Mackie Designs Inc. Announces Alliance With TC Electronic

April 3, 1998 – Woodinville, WA – Mackie Designs Inc. (Nasdaq: MKIE) today announced an agreement with TC Electronic A/S, a Danish Corporation.

TC Electronic, a high-end developer and producer of software reverberation effects, has developed TCFX, a multi-effects plug-in card, exclusively for use by Mackie Designs in its Digital 8·Bus console.

"TC Electronic is the recognized industry leader in effects processing," commented Mackie Chief Executive Officer Greg Mackie. "This relationship strengthens Mackie's position in the digital arena, and makes available to our customers a very powerful plug-in tool."

"We regard Mackie as one of the most successful companies in the pro audio industry, providing high-quality mixers at a reasonable price," stated TC Electronic's Chief Operating Officer, Anders Fauerskov. "We have followed the development of the Digital 8·Bus console for some time and are very happy to be working with the Mackie team. They've come up with a winner with the Digital 8·Bus."

TCFX hardware cards will be available in three upgrade configurations for Mackie's Digital 8•Bus. The first card will contain high quality reverb, the second contains an upgrade in digital signal processing abilities, and the third package contains multiple effects including reverb, chorus, and delays. After installation, the Digital 8•Bus will automatically detect and control the TCFX, allowing access to editing screens designed specifically for TCFX and Mackie's Digital 8·Bus.

"It was absolutely crucial to TC that we were able to implement not only the sound quality of our effects, but also the intuitive and logical 'feel' of our widely acclaimed TC user interface," said TC's Fauerskov. "With the SVGA, large screen support available from the Digital 8·Bus, we've been able to create some highly intuitive user interface solutions. Although we will provide a manual, no one should have to use it."

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the Company's business based, in part, on assumptions made by management. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements due to numerous factors, including those described above and the following: changes in demand for the Company's products, product mix, the timing of customer orders and deliveries, the impact of competitive products and pricing, constraints on supplies of critical components, excess or shortage of production capacity, difficulties encountered in the integration of acquired businesses and other risks discussed from time to time in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings and reports. In addition, such statements could be affected by general industry and market conditions and growth rates, and general domestic and international economic conditions. Such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release.

About Mackie
Mackie Designs Inc. is known worldwide as a leading manufacturer and marketer of high-quality, affordable professional audio systems. Mackie products can be found in professional and project recording studios, video and broadcast suites, post production facilities, sound reinforcement applications including churches and nightclubs, retail locations and on major musical tours. Mackie Designs Inc. products are marketed by 54 distributors to more than 100 countries around the world.

"Mackie." is a registered trademark of Mackie Designs Inc. in the United States and other countries.

For more information please contact: Mackie Designs Inc. • 16220 Wood-Red Road N.E. • Woodinville, WA 98072 • Phone: 425-487-4333 • Fax: 425-487-4337 • Internet: www.mackie.com