Mackie Onyx Blackjack review

A quality compact USB audio interface

  • £149
  • €146
  • $199.99
This interface offers a pristine signal path.

MusicRadar Verdict

With excellent sound and build quality, the Onyx Blackjack is a solid performer that won't let you down.

Pros

  • +

    Ease of installation. Choice of models.

Cons

  • -

    Nothing.

MusicRadar's got your back Our team of expert musicians and producers spends hours testing products to help you choose the best music-making gear for you. Find out more about how we test.

Mackie is well known for its mixing desks, several of which are equipped with its respected and high-quality Onyx mic preamps.
"Dead easy to use, whether recording in stereo or mono..."

Now, while a mixing desk might not be an essential part of computer recording these days, decent mic preamps in the signal chain will help you record the best possible signal, so Mackie has introduced the Blackjack, a two-channel USB interface built around a pair of Onyx preamps.

Exceptionally rugged and fitted with Neutrik combi sockets, the Blackjack will take signals from any microphone as well as being able to take a Hi-Z signal direct from a guitar or bass.

USB bus-powered, the Blackjack features separate volume controls for both its monitor and headphone outputs.

In use

Dead easy to use, whether recording in stereo or mono, the Blackjack will let you capture audio from your guitar or microphone onto your computer, while clearly monitoring what you're playing or singing.

An input monitor knob routes the analogue signal directly from the preamps to the monitoring outputs so you can eliminate any latency delay by mixing the signal in proportion with what's coming back from computer.

The Onyx preamps combined with Cirrus Logic converters ensure a pristine signal path for recording the optimum sound into your DAW.

Trevor Curwen has played guitar for several decades – he's also mimed it on the UK's Top of the Pops. Much of his working life, though, has been spent behind the mixing desk, during which time he has built up a solid collection of the guitars, amps and pedals needed to cover just about any studio session. He writes pedal reviews for Guitarist and has contributed to Total Guitar, MusicRadar and Future Music among others.