Audio-developed product to become part of the Mackie family will be the UAD-1 Powered Plug-Ins( for Windows-based, VST compatible software including Cubase VST, Logic Audio, Nuendo and others. A Macintosh version that includes support for Mark of The Unicorn's Digital Performer will be available next year.
The UAD-1's dedicated DSP hardware greatly reduces the burden on a computer's host processor, allowing for plug-in effects of such unprecedented reality, warmth and complexity that even a Pentium IV would be brought to its knees. The ultra-high speed processing capability of the UAD-1's high-speed DSP chip delivers a quantum leap in performance that allows native workstation users to run the professional quality "powered" plug-ins without bogging down the host processor.
The included "Powered" plug-ins feature software emulations of the classic Teletronix LA-2A Leveling Amplifier and 1176LN Leveling Amplifier. Also included are the coveted RealVerb( Pro, and UAD CS-1 Channel Strip with Equalizer/Compressor, Delay Demodulator and Reflection Engine.
Currently available in limited distribution, Powered Plug-Ins will soon be available at Mackie dealers worldwide as the Mackie Powered Plug-Ins( System ($995 U.S.) and will include all available Universal Audio-developed plug-ins as well as the UAD-1 PCI card.
The Mackie Powered Plug-Ins will also be on display at the upcoming NAMM show in Anaheim California, January 17-20. Mackie will be located in booth #6766.
