[LAU] Mackie Onyx Satellite (Firewire)

David Kastrup dak at gnu.org
Fri Jan 12 23:59:46 UTC 2018


Well, just got that one cheap and it does not work with Ffado but using
snd_oxfw with ALSA.

The pod has 2 in/2 out channels, the docking station 2 in/6 out.  96kHz,
24bit.  The docking station does not appear to be the greatest idea for
best input sound quality, though.

And phantom power whines, which is particularly bad if you want to use
one mic with phantom power and one high impedance instrument input.

The Internet suggests replacing R5 on the pod daughter board (Mackie has
schematics on its web page: now that's service!) from 10k with 300R
(probably easier to piggyback on the existing resistor, should not make
much of a difference) in order to raise the step-up phantom power
voltage generator frequency from 6kHz to something like 160kHz.

A serious WTF here but likely something I'll do.  Nice compact 2-channel
recording interface (the docking station is not all that useful but
might make sense if you have a surround sound setup at home).  With
Firewire disconnected it monitors its inputs, so it doubles as a
headphone amp (modulo AD/DA delay but that should just be few ms).

No software controllable mixer makes for no tears.

-- 
David Kastrup


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